Introduction Angels in the Hebrew Bible
Angels and Rabbis
Angels in Jewish Prayer Jewish encounters with angels
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Angels bring human beings closer to G-d and help one understand G-d's essence. The common Hebrew word for angel is malach, which means messenger. An angel is a "messenger" of G-d who carries out His "work". Although angels are superhuman beings, they must do exactly what G-d commands, as they have no free will. They are nothing more than G-d's assistants. All angels owe their existence to G-d and were created by G-d. Furthermore, they differ from G-d as they are not infallible:
Angels are sometimes referred to as the "Heavenly Court," due to the fact that they administer the work of the King, G-d. That is to say, just as a King makes the plans and his court discharges them, so too G-d makes the plans and His angels discharge them. If G-d wishes to sustain or create something, He can send an angel to bring it all about (2.6).
G-d created angels so that human beings to have some kind of being they could relate to. Human beings are not allowed to "see" G-d. Only a few people, like Moses, were allowed "see" G-d. However, we all have the ability to see and experience the presence of angels.
Angels lost their prominence in Jewish belief due to the Rabbis' fearing that people would worship angels instead of G-d. Indeed they felt that this might lead to blasphemy. However, as Margolies states in his book "A Gathering of Angels (1.7, p.11):
If we view angels as parts of our own beings, we affirm that G-d needs not angels --but we mortals do. Moreover, having angels within us helps narrow the vast chasm that separates us from G-d. Angels become aspects of being to whom we can relate.
According to Wayne Dosick, "Jewish tradition describes an adversarial relationship between human beings and angels. Angels are jealous of humans because we humans have free will and they do not" (1.4). In fact legend (Midrash) states that the angels did not want human beings to be created. Of course, G-d won the debate.
The Rabbis have debated on the physical form of angels. However, angels did serve as a model for humankind on earth. Their form may not necessarily be human. They are created in the image and likeness of G-d. It is believed that they have a divine essence. According to the Encyclopedia Judiaca (1.2), angels can walk upright, speak Hebrew, and can fly.
Almost every book of the the Hebrew Bible refers to angels.