Malakh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See Aradan for Malach, the character from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth universe.
See Malachim for the name of the by alphabet Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa.
See Malachim (Chassidus) for the quasi-Hassidic dynasty.
See Malachi for the Biblical prophet.

A Malakh (plural Malakhim) is a messenger angel who appears throughout the Hebrew Bible, Rabbinic literature, and traditional Jewish liturgy. In modern Hebrew, mal'akh is the general word for "angel."

Contents

[edit] Etymology

Hebrew "Mal'akh" (מַלְאָךְ) derives from the Semitic consonantal root l-'-k (ל-א-ך), meaning "to send". This root is attested in Hebrew only in this noun and in the noun "Melakha" (מְלָאכָה), meaning "work".

[edit] In the Hebrew Bible

The Hebrew Bible reports that Malakhim appeared to each of the Patriarchs (Bible), to Moses, Joshua, and numerous other figures. They appear to Hagar in Genesis 16:9, to Lot in Genesis 19:1, and to Abraham in Genesis 22:11, they ascend and descend Jacob's Ladder in Genesis 28:12 and appear to Jacob again in Genesis 31:11-13. God promises to send one to Moses in Exodus 33:2, and sends one to stand in the way of Balaam in Numbers 23:31.

Isaiah speaks of Malakh Panov, "the angel of His presence" (Isaiah 3:9).

The Book of Psalms says "For malakhav (His angels) He will charge for you, to protect you in all your ways" (Psalms 91:11)

[edit] In Rabbinic Literature

Malakhim occupy the sixth rank of ten in the famous medieval Rabbinic scholar Maimonides' Jewish angelic hierarchy.

[edit] In Jewish Liturgy

On returning home from services on Friday night, the eve of Shabbat, or at the dinner-table before dinner Friday night, it is customary in Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism to greet ones guardian angels (Angels of Service or Ministering Angels) with a traditional hymn beginning with:

Peace be unto you, Malachai HaSharet (Angels of Service)
Angels of the Most High
From the King of the kings of kings
The Holy One Blessed Be He

On the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, it is customary to call all the boys (in some synagogues, all the children) to the Torah reading and for the whole congregation to recite a verse from Jacob's blessing to Ephraim and Manasheh (Manassas).

May the angel who redeems me from all evil, bless the children, and let my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them flourish like fish for multitude in the midst of the land (Genesis 48:16)

[edit] "Angel (Malakh) Laila"

[edit] As told by Howard Schwartz...

The Angel Laila can be simply described by children's book author Howard Schwartz as:

"there is an angel, Lailah, who brings the soul and the seed together and then sees to it that the seed is planted in the womb. In doing so, Lailah serves as a midwife of souls. While the infant grows in the womb, Lailah places a lighted candle at the head of the unborn infant, so he or she can see from one end of the world to the other. So too does the angel teach the unborn child the entire Torah, as well as the history of his or her soul. Then, when the time comes for the child to be born, the angel extinguishes the light in the womb and brings forth the child into the world. And the instant the child emerges, the angel lightly strikes its finger to the child’s lip, as if to say “Shh,” and this causes the child to forget everything learned in the womb. Still, the story implies, that knowledge is present, merely forgotten, much like the Jungian concept of the collective unconscious." "This myth also explains the origin of the mysterious indentation every person has on their upper lip. The myth goes on to say that Lailah watches over the child all of his days, serving as a guardian angel. And when the time comes for a person to take leave of this world, Lailah leads him from this world to the next."

This text is from the book Before You Were Born. Schwartz, Howard. Illus. by Kristina Swarner. Brookfield, CT: Roaring Brook Press, 2005. 32 pp. [1]

[edit] As told by Louis Ginzberg

The story of Lailah is also told by Louis Ginzberg in Legends of the Jews. [2] ."

[edit] As interpreted from Midrash Tanhumah

Angel Lailah is more than a folk tale. The story of Lailah comes straight out of Midrash Tanhuma. One English translation can be found here [3]

[edit] References

Languages