The pasuk says, "Moshe descended from the mountain to the people. He sanctified the people and they washed their clothing." [Shmos 19:14] Rashi explains that the apparently superfluous expression "to the people" teaches that Moshe did not attend to his own business. Rather, he went directly from the mountain to the people.
This pasuk is in effect saying that when Moshe Rabbeinu came down from the mountain, he did not check his mail, he did not check his phone messages, he did not start his car to see if the battery died while he was 'out of town'. He did not in any way take care of his private business. He went straight to serve the people.
What is the novelty that Rashi feels needs to be pointed out here? Rav Elya Meir Bloch (1894-1955) suggests in the Peninei Daas that the pasuk is highlighting a unique spiritual accomplishment of Moshe Rabbeinu after he descended from Mt. Sinai. When someone has been "on the mountain" and then comes down "to the people", there is invariably a descent in spiritual intensity.
There are those who spend considerable time in "ivory tower" environments. There was certainly never a greater "ivory tower" than Mt. Sinai during the 40 days when Moshe received the Torah. There are two approaches taken by people who have to leave the "ivory tower" and return to the masses.
The natural instinct is to be concerned "how am I going to protect myself; how am I going to maintain the pristine experience I have managed to acquire?" One approach is to insist: "I will never leave the mountain. Even if I need to leave physically, I will not allow myself to be psychologically brought down from that spiritual intensity. I will stay in my own four cubits of space, in my own rarefied atmosphere. I will not be brought down by the mundane needs of the masses." The other approach is to say "I have an obligation to the people. I know that this will cause some degree of spiritual descent on my part, but I must do what I must do and that's the way it is."
Rashi emphasizes that Moshe Rabbeinu was able to have the best of both worlds. He went straight to the people. He did not ignore their needs. He did not try to stay aloof. But nevertheless, "he did not turn to his own needs." The fact that he mixed with the masses did not cause him to descend spiritually. He remained as spiritually focused as when he was on the mountain. He was amongst the people, he became part of the people, but it did not affect his focus, his intensity, or his spirituality.
Rabbi Frand torah.org
