And there’s even an angel assigned to help.
His name is Yode'a, the Angel of Losses. Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, the great Hasidic master, seems to have conceived of this angel, this almost invisible presence dedicated to watching over us, even – especially – in the dark. Rabbi Nachman, like Reb Pinhas of Koretz, was deeply attuned to the spiritual world around him, to the angels and other unseen forces that shape our lives.
Yode'a – which, fittingly, means "to know" in Hebrew – doesn’t work alone. He has servants, and his servants have servants. And what are they all doing? Digging. Searching. Each one carries a shovel, tirelessly seeking out what has been lost. Because, let's face it, a great deal is lost in our lives, isn't it?
Now, here's where it gets even more interesting. According to Rabbi Nachman's teaching (found in Be'er Hasidut), every Tzaddik – every righteous person – is, in a way, a servant of Yode'a. Even a Tzaddik who spends their life searching for lost things can themselves become lost. Then what? Then you have to search in the darkness, in the realm of the unknown.
And with what do you search in the darkness? With the light of the soul.
The soul, Rabbi Nachman tells us, is like a light planted in the Tzaddik, a divine spark meant to seek after whatever has been lost. What kind of light is it? Not a blazing torch, mind you, but a small candle. Yet even that small flame is enough. With it, you can search inside deep wells, where darkness is unbroken, peering into every corner and crevice. It is necessary to be guided by that light, small though it may be.
The work of Yode'a and his searchers reminds me of the Kabbalistic myth of the Ari, Rabbi Isaac Luria, and the gathering of the scattered sparks, as described in Tree of Souls (Schwartz). Remember the shattering of the vessels? Those sparks, scattered throughout creation, are like the losses that Yode'a collects. They, too, have been lost and need to be found.
So, next time you're feeling lost, or feeling the weight of what's missing in your life, remember Yode'a, the Angel of Losses. Remember his tireless search, and remember the light of your own soul. Maybe, just maybe, that small candle is all you need to find your way back.