Parshas Yisro
The Midrash says, when Klal Yisroel stood at Har Sinai, Hashem presented the Torah to each person at a level they could accept. After the first two dibros were delivered, another midrash explains, the soul of each person standing there departed because they could not tolerate such an exalted level of spirituality. These two Midrashim appear to contradict each other.
The 49 days that led up to Matan Torah at Har Sinai were set aside for each Jew to develop individually, creating a foundation for themselves. The foundation defines a framework on which an edifice can be constructed. Each Jew developed his in preparation for receiving the Torah but when the blue prints for the rest of the building were delivered at Har Sinai they found it overwhelming. Hashem architected those blue prints to match each persons unique foundation and so lead them each to greatness. Greatness, though, is not a label assigned to a person; it is an achievement. Hashem expected them to erect their own structure for Torah life on the foundations they had created. Unfortunately Klal Yisroel felt overwhelmed when faced with the actual building of their structures and requested Moishe Rabeinu to do it for them.
A little pipul from the Kli Chemda:
The Ramban in his Sefer Hamitzvohs counts Kibud Av VaAim (honor your father and mother) as two separate mitzvohs. The gemara states, that three mitzvos where presented to Klal Yisroel at Mara: Shabbos, Kibud Av VaAim, and Dinim (judges). This seems to indicate that Kibud Av VaAim is considered one mitzvah which is in conflict with the Ramban.
The mitzvah of Kibud Av VaAim is actually two mitzvohs; respecting one’s mother and respecting the person who is determined to be one’s father by halacha. The determination of one’s father in halacha is accomplished using the law of ‘Rove’ (majority). Based on majority, the odds are, a mother ‘s child is from her current husband. Like all halachos in the Torah, it is only applicable to jews. In Mara, Bnei Yisroel had not yet received the Torah and were considered gentiles, so this law did not apply. Since there was no law to determine the status of ‘father’ prior to Matan Torah, there could be no independent mitzvah of honoring one’s father. Therefore, when the gemara enumerates the three mitzvohs presented in Mara, it is counted as a single mitzvah.