Commentaire de citation sur Les Psaumes 82:6

There may be another allusion here. People who are absorbed in listening to words of Torah and absorbing them are described as שמים, heaven; this is similar to Psalms 82,6: אני אמרתי אלוקים אתם ובני עליון כלכם, "I had said that you are divine beings, sons of the Most High, all of you." We have pointed out in connection with Genesis 6,3 (page 87) that the deeds of the righteous are able to transform mere earthly matter and give it a divine form, whereas the wicked, alas, accomplish the reverse by their evil deeds.

It is also hinted that, through the Torah, God created two levels for man: either he be on the level of the heavens; and that is by way of it stating (Psalms 82:6), "I have said, 'you are powers'" (meaning, like angels); or if he does not keep [the Torah], his level sinks down to the earth. And this is [what it means] when it states, "Bereishit," the explanation [of which] is that through reishit [meaning, the Torah], "God created" these bet (two) preparations, "the heavens, etc."

ויקחו לי תרומה, “they shall take for Me a contribution;” this portion had been told to Moses during the forty days that Moses was on Mount Sinai, immediately after the revelation at that Mountain, [In other words, before the smashing of the Tablets, and the golden calf episode. Ed.] G–d, at that time, had already told Moses where to erect the Tabernacle, and that it would house the Holy Ark, inside the Holy of Holies, symbolising G–d’s presence on earth. He told him that it would contain the Tablets, and that the Israelites would be encamped around the Tabernacle. This is what is meant in verse eight of our verse where G–d described Himself as residing in the midst of the people, i.e. as if surrounded by angels as He had been in heaven. Concerning this state of affairs, David had said in Psalms 82,6: אמרתי אלוהים אתם ובני עליון כולכם, “I had said: ‘you are the children of G–d all of you children of the Supreme Being.” [David bemoans the demotion of the Jewish people that followed the golden calf episode in the verse following. Ed.]