Memunim are elemental beings mentioned in Jewish mythology and magickal texts. Sometimes they are considered a class of angels.
Each is appointed to watch over a very specific aspect of air, land, water, time, and place, such as a blade of grass.
In my telling, each memuneh (singular), carries a small scroll tucked in their apron that holds their sacred assignment. On the outside, you will see the category of their care, but what is on the inside is just for them.
MEMUNEH: Originally this referred to the deputy High Priest. It came to refer to the genius or angel that energizes every discrete phenomenon in the universe. Thus every star, planet, month, day, human, nation, land, and even abstractions like “justice” and “love,” have their own memuneh. Barely mentioned in rabbinic literature, it becomes more prominent in the Middle Ages.
Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism
by Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis
אָנָּא הָאֵל, הָעוֹשֶׂה וְהַיּוֹצֵר וְהַבּוֹרֵא וְהַמַּאֲצִיל עוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים, וּבְצוּרָתָם וּבְצִבְיוֹנָם בָּראתָ דוּגְמָתָן עַל הָאָרֶץ מִתַּחַת, כּוּלָם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ׃ עֶלְיוֹנִים לְמַעְלָה וְתַחְתּוֹנִים לְמַטָּה לְחַבֵּר אֶת הָאוֹהֶל לִהְיוֹת אֶחָד, וְאִילָנִין וּדְשָׁאִים מִן הָאֲדָמָה הִצְמַחְתָּ, בְּקוֹמָתָם וּבְצִבְיוֹנָם שֶׁל מַעְלָה, לְהוֹדִיעַ לִבְנֵי אָדָם חָכְמָה וּתְבוּנָה בָּהֵמָּה, לְהַשִּׂיג בַּנֶּעְלָמִים. וּפָקַדְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶם בְּמִשְׁמֶרֶת מַלְאָכֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִים הַמְּמוּנִּים וְהַמּוּשְׁטָרִים לְהַגְדִּילָם וּלְהַצְמִיחָן וְעָלֵימוֹ תִיטּוֹף שֶׁפַע וְכֹחַ מִדוֹתֶיךָ הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת.
The Tefillah for the Tikkun of Fruit
Please, God, who makes, forms, creates, and emanates supernal worlds and created their likeness on the earth below, according to their supernal form and character. “All of them You made with wisdom,”supernal [forms] above and lower [forms] below, to join together the tent so as to be one. You caused trees and grass to grow from the earth, according to the structure and character of [the forms] above, so that human beings might gain wisdom and understanding through them, and thus grasp the hidden [forms]. You appointed your holy angels over them as agents to oversee their growing. And you caused shefa and the power of your supernal qualities to flow upon them.
Please, God, who makes, forms, creates, and emanates supernal worlds and created their likeness on the earth below, according to their supernal form and character. “All of them You made with wisdom,”supernal [forms] above and lower [forms] below, to join together the tent so as to be one. You caused trees and grass to grow from the earth, according to the structure and character of [the forms] above, so that human beings might gain wisdom and understanding through them, and thus grasp the hidden [forms]. You appointed your holy angels over them as agents to oversee their growing. And you caused shefa and the power of your supernal qualities to flow upon them.
וִיהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁבְּכֹחַ סְגוּלַּת אֲכִילַת הַפֵּירוֹת שֶׁנֹּאכַל וּנְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶן עַתָּה וַאֲשֶׁר נֶהֱגֶה בְּסוֹד שׁוֹרְשֵהֶן יִתְעוֹרְרוּ שְׂרָפֵיהֶן הָעֶלְיוֹנִים אֲשֶר הֵמָּה תְּלוּיִים בָּם לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עֲלֵיהֶן שֶׁפַע רָצוֹן בְּרָכָה וּנְדָבָה, וְגַם הַמְּמוּנִּים וְהַמֻּשְּטָרִים עֲלֵיהֶן יִתְמַלְּאוּ מֵעוֹז שֶׁפַע הדרן לָשׁוּב שֵׁנִית לְהַגְדִּילָם וּלְהַצְמִיחָם מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית הַשָּׁנָה לְטוֹבָה וְלִבְרָכָה לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וּלְשָׁלוֹם.
May it be Your will YHVH our God and God of our ancestors, that through the sacred power of our eating fruit, which we are now eating and blessing, while reflecting on the secret of their supernal roots upon which they depend, their supernal sap will be aroused, so that shefa , favor, blessing, and bounty be bestowed upon them. May the angels appointed over them also be filled by the powerful shefa of their glory, may it return and cause them to grow a second time, from the beginning of the year and until its end, for bounty and blessing, for good life and peace.
כשהמכשפים עומדים על הארץ אז הממונים שבארץ נתנים ביד המכשפים שיש להם לעשות אז מה שהמכשפים חפצים אבל כשאין המכשפים בארץ אלא באויר אז אין המכשפים יכולים למשול בממונים לדחקם שיעשו מה שחפצים כי כשהם באויר לא נתן ממשלת האדם על הממונים כי לא נבראו מן האויר:
הללו את ה' מן הארץ תנינים וכל תהומות (תהלים קמח ז) ולא נאמר ונבראו כי מן מים נבראו התנינים ולא אמר המים נתן לבני אדם כי לא נבראו מן המים ואינם יכולים לחיות במים ולפיכך כשעושים אחיזת עינים כשמגיע למים שוטפים מתהפך לענינו הראשון. ולכך אותה השבעה של אחיזת עינים או המעשה שיעשה אינה מגעת על הממונים על המים. ויש השבעה על המים ולא על היבשה ויש כנגד הממונים על היבשה ולא על המים אלא בשם המפורש המשביע יעשה במים וביבשה ובאויר ובכל כי הבורא מושל בכל נשגב שמו לבדו:
Our physical world is controlled by a spiritual world. Each blade of grass, for instance, has a spiritual channel, an angel that provides for its life. Jewish mysticism details the makeup of this spiritual dimension. In a broad sweep, this spiritual dimension is comprised of five spiritual universes.
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה נ"ז - שָׁאֲלוּ תַּלְמִידָיו אֶת רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן קִסְמָא]
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי אַתָּה אֲרוֹמִמְךָ אוֹדֶה שִׁמְךָ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ פֶּלֶא עֵצוֹת מֵרָחוֹק אֱמוּנָה אֹמֶן,
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי אַתָּה אֲרוֹמִמְךָ אוֹדֶה שִׁמְךָ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ פֶּלֶא עֵצוֹת מֵרָחוֹק אֱמוּנָה אֹמֶן,
God’s Speech and Angels / Heavenly “Hands” / Torah and Healing / Raising Fallen Faith / The Delight of the Shabbat / Eating on the Shabbat / Fasting / Anger / The Image of God
Every word that issues forth from God’s mouth is divided into a number of sparks, and an angel is created in accordance with every spark. Each angel is in charge of something, such as a tree or a blade of grass. The angel’s ability to receive vitality from God’s speech — the Torah — and give to the entity that it influences is called its “hands.”
Since the Torah gives power to the angels, and they in turn influence grasses and herbs which are made into healing medicines, all medicines ultimately depend on the Torah. If a person lacks faith in the Torah sages and ignores their rulings, he removes the “hands” from the angels. As a result, he suffers from illness that cannot be cured. Only when he raises up his fallen faith can he be healed.
He raises up his fallen faith by making vows. This elevates him to the spiritual level that is the source of the sages, and then he can appreciate and believe in them. This leads to an elevation of the spiritual pleasure of the Shabbat, which is expressed in eating in holiness.
When a person eats on the weekdays, the Other Side derives some benefit from it. But when he eats on the Shabbat, the Other Side derives no benefit. His Shabbat eating is completely holy and Godly. Therefore, on the Shabbat, a person can accomplish with his eating what he could accomplish on a weekday only with fasting — and that is the downfall of his enemies. Why is that?
Anger is associated with the liver — which, during the weekdays, takes precedence over the brain. When a person is angry, he can be attacked by enemies, since they do not fear him. Human beings are feared only because of the image of God that they possess. When they no longer possess that image, they become animalistic. When a person grows angry, the image of God leaves him, and thus he is not feared. But when a person fasts and does not feed his liver, he restores his Godly image. Then his enemies fall before him. A person who attains the delight of the Shabbat, however, has no need to fast. Indeed, the peace attained by the delight of the Shabbat is superior to the peace attained through a weekday fast. And superior to both is a level called “a profusion of peace,” which a person attains by giving charity generously. “One who increases charity increases peace.”
“HaShem, You are my God; I will exalt You. I will give thanks to Your Name because You have sent wonders, counsel from the earliest times. Your faithfulness has been established.”
Every word that issues forth from God’s mouth is divided into a number of sparks, and an angel is created in accordance with every spark. Each angel is in charge of something, such as a tree or a blade of grass. The angel’s ability to receive vitality from God’s speech — the Torah — and give to the entity that it influences is called its “hands.”
Since the Torah gives power to the angels, and they in turn influence grasses and herbs which are made into healing medicines, all medicines ultimately depend on the Torah. If a person lacks faith in the Torah sages and ignores their rulings, he removes the “hands” from the angels. As a result, he suffers from illness that cannot be cured. Only when he raises up his fallen faith can he be healed.
He raises up his fallen faith by making vows. This elevates him to the spiritual level that is the source of the sages, and then he can appreciate and believe in them. This leads to an elevation of the spiritual pleasure of the Shabbat, which is expressed in eating in holiness.
When a person eats on the weekdays, the Other Side derives some benefit from it. But when he eats on the Shabbat, the Other Side derives no benefit. His Shabbat eating is completely holy and Godly. Therefore, on the Shabbat, a person can accomplish with his eating what he could accomplish on a weekday only with fasting — and that is the downfall of his enemies. Why is that?
Anger is associated with the liver — which, during the weekdays, takes precedence over the brain. When a person is angry, he can be attacked by enemies, since they do not fear him. Human beings are feared only because of the image of God that they possess. When they no longer possess that image, they become animalistic. When a person grows angry, the image of God leaves him, and thus he is not feared. But when a person fasts and does not feed his liver, he restores his Godly image. Then his enemies fall before him. A person who attains the delight of the Shabbat, however, has no need to fast. Indeed, the peace attained by the delight of the Shabbat is superior to the peace attained through a weekday fast. And superior to both is a level called “a profusion of peace,” which a person attains by giving charity generously. “One who increases charity increases peace.”
“HaShem, You are my God; I will exalt You. I will give thanks to Your Name because You have sent wonders, counsel from the earliest times. Your faithfulness has been established.”
אף ברי. שם מלאך הממונה על העננים והוא יפיץ ענן מטרו של המקום:
Aph Beri The name of the angel who is appointed over the clouds, and he scatters the Omnipresent’s rain cloud.
וְדַע לְךָ מַה שֶּׁמְּבֹאָר בַּזֹּהַר, פָּרָשַׁת אֵלֶּה פְּקוּדֵי, וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: אִיתָא חַד מְמֻנֶּה, וּשְׁמוֹ טהריא"ל, הָעוֹמֵד עַל הַפֶּתַח אֲשֶׁר עוֹבְרִים שָׁם תְּפִלּוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּתְפַּלְּלוּ בְּכַוָּנַת הַלֵּב בִּלְתִּי שׁוּם עִרְבּוּב שֶׁל מַחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה, אֲזַי אוֹתוֹ הַמְמֻנֶּה פּוֹתֵחַ שַׁעַר בֵּית הַתְּפִלָּה לָהֵיכָל, אֲשֶׁר שָׁם כָּל הַתְּפִלּוֹת מִתְקַבְּצוֹת יַחַד, וּמֵהַתְּפִלָּה נַעֲשֶׂה עֲטֶרֶת רֹאשׁ לְמֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. אֲבָל אִם הַתְּפִלָּה הִיא בְּלִי כַּוָּנָה, וְיֵשׁ בָּהּ עִרְבּוּב מַחֲשָׁבָה זָרָה, אֲזַי הַמְמֻנֶּה הוּא דּוֹחֶה אֶת הַתְּפִלָּה מֵהַהוּא פִּתְחָא, וְהַתְּפִלָּה אָזְלָא וּמְשַׁטֶּטֶת בְּעָלְמָא, עַד שֶׁבָּאת לְיַד חַד מְמֻנֶּה, סהדיא"ל שְׁמֵיהּ, וּבְיָדוֹ כָּל הַתְּפִלּוֹת שֶׁנִּדְּחוּ מִשַּׁעַר בֵּית הַתְּפִלָּה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהֵן מְעֻרְבָּבִים בְּמַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת, וְהֵן נִקְרָאִים "תְּפִלּוֹת פְּסוּלוֹת". וְגוֹנֵז הַהוּא מְמֻנֶּה הַתְּפִלּוֹת, עַד שֶׁהָאָדָם עַצְמוֹ מֵשִׂים אֶל לִבּוֹ, עַל מַה שֶּׁהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלּוֹת הַרְבֵּה בְּלֹא כַּוָּנָה וַעֲדַיִן לֹא נַעֲנָה בְּאוֹתָן תְּפִלּוֹת.
The Zohar relates in Parashas Pekudei (245a) that a certain appointed angel stands by the portal through which pass all the prayers of Israel that were prayed with concentration of the heart and without any mixture of stray thoughts. This angel then opens the Gateway of Prayer, allowing these prayers to enter the palace where all the prayers gather. From these prayers a crown is made for the head of the King of the Kings of Kings the Holy One Blessed is He. But if one prays without concentration or with a mixture of stray thoughts the angel pushes the prayer away from the entrance, whereupon it goes and floats about the air of the world until at last it comes to another appointed angel. This angel holds onto all the disqualified prayers that were denied entrance to the Gateway of Prayer because of stray thoughts. He stores them up until the man himself realizes how many prayers he has prayed without proper concentration, for which reason he received no response.