Va-yetzei, Genesis 28:10–32:3
How Angels Make Us Better People
I’ve never thought much about mal’achim (literally, angels), and I wonder if Jacob had thought about them either, before the encounter that took place when he departed the Land of Israel in flight from his brother’s wrath. Jacob might have heard family stories about the divine messengers who announced the upcoming birth of his father to his grandparents. It would not be surprising if he knew about the heavenly beings who rescued his distant cousin Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah. I doubt that his father talked much about his near-death experience on Mount Moriah. Had it not been for an angel’s intervention just in time to stop Abraham from using the knife, there would have been no Jacob, no continuing Covenant, no birthright to purchase from Esau, and no blessing to steal from him. Jacob must have heard enough about angels to recognize as “angels of God” the beings whom he saw going up and down the ladder in his dream at the start of his journey (and of our parashah), and to recognize them again when “angels of God” encountered him at the conclusion of his journey (and also, again, of our parashah). Jacob knew immediately that they were messengers who belonged to God somehow—and, thanks to them, he knew that he was, too.
When I did think about angels, the occasion was usually an encounter at an art museum with paintings depicting Christian scenes such as the Annunciation, or pop culture images of white, winged beings playing harps or shooting love arrows. Mal’achim always seemed benign presences who bore good tidings, and certainly seem that way as Jacob takes his leave from one adversary—Laban—and prepares to meet another—Esau. Rashi believes that one set of angels accompanied and protected Jacob when he was in the Land of Israel, and another set outside the Land. Bereishit Rabbah offers this encouraging midrash:
“And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him” (Gen. 32:2). How many angels preceded our father Jacob when he entered the Land? R. Huna said in R. Aibu’s name: 60 myriads. Thus it says, “And Jacob said when he saw them: this is God’s camp” (32:3), and the Shekhinah does not rest upon less than 60 myriads. The Rabbis said: 120 myriads, [for the Torah says,] “And he called that place Mahanaim” [meaning two camps (i.e., twice 60)]. R. Yudan said: He took of both camps and sent them as messengers before him, as it says, “And Jacob sent messengers” (Gen. 32:4).
But the Rabbis were not so sure about the intentions of other heavenly agents on other occasions. Indeed, as Solomon Schechter noted in his classic study Aspects of Rabbinic Theology (1909), our Sages saw a certain rivalry between human beings and the angels; worse, angels threatened the very existence of humanity by arguing the case for the prosecution before God when human creatures were on trial and rejecting the mitigating circumstances offered in our defense. The angels wanted strict justice enforced, untempered by God’s mercy. They objected to forgiveness of sin because the sinner had repented.
When I did think about angels, the occasion was usually an encounter at an art museum with paintings depicting Christian scenes such as the Annunciation, or pop culture images of white, winged beings playing harps or shooting love arrows. Mal’achim always seemed benign presences who bore good tidings, and certainly seem that way as Jacob takes his leave from one adversary—Laban—and prepares to meet another—Esau. Rashi believes that one set of angels accompanied and protected Jacob when he was in the Land of Israel, and another set outside the Land. Bereishit Rabbah offers this encouraging midrash:
“And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him” (Gen. 32:2). How many angels preceded our father Jacob when he entered the Land? R. Huna said in R. Aibu’s name: 60 myriads. Thus it says, “And Jacob said when he saw them: this is God’s camp” (32:3), and the Shekhinah does not rest upon less than 60 myriads. The Rabbis said: 120 myriads, [for the Torah says,] “And he called that place Mahanaim” [meaning two camps (i.e., twice 60)]. R. Yudan said: He took of both camps and sent them as messengers before him, as it says, “And Jacob sent messengers” (Gen. 32:4).
But the Rabbis were not so sure about the intentions of other heavenly agents on other occasions. Indeed, as Solomon Schechter noted in his classic study Aspects of Rabbinic Theology (1909), our Sages saw a certain rivalry between human beings and the angels; worse, angels threatened the very existence of humanity by arguing the case for the prosecution before God when human creatures were on trial and rejecting the mitigating circumstances offered in our defense. The angels wanted strict justice enforced, untempered by God’s mercy. They objected to forgiveness of sin because the sinner had repented.
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