"Where angels fear to tread"

(ז) וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃

Exodus 24:7

(7) Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will faithfully do!”

מדרש תנחומא, ויקרא א׳:א׳

וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: בָּרְכוּ ה' מַלְאָכָיו גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹּחַ עוֹשֵׂי דְּבָרוֹ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ (תהלים קג, כ). בָּרְכוּ ה' מַלְאָכָיו, אֵלּוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ מַלְאָכִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָךְ וְיוֹצִיאֵנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם (במדבר כ, טז). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, וַיִּהְיוּ מַלְעִיבִים בְּמַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים (דה״ב ו, טז). רַב הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַחָא אוֹמֵר, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר, גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹּחַ עוֹשֵׂי דְּבָרוֹ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ, שֶׁהִקְדִּימוּ עֲשִׂיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayikra 1:1

(Lev. 1:1:) “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses [and spoke unto him].” This text is related (to Ps. 103:20), “Bless the Lord, O His messengers, mighty in strength who fulfill His word.” These are the prophets, since they are called messengers where it is stated (in Numb. 20:16), “and He sent a messenger (mal'akh) who brought us out of Egypt.” So also (in II Chron. 36:16), “But they mocked the messengers (mal'akhim) of God, [disdained His words, and taunted His prophets].” R. Huna said in the name of R. Aha, “These [messengers] are Israel, since it says (in Ps. 103:20), ‘mighty in strength who fulfill His word, hearkening to the voice of His word,’ in [reference to the fact] that they [were the ones who] had put fulfilling ahead of hearkening.”

מדרש תנחומא, וישלח ב׳:ה׳

אָמַר רַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חִיָּא, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִקְדִּימוּ עֲשִׂיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה וְאָמְרוּ, כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע (שמות כד, ז). בָּא לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁגְּדוֹלִים הַצַּדִּיקִים יוֹתֵר מִמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת. תֵּדַע לְךָ, שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר יְשַׁעְיָה כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי וּבְתוֹךְ עַם טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי ישֵׁב (ישעיה ו, ה), אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, יְשַׁעְיָה, בְּעַצְמְךָ אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לוֹמַר אִישׁ טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם. אֲבָל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה אוֹמֵר בְּתוֹךְ עַם טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם, שֶׁהֵם הִקְדִּימוּ עֲשִׂיָּה לִשְׁמִיעָה וּמְיַחֲדִין אֶת שְׁמִי פַּעֲמַיִם בְּכָל יוֹם, וְאַתָּה קוֹרֵא אוֹתָן עַם טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם. מַה כְּתִיב שָׁם, וַיָּעָף אֵלַי אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׂרָפִים וּבְיָדוֹ רִצְפָּה. מַהוּ רִצְפָּה, רוּץ פֶּה שֶׁל מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר לָשׁוֹן הָרַע עַל בָּנַי. בְּמֶלְקָחַיִם מַהוּ. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ שְׁתֵּי מֶלְקָחוֹת. הָלַךְ הַמַּלְאָךְ לִטֹּל אֶת הַגַּחֶלֶת וְנִכְוָה, נָטַל מֶלְקַחַת אַחַת לִטֹּל אֶת הַגַּחֶלֶת וְנִכְוָה, חָזַר וְהֵבִיא מֶלְקַחַת שְׁנִיָּה וְנָתַן מֶלְקַחַת אַחַת לְתוֹךְ מֶלְקַחַת אַחַת וְנָטַל אֶת הַגַּחֶלֶת וּנְתָנָהּ עַל פִּי יְשַׁעְיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּגַּע עַל פִּי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה נָגַע זֶה עַל שְׂפָתֶיךָ וְסָר עֲוֹנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר (ישעיה ו, ז), עַל שֶׁאָמַר בְּתוֹךְ עַם טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם. נָטַל בְּמֶלְקָחַיִם גַּחֶלֶת שֶׁלֹּא יָכוֹל הַשָּׂרָף לִטֹּל בְּיָדוֹ אֶלָּא בִשְׁתֵּי מֶלְקָחוֹת, נָתַן עַל פִּי יְשַׁעְיָה וְלֹא נִכְוָה. הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר, כִּי רַב מְאֹד מַחֲנֵהוּ. וּמִי עָצוּם מֵהֶן, עֹשֵׂה דְבָרוֹ, אֵלּוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים.

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayishlach 2:5

R. Huna said in the name of R. Hiyya: The mighty ones are the Israelites, who placed doing before hearing, by declaring: All that the Lord hath spoken will we do and obey (Exod. 24:7). This verse teaches us that the righteous are superior to the ministering angels. You know this as well from the following incident: At the moment Isaiah exclaimed: Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips (Isa. 6:5), the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked him, saying: You may say of yourself A man of unclean lips am I, but you may not say of Israel, In the midst of a people of unclean lips I dwell. They placed doing before hearing, and they declare the Unity of My Name twice daily, yet you would call them a people of unclean lips? What is written there? Then flew unto me one of the seraphim, with a glowing stone in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar (Isa. 6:6). What is meant by ritzpah (“a glowing stone”)? It means “smash the mouth” (rutz peh) of anyone who speaks ill of My people. With tongs. What does this signify? It teaches us that there were two tongs (because the text uses the dual form of the noun). At first the angel attempted to take the glowing stone with his fingers, but he burned himself. Then he took a tong to lift the stone but was burned again. Finally, he took a second tong, which he attached to the first, and with them he took from the altar the glowing stone and touched it to the lips of Isaiah, as is said: He touched my mouth with it, and said: Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin expiated (ibid., v. 7). All this occurred because Isaiah had said: In the midst of a people of unclean lips. The Seraph was forced to remove the glowing stone with the tongs because he could not lift it with his hand. Indeed, he was compelled to use two tongs, yet when he touched Isaiah’s lips with it, Isaiah was not burned. Hence, Scripture states: His camp is very great, for he is mighty who executeth his word (Joel 2:11). Who are they who executeth His word? The righteous men.

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, ברכות קריאת שמע, אהבת ישראל א׳

(א) אַהֲבָה רַבָּה אֲהַבְתָּֽנוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ חֶמְלָה גְדוֹלָה וִיתֵרָה חָמַֽלְתָּ עָלֵֽינוּ: אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ בַּעֲבוּר אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ שֶׁבָּטְ֒חוּ בְךָ וַתְּ֒לַמְּ֒דֵם חֻקֵּי חַיִּים כֵּן תְּחָנֵּֽנוּ וּתְלַמְּ֒דֵֽנוּ: אָבִֽינוּ הָאָב הָרַחֲמָן הַמְ֒רַחֵם רַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ וְתֵן בְּלִבֵּֽנוּ לְהָבִין וּלְהַשְׂכִּיל לִשְׁמֹֽעַ לִלְמֹד וּלְ֒לַמֵּד לִשְׁמֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת וּלְקַיֵּם אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי תַלְמוּד תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ בְּאַהֲבָה:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Blessings of the Shema, Second Blessing before Shema 1

Our Father, merciful Father, Who acts with compassion, have compassion on us and put into our hearts [comprehension] to understand and to be intellectually creative, to listen, to learn, and to teach, to preserve, to practice, and to fulfill all the words of instruction in Your Torah with love.

שבת פ״ח א:ה׳

״וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר״, אָמַר רַב אַבְדִּימִי בַּר חָמָא בַּר חַסָּא: מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכָּפָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הָהָר כְּגִיגִית, וְאָמַר לָהֶם: אִם אַתֶּם מְקַבְּלִים הַתּוֹרָה מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו — שָׁם תְּהֵא קְבוּרַתְכֶם. אָמַר רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב: מִכָּאן מוֹדָעָא רַבָּה לְאוֹרָיְיתָא. אָמַר רָבָא: אַף עַל פִּי כֵן הֲדוּר קַבְּלוּהָ בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, דִּכְתִיב: ״קִיְּמוּ וְקִבְּלוּ הַיְּהוּדִים״ — קִיְּימוּ מַה שֶּׁקִּיבְּלוּ כְּבָר.

Shabbat 88a:5

The Gemara cites additional homiletic interpretations on the topic of the revelation at Sinai. The Torah says, “And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lowermost part of the mount” (Exodus 19:17). Rabbi Avdimi bar Ḥama bar Ḥasa said: the Jewish people actually stood beneath the mountain, and the verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, overturned the mountain above the Jews like a tub, and said to them: If you accept the Torah, excellent, and if not, there will be your burial. Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: From here there is a substantial caveat to the obligation to fulfill the Torah. The Jewish people can claim that they were coerced into accepting the Torah, and it is therefore not binding. Rava said: Even so, they again accepted it willingly in the time of Ahasuerus, as it is written: “The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them” (Esther 9:27), and he taught: The Jews ordained what they had already taken upon themselves through coercion at Sinai.

משך חכמה, יתרו כ״ז

ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר, מלמד שכפה עליהן הר כגיגית. פירוש, שהראה להם כבוד ד' בהקיץ ובהתגלות נפלאה, עד כי ממש בטלה בחירתם הטבעיי ויצאה נשמתם מהשגת כבוד ד', והיו מוכרחים כמלאכים בלא הבדל, וראו כי כל הנבראים תלוי רק בקבלת התורה,

Meshekh Chokhmah, Yitro 27

...

שמות ל״ב:א׳

(א) וַיַּ֣רְא הָעָ֔ם כִּֽי־בֹשֵׁ֥שׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָרֶ֣דֶת מִן־הָהָ֑ר וַיִּקָּהֵ֨ל הָעָ֜ם עַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ ק֣וּם ׀ עֲשֵׂה־לָ֣נוּ אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֵֽלְכוּ֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ כִּי־זֶ֣ה ׀ מֹשֶׁ֣ה הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֶֽעֱלָ֙נוּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְנוּ מֶה־הָ֥יָה לֽוֹ׃

Exodus 32:1

(1) When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, the people gathered against Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who shall go before us, for that man Moses, who brought us from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened to him.”

תהילים פ״ב:ו׳-ז׳

(ו) אֲ‍ֽנִי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי אֱלֹהִ֣ים אַתֶּ֑ם וּבְנֵ֖י עֶלְי֣וֹן כֻּלְּכֶֽם׃ (ז) אָ֭כֵן כְּאָדָ֣ם תְּמוּת֑וּן וּכְאַחַ֖ד הַשָּׂרִ֣ים תִּפֹּֽלוּ׃

Psalms 82:6-7

(6) I had taken you for divine beings, sons of the Most High, all of you; (7) but you shall die as men do, fall like any prince.

רש"י על תהילים פ״ב:ו׳:א׳

אלהים אתם. מלאכים כשנתתי לכם את התורה נתתיה לכם ע"מ שאין מלאך המות שולט עוד בכם:

Rashi on Psalms 82:6:1

You are angelic creatures Angels. When I gave you the Torah, I gave it to you on the condition that the Angel of Death should not rule over you.

שמות י״ט:י״ז

וַיּוֹצֵ֨א מֹשֶׁ֧ה אֶת־הָעָ֛ם לִקְרַ֥את הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ בְּתַחְתִּ֥ית הָהָֽר׃

Exodus 19:17

Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain.