In this week’s Torah portion, our patriarch, Jacob, dreams about angels going up and down a ladder linking heaven and earth. There are many other examples of angels in Torah and other biblical literature. Here are just a few examples:
- Angels with flaming swords guard the gates of Eden after Adam and Eve are banished (Gen. 3)
- An angel tells Abraham that Sarah will have a child in her old age (Gen. 18)
- An angel stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac (Gen. 22)
- An angel saves Hagar and Ishmael in the desert (Gen. 21)
- An angel appears to Moses out of the burning bush (Ex. 3)
Later on, the rabbis became concerned that people might worship angels instead of G-d. Therefore, the rabbis worked hard to downplay the role of angels. Rabbi Judah teaches in the Talmud that God wishes to be directly addressed: “If trouble comes upon someone, let him cry not to (angels), but let him cry unto Me” (Jerusalem Talmud Berachot 9:12) The rabbis made certain that as we gather for Passover each year, we recite the following words in our Haggadah: “And the Lord brought us out from Egypt – not by an angel, not by a seraph (fiery angel), and not by a messenger, but the Holy One alone…”
Despite the rabbis’ desire to downplay their role, angels did not disappear from our tradition. In the bedtime Shema, we ask for the protection of the angels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael. The rabbis themselves taught us that two angels, one good and one bad, follow us home on Shabbat. If all is prepared – candles, challah, wine – the good angel exclaims: “May it be this way next Shabbat as well,” and the bad angel responds, “Amen.” If the house is not prepared, the bad angel exclaims: “May it be this way next Shabbat,” and the good angel says, “Amen.”(Shabbat 119b). Every Friday night, we welcome angels, some of whom might follow us home, as we sing Shalom Aleichem which teaches us that angles usher in the joy of Shabbat.
Throughout Jewish history, angels seem to be able to take us to a better place. They seem to provide us with comfort, strength, security. They can take us closer to G-d and connect us to our spirituality. At the same time, they have no real power over us. It is up to us to discover them and bring them into our lives. And once we do, we can follow them, feel them, journey with them.
For me, as I sing Shalom Aleichem on Friday night, the prayer itself often serves as an angel to me. It carries me out of the stress of the week and into the joy of Shabbat. This leads me to believe that angels need not be creatures, but also “things” – music, poetry, a special place or moment – something or someone that can evoke a feeling that brings joy, comfort, and spirituality. This means each of us has the potential to be angels. Certainly, there is someone in your life who brings out the best in you. If not, you need to find an angel – someone, or something, that allows you to tap into the incredible holy energy that does exist out there – energy that we struggle to experience on a regular basis. This energy is G-d. And the people and things that often help us access this energy – these are our angels.
This Shabbat, go find yourself an angel.
Shabbat Shalom!