Halacha for Friday 16 Shevat 5785 February 14 2025

Parashat Yitro

(From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l) (written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a) (translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds UK)

Exploring Why the Angels Argued to Keep the Torah in Heaven

Our chachamim said (Shabbat 87b) that when Moshe Rabbeinu ascended heaven in order to receive the Torah, the ministering angels surrounded him. These were the angels, Gavriel, Raphael, Michael, the greatest and most frightening ones. Each one of them was enormous in importance, greatness and strength. They said to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Ribono shel Olam! What is someone born from a woman doing amongst us? Meaning, what is Moshe doing here? Hashem replied to them, he has come to receive the Torah! The angels said to Him, “What is frail man that You should remember him, and son of mortal man that You should be mindful of him?” (Tehillim 8:5), What is this that You should give the Torah to people? Isn’t the holy Torah more fitting for us, the angels, “place Your majesty in the heavens” (ibid. 8:2), and not on Earth!

HaKadosh Baruch Hu said to Moshe, give them an answer! Moshe Rabbeinu said, Ribono shel Olam, Your holy Torah, what is written in it? He said to him, “I am Hashem your G-d, who brought you out of Egypt” (Shemot 20:2). Moshe asked the angels, did you come out of Egypt? Were you slaves to Paro? Moshe further retorted to them, it states in the Torah, “Do not murder” (ibid.20:13) and is murder in any way applicable to angels? Do you have an evil inclination? Indeed Moshe was triumphant against the angels, and they surrendered and said, “Hashem, our Master, how mighty is Your Name throughout the Earth” (Tehillim 8:10). And Hashem gave the Torah to Moshe Rabbeinu.

There appears here a simple question. The angels are holy ophanim and seraphim, they certainly knew what is written in the Torah and they understand that the Torah isn’t suitable and relevant to them at all. If so, in the first instance what were they thinking? Moshe Rabbeinu’s response was very clear and he responded to them fighting back and defeated them. If so what had the angels originally thought?

The answer may be understood with an analogy:

A young rav was appointed in a small city, the rav was learned and very sharp. The rav began to established shiurei Torah for the public and all of the people began to study Torah each day. The rav also established organisations for chessed. He would speak very well and he had developed an amazing name in the city. The rav’s good name also spread far and everyone knew that this was achieved through his wisdom and great accomplishments.

After many years, the rav became old and reached his 70th birthday. Despite his old age, the rav continued to lead all aspects of the city and to receive every day many people who came to his door to hear his advice and accept his decision. However, the more the rav aged, his energy also didn’t remain as it had previously, and he decided to leave the city.

The rav called the members of the “community committee” and said to them, you know that I served you will all my strength, but now I have aged and am unable to withstand the burden of the community that much. Therefore I have decided to leave for another city, a smaller one, and to serve as a rav there. There my responsibility won’t be as heavy and I will be able to handle the load for many days and years. The community committee responded to the rav and said, Indeed Rabbeinu! We know and value your devotion! But we also understand your heart that you have no other option but to leave the city, understandably, we will of course respect your decision. With that the members of the community committee left.

After a number of days, the rav wrote to the leaders of a small kehillah and presented himself as their potential rav. The members of the kehillah were surprised to receive such an enquiry from such a famous rav. They sent back to him, we would certainly be most delighted and honoured if his honour would come to minister as the rav in our city. They fixed a date for his ministry to commence, from the next Rosh Chodesh. On that day a wagon driver with a unique wagon will arrive and will transport the rav and his family and all their belongings to their desired location.

On Rosh Chodesh a wagon driver with a large wagon arrived and began loading on it all the rav’s furniture and household items. After this the rav and his family came to get on the wagon. But then suddenly many tens of people from the city unexpectedly appeared and began shouting at the wagon driver, what is this? You have come to take our rav? They began repelling him with great anger until the wagon driver was forced to flee from the place.

The rav again invited the people of the community committee and said to them, didn’t I speak with you and you agreed that you will enable me to leave the city. So why did such an embarrassing incident happen to me just now? The members of the community committee responded to him. His honour the rav is certainly correct, and the people that made such a noise would appear not to have known about our decisions. We will call them and explain matters to them.

The rav sent again a message to the small kehillah that he wishes to arrive on the 15th of the month. However on the 15th the wagon driver arrived yet again (a different driver though, as the first one was too afraid to come) with a large wagon and began loading the rav’s possessions on the wagon. Again people of the city, different people than those who first came, began shouting at the wagon driver and repelling him until he also fled and left the place.

The rav called the members of the community committee and retorted, until when will you mock me? We agreed on everything, why are you causing so much grief? The members of the community committee replied to him, his honour the rav, everything that we did we only did in your honour. If we didn’t make demonstrations against the rav leaving what would the members of the small city think? They might think that his honour the rav is too old and not valued and for sure the members of the larger city discharged him from his rabbinical position. Then they will feel that they “did a favour” in accepting the rav to their kehillah.

Not so now, that we have demonstrated to them that we want and love our rav. Now they shall know the great find that fell to their lot! Now, added the members of the community committee, we guarantee the rav that this won’t happen again. Now your honour the rav may travel with your heart’s desire lechaim tovim ul’shalom.

The is the parable. And the analogy, In the beginning, before Hashem gave the Torah to Am Yisrael, it states, “Hashem came from Sinai, shone forth to them from Seir, and made an appearance from Mt. Paran” (Devarim 33:2). HaKadosh Baruch Hu went to Seir, to Eisav’s descendants, the people of Edom, and asked them, do you want to accept the Torah. They replied to Him, what is written in it? He said to them “Do not murder” (ibid.20:13). They replied to Him, no, we don’t want the Torah! It is difficult for us with these mitzvot! Go and give it to Am Yisrael. The He went to Mt. Paran, to Yishmael’s descendants, they asked Him, what is written in the Torah? He replied to them, “Do not commit adultery” (ibid.). They said to Him, no! We don’t want the Torah! Go to Am Yisrael. HaKadosh Baruch Hu came and asked Am Yisrael, do you want the Torah? They all replied, “we shall do and listen” (ibid. 24:7).

The angels said, now Am Yisrael will feel that they are doing HaKadosh Baruch Hu a “favour”. He sought a chatan for the holy Torah and no one wanted to take it, only Am Yisrael. Now they won’t know how to value the holy Torah. What did they do? They began to fight for the Torah and then Moshe Rabbeinu begged to receive the Torah and all of Am Yisrael desired the Torah more and more, and only then received it.

It was all in order to endear the Torah to Am Yisrael that they would realise that even the ministering angels desired to receive it.

Shabbat Shalom!

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