parsha bit: Mishpatim
Feb. 23rd, 2006 09:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cellioThere is a famous midrash in which God offered the torah to all other nations, but each asked "what's in it?" and found something to object to. When he offered it to Israel, they said "na'aseh v'nishma" -- we will do and we will hear, agreeing to abide by it even before knowing all the details. The talmud tells us that when this happened, 600,000 angels descended from heaven and placed two crowns on each man's head, one as a reward for "na'aseh" and one as a reward for "nishma". However, when Israel sinned with the golden calf, the angels desceded again and took the crowns back. (Shabbat 88a)
(Shabbat 88a is the source for the part with the angels. I don't know where the midrash comes from -- probably Exodus Rabbah, but that's just a guess. You'd think that, as famous as that story is, I'd have a citation to hand. Oops.)
(Shabbat 88a is the source for the part with the angels. I don't know where the midrash comes from -- probably Exodus Rabbah, but that's just a guess. You'd think that, as famous as that story is, I'd have a citation to hand. Oops.)
not irregular
Date: 2006-02-24 03:43 am (UTC)