The Midrash describes how after each of the first two commandments uttered by G-d the Jewish People actually died from the revelation, only to be immediately revived, by G-d Himself. So the people begged Moshe "you speak to us instead of Hashem so that we don’t die again!" .
Not quite the kind of Jewish studies experience we are used to...
The obvious question though, is that this was obviously by the direct of G-d Himself. It was His words elevating them, and His will reviving them. In fact, it was they themselves who requested, as Rashi points out before the 10 commandments, that the words be spoken by G-d Himself and not through Moshe - so why are they complaining now? They'll be fine!
Perhaps though, the paradox of life and death in the Sinai Experience carries an important message;
Whilst they knew that they would survive through G-d's continuous miraculous revival of them, that ongoing break of nature would run against the whole objective of Sinai - to bring heaven down to earth, down to Mount Sinai, down to the people and down into the very character of their conscious natural being.
True, the initial transcendence of their "virtual deaths" was important. That face to face interaction with G-d empowered the soul with a measure of divinity to fulfil its journey from Sinai onwards. Otherwise, that out of body experience would serve no purpose. And they knew they would survive.
But survival alone would not suffice. They had to transform. Even if it meant that for the duration of the revelation, the words came through Moshe. At least now they could absorb the message consciously and achieve its goal to be a part of, and transform, the world.
Sinai only happened so that we, body and soul together, could harness the divinity of the G-dly soul into the guiding light of the human body and reality.
The Rebbe shared this thought in a very moving talk on the first Yarzeit of his Rebbetzin's passing - this Shabbat Yitro in 1989.
In connecting the day to the message of the Parsha, he drew the comparison of the passing of a Tzadik, a righteous person, which she most definitely was, to the initial experience of the deaths of the Jewish People at Mount Sinai. "Her desire is that the the result of her passing express itself in tangible acts and good deeds in our physical world."
In poignant words the Rebbe concluded that "despite the fact that she was "the wife of his youth" (whom the Talmud describes as irreplaceable), the message is that: we, who are still living in this physical world - body in soul - utilize the sanctity of her passing as a motivation to make a physical tangible difference in our lives, in the study of Torah, in Prayer and the observance of Mitzvot and good deeds for those around us.
She in turn then uses this fresh injection of spiritual energy to pray on high for all of those in need, for children, health and success in abundance, and the ultimate blessing for the complete redemption.
May the proud Matric graduates. and all of us together, live the message of Sinai in paying tribute to this remarkable woman who so regally exemplified the message of Sinai in her lifetime and beyond.
Thank G-d 3,300 Years later, the Sinai Experience, in both life and death, continues to produce magnificent results.