“We Will Do and We Will Hear”: The Deeper Meaning of Na’aseh VeNishma

Parashat Yitro contains one of the most significant events in history: the revelation at Mount Sinai.

One of the verses most closely identified with this moment is: “And all the people answered together and said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken, we will do’” (Shemot 19:8), and later,
“They said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken, we will do and we will hear’” (Shemot 24:7).

The people of Israel placed “we will do” before “we will hear”, and the phrase na’aseh ve’nishma (“we will do and we will hear”) became a defining symbol of Israel’s faith in God and their unconditional acceptance of the Torah.

Let us explore how this phrase remains deeply relevant to our lives today.

The Crowns of “We Will Do and We Will Hear”

The Talmud teaches: “When Israel preceded ‘we will do’ to ‘we will hear,’ six hundred thousand ministering angels came — one for each individual, and tied two crowns for each person: one corresponding to ‘we will do’ and one corresponding to ‘we will hear’” (Shabbat 88a).

The meaning of these crowns is not immediately clear, but they unquestionably point to a great spiritual elevation that Israel attained by accepting doing before hearing.

To understand this, we must first grasp the deeper meaning of na’aseh ve’nishma and, through it, the importance of Torah study itself.

The Written Torah and Oral Torah

Moshe remained on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights, learning the Torah directly from God in all its details and nuances. During the forty years in the wilderness until the day of his passing, Moshe taught the entire Torah to the people of Israel.

Part of the Torah God commanded him to write is the Written Torah, which was recorded and transmitted near the end of those forty years, shortly before Israel entered the Land of Israel. Another part God commanded not to be written, but rather to be taught orally and transmitted from generation to generation is the Oral Torah.

Two Dimensions of Torah Study

Torah study contains two fundamental dimensions.

1. Learning in Order to Act

The first is learning in order to know how to fulfill the commandments. The word Torah comes from hora’ah which means instruction. The Torah contains the 613 commandments, which are the operating instructions for the world and for human life. One cannot follow these laws without studying them.

This practical form of learning is included in what Israel meant when they said: “We will do.” It is learning for the sake of action.

2. Learning for the Sake of Learning

The second dimension is different: learning for the sake of learning itself. This can be illustrated with a parable.

A soldier is sent on a long mission in enemy territory, leaving behind his wife and young child. After a long time, he finally receives a letter from home. He finds a quiet corner and excitedly opens the letter. His wife writes about her longing for him and shares what has been happening, and how their son has begun taking his first steps.

What does the soldier do with the letter after finishing it? He carefully folds it and, without a doubt, reads it again before going to sleep and at other moments — despite knowing exactly what it says. Why?

Because the purpose of writing and reading the letter is not merely to transmit information. Its primary purpose is to strengthen the bond between the writer and the reader. Reading the letter awakens deep feelings of love and connection to his wife and child.

The Torah as a Love Letter

The Torah is similar to a love letter between the Holy One, blessed be He, and His people.

Through this “letter,” Israel strengthens its bond with God. They learn what God “loves” and what He does not, what brings Him joy, what He expects from us, and more. Beyond receiving information, Torah study itself is like rereading a cherished letter — one delights in the act of reading because it creates connection.

Moreover, no two sessions of Torah study are ever the same. Each time, a new layer is revealed and a new spiritual strengthening is gained.

This dimension of Torah study is included in what Israel meant when they said: “We will hear.” Hearing for the sake of hearing — listening out of love.

Why “We Will Do” Comes Before “We Will Hear”

Now we can understand the profound meaning behind Israel’s decision to say “we will do” before “we will hear.”

When Israel first said, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do,” this already included a basic, technical form of hearing — the initial listening required to know what the commandments are. After all, one cannot perform the mitzvot without first knowing their content.

But when they then added “we will hear,” what did they mean?

Since informational listening was already included in we will do, the phrase we will hear must refer to something else. This is learning for the sake of connection, listening out of love, like the soldier rereading the letter.

Had Israel said we will hear before we will do, it would have meant listening in order to act. But by reversing the order, they revealed that their hearing was something deeper — a hearing born of love.

Through na’aseh ve’nishma, Israel demonstrated that they relate to the Torah not only as a manual for living, but as a means of connection between themselves and their Creator.

For this reason, they merited crowns. When there is love, “we will do” naturally follows.