Present at Sinai: The Giving of the Law

In this anthology of selections from the traditional Jewish sources Agnon does for Shavuot what he did for the High Holy Days in his 'Days of Awe' anthology. He gathers together midrashim and provides by his ordering and interpreting a midrash of his own. This volume has an introduction on the subject of 'Agnon and Sinai' by the distinguished scholar Judah Goldin, a preface by the translator Michael Swirsky. One Midrash talks about why the Torah is said to have been given on Shavuot and not received on it. And Rabbi Simchah Bunim says this is because the Torah is given on one day and must be received every day. This anthology is of course specially relevant around the time of Shavuot ( as there is the tradition of learning always about the holiday or experience some time before the time as well as during it) but it can be learned from each and every day of the year.