Imagine being an angel, privy to the divine plan, and thinking, "Uh, God, are you sure about this whole 'humanity' thing?"
Well, according to tradition, some angels did have serious reservations about God's plan to create humankind. And let’s just say, voicing those concerns didn't exactly go over well.
The story goes that God, before creating Adam, wanted to get some celestial feedback. He gathered groups of angels, each led by a powerful archangel, to hear their thoughts. Think of it as a divine focus group, but with significantly higher stakes.
The first group summoned was under the leadership of the archangel Michael. God asks them, "What do you think about creating man?" And they essentially scoff, quoting scripture back at Him: "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:5). They just don't see the point. Why bother with these flawed, earthly creatures?
Big mistake.
The text in Legends of the Jews, that monumental work by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, tells us that God, displeased with their arrogance and lack of faith, stretched forth His little finger – and poof! – the entire group was consumed by fire, except for Michael himself. Talk about a tough crowd.
You might think the next group would have learned a lesson. But no.
A second group, this time under the leadership of the archangel Gabriel, voiced similar objections. And according to Ginzberg's retelling, they suffered the same fiery fate. Only Gabriel was spared.
Why? Why were these powerful, celestial beings punished so severely for simply expressing their opinions?
Perhaps it wasn't the opinions themselves, but the way they were expressed. The scorn, the lack of faith in God's plan, the refusal to see the potential for good in humanity... maybe that was the real offense. Or maybe, the tradition is showing us that there are things beyond our understanding that we must simply trust in the divine plan.
This story, though brief, is a powerful reminder about the dangers of arrogance, the importance of faith, and the potential consequences of questioning the divine. It's also a reminder that even angels, beings of pure spirit, can make mistakes. And it certainly makes you think twice before offering unsolicited advice, doesn't it?