“Moses ascended to God. The Lord called to him from the mountain, saying: So you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell to the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:3). “Moses ascended to God” – that is what is written: “You ascended on high; you took captives” (Psalms 68:19). What is “ascended”?
You were exalted.1The term “ascended” is understood in the spiritual sense, but not that Moses physically ascended to heaven. You struggled with angels on high.2Moses debated with the angels as to whether the Torah should be given to human beings (see Shabbat 88b). Another matter: “You ascended on high” – that there was no creature who prevailed on high like Moses prevailed. Rabbi Berekhya said: The length of the tablets was six handbreadths.
As it were, there were two handbreadths in the hand of the One who spoke and the world came into being, two handbreadths in the hand of Moses, and two handbreadths separated between the two hands. Another matter: “You ascended on high; you took captives” – the way of the world is that one who enters a province takes an item to which the residents of the province do not direct their attention, but Moses ascended on high and took the Torah, to which everyone directed their attention.
That is, “you ascended on high; you took captives.” Is it, perhaps, that because he took it captive he took it for free?3Did Moses perhaps take it without effort or hardship? The verse states: “You received gifts among men” (Psalms 68:19) – it was given to him as an acquisition.4The word for “you received [lakaḥta]” is often translated as, “you acquired.” The implication is that just as one must work to acquire something, Moses had to work hard to receive the Torah.
Was he, perhaps, obligated to give Him money? The verse states: “gifts”; it was given to him as a gift. At that moment, the ministering angels sought to harm Moses. The Holy One blessed be He made the image of Moses’s face similar to Abraham.
The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Are you not ashamed before him? Is he not that one to whom you descended and ate in his house?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘The Torah was given to you due only to the merit of Abraham,’ as it is stated: “You received gifts among men [adam]” (Psalms 68:19). The adam stated here is no one other than Abraham, as it is stated: “The greatest man [adam] among the Anakim” (Joshua 14:15).5This is expounded as a reference to Abraham (Soferim 21:9). That is, “Moses ascended to God.”