<b>And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them (Exod. 29:1).</b> Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: <i>Forever, O Lord, Thy word standeth fast in heaven</i> (Ps. 119:89).
R. Berechiah the priest BeRabbi,<sup class="footnote-marker">11</sup><i class="footnote">See above, note 6.</i> declared: The Holy One, blessed be He, will deal mercifully with us forever. Wherein is this stated? At the time that Abraham descended into the fiery furnace, the guardian angels quarreled with one another. One said: I shall descend and save him; while another one insisted: I shall descend and save him. While Michael declared: I shall descend (to save him), and Gabriel called out: I shall descend. Thereupon, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the angels: None of you will do so. I, in all My glory, will descend and rescue him, as it is said: <i>I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees</i> (Gen. 15:7).
The Holy One, blessed be He, told the angels: You shall descend to rescue his descendants Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah when they are cast into the furnace. The angels did descend to rescue them, as it is said: <i>Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent His angel, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him</i> (Dan. 3:26). Then the guardian angels proclaimed: <i>Forever, O Lord, Thy word standeth fast in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations; Thou hast established the earth, and it standeth. They stand this day according to Thine ordinances</i> (Ps. 119:89–91). Unto all generations you demonstrated Your faithfulness when You informed us that we would descend to rescue Abraham’s descendants.
<i>Thou hast established the earth, and it standeth. They stand this day according to Thine ordinances</i> (ibid.). It was according to Your ordinances that You created everything, as is said: <i>In the beginning God created</i> (Gen. 1:1). Another comment on <i>They stand this day according to Thine ordinances</i>. Even this day was brought forth according to Your ordinances, as it is said: <i>Every morning, every morning doth He bring His ordinance to light</i> (Zeph. 3:5). <i>They stand this day according to Thine ordinances; they shall perish, but Thou shalt stand</i> (Ps. 102:27), for You are the foundation of the world. Another explanation of <i>But Thou shalt stand</i> is that You shall cause others to stand. Another comment on <i>And it standeth according to thine ordinances</i>. That is, according to the words You spoke to Aaron (that) the priesthood would be firmly established through him.