קבלה על שמות 33:5

And when the Levites rose up to slay the guilty, (see Exodus 32:27), then the evil serpent walked in front of them. Nevertheless, he could not dominate them because all Yisrael were girt with a special armor that protected them against his attacks. Thus, the serpent could not have prevailed against them. However, when He said to Moses, "Therefore now put off your ornaments from yourself" (Exodus 33:5), permission to rule over Yisrael was given to the serpent.