Another matter: “I am the Lord your God” – that is what is written: “Face to face the Lord spoke with you” (Deuteronomy 5:4). Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa said: Twenty-two thousand [angels] descended with the Holy One blessed be He to Sinai, as it is stated: “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands of angels [shinan]” (Psalms 68:18).4Since myriad in biblical and Talmudic usage means ten thousand, myriads indicates at least twenty thousand.
Likewise, “thousands” indicates at least two thousand. Therefore, together there must be at least twenty-two thousand. They were fine and praiseworthy. Is it, perhaps, that because they were many they were crowded?
The verse states: Shinan, they were tranquil [shaanan] and serene. “My Lord is in their midst” (Psalms 68:18) – it is not written with yod, but rather with alef dalet; the Lord of the entire world was in their midst.5In this verse the name of God is not written as the Tetragrammaton, which begins with a yod, but is rather spelled alef-dalet-nun-yod, which is a word that literally means our master, or lord.
This emphasizes God’s mastery over the world. Alternatively, “my Lord is in their midst” – Rabbi Levi said: There was a tablet with the ineffable name inscribed over their hearts. Another matter: “My Lord is in their midst” (Psalms 68:18) – the Rabbis say: The name of God6El was intermingled with the name of each and every one [of the angels, e.g.], Mikhael and Gavriel. The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Do not think that because you saw many faces perhaps there are many gods in the heavens. Know that I am the one Lord, as it is stated: “I am the Lord your God.”’