Israel Asks Moses to Speak and Earns the Gift of Prophets

"And they said to Moses: You speak with us and we will hear" (Exodus 20:16). This tells that they had the strength to receive only the Ten Commandments, as it is said "If we hear any more" and so forth (Deuteronomy 5:22), "I will not hear again the voice" and so forth, but rather "You go near and hear" (Deuteronomy 5:24). From that hour Israel merited that prophets would be raised up from among them, as it is said "I will raise up a prophet for them" (Deuteronomy 18:18): a prophet I am destined to raise up from among them; but they anticipated it by their own merit, as it is said "And the LORD said to me: They have done well" and so forth (Deuteronomy 18:17). Happy are people whose words the Omnipresent affirmed. And so it says "And the LORD said: I have pardoned according to your word" (Numbers 14:20). And so it says "The daughters of Zelophehad speak rightly" (Numbers 27:7), "The tribe of the sons of Joseph speak rightly" (Numbers 36:5). "Who would give that they had such a heart" (Deuteronomy 5:26): were it possible to remove the angel of death I would remove him, but the decree has already been decreed. Rabbi Yose says: on this condition Israel stood before Mount Sinai, that the angel of death should have no power over them, as it is said "I said, you are godlike beings" and so forth (Psalms 82:6); you ruined your deeds, "yet you shall die like men" (Psalms 82:7). "And they said to Moses: You speak with us": the Holy One, blessed be He, heard the voice of Israel and it was pleasing to Him. He sent for Michael and Gabriel, and they seized Moses by his two hands against his will and brought him near to the thick darkness, as it is said "And Moses drew near to the thick darkness" (Exodus 20:18). It is not written here "he approached" but "he was drawn near."