When this long day had drawn to its close, Moses ascended the
holy mountain, where he spent a week to rid himself of all mortal
impurity, so that he might betake himself to God into heaven. At
the end of his preparations, God called him to come to Him. [246]
Then a cloud appeared and lay down before him, but he knew not
whether to ride upon it or merely to hold fast to it. Then suddenly
the mouth of the cloud flew open, and he entered into it, and
walked about in the firmament as a man walks about on earth.
Then he met Kemuel, the porter, the angel who is in charge of
twelve thousand angels of destruction, who are posted at the
portals of the firmament. He spoke harshly to Moses, saying:
"What dost thou here, son of Amram, on this spot, belonging to the
angels of fire?" Moses answered: "Not of my own impulse do I
come here, but with the permission of the Holy One, to receive the
Torah and bear it down to Israel." As Kemuel did not want to let
him pass, Moses struck him and destroyed him out of the world,
whereupon he went on his way until the angel Hadarniel came
along.

This angel is sixty myriads of parasangs taller than his fellows, and
at every word that passes out of his mouth, issue twelve thousand
fiery lightning flashes. When he beheld Moses he roared at him:
"What dost thou here, son of Amram, here on the spot of the Holy
and High?" When Moses heard his voice, he grew exceedingly
frightened, his eyes shed tears, and soon he would have fallen from
the cloud. But instantly the pity of God for Moses was awakened,
and He said to Hadarniel: "You angels have been quarrelsome
since the day I created you. In the beginning, when I wanted to
create Adam, you raised complaint before Me and said, 'What is
man that Thou are mindful of him!' and My wrath was kindled