Like you're almost superhuman, and then…bam! Reality hits.
That feeling, that tension between the ideal and the real, is at the heart of a fascinating passage from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (chapter 47). Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, for those unfamiliar, is a medieval Jewish text that retells and expands upon biblical narratives. It's full of amazing imagery and powerful lessons.
In this particular section, Rabbi Elazar, son of Arakh, is telling us about the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. It wasn’t just about God handing down the Ten Commandments, oh no. It was a full-blown celestial event!
Imagine this: When God descended upon Sinai to give the Torah to Israel, sixty myriads – that's six hundred thousand! – of ministering angels descended with Him. Think of them as God's divine entourage. And these weren't just any angels. They were mighty, powerful beings.
According to Rabbi Elazar, these angels carried swords and crowns. And what did they do with them? They crowned the Israelites with the Ineffable Name – that is, the unpronounceable, holiest name of God. Some traditions hold that this name is so sacred, it can only be uttered by the High Priest on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in the Temple in Jerusalem.
For a time, the Israelites were elevated. They were, in a sense, living as angels. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer tells us that during that period, they were “as good as the ministering angels before the Holy One, blessed be He.” The Angel of Death had no power over them. They didn’t even have normal bodily functions! They were in a state of pure, unadulterated spiritual connection.
So what went wrong?
"But when they did that deed…" Rabbi Elazar tells us, things changed. What deed? The text doesn't specify exactly what deed is being referenced here, and many commentators have debated the exact nature of this event. It's often understood as a reference to the Golden Calf incident (Exodus 32), where the Israelites, impatient with Moses's absence, built and worshipped an idol. Some interpret it as a more general failure to live up to the high standards set for them.
Whatever the specific deed, the result was clear: God was angry. And God said to them, "I thought that ye would be like the ministering angels, as it is said, 'I said, Ye are angels, and all of you sons of the Most High' (Psalm 82:6). But now, 'Nevertheless, ye shall die like men' (Psalm 82:7)."
Ouch.
That’s a powerful reversal. From near-angelic status to… well, mortal. The promise of immortality and spiritual purity, dashed by a single act (or series of acts) of faithlessness.
What does this passage tell us? Perhaps it's a reminder that spiritual elevation is a gift, but it's also a responsibility. We are capable of great things, of connecting with the divine, of living on a higher plane. But we are also fallible. We are human. And that humanity, with all its imperfections, can lead us astray.
It's a sobering thought, but also a hopeful one. Because even in our imperfection, even when we stumble, we have the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to strive once more to live up to our potential. The possibility of becoming "like angels" may be fleeting, but the desire to reach for that ideal? That can stay with us always.