10
votes
When Did Hashem Create Angels
In the Medrash Rabbah there are two opinions. Rebbe Yochanan says that the angels were created on the second day, along with the firmament since we find in Tehillim a connection between the firmament ...
- 4,988
10
votes
Can a person who died count to a minyan?
The Sefer Chassdim siman 1129 writes that Rebbi after he passed away wpuld come dressed in his shabbas clothes and recite kiddush rabbah for his family and be motzei them. The question that is asked ...
- 41k
8
votes
Why did the angel overturning Sodom visit Abraham?
The final decree on S'dom was not made until they visited Avraham and Sarah. Their behavior sealed the doom of S'dom. Had Avraham not received them as he did, there would have been an argument not to ...
- 42.9k
8
votes
Accepted
Earliest Sources To Avoid Pronouncing the Name 'Samael'
Rav Shmuel Vital (17th century) in the siddur חמדת ישראל says this.
גם צריך להזהר מאד שלא להזכיר בפיו שם סמא"ל וזהו סוד מש"ה אלהים אחרים לא תזכירו וכו' ובפרט בלילה שאז היא שליטתו וממשלתו.ולא עוד ...
- 1,723
8
votes
Who are the bene elim?
There are several opinions:
Rashi - They are to be understood as "שרים" - officers
Ibn Ezra - they are "כוכבים" - stars
The Targum draws the same conclusion as you that they ...
- 30.1k
8
votes
Accepted
How did Manoach not know he was speaking with an Angel?
Re-read the verse. Manoach's wife told him she met a prophet (איש האלוקים/man of God is a title for a prophet) who looked like an angel:
"The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came ...
- 24.8k
7
votes
Why did the angel overturning Sodom visit Abraham?
This is an answer that I heard from one of my Rabbeim. It is from the Sefer Chidushei HaRim, on Bereishis 18:9. While he gives the basic pshat mentioned below, he does not quote every source that I ...
- 34.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Are there descriptions of angels as female?
Zecharia 5:9:
וָאֶשָּׂ֨א עֵינַ֜י וָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּה֩ שְׁתַּ֨יִם נָשִׁ֤ים יֽוֹצְאוֹת֙ וְר֣וּחַ בְּכַנְפֵיהֶ֔ם וְלָהֵ֥נָּה כְנָפַ֖יִם כְּכַנְפֵ֣י הַחֲסִידָ֑ה וַתִּשֶּׂ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֵיפָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין ...
- 34.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Source for exclusively learning/seeking Torah from someone whose face is glowing like an angel?
This is a Gemara Hagiga (15b):
אם דומה הרב למלאך ה' צבאות - יבקשו תורה מפיהו. ואם לאו - אל יבקשו תורה מפיהו
If the Rav resembles an angels of the Lord of Hosts, seek Torah from his mouth. If ...
- 35.4k
7
votes
Accepted
How Many Angels involved in the Purim Story?
It is hard to give a definitive answer as there are instances like by the tree that you mentioned where it notes that there were angels present there without quantifying the number. However, needless ...
- 30.1k
6
votes
Is it a mainstream view that Satan is an angel testing us for Hashem so that He can reward us in Olam Haba?
The Jewish view is that everything that has been created is under the control of G0d and cannot be considered an independent being in the sense that non-Jewish religions regard "Satan" (as a "...
- 42.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Authenticity of Maggid Mesharim
Firstly, another scholarly resource that confirms this is R. J. Ẕevi Werblowsky in The Character of R. Joseph Qaro's "Maggid" /לדמותו של המגיד של ר' יוסף קארו He states (fn 1, my rough translation) ...
- 20.9k
6
votes
Why did the angel overturning Sodom visit Abraham?
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein raised this point in a shiur of his and answered that we find instances where angels keep to their duty, but utilize some wiggle room, such as Gabriel who had coals he was ...
- 33.4k
6
votes
What is the minimum number to comprise a band (גדוד)?
In מלכים-ב ה:ב on the Pasuk וַאֲרָם יָצְאוּ גְדוּדִים Rashi says 100 to 200 people
is a גְדוּד.
יצאו גדודים. כשהולכין מאה או מאתים מעצמן לשלל כאשר ימצאון, הוא קרוי גדוד.
It's the only place ...
- 42.8k
6
votes
Accepted
Malachim of Nations constantly fighting?
I haven't seen anywhere referring to them as "raging bulls". However, I have seen the concept that each nation has its own שר, making 70 שרים (see Sukkah 55b). They are the source for the ...
- 3,210
6
votes
Variable names for angels
Yalkut Shimoni, Nach 1009:
מה עשה חנמאל דוד ירמיהו השביע מלאכי השרת בשם והורידן מזויינין בכלי זיין על החומות, כיון שראו הכשדים כן ברחו מפני אימתן, עד ששינה להם הקב"ה שמותן והעלן לרקיע, ובקש ...
- 7,781
6
votes
Why does the Torah not write about or mention the creation of the Angels/Melachim? When were they made?
Several commentators see an allusion to the creation of the malakhim in Genesis 2:1 ( וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל-צְבָאָם). For example, the Ramban on the word צְבָאָם writes:
והנה בכאן ...
- 6,433
5
votes
Do angels speak to the Jewish people today?
Strangely enough, while looking through a book today that I am reviewing for a different question, I saw an answer to your exact question. The book is called Sefer HaGematriot by Rabbi Yehudah ...
- 14.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Source that Song of Songs was spoken by the Cherubs in the temple
From searching I was able to find the source in the commentary Ote Or on Shir Hashirim by Rabbi Yechiel Heller.
In his introduction he says, based on Zohar Shemot 143a and Shir Hashirim Rabba to 1:1, ...
- 24k
5
votes
Can Angels "fall"?
Yehuda Shirpin points out multiple sources where angels did indeed make a mistake -
Chagigah 15a where Metatron was whipped
Rashi (Bereishis 19:22) where the Angels destroying Sedom are handicapped ...
- 13.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Why does HaShem say, "I rebuke you Satan" in Zech 3:1-2.?
Read the Pesukim in context, with an assist from Rashi, and all will become clear.
וַיַּרְאֵ֗נִי אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֔וֹל עֹמֵ֕ד לִפְנֵ֖י מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֑ה וְהַשָּׂטָ֛ן עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־...
- 34.1k
5
votes
Accepted
Meaning of Targum's translation of Seraph - קליא
It seems to be to be related to the word for parching or toasting. See Vayikra 2:14:
וְאִם־תַּקְרִ֛יב מִנְחַ֥ת בִּכּוּרִ֖ים לַיהוָ֑ה אָבִ֞יב קָל֤וּי בָּאֵשׁ֙ גֶּ֣רֶשׂ כַּרְמֶ֔ל תַּקְרִ֕יב אֵ֖ת ...
- 41.7k
5
votes
Who opposes saying the Piyut מכניסי רחמים?
Artscroll (introduction to Selichot) quotes the Maharal of Prague as
writing strongly against supplications addressed to angelic advocates.
Why may one seek the intercession of human ...
- 47.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Is a Mezuzah an Angel?
I wouldn't call the Mezuzah an angel as it is not a spiritual being.
The Kiryat Sefer on the above cited Rambam writes:
כל מי שיש לו תפילין בראשו ובזרועו וציצית בבגדו ומזוזה בפתחו מוחזק הוא שלא יחטא ...
- 30.1k
5
votes
Does Rashi refer to Arabs when describing the 3 people who visited Abraham?
While I don't know whether Rashi meant this exactly, there were definitely Arabs at the time, i.e., there were nomadic tribes settled in Arabia that may be considered some of the ancestors of modern ...
- 24.8k
5
votes
Why do angels have wings?
You ask:
My first question is where does the idea of wings come from: God obviously doesn't have wings, and humans either, why would divine beings have wings in terms of likeness to God?
Rambam ...
- 30.1k
5
votes
How many angels are enough?
Rashi, in his commentary to Bereishis 19:1 tells us:
שני TWO — One to destroy Sodom, the other to rescue Lot — it was he who had come to heal Abraham — whilst the third, who had come to make the ...
- 8,677
5
votes
Malachim climbing ladders
As far as the first question:
Why do malachim need a ladder? Can't they fly or have some other form of supernatural transportation?
I heard from Rabbi Shlomo Farhi quoting Rabbi Moshe Weinberger the ...
- 30.1k
4
votes
Authenticity of Maggid Mesharim
SJL Rapoport was of the opinion that R. Alkabetz was the author of MM and not R. Karo (Iggrot Shir, no. 37). His main contention is that R. Karo appears to never express regard for the book (nor does ...
- 11.9k
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