A person must not allow himself to stay in one place. If a person does not ascend he descends. The question is not “Have I erred?” or “In what regard have I sinned?” The question should be “Have I ascended another spiritual rung today?”
Before the Giving of the Torah man exerted himself in an attempt to come close to God, yet, despite all of his efforts, he remained far removed; from the Giving of the Torah onward, the road is open to reaching God.
National liberation, in its initial stages, awakens great excitement. After this, though, one begins to sense that freedom is not the solution to all problems. Only with the receiving of the Torah do the firstfruit Festivals draw to a close.