When Moses ascended to heaven to receive the Torah, the angels were furious. According to Shabbat 88b, they confronted God directly: "What is a human being doing among us?"
God told Moses to answer them himself. Moses was terrified. "I am afraid they will burn me with the breath of their mouths," he said. God told him to hold onto the Throne of Glory and respond.
The argument Moses made was devastatingly simple. He looked at the Torah and asked the angels a series of questions. "It says in the Torah: 'I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt' (Exodus 20:2). Did you go down to Egypt? Were you enslaved to Pharaoh? Why would you need this Torah?"
Each commandment became evidence against the angels' claim. The Torah forbids idol worship—do angels live among idolaters? It commands Shabbat rest—do angels perform labor? It prohibits murder, adultery, and theft—is there jealousy among angels? Is there an evil inclination in heaven?
The angels had no answer. They conceded. And then something extraordinary happened—they became Moses' admirers. Each angel gave him a gift. The proof text is (Psalms 68:19): "You ascended on high, you took captives, you took gifts on account of man." Even the Angel of Death gave Moses something: the secret that incense stops a plague. Moses later passed this knowledge to Aaron, who stood between the living and the dead and halted a pestilence (Numbers 17:12–13).
After Moses descended with the Torah, Ha-Satan (הַשָּׂטָן), the Accuser, searched for it. He asked the earth, the sea, the depths—none had it. He went to Moses, who said: "Who am I that God would give me the Torah?" God said to Moses: "Are you a liar?" Moses replied: "You have a hidden treasure that You delight in every day. Should I claim credit for it?"