The Chariots of Angels That Came Down With God at Sinai

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 20:2). This is what Scripture means when it says, "The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them, Sinai is in holiness" (Psalms 68:18). Rabbi Avdima of Haifa said: I learned in my Mishnah that twenty-two thousand ministering angels descended with the Holy One, blessed be He, to Sinai. Rabbi Berekhiah the Priest son of Rabbi said: like the camp of the Levites; for the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that only the tribe of Levi would stand firm in their faithfulness, therefore twenty-two thousand descended, like the camp of Levi — "The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands" (ibid.). Another interpretation: "The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands" (ibid.) — twenty-two thousand chariots descended with the Holy One, blessed be He, and upon every single chariot was such as Ezekiel saw. "The chariots of God" — the company that came up from Babylon said that twenty-two thousand chariots descended with the Holy One, blessed be He, to Sinai; thus taught Elijah, may he be remembered for good. "The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands" (ibid.). Rabbi Tanhum son of Rabbi Hanilai said: as far as the calculator can reckon [text uncertain]. "The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands" (Psalms 68:8) — Rabbi Eleazar son of Pedat said: and all of them came down sharpened [shenunim], to destroy the enemies of Israel, for had Israel not received the Torah they would have destroyed them. Rabbi Levi said: rather, they beheld the face of the Holy One, blessed be He, and whoever beholds the face of the King does not die, as it says, "In the light of the King's face is life" (Proverbs 16:15). Another interpretation: "The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands" (ibid.). Rabbi Eleazar son of Pedat said: what is "thousands of shinan"? The most beautiful and praiseworthy among them; even so, "the Lord is among them" (ibid.), distinguished among them. The Assembly of Israel said, "My beloved is dazzling and ruddy" (Song of Songs 5:10). When a king of flesh and blood goes out to the parade ground, there are many as handsome as he, many as mighty as he, many as curly-haired as he, many handsomer than he; the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so, but when He came to Sinai He took with Him the ministering angels who were the most beautiful and praiseworthy among them. Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Simon said: what is written? "He shone forth from Mount Paran, and came from the myriads of holiness" (Deuteronomy 33:2) — and He was a sign within the myriads of holiness; this was when He came to Sinai. Another interpretation: "The chariots of God are myriads" and so forth (Psalms 68:18). Rabbi Eleazar son of Pedat said: in a place where there are crowds there is crush, but at Sinai, when the Holy One, blessed be He, came, thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads descended with Him, "myriads, thousands upon thousands" (ibid.), and even so they had ample room. "Thousands of shinan" (ibid.) — just as you say, "Moab has been at ease [sha'anan] from his youth" (Jeremiah 48:11). Rabbi Eleazar son of Azariah and Rabbi Eliezer of Modi'in [differed]. One of them said: the mountain held them; for the Holy One, blessed be He, said to it, lengthen, widen, and receive the children of your Master. And the other said: when the Holy One, blessed be He, returns to Jerusalem, He will bring the exiles back into it, as it says, "these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west" and so forth (Isaiah 49:12), and it will be able to hold them; for the Holy One, blessed be He, says to it, "enlarge the place of your tent" and so forth (Isaiah 54:2). "The Lord is among them" (Psalms ibid.) — Resh Lakish said: there is a tablet upon the heart of every single angel, and the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is joined together with the name of the angel: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael. "The Lord is among them" (ibid.) — it is written Adonai; My lordship is among them. And do not say that His lordship is over the ministering angels alone; rather, even when He came to give His Torah, He gave it to Israel in this very language [of lordship], and He opened with this language, "I am the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:2).