The day on which God revealed Himself on Mount Sinai was twice as long
as ordinary days. For on that day the sun did not set, a miracle that
was four times more repeated for Moses' sake. [245] When this long day
had drawn to its close, Moses ascended the holy mountain, where he
spent a week to rid himself of all mortal impurity, so that he might
betake himself to God into heaven. At the end of his preparations, God
called him to come to Him. [246] Then a cloud appeared and lay down
before him, but he knew not whether to ride upon it or merely to hold
fast to it. Then suddenly the mouth of the cloud flew open, and he
entered into it, and walked about in the firmament as a man walks about
on earth. Then he met Kemuel, the porter, the angel who is in charge of
twelve thousand angels of destruction, who are posted at the portals of
the firmament. He spoke harshly to Moses, saying: "What dost thou here,
son of Amram, on this spot, belonging to the angels of fire?" Moses
answered: "Not of my own impulse do I come here, but with the
permission of the Holy One, to receive the Torah and bear it down to
Israel." As Kemuel did not want to let him pass, Moses struck him and
destroyed him out of the world, whereupon he went on his way until the
angel Hadarniel came along.
This angel is sixty myriads of parasangs taller than his fellows, and
at every word that passes out of his mouth, issue twelve thousand fiery
lightning flashes. When he beheld Moses he roared at him: "What dost
thou here, son of Amram, here on the spot of the Holy and High?" When
Moses heard his voice, he grew exceedingly frightened, his eyes shed
tears, and soon he would have fallen from the cloud. But instantly the
pity of God for Moses was awakened, and He said to Hadarniel: "You
angels have been quarrelsome since the day I created you. In the
beginning, when I wanted to create Adam, you raised complaint before Me
and said, 'What is man that Thou are mindful of him!' and My wrath was
kindled against you and I burned scores of you with My little finger.
Now again ye commence strife with the faithful one of My house, whom I
have bidden to come up here to receive the Torah and carry it down to
My chosen children Israel, although you know that if Israel did not
receive the Torah, you would no longer be permitted to dwell in
heaven." When Hadarniel heard this, he said quickly to the Lord: "O
Lord of the world! It is manifest and clear to Thee, that I was not
aware he came hither with Thy permission, but since I now know it, I
will be his messenger and go before him as a disciple before his
master." Hadarniel hereupon, in a humble attitude, ran before Moses as
a disciple before his master, until he reached the fire of Sandalfon,
when he spoke to Moses, saying: "Go, turn about, for I may not stay in
this spot, or the fire of Sandalfon will scorch me."
This angel towers above his fellows by so great height, that it would
take five hundred years to cross over it. He stands behind the Divine
Throne and binds garlands for his Lord. Sandalfon does not know the
abiding spot of the Lord either, so that he might set the crown on His
head, but he charms the crown, so that it rises of its own accord until
it reposes on the head of the Lord. As soon as Sandalfon bids the crown
rise, the hosts on high tremble and shake, the holy animals burst into
paeans, the holy Seraphim roar like lions and say: "Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory." When the
crown has reached the Throne of Glory, the wheels of the Throne are
instantly set in motion, the foundations of its footstool tremble, and
all the heavens are seized with trembling and horror. As soon as the
crown now passes the Throne of Glory, to settle upon its place, all the
heavenly hosts open their mouths, saying: "Praised be the glory of the
Eternal from His place." And when the crown has reached its
destination, all the holy animals, the Seraphim, the wheels of the
Throne, and the hosts on high, the Cherubim and the Hashmalim speak
with one accord: "The Eternal is King, the Eternal was King, the
Eternal will be King in all eternity."
Now when Moses beheld Sandalfon, he was frightened, and in his alarm
came near to falling out of the cloud. In tears he imploringly begged
God for mercy, and was answered. In His bountiful love of Israel, He
Himself descended from the Throne of His glory and stood before Moses,
until he had passed the flames of Sandalfon.
After Moses had passed Sandalfon, he ran across Rigyon, the stream of
fire, the coals of which burn the angels, who dip into them every
morning, are burned, and then arise anew. This stream with the coals of
fire is generated beneath the Throne of Glory out of the perspiration
of the holy Hayyot, who perspire fire out of fear of God. God, however,
quickly drew Moses past Rigyon without his suffering any injury.
As he passed on he met the angel Gallizur, also called Raziel. He it is
who reveals the teachings to his Maker, and makes known in the world
what is decreed by God. For he stands behind the curtains that are
drawn before the Throne of God, and sees and hears everything. Elijah
on Horeb hears that which Raziel calls down into the world, and passes
his knowledge on. This angel performs other functions in heaven. He
stands before the Throne with outspread wings, and in this way arrests
the breath of the Hayyot, the heat of which would otherwise scorch all
the angels. He furthermore puts the coals of Rigyon into a glowing
brazier, which he holds up to kings, lords, and princes, and from which
their faces receive a radiance that makes men fear them. When Moses
beheld him, he trembled, but God led him past unhurt.
He then came to a host of Angels of Terror that surround the Throne of
Glory, and are the strongest and mightiest among the angels. These now
wished to scorch Moses with their fiery breath, but God spread His
radiance of splendor over Moses, and said to him: "Hold on tight to the
Throne of My Glory, and answer them." [247] For as soon as the angels
became aware of Moses in heaven, they said to God: "What does he who is
born of woman here?" And God's answer was as follows: "He has come to
receive the Torah." They furthermore said: "O Lord, content Thyself
with the celestial beings, let them have the Torah, what wouldst Thou
with the dwellers of the dust?" Moses hereupon answered the angels: "It
is written in the Torah: 'I am the Eternal, thy Lord, that have led
thee out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage.' Were ye
perchance enslaved in Egypt and then delivered, that ye are in need of
the Torah? It is further written in the Torah: 'Thou shalt have no
other gods.' Are there perchance idolaters among ye, that ye are in
need of the Torah? It is written: 'Thou shalt not utter the name of the
Eternal, thy God, in vain,' Are there perchance business negotiations
among ye, that ye are in need of the Torah to teach you the proper form
of invocation? It is written: 'Remember to keep the Sabbath holy.' Is
there perchance any work among you, that ye are in need of the Torah?
It is written: 'Honor thy father and thy mother.' Have ye perchance
parents, that ye are in need of the Torah? It is written: 'Thou shalt
not kill.' Are there perchance murderers among ye, that ye are in need
of the Torah? It is written: 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Are
there perchance women among ye, that ye are in need of the Torah? It is
written: 'Thou shalt not steal.' Is there perchance money in heaven,
that ye are need of the Torah? It is written: 'Thou shalt not bear
false witness against thy neighbor.' Is there perchance any false
witness among ye, that ye are in need of the Torah? It is written:
'Covet not the house of thy neighbor.' Are there perchance houses,
fields, or vineyards among ye, that ye are in need of the Torah?" The
angels hereupon relinquished their opposition to the delivering of the
Torah into the hands of Israel, and acknowledged that God was right to
reveal it to mankind, saying: "Eternal, our Lord, how excellent is Thy
name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory upon the heavens."
Moses now stayed forty days in heaven to learn the Torah from God. But
when he started to descend and beheld the hosts of the angels of
terror, angels of trembling, angels of quaking, and angels of horror,
then through his fear he forgot all he had learned. For this reason God
called the angel Yefefiyah, the prince of the Torah, who handed over to
Moses the Torah, "ordered in all things and sure." All the other
angels, too, became his friends, and each bestowed upon him a remedy as
well as the secret of the Holy Names, as they are contained in the
Torah, and as they are applied. Even the Angel of Death gave him a
remedy against death. The applications of the Holy Names, which the
angels through Yefefiyah, the prince of the Torah, and Metatron, the
prince of the Face, taught him, Moses passed on to the high-priest
Eleazar, who passed them to his son Phinehas, also known as Elijah.
[248]