Two Crowns for We Will Do and We Will Hear

Rabbi Simai expounded: At the moment when Israel gave precedence to "we will do" over "we will hear," six hundred thousand ministering angels came, and to each and every one of Israel they bound two crowns, one corresponding to "we will do" and one corresponding to "we will hear." And once Israel sinned, one million two hundred thousand angels of destruction came down and removed them, as it is said, "And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb" (Exodus 33:6). At Horeb they were laden and at Horeb they were stripped. At Horeb they were laden, as we said. At Horeb they were stripped, as it is written, "And the children of Israel stripped themselves," etc. Rabbi Yochanan said: and Moses merited and took them all, since adjacent to it is, "And Moses would take the tent" (Exodus 33:7). Resh Lakish said: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to return them to Israel, as it is said, "And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads" (Isaiah 51:11). Rabbi Elazar said: At the moment when Israel gave precedence to "we will do" over "we will hear," a heavenly voice went out and said to them: My children, who revealed to you this secret that the ministering angels make use of, as it is written, "Bless the LORD, you His angels," etc. - first "who do" and afterward "who hearken"? Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: What is the meaning of "As the apple tree among the trees of the wood" (Song of Songs 2:3)? Why are Israel likened to an apple tree? Just as this apple tree, its fruit comes before its leaves, so too Israel gave precedence to "we will do" over "we will hear." A certain heretic saw Rava absorbed in his studies while he pressed his finger beneath his foot and was crushing it until his finger spurted blood. He said to him: You rash people, who put your mouth before your ears - you still stand in your recklessness! First you should have listened: if you were able you would accept it, and if not you would not accept it. He said to him: We who walk in wholeness, of us it is written, "The integrity of the upright shall guide them" (Proverbs 11:3). Of those people who walk in cunning it is written, "and the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them."