Later in Parashas Mishpatim (24:7), Klal Yisrael reaffirmed their acceptance of the Torah with the famous statement, “Naase V’Nishma. We will do and we will listen.” Chazal teach that when Bnei Yisrael proclaimed, “Naase V’Nishma,” they meant we will first pursue practical observance and practice and afterward rationalize it. The Midrash relates that at that moment one angel came down from Heaven and placed two crowns representing Naase V’Nishma on each Jew’s head. Interestingly, once Bnei Yisrael broke the pledge and placed Nishma before Naase, theory before practice, two angels came down to dismantle the crowns. We can wonder at the necessity of two angels coming down to remove the crowns. If one angel was sufficient to put them in place, why could not one angel remove these misplaced crowns?
In the Talmud Shabbos 88a, Tosfos responds to this question. We may suggest a homiletic exposition. Some Jews ascribe to the concept of Torah in theory, but not in practice. It is a grave error to assume that such an individual is merely not an observant Jew. Those Jews who expound upon the importance of ethics, morality, and charity, while resisting and shunning Jewish observance, are destructive. They create a sham of Judaism which superficially appears so credible that it extirpates the foundation of our faith. One angel could place the crowns in their correct order. When this order was disrupted, however, the ensuing damage had to be rectified. It was not sufficient to merely remove the displaced crowns. Rather, it was also necessary to “clean up” the damage left in its aftermath. For these two distinct functions, two angels were imperative.
