Although the people had now clearly expressed their desire to
accept the Torah, still God hesitated to give it to them, saying:
"Shall I without further ado give you the Torah? Nay, bring Me
bondsmen, that you will observe it, and I will give you the Torah."
Israel: "O Lord of the world! Our fathers are bondsmen for us."
God: "Your fathers are My debtors, and therefore not good
bondsmen. Abraham said, 'Whereby shall I know it?' and thus
proved himself lacking in faith. Isaac loved Esau, whom I hated,
and Jacob did not immediately upon his return from Padan-Aram
keep his vow that he had made upon his way there. Bring Me good
bondsmen and I will give you the Torah." Israel: "Our prophets
shall be our bondsmen." God: "I have claims against them, for 'like
foxes in the deserts became your prophets.' Bring Me good
bondsmen and I will give you the Torah." Israel: "We will give
Thee our children as bondsmen." God: "Well, then, these are good
bondmen, on whose bond I will give you the Torah." Hereupon the
Israelites brought their wives with their babes at their breasts, and
their pregnant wives, and God made the bodies of the pregnant
women transparent as glass, and He addressed the children in the
womb with these words: "Behold, I will give your fathers the
Torah. Will you be surety for them that they will observe it?" They
answered: "Yea." He furthermore said: "I am your God." They
answered: "Yea." "Ye shall have no other gods." They said: "Nay."
In this wise the children in the womb answered every
commandment with "Yea," and every prohibition with "Nay." As it
was the little children upon whose bond God gave His people the
Torah, it comes to pass that many little children die when Israel
does not observe the Torah. [196]