When Moses ascended to heaven to receive the Torah, a cloud crouched before him like a living creature. He did not know whether to ride it or grab hold of it. The cloud opened, swallowed him inside, and carried him upward. Then Moses walked across the firmament the way a person walks across the earth.
The first angel he encountered was Qemuel, commander of 12,000 angels of destruction who guard the gates of heaven. Qemuel rebuked him immediately. "You come from a place of defilement and dare walk in this place of purity? What is one born of woman doing in a place of fire?" Moses answered simply: "I am the son of Amram, and I have come to receive the Torah for Israel."
Next came Hadarniel, who stood 60,000 parasangs above the other angels. Every word Hadarniel spoke sent 12,000 sparks of fire flying from his mouth. Moses heard that voice and wept, trembling so violently he nearly fell from the cloud. But God intervened, telling Hadarniel that the angels had been nothing but accusers since the day of creation, and that without Israel receiving the Torah, neither God nor the angels would have a dwelling in the firmament at all.
Hadarniel immediately became Moses' guide, walking before him like a student before a teacher, until they reached the fire of Sandalphon. This angel stands so far above his peers that it would take a journey of 500 years to cross from his head to his feet. Sandalphon weaves crowns of prayer for God from the words of Israel, and when the crown reaches the Throne of Glory, every heavenly host trembles.
Moses pressed on through the river Rigyon, a stream of fire where angels are born and consumed daily, and past the angels of terror that surround the Throne of Glory itself. They tried to burn him with their breath, but God spread the glory of His throne around Moses like a shield. Moses challenged them: "What use is the Torah to you? The Exodus does not apply to you. You do not worship idols or swear false oaths." At that, every angel became his friend. Each one handed him a secret, and even the angel of death revealed his own mystery. Then God opened the seven firmaments, showed Moses the heavenly temple, and sent him back down carrying the Torah like a captured bride, while 120 myriads of angels placed two crowns on every Israelite who said, "We shall do and we shall obey."
LII. (1) E. Joshua ben Levi said that when Moses
ascended on high to receive the Law, a cloud appeared
before him in a crouching position, so that he did not
know whether to ride upon it or to take hold of it. How-
ever, it soon opened, and having entered it, the cloud
carried him aloft. Moses then walked along the firma-
ment, just as one walks along the earth, as it is said, ' And
Moses went in the midst of the cloud.' Qemuel, the angel
appointed over 12,000 other angels of destruction, keeping-
guard at the gates of heaven, met him. When he saw
Moses he rebuked him, saying: ' Thou comest from a place
of defilement, and darest walk in this place of purity.
What dost thou, who wert born of woman, in this place of
fire ?' ' I am Moses, the son of Amram, and have come here
to receive the law for Israel.'
(2) Moses walked along the firmament just as a man walks
along a pathway, until he came to Hadarniel. The sages
say of Hadarniel that he stands 60,000 parasangs above his
fellow-angels, and that every word he utters is accom-
panied by 12,000 sparks of fire. On seeing Moses, he in
his turn rebuked him, saying, * What doest thou in this
sublime and holy place ?' But as soon as Moses heard the
voice of Hadarniel, he became frightened, confused, and
trembled exceedingly in his presence, and the tears flowed
from his eyes. He therefore entreated the cloud to cast
him forth; (3) but God's mercy was moved for Moses, and
He thus addressed Hadarniel: ' From the very day that I
created you, you have striven before Me; when I wished
to create man, all of you became his accusers before Me,
saying: "What is man, that Thou shouldst remember
him, and the son of man, that Thou shouldst visit him ?"
You gave Me no rest until I consumed many of your
companies; and now, seeing that My desire is to give My
law to My children, you stand in the way and will not
allow My law to descend to My chosen people Israel.
Indeed, were it not for Israel, who are to receive My law,
there would be no dwelling in the firmament, either for Me
or for you,' as it is said, ' If I had not created the day and
the night, I would never have decreed the statutes of
heaven and earth. '
(4) When Hadarniel heard this he rose and prayed and
made supplication before God, saying, ' 0 Lord of the
universe, it is revealed and known before Thee that I did
not know that Moses came here with Thy permission.
Now that I know it I shall act as a messenger to him, I
shall go before him as a pupil before his teacher.' Thus
humbling himself, he went before Moses as a pupil before
his instructor, until he came to the fire of Saldalphon;
(5) and then Hadarniel said: * Moses, do thou proceed, for
I am not able to stand before the fire of Saldalphon. I
fear lest he consume me with the breath of his mouth.'
When Moses perceived Saldalphon, he was confused and
trembled, and the tears flowed from his eyes. He then
desired to be thrown from the cloud, and besought the
146 [LII. 5
mercy of Grod. His prayer was answered, for at that
moment the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself descended
and stood before Moses until he passed the fire of Saldal-
phon. Concerning this it is said, ' And the Lord passed
before him and he exclaimed, " The Lord, the Lord, the
God of mercy and kindness." '
(6) Of Saldalphon the sages say that he towers above his
fellow-angels a distance that would take 500 years to walk,
and that he stands in front of the curtain weaving crowns
for his Maker. The ministering angels do not know where
God dwells, for it is said, ' Blessed be the Lord from His
abode,' and it is not said in, but from, His abode. He
(Saldalphon) therefore conjures with the Ineffable Name,
and the crown departs to rest by itself on the head of
the Almighty. As soon as the crown leaves the hand of
Saldalphon, all the heavenly hosts are moved, and the holy
creatures, till now silent, roar like lions, and they exclaim
with one voice, ' Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts,
the whole earth is filled with His glory.' When the
crown reaches the throne of God, all the wheels of His
chariot and throne commence rolling; the sockets of fire
blaze forth, and all the heavens are seized with terror.
When it passes on to the throne all the heavenly hosts with
their own crowns on break forth into glorification of God,
saying, ' Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His abode.'
Come and see the glory and greatness of God. As soon
as the crown reaches His head. He strengthens Himself to
receive the prayers of His servants. Then all the Hayoth,
Ophanim, Seraphim, the wheels of His chariot, the throne
of His glory, and the hosts above and below exalt, glorify,
and break forth in words of praise, honour and glory, and
all as with one mouth proclaim His Sovereignty, saying,
' The Lord will reign for ever and ever.'
(7) As soon as Moses passed away from Saldalphon, he
came to Eigion, a river of fire, whose flames burn the
angels of fire just as the fire which consumes man. Moses,
however, was taken across by God. (8) He then met
Galisur, an angel to whom is attributed the saying that
Lll. 10] 147
out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth evil and
good. Why was his name called Galisur ? Because he
reveals the secrets of God. His wings are spread out to
receive the fiery breath of the holy creatures, for, were
he not to do so, no creature would be able to endure it.
Galisur is appointed for another kind of work: he pro-
phesies that this year shall be a good wheat crop; the
barley shall ripen, and the wine shall be cheap. And
yet another kind of work: taking a thick covering of iron
and spreading it on the river Eigion, he places certain
people upon it opposite the angels and princes, so that they
may prosper, and that their fear shall fall upon the
creatures. God took Moses up and brought him across the
river.
(9) After this, Moses met a troop of angels of terror
that surround the Throne of Glory, and that are mightier
and stronger than all the ministering angels. As soon as
they espied Moses, they tried to consume him with the
breath of their mouths, saying, * What doest thou in this
place of glory ?' But God immediately spread the glory of
His throne round about him, as it is said, ' He closeth in
the face of His throne and spreadeth His cloud upon
it.' Moses, thereby strengthened, returned the following
answer: * What avails the Torah to you ? The Exodus
from Egypt does not apply to you, nor the worshipping
of strange gods, nor the taking of oaths.' At this they
immediately rendered their thanksgiving to God, as it
is said, ' Our Lord, how mighty is Thy name in all the
earth ! Thou whose majesty extends over the heavens.*
From that moment every one became Moses' friend; every
one handed over to him a secret cure, and even the angel
of death revealed to him his secret, as it is said, ' And
he gave the frankincense and atoned for the people.'
(10) Then, opening the seven firmaments, God showed him
the heavenly temple and the four different hues in which
the tabernacle was made, as it is said, 'And thou shalt
erect the tabernacle according to the plan which thou
sawest on the mount.' • 0 Lord of the universe,' said
10—2
148 [Lll. 10
Moses, ' I do not know its form.' Then spake God to
him, ' Turn to the right.' He did so, and seeing angels
clothed in a colour like that of the sea, God said, ' This is
blue.' ' Now turn to the left,' said God. He did so, and
seeing angels clothed in white, God said, ' This is the fine
linen.' Then turning in front of him and seeing angels
clothed in red, God said, ' This is scarlet.' ' Now turn
behind thee.' Turning behind, he saw angels clothed
neither in red nor green, and God said, ' This is purple.'
(11) The Lord then opened the seven doors of the seven
heavens, and revealed Himself to Israel face to face in His
glory and with His crown. As soon as the Israelites heard
the words, ' I am the Lord thy God' from God's own mouth,
their souls departed forthwith, as it is said, ' The souls of
the Israelites departed when He spoke.' The Law went
forth to Israel and found them all dead. Keturning to
God, it said, ' Lord of the universe, to whom hast Thou
given me, to the living or to the dead ?' ' To the living,'
said He. ' Hast thou not applied to me the verse, " It shall
be thy life and the length of thy days "? and yet here are
they all dead.' ' Then for thy sake I shall restore their
souls;' and causing that dew to descend which is destined
to revive the dead, He thus brought them to life, as it is
said, ' Thou, 0 God, didst send a plentiful rain; Thou
didst confirm Thine inheritance when it was weary.' He
then restored their souls, as it is said, * The law of God is
perfect, refreshing the soul.'
(12) There then descended, at the command of God,
120 myriads of ministering angels, of whom a pair went to
each of the Israelites, one to place his hand upon his heart
to prevent his soul from departing, and the other to
straighten his neck that he might behold God. But why
did God reveal Himself to them face to face ? Because He
said to them, ' Know that I reveal Myself to you in My
glory and in My majesty, so that in the event of one of you
leading others astray and saying to them, " Forsake your
God and let us go and serve other gods," you may then
say to him, *' Is there anyone who, after beholding his
Creator in His glory and in His majesty and upon the
throne of His glory, would go and serve other gods ?" '
(13) Then said the Lord to Moses, ' My angels are afraid
of thee because the fire of thy lightnings is stronger than
theirs. Let Michael My archangel go before thee, for My
great name is engraved upon his heart, as it is said, *'For
My name is within him." The glory of the heights is on thy
right hand, and the image of Jacob thy forefather on thy
left.' Moses was inwardly pleased when he saw the Most
High condescending to argue with him. All the inhabitants
of the world were confused; the inhabitants of every
country were astonished when they saw Moses the son of
Amram, who had captured the King's daughter (the Law),
descending in great exultation, as it is written, ' Thou didst
ascend on high; thou didst take captive and receive presents
for man.' It is further written, * A wise man scaleth the city
of the mighty, and bringeth down the strength of the con-
fidence thereof.' The mountains and hills skipped like
rams when they saw the canopy erected, and the daughter
of God as a bride decked with precious stones. The
daughter of God is the Torah (Law), and the precious stones
represent the twelve tribes, who said, ' All that the Lord
has spoken we shall do and hearken thereunto.' As soon
as they exclaimed, ' We shall do and we shall obey,' there
descended 120 myriads of ministering angels, who placed
two crowns upon every one of the Israelites: one because
they said, ' VYe shall do,' and the other because they
exclaimed, * We shall obey.' And the glory of the Lord
was revealed from heaven, from the habitation of His
holiness. He gave the Torah to the children of Jacob, His
chosen one, and gave them righteous judgments, a true
law, statutes and commandments for their good, by which
to prolong the life, to obliterate the sins, and to sow the
seeds of righteousness.
