05. Part 3 - 2nd Division

Second Division - The Memra

1. The WORD of the Lord is the ANGEL of the Covenant (מלאךהברית).

Every thinking man will readily grant that, when the spirit has once tasted of the truth, it cannot rest till the fountain-head is found. I had been convinced that the Middle Spirit has revealed Himself as the essential and substantive WORD, and I became desirous to know who could be the ANGEL of the Covenant inMalachi 3:1, and so often mentioned in the Chaldee paraphrases and other very ancient books of our learned teachers; men whom we regard as having so great authority in matters of faith, that hardly any one would think of doubting what they pronounced to be truth.

Malachi 3:1, Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

I have had the good fortune to discover that the ANGEL of the Covenant, is the same person as the WORD of the Lord.

2. The ANGEL of the Covenant is an uncreated being and is styled Elohim
(אלהים), Jehovah (יהוה) and the Lord (אדון). The patriarch Jacob is on the threshold of the true Canaan, and he blesses the children of his beloved Joseph. In Genesis 48:15, we read these words: "The God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk...the God which fed me all my life long unto this day...(verse 16), the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads."

One can perceive, without any great amount of learning, that He who is to bless the lads is no other than the Redeemer (Goel) who is called Elohim (God). To my no small delight, I found Jacob’s words expounded in Avodat Hakodesh, written by the famous R. Meir ben Gabai (part iii., p. 95, versa, according to the Lemberg Edition):

"The truth that this Angel is not one of those (created) intelligences, is corroborated through the words, ’Bless the lads.’ Be it far from our holy patriarch (peace be upon him!), that he should have sought a blessing for his children from a created Angel; because no blessing may be sought except from Him who has the power and authority to bless, and that is He, who alone is the One blessed God. Whosoever seeks a blessing from any other, has no God."

I find the same author using, if possible, even plainer language in his work (part iv., p. 189). His words are:

"We may even say more (as R. Johannan agrees with me), that the Ten Commandments have not come to Israel only through the mediator (Moses), according to the literal meaning of the Scriptures. It was the ANGEL whom the patriarch Jacob makes mention of, which ANGEL is not one of the (created) intelligences, but the ANGEL, the Redeemer, of whom it is written (Exodus 14:19), ’The Angel removed,’ and this ANGEL is God; He it is who made Israel to hear the Ten Commandments, as it is written (Exodus 20:1), ’And God spake all these words.’"

3. There is no Redeemer besides the ANGEL of the Covenant.

Father Jacob’s prayer, that the ANGEL of the Covenant might bless his children, was the fruit of his faith in that everlasting ANGEL. This doctrine, my teacher, R. Simeon ben Jochai, taught me (Zohar, Gen., p. 232., Amsterdam Edition):

"The ANGEL who delivered me from all evil."

1. Come and see, it is written (Exodus 23:20), "Behold, I send an ANGEL before thee," &c.

2. This is that ANGEL, who is the Redeemer of the world, the keeper of the children of men; and He it is who has prepared blessings for the world.

3. Because He has taken them (these blessings) from the beginning, in order to bestow them afterwards on the world.

4. Therefore it is written (Exodus 23:20), "Behold, I send an ANGEL before thee."

4. Nathanael discovers a great truth: God revealed Himself in the ANGEL of the Covenant.

I was led to inquire how God revealed Himself to the patriarchs, and made known to them the mysteries of His Covenant, and the result of my investigations was: "That no one has seen God at any time, but in the ANGEL of the Covenant." We read in Genesis 31:11: "And the Angel of God spake to me in a dream." My ancestors believed that this Angel was the uncreated ANGEL of the Covenant, as I read in Avodat Hakodesh (part iii., cap. xxxi. p. 120):

"Concerning what is written, And the Angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: and I said, Here am I." This ANGEL is not one of the created Angels, but is that ANGEL who had redeemed him from all evil (Genesis 31:13), and which said unto him, "I am the God of Bethel." He is called ANGEL on account of the mystery which I will explain in the sequel (with God’s help, when I come to that passage). He is the same of whom it is said (Exodus 3:2), "And the ANGEL of the Lord appeared unto him (Moses) in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush"; and he is thus called because He is the ANGEL of God’s countenance (Hebrews 1:3), and He has the face of a man. Onkelos has translated Exodus 3:1, The glory of the Lord appeared unto him, "And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him," as if he had said: Jehovah appeared unto him, as it is said of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 18:1; Genesis 26:2-25), "And God (Elohim) appeared unto Jacob," &c., &c. If He, who appeared in the bush (Exodus 3:2), had been one of the (created) intelligences, Moses would not have hidden his face; but He was, as this my teacher instructed me, the ANGEL of the Covenant, in whom God revealed Himself; therefore he is called God.

Hebrews 1:3, Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

5. The Akidah or the mystery of the offering up of Isaac. The offering up of Isaac has always been considered by our nation as containing a great mystery. Hence it is, that the twenty-second chapter of Genesis is read in the synagogue on the second New Year’s day. The mystery in this extraordinary transaction is two-fold. In Isaac we see the Messiah as spoken of in Isaiah 53:1-12,* and in Daniel 9:26, "Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself"; and then again it teaches us that the ANGEL of the Covenant, is one of the Three Heads united in One Godhead; or, as otherwise expressed, One of the Three Spirits united in One; or, as the author of the Book of Creation, One of the Three Fathers (originals). This became clear to my mind while pondering over Genesis 22:11, and following verses, in which we read: 11. "And the ANGEL of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, here am I." 12. "And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." 15. "And the ANGEL of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time." 16. "And said, By myself have I sworn, said the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son": 17. "That in blessing I will bless thee," &c., &c.

* Please see An Exposition of Isaiah 53 by David Baron.

I perceive, from the 12th verse, that this ANGEL is Omniscient; He seeth the fear of God in the heart of father Abraham; and He who is Omniscient must be God. Also that in saying (v 12), thou hast not withheld thy son from ME, for if he had been a created Angel, he would have said from Him. In the 16th verse, this ANGEL swears by Himself, which no created Angel would dare to do, for the created being must swear by one greater than himself, by his Creator. But this ANGEL being God, He could swear by none greater, and swore by Himself. Hence David has said (Psalms 105:9): "Which (covenant) He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac."

I perceive, from the 17th verse, that no created, but only the uncreated ANGEL, the Redeemer, which is the same as the ANGEL of the Covenant, could bless and give the promise (v 18), "And in Thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed."

However, lest I might be mistaken in my interpretation of this passage, I went to one of my teachers, R. Bechai, whose valuable words (p. 35,Colossians 1:1-29) were the following:

"It is necessary that thou shouldest understand what in this section (Genesis 22:1-24) is related; namely, that He who is tempting (Abraham) is God, and He who is restraining (the execution of the command) is the ANGEL of the blessed God." The explanation of this transaction, according to the Cabbala (the mysterious doctrines of the ancient doctors) is this: The eyes of Abraham’s understanding were opened, (he saw) that this ANGEL was not one of the (created) intelligences, but one of the Inherent Ones (lit. Implanted ones), which cannot be separated, nor cut off one from the other. If this Angel had been one of the (created) intelligences, Abraham would not have obeyed his voice, when restraining him to do what God had commanded him; yea, an Angel would have no authority to say, "Thou hast not withholden thy son from me, but would have said, from Him." But this Angel was one of the Inherent Ones, the great Angel, of whom it is said (Exodus 14:19), The Angel, God, removed. (אלהים, God, is not in the genitive, but is explanatory ofמלאך, Angel). He making mention of that Angel is as if we had said: It is that ANGEL in whom my name is (Exodus 23:20), and in fact it was that ANGEL of whom it is said, "for my name is in Him." With reference to the passage (Genesis 48:16), "The ANGEL who has redeemed me," &c. (to the end of the verse, "In the midst of the earth"), this ANGEL is the Lord who has bowels of mercy; and because He was the Lord, He could say: Thou hast not withholden thy son from me; and because He has bowels of mercy, He said, after the offering up of Isaac (v 16): "By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord." Thus thou dost find, that, before the sacrifice (of Isaac) it is said (v 8): "God will provide Himself a lamb"; and after the sacrifice, it is said: "God has provided." According to His attribute of mercy, He promises him to bless his seed, that they should become numerous and mighty, &c.

6. Nathanael visits in spirit the Mountain of Horeb (Exodus 3:2).

I often mentally follow our great teacher, Moses, from his cradle of bulrushes to Pharaoh’s court, thence to the place where his suffering brethren dwelt in the midst of whom he much preferred to be, rather than in the palace of the great and cruel king; because God was with his people. I follow the great prophet in his flight and sojourn with Jethro in the land of Midian, and accompany him with his flock to the foot of Horeb (Exodus 3:1). In the second verse of the third chapter of Exodus, I read: "And the ANGEL of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire," &c. Was it not very natural that an earnest desire should arise in my mind to know what my forefathers, who had preserved the faith in regard to the threefold nature in the Unity of the Godhead, have taught their children respecting this ANGEL? On referring to one of my teachers, I received the following instruction (Bechai, p. 75, Colossians 1:1-29):

"The opinion of R. Moses ben Nachman, of blessed memory, respecting this section (of the law) is (v 2), It is said: "An Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire," and (v 4), (Elohim) "God called unto him." This is all one (i.e., the ANGEL being called God), namely, whether he saith "The ANGEL (out of the midst of the bush), or (Elohim) God spake to him out of the midst of the bush." Thus you find it by the Red Sea (Exodus 14:19), where it is written: "The ANGEL—God removed." Elohim (God) is not in the genitive case, but is explanatory of Angel. Therefore be not astonished that Moses hid his face (v 6) before this ANGEL; because this Angel mentioned here is the ANGEL, the Redeemer, concerning whom it is written (Genesis 31:13), "I am the God of Bethel"; and here (v 6), "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." It is the same of whom it is said (Exodus 23:21), My name is in Him."

7. This ANGEL of the Covenant is the Shechinah, the Glory of God.

Regarding the certainty of the ANGEL of the Covenant, being in the pillar and in the cloud, my valuable teacher, R. Menachem, of Recanati, gave me the following instruction (Exodus 14:19; compare 13:21):

"And the Angel who is Elohim (God), removed, &c. This ANGEL belongs to the court of justice of the Holy One (God), blessed be His name. The word Elohim (God), is not in the genitive case (therefore we must translate: the ANGEL הָ who is אלהים, God). And likewise our Rabbis, of blessed memory, have said that the Shechinah of the Lord went down with them to the sea; hence it is said: the ANGEL, who is God, removed (Exodus 14:19). If this ANGEL is the Shechinah, then it (the Shechinah) is called ANGEL, and the Prince of the world, because the government is placed in His hands."

8. The Promise.

It was not Moses, but the ANGEL of the Covenant who led the children of Israel out of Egypt, and brought them into the promised land, for this ANGEL was in the pillar and in the cloud, according to the promise which God gave to Moses, our great teacher of blessed memory. In Exodus 23:20, we hear God saying: "Behold I send the ANGEL before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared."

R. Moses ben Nachman explained these words to me, thus:

"According to the truth this ANGEL, promised here, the ANGEL, the Redeemer, in whom is the great name;* for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength, the Rock of Ages. He is the same, who has said: ’I am the God of Beth-el’ (Genesis 31:13), &c. The Scriptures have called him ANGEL (Ambassador), because through this designation of an Ambassador, we learn that the world is governed through Him."

* R. Moses Butarili says (Book of Creation), For His name is Himself; because His name is Jehovah, and this is Himself.

Thus His name is in Him will mean: the fulness of the Godhead is in Him.

9. The ANGEL of the Covenant is to be obeyed, for God is in Him. In Exodus 23:21, we read of Jehovah saying: "Beware of Him, and obey His voice, provoke Him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for My Name is in Him."

Though already taught that God was manifested in this ANGEL of the Covenant, and that He is one of the Three Eternals, which are One in Him who is without beginning or end (Ain Sof), yet I could not refrain from listening to the farther teaching of R. Bechai, regarding the Divine essence of the ANGEL of the Covenant. I found the following important remarks:

"This Angel is not one of those (created) intelligences, which can sin, of whom it is said (Job 4:18), ’His Angels He charged with folly,’ and this folly (appeared) when they assumed to themselves the power, that they were destroying Sodom (Genesis 19:13) (lit., in the case of Sodom, when they said, ’We are destroying’). But this Angel is one of the Inherent Ones" (according to the opinion of Tanchum - a high authority).

"For He will not pardon your transgressions." Because He belongs to that class of Beings which cannot sin, yea, He is Metatron, the Prince of His (God’s) countenance, and therefore it is said: "to keep thee in the way." The Chaldee Paraphrase translates keeping (משמרת) with guard (מטרת), so that Metatron (מטטרון) signifies a guard (or watchman) which (office) expresses His attribute of justice; thus He says, "before thy face"; as the expression occurs (Habakkuk 3:5), "Before His face went the pestilence, and burning coals (burning death) went forth at His feet." And He says, Mine ANGEL; by which He would say, Mine ANGEL, who is my beloved One, through whom I am made known in the world, and concerning whom it is written (Exodus 33:14), "My presence (lit., face or express image) shall go with thee." When Moses begged of God, saying (v 13), "Show me now Thy way," he besought from Him something (a revelation of one of His attributes) by which he might know Him, and He replied: "My presence shall go"; (this presence or countenance, an express image) is He of whom it is written, (Isaiah 63:9), "The Angel of His countenance saved them," namely, the Angel who is God’s countenance; therefore He said (Exodus 23:22), "I will be an adversary to thine adversaries through Him," and He adds (v 23), "And I will cut them off"; because on account of His attribute of justice are His enemies cut off. With reference to His being called Angel, you will know that He is not one of those created intelligences, because the world is governed by Him, for He is the very entity of justice.

It is said: "Beware of Him" (lit., beware from before His countenance), for, on account of the justice of God, man ought to watch himself that he be not punished for his sins; thus He mentions with reference to Him (this Angel) "Watching" and "countenance."*

* The meaning is: Watch thyself not to fall into sin, because this Angel is the express image of God’s countenance; God’s attributes are revealed in Him.

"Obey His voice." There is a warning that they should not vex the INHERENT ONES in the Godhead, therefore there is immediately added: "Provoke Him not," which words our Rabbis of blessed memory have explained: "Do not provoke Me in Him," but let him bear in mind that all are One, and all are the only One God, without being divided.

"For He will not pardon your transgressions." Although this Angel has power to forgive sins, and the power of pardon is delivered into His hand, yet He will not pardon your sins, if you provoke Him; because whoever provokes Him, provokes my name, that is, provokes God in Him. When David, of blessed memory, said, Psalms 130:4: "But there is forgiveness with thee," our Rabbis of blessed memory were of opinion, that such power to forgive sin is not delivered to any of the created intelligences.

10. More light breaks in upon Nathanael’s mind.

Having obtained this knowledge regarding the ANGEL of the covenant, I think that I understand what our prophet Malachi (3:1), says of this Angel. "Behold I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant whom ye delight in. He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts."

I perceive now that this ANGEL of the Covenant is the Lord, whose the temple was, He being worshiped therein.