“He acts through one, and who can respond to Him? His soul desires and He performs” (Job 23:13) – it is taught: One angel does not perform two missions, and two angels do not perform one mission. Yet you say: “[The] two [angels came to Sodom]”? The explanation is that Mikhael gave his tidings7To Abraham and Sarah, regarding the birth of a son.
This was Mikhael’s mission, and after performing it he departed, leaving two angels. and departed, Gavriel was dispatched to overturn Sodom, and Refael, to rescue Lot. “The two angels came to Sodom” – here it says “angels,” but elsewhere,8When they first came to Abraham. it characterizes them as “people” (Genesis 18:2). The explanation is that there, when the Divine Presence was over them, they were characterized as “people.”9They were overshadowed by the aura of the presence of God.
Once the Divine Presence departed from over them, they assumed the manifestation of angels. Rabbi Tanḥuma said that Rabbi Levi said: To Abraham, whose power was great, they appeared in the image of men; to Lot, whose strength was inferior, they appeared in the image of angels. Rabbi Ḥanina said: Before they performed their mission, they are characterized as people; after performing their mission, as angels.
Rabbi Tanḥuma said: This is analogous to one who assumed a position of local government from the king. Until he reached his seat of authority, he walked about as a commoner. Once he reached the seat of his authority, he walked about as a nobleman. So, until they performed their mission, they are characterized as people, after performing their mission, they are characterized as angels.