Reality interposes itself like sheaths upon the perceptions of our awareness. We walk around for the most part oblivious to these various veils which cloud our Consciousness. It is only when we make inquiries into the nature of our existence via instruments like Kabbalah that our vision improves exponentially parting the veils and letting us see what 'really is.'
Shemos 19:20. The Lord descended upon Mount Sinai, to the peak of the mountain, and the Lord summoned Moses to the peak of the mountain, and Moses ascended.
Here is the dual movement; the below rising to meet the descending above. What is the peak of the mountain? It is the place unity wherein Moshe may comprehend the vision from beyond all the veils represented by the mountain that interpose themselves in between. Moshe is summoned and in turn has the capacity to hear this rising call. He could not do so however, unless Hashem meets him where he is on the mountain of revelation that rises high above him.
Now when such an ascension takes place the mundane Consciousness finds itself in a kind of stasis neither acting upon or against its own internal prompting. It simply waits in response to this call from above.
Shemos 19:21. The Lord said to Moses, "Go down, warn the people lest they break [their formation to go nearer] to the Lord, and many of them will fall.
The people are the mundane Consciousness. Lower thoughts cannot rise to the level of Moshe since their makeup is such that there would be confusion. What is this like? Imagine placing the orders for a great battle in the hands of baker and then saying make this plan come out. Without any knowledge of either the enemy or his own forces or the terrain any such attempt at carrying out these commands would result in confusion. This is why the people or the mundane thoughts must remain in stasis and come no nearer to the foot of the mountain.
Shemos 19:22. And also, the priests who go near to the Lord shall prepare themselves, lest the Lord wreak destruction upon them."
In addition even the priests which are those thoughts that serve as intermediaries between the lower and the higher thoughts must remain where they are for the same reasons as above.
After having this preliminary talk with Hashem Moshe is directed to speak to the people but the admonition is repeated again for the third time to keep the priests and the people in their place.
Shemos 19:24. But the Lord said to him, "Go, descend, and [then] you shall ascend, and Aaron with you, but the priests and the populace shall not break [their formation] to ascend to the Lord, lest He wreak destruction upon them."
Why is Moshe warned three times about not letting the people come near the mountain to ascend it? It is because mundane thoughts break up in confusion when confronted with the spectacular or spiritual in nature. Mundane thoughts are grounded and shielded by the levels we spoke of above as sheaths of awareness. What Moshe will now attempt is to penetrate those sheaths boldly with the truth of his revelation which will in turn if all goes well infuse those mundane thoughts with the spiritual impetus for transformation. B"H.
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