(יב) וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְע֛וֹת אֶׄתׄ־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם בִּשְׁכֶֽם׃(יג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־יוֹסֵ֗ף הֲל֤וֹא אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ רֹעִ֣ים בִּשְׁכֶ֔ם לְכָ֖ה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ הִנֵּֽנִי׃(יד) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לֶךְ־נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ וְאֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃(טו) וַיִּמְצָאֵ֣הוּ אִ֔ישׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תֹעֶ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֧הוּ הָאִ֛ישׁ לֵאמֹ֖ר מַה־תְּבַקֵּֽשׁ׃(טז) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֶת־אַחַ֖י אָנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א לִ֔י אֵיפֹ֖ה הֵ֥ם רֹעִֽים׃(יז) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָאִישׁ֙ נָסְע֣וּ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֹֽמְרִ֔ים נֵלְכָ֖ה דֹּתָ֑יְנָה וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ יוֹסֵף֙ אַחַ֣ר אֶחָ֔יו וַיִּמְצָאֵ֖ם בְּדֹתָֽן׃
(12) One time, when his brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem, (13) Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” He answered, “I am ready.” (14) And he said to him, “Go and see how your brothers are and how the flocks are faring, and bring me back word.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. When he reached Shechem, (15) a man came upon him wandering in the fields. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?” (16) He answered, “I am looking for my brothers. Could you tell me where they are pasturing?” (17) The man said, “They have gone from here, for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothan.” So Joseph followed his brothers and found them at Dothan.
The Case for AngelsRashi, a medieval French commentator from the 11th century, tells us, "This [man] is [the angel] Gabriel." The angel Gabriel is said to have appeared to Daniel in a vision, providing him with understanding of God's designs for him (Daniel 9:21). Furthermore, Gabriel is called there "a man" (Hebrew, ish), reinforcing Rashi's interpretation that the unidentified "man" (also called ish) of the Joseph story, and the "man"/angel Gabriel, are one and the same! In support of this interpretation are the facts that the man seems to know Joseph and "coincidentally" overheard the answer to the question Joseph asked.
The Hebrew word for “angel” is "malach/מלאך", literally, “messenger.” Where else in the Torah do malachim appear?
The Case for Coincidence
Ramban, a medieval Spanish scholar from the 12th century, teaches that "an angel is not a special kind of creature, but merely a human being who carries out God's will on earth without even knowing it."
Ramban, a medieval Spanish scholar from the 12th century, teaches that "an angel is not a special kind of creature, but merely a human being who carries out God's will on earth without even knowing it."
In his classic work on Kabbalah, The Thirteen Petalled Rose, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz writes that human behavior can create angels. In a counterpart to the way biblical angels bear messages from the divine realm down to humanity, the angels created by human actions carry the energies of humankind upwards into the higher spiritual realms.Angels are singular and unchanging in their essences, Steinsaltz writes, and can be either good or evil (demons), the latter the product of human beings doing the opposite of a mitzvah — harboring evil thoughts or committing acts of wickedness. Like good angels, evil angels also act in a dual fashion — bringing evil from the spiritual to the material world by inspiring sin or causing suffering and punishment, while also receiving energy from the misdeeds of human beings. “To be sure, were the world to root out all evil completely, then as a matter of course the subversive angels would disappear, since they exist as permanent parasites living on man,” Steinsaltz writes. “But as long as man chooses evil, he supports and nurtures whole worlds and mansions of evil, all of them drawing upon the same human sickness of soul.” -- The Jewish Virtual Library
By this definition, are there people in your own experience who you think fit the criteria for "angels?" Who makes your list and why?
How do you understand angels? Do these descriptions of who and what angels are resonate with you?
How do you understand angels? Do these descriptions of who and what angels are resonate with you?
Kol Naneshemah, Reconstructionist Siddur[Jewish] tradition leaves ample room for each generation to understand angels as it will, whether as natural forces or as revealing moments in our lives, the divine in people we meet, or manifestations of the goodness in our world or in the inner workings of the human heart.
The Case for UsHave you ever had the sense that you had strayed from a path, that you were lost? How did you find your way back? Has anyone served as your guide at those times? Did you recognize your guide as such at those moments, or did you realize it later?
B'Shem HaShem - A part of the Bedtime Shemaבְּשֵׁם יְיָ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִימִינִי מִיכָאֵל, וּמִשְּׂמֹאלִי גַּבְרִיאֵל, וּמִלְּפָנַי אוּרִיאֵל, וּמֵאֲחוֹרַי רְפָאֵל, וְעַלרֹאשִׁי שְׁכִינַת אֵל
B'shem Hashem, elohei YisraelB'ymini Michael u-smoli GavrielU-milfanai Uriel, me'acharai RaphaelV'al roshi, v'al roshi, Shechinat-El
In the name of God, the God of IsraelOn my right is Michael, on my left is Gabriel (strength)In front of me is Uriel (light), behind me Raphael (healing)And all around, surrounding me, Shekhinat-El.