Shavuot is a deeply fundamental day for us, as it commemorates the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The word "receiving" is meant literally—at Sinai, Hashem did not merely share His wisdom; He gave the Torah over to us. In doing so, He entrusted us with its study, interpretation, and transmission, making us the new guardians and interpreters of His word.
However, even at Sinai, we did not receive the mitzvot directly from Hashem—Moshe did, and he transmitted them to us. This established a model that continues to this day: we receive the Torah through our teachers and rabbis. The halachic authority of a rabbi’s pesak is therefore central in Jewish tradition. We are obligated to follow his interpretation when it is grounded in Torah knowledge and understanding. Yet, if a rabbi claims that his ruling stems from prophecy or divine revelation, we are not permitted to accept it. This foundational idea is captured in the Gemara with the phrase “Lo BaShamayim Hi”—“It is not in Heaven”—teaching that Torah authority now resides within the human realm, through rigorous study and transmission, not through supernatural claims.
Although the idea that the rabbis have full authority to decide halachais supported explicitly by the Torah, it is especially derived from the following psukim (Devarim 17:
“If a matter of judgment is hidden from you...matters of dispute in your gates—you shall arise and go up to the place that Hashem will choose. And you shall come to the Kohanim, the Levites, and to the judge who will be in those days, and inquire; and they will tell you the matter of the law. And you shall act according to the word they declare to you from that place which Hashem will choose, and you shall be careful to do all that they instruct you. According to the Torah that they teach you and the judgment they say to you, shall you do; you shall not turn aside from the word they declare to you, right or left.”
These psukim establish the halachic authority of the judges and sages of each generation, obligating us to follow their rulings—even when they differ from our understanding.
Additionally, the commentaries find a hint to this concept in the Midrashic account of Moshe ascending Har Sinai to receive the Torah. There, the angels objected to Hashem giving the Torah to a human being. This “argument” suggests that the Torah, once given, is no longer in the heavenly realm but belongs to the human domain. This further reinforces the idea that the authority to interpret and apply Torah law rests with people—specifically, the sages—through rigorous earthly analysis, not heavenly intervention.
The story appears in the Gemara (Shabbat 88b):
When Moshe Rabbeinu ascended Har
The angels objected: "This precious treasure that was hidden with Youfor 974 generations before the world was created—You intend to give it to flesh and blood?"
Hashem told Moshe to answer them. Moshe was afraid, but Hashemsaid, "Hold on to My Throne and answer them."
Moshe then said: "Master of the Universe, what is written in this Torah You are giving me? 'I am Hashem your G-d, who took you out of Egypt'—were you ever enslaved in Egypt? Did you go down to Pharaoh? What else is written? 'You shall not have other gods'—do you live among idol-worshippers? What else? 'Honor your father and mother'—do you have parents? 'Do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not murder'—do angels have such temptations?"
With that, the angels conceded. They agreed that the Torah rightfully belongs on Earth and even gave Moshe gifts before he descended.
The commentaries explain that the dispute between Moshe and the angels centered on more than just the giving of the Torah—it was about Hashem’s intention to entrust Bnei Yisrael not only with the Torah itself but also with the authority to determine halacha based on their understanding. Understandably, the angels objected to this. In their view, a divine, spiritual Torah should not be subject to human interpretation and judgment. Yet Hashem’s will was that the Torah be given to humans, along with the responsibility and power to interpret and apply it within the framework of Torah study.
But what was Moshe’s response, and how did it win the argument?
Moshe pointed out that the commandments in the Torah deal with earthly, human experiences—honoring parents, refraining from theft, murder, jealousy, and immorality. These are entirely irrelevant to the angelic world. Angels have no parents, no physical needs or temptations, and no moral struggles. The Torah is clearly directed at guiding human beings through their unique challenges, choices, and moral growth.
To clarify further: of course, the words of the Torah have profound spiritual meaning and influence the elevated, heavenly worlds. This was the angels’ argument—that the Torah is too divine, too lofty, for flawed humans to possess. But Moshe responded by demonstrating that, although the Torah has cosmic, spiritual power, its application—its mitzvot—is deeply rooted in human experience.
This shows that the spiritual effects so highly valued by the angels are activated and realized only through human action. In other words, the holiness of the upper worlds depends on the fulfillment of the Torah in the lower world. By tying the mitzvot to human experience, Hashemwas making it clear that the spiritual realm ultimately revolves around the choices and deeds of human beings. Thus, Moshe didn’t just refute the angels—he revealed the Torah’s full purpose: not to remain in heaven, but to elevate the earth.
One may ask: when Hashem told Moshe to answer the angels, why did Moshe first grasp onto Hashem’s Throne?
This may express a profound idea—that by holding onto the Throne, Moshe was demonstrating the spiritual elevation achieved by those who keep the Torah. It teaches that when human beings fulfill the Torah, they gain a grip, so to speak, on the Divine Throne itself.
In this symbolic act, Moshe showed that Torah observance enables even mortal, physical humans to connect directly with the highest levels of holiness. The angels objected because they saw humans as limited and physical, but Moshe revealed that the Torah gives human beings the power to ascend spiritually and attach themselves to Hashem’s very presence.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel