Sandalphon and Azrael are the same archangels who gave the Torah to Moses?

Question

I was hoping you guys could help me out with something. Recently, I heard a rabbi discussing the Kabbalah meaning of Moses receiving the Torah from Sandalphone. During the talk, the rabbi mentioned that one of Sandalphone's duties is to carry the prayers of righteous people before the Holy One. Later on, I came across another rabbi who said that the Zohar also mentions that Azrael carries prayers.

I was wondering if someone could clarify that. Are Sandalphone and Azrael the same archangel? I would greatly appreciate your input on this.

Thank you so much!

Answer 1

Haven't seen or been able to confirm the info you've stated but they appear to be different.

In sefer Tikunei Zohar, Sandalphon is mentioned once, on daf 23a (and Azrael is not mentioned in the sefer). The MTT who was mentioned in a comment above, is also mentioned here in a similar function.

Translation:
Another thing: Shellach teshallach (Send away the mother bird, Deut. 22:7) - Come and see - there's an angel that's appointed (he's the minister) over the fowl (Ofin), which are souls (Nafshin) which are called Birds (Tziporin), and Sandalfon is his name. When Yisrael perform this mitzva, and the mother goes exiled and her children crying out, he (Sandalfon) teaches (mentions) the merit of his fowls (Ofin), and says to the Holy Blessed One, Behold it's written of You "His goodness is toward all His works" - why have You decreed on that bird (Ofa) that it be exiled from its nest?! Similarly Metat' teaches the merits of his birds (Ofin), which are spirits (Ruchin) that fly (are bestowed) upon mortals. For from the Throne are the Neshmatin, and from that Chaya are Ruchin, and from the Ofan are the Nafshin [these are three levels of soul and spirit], and these are in (respectively) Beria-Yetzira-Asiyya.

ועוד שלח תשלח, תא חזי מלאכא אית דממנא על עופין, דאינון נפשין דאתקריאו צפרין, וסנדלפו"ן שמיה, ובזמנא דישראל מקיימי האי פקודא, ואזלת אימא מתתרכא, ובנין צווחין, איהו אוליף זכו על עופין דיליה, ויימא לקודשא בריך הוא, והא כתיב בך ורחמיו על כל מעשיו, אמאי גזירת על האי עופא דאתתרכת מקינה, וכן מטטרו"ן אוליף זכו על עופין דיליה, דאינון רוחין דפרחין בבני נשא, דמכורסיא אינון נשמתין, ומהאי חיה רוחין, ומאופן נפשין, ואינון בבריאה יצירה עשייה:

http://hebrew.grimoar.cz/zohar/tikune_zohar.htm

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Azariel is mentioned in Zohar Chadash daf 84a as one (or two - there are two versions of the list there) of the seventy angels surrounding the Throne:

(Song 1:4) "We will find Thy love (Dodeikha) more (fragrant) than wine (Yayin=70)" - from the Yayin that is the Torah are these Dodeikha. They are the seventy ministers that surround the Holy Throne, and they are enormous rulers, and they execute judgement from that wine, and about this it's written (Song 8:2), "I'd make thee drink of the spice-wine" - which are the(se) seventy love(r)s. And they are: (list)

נַזְכִירָה דֹדֶיךָ מִיַּיִן, מִיֵּינָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה. דּוֹדֶיךָ, אִלֵּין ע' מְמַנָּן דְּסָחֲרִין כּוּרְסְיָיא קַדִּישָׁא. וְאִינוּן רַבְרְבִין שָׁלְטִין, וְנָטְלִין דִּינָא מֵהַהוּא יַיִן. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, אַשְׁקֶךָ מִיַּיִן הָרֶקַח. וְאִינוּן דּוֹדִים שִׁבְעִין.

וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן: מִיכָאֵל. גַּבְרִיאֵל. רְפָאֵל. נוּרִיאֵל. קְדוּמִיאֵל. מַלְכִּיאֵל. צַדְקִיאֵל. פְּדַאֵל. תּוֹמִיאֵל. חַסְדִּיאֵל. צוּרִיאֵל. רְמָאֵל. יוֹפִיאֵל. סטוריה. גַּזְרִיאֵל. להמיאל. חזקיאל. רהטיאל. קדשיאל. שבניאל. גדהסיאל. ומיאל. קדמיאל. חכמיאל. רמאל. קדשיאל. עניאל. עזריאל. פוריאל. חכמיאל. מבניאל. קניאל. גדיאל. צורטק. עופפיאל. רחמיאל. סנסניה. ודרגזריה. ודרגויה. רססיאל. רומיאל. סניה. טהריאל. עזריאל. גדיה. שמיאל. עינאל. תסוריה. דנאל. צוריה. כסיסיה. עיריאל. סמכיאל. מרוניה. כמניה. ירויאל. טטרוסיה. חוניאל. זכריאל. ועריאל. דטיאל. גדיאל. בראל. אהינאל. אֵין בֵּין כּוּלָּם רק ס"ה.

https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%96%D7%94%D7%A8_%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9_%D7%A4%D7%93_%D7%90

Answer 2

Wikipedia has articles on Sandalfon and Azrael.

Neither article references the other and so it seems that they are different angels and not the same one.

In Kabbalah, Sandalphon is the angel who represents the sefirah Malkuth and overlaps (or is confused with) the angel Metatron. He is said to appear before the feminine presence of the Shekhinah and to receive human prayers and send them to God.

Azrael seems to be more present in Islam. Wikipedia writes:

In Islam, he is one of the four archangels, and is identified with the Quranic Malak al-Mawt 'angel of death'), which corresponds with the Hebrew-language term Mal'akh ha-Maweth (מלאך המוות) in Rabbinic literature. In Hebrew, Azrael translates to "Angel of God" or "Help from God".