Myths & Misconceptions Series

The Jewish Family Identity Forum with Candace R. Kwiatek, The Dayton Jewish Observer

In the aftermath of the September 11 disaster, an FBI investigating officer and immediate responder to the Pennsylvania Flight 93 scene sees legions of angels guarding the crash site (In the Shadow of a Badge: A Spiritual Memoir, Lillie Leonardi).

A college freshman, barely conscious, unable to move, and badly burned by a raging dorm fire, feels himself carried by an angel through the window and out onto the grass (Rescued from an Inferno, Jeremy Burchfield).

Because her conscience prompts her in the form of a divinely inspired dream, third-grade teacher Jackie Parks agrees to become a state witness in a widespread school cheating case (Ex-Schools Chief in Atlanta Is Indicted in Testing Scandal, Michael Winerip).

In reaction to such encounters, many in this enlightened scientific age scoff that angels are just imagination or wishful thinking.

The other common response is that angels are solely a Christian notion, citing Christianity’s expansive doctrine of angelology.

But if you think Judaism doesn’t subscribe to angels, think again. They appear as early as Genesis and occur regularly throughout history in Jewish literature, liturgy, and ritual.

If you’ve enjoyed the I. L. Peretz short story Bontche Schweig, heard of the lamed-vavniks (the 36 righteous), sung Shalom Aleichem, participated in a brit milah (ritual of circumcision) or celebrated a Passover Seder, then you’ve encountered angels. In fact, you’ve likely had a personal encounter with the angelic, as you shall see.

Found in hundreds of places throughout the Bible, angels are generally messengers (malachim) or agents of God with no independent identities, usually in human shape and unrecognizable as celestial beings. They encourage Hagar, announce Sarah’s pregnancy, herald the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, stop the sacrifice of Isaac, promise protection to Jacob, draw Moses’ attention, and open Balaam’s eyes.

Joshua, Gideon, and Samson’s parents all encounter angels. The prophets repeatedly acknowledge angels as the messengers of God’s word, and angels notably appear in Psalms, Job, and Daniel.

They protect, rescue, illuminate inner strengths, scatter the enemy, wreak vengeance, guard Eden’s gates, report to God from earth, and act as God’s attendants and heavenly court.

In the post-biblical and early Talmudic eras, angels became a widespread theme in the Dead Sea Scrolls, apocryphal (extra-biblical holy) literature, and developing Christian texts. In them, expanding notions of angelic hierarchies, fallen angels, Satan and demons, dueling sons of light and darkness, and the trinity in Christianity tempted the worship of celestial beings and challenged rabbinic Judaism’s strong commitment to monotheism.

“(T)he teachers of the Talmud felt the need to reemphasize the uniqueness and One-ness of the God of Israel…” writes Morris Margolies (see sidebar). “Cutting angels down to size was one of the important tasks the Rabbis of the Talmud set for themselves.”

Angels are real, the Rabbis acknowledged, but are themselves created and subservient to God. They are variously characterized as divine agents and celestial messengers, personifications of God’s will, or even (reflecting the dualism of the era) personifications of the opposing forces of good and evil — the yetzer tov and the yetzer ra — within the human.

The obsession with angels continued through centuries of folklore, tradition, scholarship, and prayer, with stringent attention to highlighting their subservient nature.

Dozens of traditional liturgies included reference to angels: the Kedusha, the Haggadah, and the Havdalah ceremony, among others.

The great medieval scholar Maimonides created an angelic hierarchy, and an emerging Kabalah equated the 10 sephirot (aspects of the Divine will) with archangels who transmit divine energy to humans.

Elijah, the zealous biblical prophet, reappeared as an angel. The heavenly recorder of humans’ deeds in the Talmud, he became the honored guest at both a brit milah and a Seder, the anticipated harbinger of the Messiah, and the celestial champion of the righteous and needy in hundreds of popular folktales. Elijah became the supernatural reminder to pursue angelic qualities in order to make a positive difference in the world.

Although the Enlightenment brought about a skepticism toward God and religion, the Chasidic movement embraced the notion of angels, suggesting that they are actually created by humans.

“The Chasidim believed that angels identified the individuals they accompanied. A deed of kindness created a kind angel. A deed of cruelty created a cruel angel,” Margolies writes.

The contemporary Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz combines the biblical and the Chasidic in The Thirteen Petalled Rose, in which he explains that there are two kinds of angels: those made by God during Creation, who continually interact with the world, and those created out of each human’s thoughts, deeds, and actions.

Whether or not you have recognized it, you’ve had personal encounters with angels. They may have appeared as ordinary people who played significant roles at critical moments in your life.

They may have shown up as visions or dreams or experiences that changed your life’s path.

They may have emerged as the still, small voices of conscience or the warring inclinations of your yetzer tov and yetzer ra, guiding your decision-making.

They may have materialized from your own thoughts and deeds, further influencing both yourself and others. Take a moment to think about it: Just how have you encountered your angels?

Family Discussion: Interpreting the message of the ladder in Jacob’s dream, the Rabbi of Kobrin explained that the ladder, stretching from earth to heaven, is really man himself while the direction of the angels depends on his actions. How does this image reflect Judaism’s central tenet of ethical monotheism (one God who demands ethical behavior)? How could this image be a prompt for daily living?

Literature to share

A Gathering of Angels: Angels in Jewish Life and Literature by Morris B. Margolies — While its small format suggests a gift book, this scholarly work is an engaging and thorough treatment of angels and demons in Jewish culture, from their origins in the Bible to their appearance in post-Holocaust literature. While not light reading, Gathering is worth exploring and can easily be tackled by topic or interest area.

Rav Hisda’s Daughter by Maggie Anton — The first of a new series by the renowned author of the Rashi’s Daughters series, this historically factual novel about the post-Temple era includes surprising images of angels and demons in Jewish Babylonian culture. Fast-paced, engaging, and enlightening, this is another can’t-put-it-down winner.

Stork’s Landing by Tami Lehman-Wilzig — Hot off the press, this tale of an injured stork cared for by a young kibbutz girl and her father is simply told and enticingly illustrated in watercolor. Without being didactic, it encompasses family and friends, life in Israel, and a multitude of values. It’s a perfect book to share and discuss with youngsters.

To read the complete September 2014 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.