It’s a question that takes us to the heart of Jewish thought, and to a fascinating passage in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus.
The passage opens with the verse, "Behold, I am sending an angel" (Exodus 23:20). But it quickly jumps to a seemingly unrelated verse from Psalms: "I had said: You are divine beings, celestial beings, all of you" (Psalms 82:6). What's the connection?
Shemot Rabbah explains that when the Israelites stood at Mount Sinai and received the Torah, God made a profound declaration to the angel of death. Because Israel had accepted the Torah, the angel of death would have power over all other nations, but not over Israel. "Just as I live and endure," God says, "so My children endure." This echoes the idea found in Deuteronomy 32:9, "For His people is the portion of the Lord, Jacob the allotment of His inheritance."
But, of course, the story doesn't end there, does it?
Remember the Golden Calf?
The Shemot Rabbah argues that the Israelites' sin, their declaration, "This is your god, Israel!" (Exodus 32:8) changed everything. It corrupted their actions, leading to the decree from Psalms 82:7: "Indeed, as men you will die [and as one of the sarim you will fall]." Sarim here can be understood as "ministers" or "officials," but more specifically, as "guardian angels."
The text draws a comparison: just as idolaters are under the auspices of guardian angels – God does not provide for them directly, but rather through angels – so too, they are susceptible to the angel of death. After the sin of the Golden Calf, the Israelites became like those nations, susceptible to the same angelic intermediaries. "Behold, I am sending an angel," the verse in Exodus now implies a different relationship, one of delegated authority rather than direct divine protection.
The passage then shifts to the story of Jacob's dream in Genesis 28:12, "He dreamed, and behold, a ladder set on the earth." God showed Jacob the guardian angels of each kingdom, ascending and descending. This visual representation highlights the rise and fall of nations, each seemingly tied to its angelic representative.
God even invites Jacob to ascend, but Jacob hesitates. He fears that he, too, will descend like the others. God reassures him: "Fear not, just as I do not descend from My greatness, so too, neither you nor your descendants will descend from their greatness" (Genesis 28:13). But, the crucial condition is added: this promise holds "when they perform My will."
The connection is now clear. The Shemot Rabbah argues that when the Israelites abandoned God and followed idolatry, they forfeited their direct connection to the Divine. Just as other nations rely on guardian angels, so too would they. "Behold, I am sending an angel" now becomes a statement of consequence, a shift in the relationship between God and Israel.
So, what are we left with? This passage in Shemot Rabbah offers a powerful interpretation of the role of angels, not just as benevolent protectors, but as symbols of a nation's relationship with the Divine. It suggests that our actions, our choices, determine the level of direct connection we have with God. And when we stray, when we build golden calves, we may find ourselves relying on intermediaries, on "guardian angels," rather than experiencing the fullness of divine presence. It's a sobering thought, isn't it?