"And you shall not go up the altar on steps so as not to reveal your nakedness."
Exodus 20:23
The Torah tells us that when we construct the ramp leading
to the altar, it should be a flat surface going upwards, not like stairs. The reason is that when one walks up stairs he must
take a wider step, which might reveal the parts of the body that should be covered. With a flat ramp, a person can take smaller
steps, without having this problem. Actually there wasn’t a problem anyhow, since the Priests were very well clothed
and there was no possibility of anything being revealed. The Torah is teaching
us, however, that this is a sign of disrespect to dress that way and therefore we were commanded to build a flat ramp. The
real lesson is not limited to the way we treat the stairs.
It is interesting to note that this verse is in the same place as the giving of the
Torah, because it is teaching us the way to be able to receive the Torah. When we treat people with respect, we show that we appreciate them. If,
however, we don't have respect for others, we will not be able to learn from them, including our Torah
teachers.
