Shavuos

Torah Fax
Thursday, June 5, 2003 - 5 Sivan, 5763

Angel Instinct

Why do we eat dairy foods such as Blintzes on Shavuot? There are many answers to this question, but the following one provides us with some profound insight as to what distinguishes us as humans.

When Moses alighted onto Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the angels upon seeing that the Torah was about to be transferred from the heavens to the earth, protested. "Why would a mortal want such a glorious thing as the Torah?" they intoned. The A-mighty asked Moses to supply them with an answer. According to the Talmud, Moses' reply to them was: "The Torah states, 'I am the L-rd your G‑d who has taken you out of the land of Egypt.' Have you ever lived in Egypt? The Torah commands us not to murder or steal. Do you have the impulse to commit these crimes?" With questions like these, that they could not refute, Moses prevailed, and the rest is history.

The Midrash adds one more interesting argument Moses used to counter the angels’ insistence that the Torah remain in Heaven. Moses reminded them of an event that had transpired generations earlier when three angels, disguised as people, received Abraham's hospitality. At that repast they were served milk and meat.  "If you are so keen about the Torah," Moses asked, "why did you not adhere to the prohibition against mixing milk and meat?"  The angels had no defense and the Torah was given to the Jewish people.

This is why we eat a dairy meal, followed (either a half-hour or hour later, according to the various customs in this regard) by a meat meal, to demonstrate that it was this Mitzvah of separating between dairy and meat that caused us to merit to receive the Torah.

What was lacking in the argument that angels have no inclination to commit murder that necessitated the argument from the prohibition against milk and meat? Furthermore, why would angels be required to keep the commandment of separating milk and meat at Abraham's tent, centuries before the Torah was given?

The answer to these questions lies in the unique nature of the Mitzvah to not mix milk and meat. To avoid killing or stealing, one only needs to have the moral  ability to have his mind control his heart. That angels do not desire to commit a crime is due to the fact that they are superior to humans in this regard and have no need to curb their temptations. But simply because angels have no battle with temptation, while humans can sometimes succumb to it, is not a sufficient enough reason to deny them the spiritual teachings of Torah.

However, the fact that they did not know how to balance the separation between milk and meat, was an indication that angels are truly inferior to humans. To be human is to know how to bring discipline in one's life. To be sure, angels don't need to be disciplined because they are programmed to be precisely what G‑d wants them to be. However, they also don't have the advantage of being disciplined.

To better understand the advantage of being disciplined, we must first preface our understanding of the different approaches to serving G‑d: The highest approach is to accept G‑d's authority unconditionally. This angels are certainly good at, and why not? They have no evil impulse that tells them not to accept G‑d's authority? In this regard, angel are clearly superior.

A second approach is to appreciate the value of a particular act or the damage a negative act can bring. Angels are superior to us in that regard, as well. Angels-often referred to as celestial animals-have a keener sense of “smell.” They are far more sensitive to the nuances of a particular act, holy or otherwise. But, put an angel in a situation where his "sense of smell" is curtailed, and he will no longer be repulsed by an improper act unless he is expressly told not to do it.

When the angels came to Abraham, their human disguise also masked their ability to sense the odious nature of the mixture of milk and meat.  And since they were not given the commandment to desist from eating that mixture - they partook of it.

And here is where a human being's capacity exceeds that of an angel. The human being, even when his sense of spiritual sensitivity is compromised, can still maintain the high standard of morality and spiritually because we have the capacity to discipline ourselves. Through persistent behavior we can change our nature and maintain a high moral standard regardless of our sensitivity. A person can condition himself or herself to perform a prescribed act or to resist a proscribed act. The angle can either submit to a higher authority or to sniff out right from wrong much like his terrestrial animal counterpart. A human being, on the other hand, can self-discipline and develop heightened sensitivity.

The next time you eat cheese blintzes on Shavuot, remember that it signifies that concept that we are capable of altering ourselves. And that is what gets us the prize-the Torah. Similarly, as we stand poised to enter into the Age of Redemption,  we must remember that nothing is programmed for us, except for our independent nature that enable us to change our nature and the nature of the entire world, thereby paving the way for the ultimate Redemption.

Moshiach Matters

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