A tanna taught: Mikael [reaches his goal] in one [trip], Gavriel in two, Eliyahu in four, and the Angel of Death in eight - except in a time of plague, when it takes one.
This line really stuck out to me from today. Why these divisions? What different roles do each of these 'angelic' figures play that causes this Baraita to teach these "speed limits?" In particular, why does the Angel of Death have to make eight trips normally?
Adam, I've been sitting with your post all morning. I love it, but can't seem to make sense of it. I suspect I would need more background on these figures to know if there is any reason for such limitations.
ReplyDeleteI started to wonder why the Angel of Death takes so long, and why Mikhael is so quick. Then it occurred to me - you framed this as "speed limits" but perhaps they don't all finish their trips in the same speed. Maybe the reason the Angel of Death needs 8 trips is because he moves so quickly, and Mikhael much slower. Maybe this is God's way of evening the playing field, adjusting "handicaps" in the race of life to allow for sufficient discretion in angelic activities.
How might we be exemplars of this model? Recognizing the speeds at which people move through life may provide insights into how our adjustments of their lap limits might help everyone succeed.
I understood it to be not speed limits but measures of their strength. I was thinking that perhaps Michael and Gabriel represent the power of God and thus are able to travel the furthest with minimum stops. Now Michael stands at God's right, Gavriel at God's left - thus perhaps by putting Michael first, they perhaps putting Chessed above Din. See Yoma 21b for example - Michael is snow, Gabriel is fire.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile Elijah might represent messianic power or special revelation (not sure on this one). By putting the angel of death last, perhaps they are showing the power of the other forces over death - except in plague when death comes swiftly.
To read this kabbalistically, I would want to say Michael is Chessed, Gavriel Gevurah, Elijah Tiferet and the angel of death Malchut. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it...
No such thing as reading too much into it! Mikael is certainly Chesed, and Gavriel Gevura - but I've read competing ideas of where Eliyahu falls. In fact, I think Eliyahu would be Malkut, because the rabbis believed that Eliyahu became Sandalfon after death, and to the best of my knowledge, Sandalfon is the angel most commonly associated with Malkut. To be honest - I don't think Malakh ha'Mavet has any place on the Sefirot. Although (in the instrumentalist view) the Sefirot are the instruments through which Ein Sof acts, it makes sense that the Angel of Death would be one of those instruments. However, the Malakh ha'Mavet is kind of misnamed - because in the Bible it speaks of multiple 'angels of destruction' and even the Midrash acknowledges that there isn't one Malakh ha'Mavet: "There are six angels of death: Gabriel over kings; Ḳapẓiel over youths; Mashbir over animals; Mashḥit over children; Af and Ḥemah over man and beast." (Midrash Ma'asei Tora)
DeletePerhaps the different Malakhei ha'Mavet represent some of the Klippot? That's a hard one. I'd say that it makes sense even with that though. Mikael (Chesed) takes the shortest (closest to Keter), Gavriel the next (a bit further from Keter), Eliyahu/Sandalphon even longer (far from Keter but still a Sefira), and the Angel(s) of Death the longest (as their completely part of the Sitra Achra).
Thoughts?
PS. I love that we're having this conversation. How's England by the way?
Fascinating - I wonder about the Angel of Death. Of course, sometimes Samael is identified with that role, and he is usually considered out of the sefirotic system.
DeleteEngland is great thanks - though I'm currently in Switzerland. How's america?
America, is, as always, in the throes of being a relatively new nation. As I'm sure you saw the epidemic of shootings continued with an attack on a Sikh Gurdwara in Wisconsin. It's hard - especially because in a lot of cultural and theological ways, the Sikh faith really resembles Judaism (of course in a decisively Indian context). I'm disappointed that I haven't seen more Jews speaking up on this particular attack. The Sikhs have about 15 million people, we have about 15 million people. The Sikhs are separated between their homeland and their diaspora, as are we. They've faced a history of persecution and a resulting defensiveness, as have we. I feel like this attack might provide a good opportunity for two faiths which are relatively close in many ways to find mutual support.
DeleteAnyways, things are sadly typical. The media makes sure that its hard to think about anything but the election.
As to the earlier thing - I think it works that Gavriel is sometimes associated with the Angel of Death, and so is Samael. As Samael represents the Sitra Achra, and Gavriel, Gevura - and as one view sees the Sitra Achra as coming exclusively out of an overabundance of Gevura (in relation to Chesed), then it makes sense that Gavriel's association would lead into Samael's, and that the Angel of Death might be conceived of in different places at different times, both in the Sefirot and the Klippot. Maybe the Angel of Death is precisely on that edge between what is directly emanated by Ein Sof, and what is an emanation of an emanation (Sitra Achra) and thus inherently impure.
I've had such limited experience with the Gemara, but so far I've been really pleased to see discussions of both angels and demons. :)! I hope it keeps it up.
Angels and Demons - Dan Brown in medieval Iraq!
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps Medieval Iraq in Dan Brown? Hmmm? ;)
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