Or maybe, on a less pleasant day, like you're being... pursued? Jewish tradition has a fascinating way of explaining these feelings. It’s not just paranoia, friends. According to Midrash Tehillim, an ancient collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, everything, absolutely everything, has an angel appointed over it.
Think about that for a moment. Your morning coffee? Angel. That slightly annoying traffic light? Angel. And, crucially, you? Well, that depends.
As Deuteronomy 28:8 says, "The Lord will command the blessing for you in your barns." This verse isn't just about overflowing granaries. It's about merit. If you live a life worthy of it, the Midrash tells us, ministering angels are assigned to you. These are the good guys, the protectors, the cheerleaders of the cosmos.
But what if you're... not? Well, then, you might find yourself saddled with the angels of destruction. Not exactly the companions you'd want on a road trip.
The Midrash makes it clear: your actions have consequences, not just in this world, but in the unseen realms as well. It even uses the example of tithing, separating a tenth of your harvest for the Temple or the poor. If you do that, then Deuteronomy 26:10 rings true: "Blessed are you in the city, and blessed are you in the field. Blessed are you when you come in, and blessed are you when you go out." Blessing follows righteousness.
There's a beautiful passage in Midrash Rabbah that says even the everyday conversations of the Israelites are considered Torah! Think about the weight of that statement. Even the mundane can be elevated.
The Midrash Tehillim illustrates this with a parable: a layman says, "May your yoke be upon me." Rabbi Meir then asks, "Who is greater, the one who carries or the one who is carried?" The answer? "The one who is carried is greater than the one who carries." And by extension, "Who is greater, the one who guards or the one who is guarded? He said, 'The one who is guarded is greater.'"
Why? Because, as Rabbi Meir points out, without good deeds, you wouldn't be carried or guarded in the first place. It all ties back to that idea of merit. Psalm 91:11-12 reinforces this: "For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." If you deserve it, angels of peace will protect you, and "no evil will befall you," as Psalm 91:10 promises.
This idea of angelic protection isn’t unique. The Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, are replete with tales of angels intervening in human affairs, always with an eye toward justice and divine will.
The text culminates with David, upon realizing the beauty of this blessing, praising the Lord with his entire being: "Bless the Lord, O my soul." It's a call to recognize the blessings in our lives, both seen and unseen, and to respond with gratitude.
So, what does it all mean for us today? Perhaps it's a reminder that we are never truly alone. That our actions resonate beyond the immediate moment, influencing the forces that surround us. And that striving for goodness isn't just a moral imperative, but a way to invite the benevolent guardians into our lives. It's a powerful image: the choice, ultimately, is ours.