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02/25/2020 04:58:18 PM

Feb25

Do Jews Believe in Angels? 

Angels have always played a big role in Judaism, from the Bible onward. There are angels that appear to give a divine message, and sometimes they appear as humans but have a sacred mission. The Hebrew word for angel, malakh, means “messenger”. Early prayers of the ancient rabbis featured angels, including the main prayer that declares God’s holiness. We also sing of angels on Shabbat with the song, Shalom Aleichem. Reform Judaism in general was uncomfortable with angelology and removed many references in its early prayer books. Nevertheless, human beings still are frightened of uncertain futures and often we find solace in a belief, however, irrational, in angels.

My bible teacher in Israel, Nechama Leibowitz, liked to teach that an angel need not be a supernatural being. If a person is despairing of finding a job, and a friend he happens to see mentions a new position, and the person ends up getting that job, well, isn’t the friend a kind of messenger of God? For me, the question is not, “Who are God’s messengers?” but rather, “How can I serve as a messenger of the holy?”

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784