The Watchman of the Night and the Guarding of the Faithful

Another interpretation: why is it said, "Watchman, what of the night?" (Isaiah 21:11)? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and watches over whoever has words of Torah truly in him, such as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore it says, "Watchman, what of the night?" From here they said: if a person does two or three good deeds, they hand over to him one angel to guard him, as it says, "Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way" (Exodus 23:20). And if a person reads Torah, Prophets, and Writings, they hand over to him two angels to guard him, as it says, "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" (Psalms 91:11). But if a person reads Torah, Prophets, and Writings, and studies Mishnah, and learns laws and aggadot, and serves Torah scholars, then the Holy One, blessed be He, guards him Himself. They told a parable. To what may the matter be compared? To a king who was walking on a road in the wilderness, and his son was with him. When the heat reached him, his father stood on the side of the heat and made shade for his son, so that the heat and the scorching sun would not reach him. And so the Holy One, blessed be He, does for Israel, as it says, "The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand" (Psalms 121:5). And what does "the watchman said, Morning comes" (Isaiah 21:12) teach? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, did I not tell you at the first that even though you weep and grieve now over the latter Temple, which lies in ruins through your sins, in the future you will come and rejoice with Me in complete joy, just as I rejoice in you, as it says, "As when fire kindles brushwood and fire makes water boil, to make Your Name known to Your foes, that the nations might tremble at Your presence, when You do awesome things we did not expect" (Isaiah 64:1-2)? And what is "and also night"? These are the evil and harsh years in which you dwell among the nations. And what is "if you would inquire, inquire; come back again"? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, gives the Torah only to one who grieves over it, as it says, "The oracle in the steppe: in the thicket in the steppe you shall lodge, O caravans of Dedanites; bring water to meet the thirsty" (Isaiah 21:13-14). "In the evening" [ba-erev] means none other than an expression of evening, and "Jacob" means none other than an expression of grief, and "water" means none other than words of Torah; therefore it says, "in the thicket in the steppe... bring water to meet the thirsty." To what is Israel likened in this world before their Father in heaven? To a king of flesh and blood who had two servants, and he gives them two pieces of wood and says to them, "Bring me the fire." The one who troubles his body before the king brings the fire before the king; the one who does not trouble his body before the king does not bring it. Another interpretation: a parable of a king sitting on his throne, with his servant serving before him; and the king sees his servant hastening eagerly before him, and at once the king rises from his throne and takes his servant by the hand and seats him before him. And thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, do the will of your children and your servants, just as I do the will of My son and My servant, as it says, "Who among you fears the LORD, who obeys the voice of His servant, who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the Name of the LORD and lean upon his God" (Isaiah 50:10).