MAIMONIDES MINUTE SPECIAL: The Two Crowns and the Return to Eden (Parashat Mishpatim)

Chazal tell us that when the Children of Israel said Naaseh v’Nishma – “We will do and we will hear” – they each received two crowns. In fact, 600,000 angels descended at Mount Sinai to place these crowns on each Israelite’s head – one angel, that is, per individual. When the people sinned with the Golden Calf, however, the crowns were removed; this time, it took twice as many angels to remove the crowns – 1.2 million. Why did putting the crowns on their heads require one angel, but removing them required two? The answer tells us about what Naaseh v’Nishma really means, and about the nature of the very first man, Adam HaRishon.