Angels in Jewish Teaching
Angels in Jewish teaching are divine workers.
The English word ‘angel’ conjures up ethereal images of floating beings with wings that inhabit a heavenly domain.
The Hebrew word often translated as ‘angel’ is malach. The noun malach is related to another noun, m’lachah, meaning ‘work’. From the perspective of the Torah, the first repository of Jewish teaching, a malach works on behalf of the Eternal One, and often appears in the narratives included in the Torah as an intermediary between the Eternal One and the individual.
And so, we read, for example, that when Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law, and wandered achar ha-midbar, literally, ‘behind the wilderness’, ‘and came to the mountain of God’ (Exodus 3:1): ‘A malach of the Eternal One appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the Bush, and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, but the bush was not consumed’ (3:2). It was only when Moses turned aside to see ‘the great sight’ that the narrative says: ‘And when the Eternal One saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said: “Moses, Moses.” And he said: “Here I am”’ (3:4). The malach; a messenger of the Divine that appears on terra firma.
There is a lovely 18th century poem by an anonymous poet, traditionally sung on the eve of the Sabbath, that speaks of malachei ha-shareit, literally, ‘ministering Divine workers’ – but, perhaps, better translated as ‘ministering (Divine) messengers’. The poem is based on a legend that appears in the Babylonian Talmud (edited c. 500 CE), which relates that on Friday night, two m’lachim (plural of malach), accompany every Jew from the synagogue to their home to see if it has been made ready to receive the Sabbath (Tractate Shabbat 119b). Known as ‘Shalom Aleichem’, ‘Peace Be Upon You’, the poem, refers repeatedly to the ministering Divine messengers as ‘messengers of peace’, malachei ha-shalom.
Shabbat is a day of ceasing from work – that’s what ‘Shabbat’ means – set apart from the six days of the working week. But it is more than this: it is a day for experiencing the world as it could be if we lived in peace – shalom – hence the greeting: Shabbat Shalom. On the eve of Shabbat, the ministering Divine messengers bring a message of peace. It is our task to do the work needed to establish peace in the world.
I shall now sing Shalom Aleichem – but first the translation:
Peace be to you, ministering messengers, messengers of the Most High, of the supreme Sovereign, the Holy One, ever to be praised.
Enter in peace, O messengers of the Most High, of the supreme Sovereign, the Holy One, ever to be praised.
Bless us with peace, O messengers of the Most High, of the supreme Sovereign, the Holy One, ever to be praised.
Depart in peace, O messengers of the Most High, of the supreme Sovereign, the Holy One, ever to be praised.
שָלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָרֵת מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן
מִמֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְלָכִים הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
בּוֹאֲכֶם לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן
מִמֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְלָכִים הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
בָּרְכוּנִי לְשָלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָׁלוֹם מַלְאָכִי עֶלְיוֹן
מִמֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְלָכִים הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
צֵאתְכֶם לְשָלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָׁלוֹם מַלְאָכִי עֶלְיוֹן
מִמֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְלָכִים הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
Shalom aleikhem, malakhei ha-shareit, malakhei elyon, mi-melekh malkhei ha-m’lakhim, ha-kadosh barukh Hu.
Bo’akhem l’shalom malakhei ha-shalom, malakhei elyon. mi-melekh malkhei ha-m’lakhim, ha-kadosh barukh Hu.
Barkhuni l’shalom, mal’akhei ha-shalom, malakhei elyon, mi-melekh malkhei ha-m’lakhim, ha-kadosh barukh Hu.
Tzeit’khem l’shalom, malakhei ha-shalom, malakhei elyon, mi-melekh malkhei ha-m’lakhim, ha-kadosh barukh Hu.
Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah
Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue
Brighton & Hove Interfaith Contact Group Angels in Our City Day
10th February 2018
B&HIFCG AGM
11th March 2018