Why God Sent Only an Angel and the Beautiful Heritage of Israel

(Exodus 23:20) "Behold, I am sending an angel etc." This is what Scripture says (Jeremiah 3:19): "And I said, How would I set you among the children etc." Rabbi Eleazar ben Pedat says: What is this, "I would set you"? It had arisen in my mind that there should be in the world only I and you. How did you act toward Me so as to bring the nations of the world in among you? And this expression is nothing but an expression of separation, "And he set apart for himself flocks etc." (Genesis 30:40). Rabbi Hama bar Hanina said: What is "I would set you"? There was a great love between Me and you. How did you act so that I should hate you? "How would I set you among the children" — this expression is nothing but an expression of hatred, as it is said, "And I will put enmity" (Genesis 3:15). Another interpretation: "How would I set you among the children." Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: I was advocating in your defense. You acted toward Me so that I should accuse you and find you liable, and this expression is nothing but an expression of liability, as it is said, "If a ransom is laid upon him" (Exodus 21:30). Another interpretation: "How would I set you among the children." Rabbi Berekhyah the Priest said: You were as beloved to Me as a man who has a single field, and he manures it and hoes it and weeds it — so were you beloved to Me. You acted toward Me so as to make you ownerless, and this expression is nothing but an expression of ownerlessness, as it is said, "And I will make it a waste etc." (Isaiah 5:6). "And give you a desirable land" (Jeremiah 3:19) — a land that the great ones of the world desired. Abraham said to the sons of Heth, "Give me a burial holding" (Genesis 23:4). The Holy One too endeared it before Isaac, as it is said, "Sojourn in this land etc." (Genesis 26:3). Jacob said, "In my grave which I dug for myself" (Genesis 50:5) — behold, a desirable land. "A heritage of beauty" (Jeremiah 3:19). What is "a heritage of beauty" (nahalat tzevi)? Just as with this deer (tzevi), one slaughters it and strips off its hide, and they seek to return the flesh into the hide and it does not hold it, so the Land of Israel does not hold its produce. What is written? "And the oxen and the young asses that till the ground shall eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and with fork" (Isaiah 30:24). At first they would winnow with the shovel, and afterward with the fork. Why? Because the grain was more than the straw, and even so there was produce in the winnowed straw. From where? As it is said, "They shall eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and with fork" — in the mixtures there was of the produce. Behold, a desirable land, a heritage of beauty — a land that did not hold its produce, a land that was good and that all the kings of the world desired. It is written, "The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai which is beside Bethel, one" (Joshua 12:9). And there is only three mil between Jericho and Ai, yet it says, "the king of Jericho." Rather, anyone who acquired outside the Land and did not acquire in the Land of Israel was not called a king. Why? Because they desired the Land of Israel. Rabbi Johanan said: See what is written, "And I saw among the spoil a mantle of Shinar" (Joshua 7:21) — a Babylonian purple robe which the king of Babylon wore and ruled in Jericho. Behold, a heritage of beauty of the nations. And it says, "You shall call Me, My Father" (Jeremiah 3:19). Just as this father is bound to provide for the delights of his daughter, so was I raining down for you, "and the layer of dew went up etc." (Exodus 16:14). "Surely, as a woman betrays her companion" (Jeremiah 3:20). Rabbi Judah bar Simon said: Would that it were like a betraying woman! This woman who has a companion — she feeds him and gives him drink, and she loves him; once his hand grows short, she leaves him and goes off on her own. "Surely, as a woman betrays her companion" — I did not do thus to you. The manna was coming down for you, and the well rising up; I did not deprive you of a thing when you betrayed Me. Behold, I am giving you an angel to watch over you, "Behold, I am sending you an angel." When you were worthy and received the Torah, I Myself was going before you; but now that you have become liable, behold, I am sending an angel before you. [Another interpretation.] The Holy One said to Moses: I am sending before you, but not before them. He said: If You are sending before me, I do not want it. But Joshua saw the angel and fell on his face. What did he say to him? "Are you for us or for our adversaries?" (Joshua 5:13). When he said to him "for us," the angel cried out from beneath the nails of his feet, "And he said, No, for I am the captain of the host of the LORD; now I have come" (Joshua 5:14) — behold, two times I came to give Israel its inheritance. I am the one who came in the days of Moses your master, and he rejected me; now I have come. "And Joshua fell on his face" (ibid.) — he saw him and fell on his face; but Moses saw and rejected him. The Holy One said, "Behold, I am sending an angel before you" — to you and to everyone who observes the Torah like you. Resh Lakish said: It is written, "He will cover you with His pinion, and under His wings you will take refuge" (Psalms 91:4) — everyone who observes the Torah: "His truth is a shield and buckler" (ibid.). Therefore, "to guard you on the way etc." (Exodus 23:20).