בס”ד
A Jewish Perspective on Divine Guidance
Have You Ever Felt an Invisible Hand Guiding You?
Imagine walking alone at night. It’s too quiet—eerily quiet. Suddenly, you feel something, an unseen force nudging you. Your gut tells you to turn left instead of right. You listen, and later realize you avoided something dangerous. Was it just instinct? Or was it something more?
In many traditions, people talk about guardian angels—unseen forces that protect and guide us. But in Judaism, angels are something entirely different—profound, yet surprisingly practical. What if I told you that, in some ways, human beings are spiritually higher than angels? Would that change how you see the world?
To understand this, we need to ask: What exactly is an angel?
What Are Angels, Really?
If you Google “angels,” you’ll see glowing figures with wings, harps, and halos. But in Hebrew, the word for angel—malach—simply means messenger. It doesn’t describe a specific type of being, but rather a function: someone or something sent on a mission.
In Genesis 16:7-10 we see an angel speaking to Hagar, the maidservant of Sarah:
“And the angel of the L-rd found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness… And the angel of the L-rd said to her, ‘I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they shall not be numbered for multitude.’”
Wait—did the angel just say I will multiply your descendants? Isn’t that G-d’s job? This pattern appears again in the dramatic story of the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22:11-12):
“The angel of the L-rd called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ And the angel said, ‘Do not stretch forth your hand against the child… for now I know that you fear G-d, since you have not withheld your son from me.’”
From these examples, we see something fascinating: Angels speak as if they are G-d. Why? Because in Jewish thought, angels aren’t independent beings with free will—they are direct extensions of G-d’s will in the world. They are Divine messengers, not autonomous entities.
When Angels Do Seem Independent
There is one exception to this pattern. In Exodus 23:20-23, G-d tells Moses:
“Behold, I am sending an angel before you to guard you on the way… Do not disobey him, for he will not pardon your sins, for My name is in him.”
This angel is different. Unlike earlier angels, this one is clearly separate from G-d. What changed?
Fast forward to Exodus 33:1-3, after the sin of the Golden Calf:
“Go up from here, you and the people… I will send an angel before you, but I will not go with you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I destroy you on the way.”
G-d is saying, I can no longer travel with you directly. My presence is too overwhelming, and I will have to judge you strictly. Instead, I’ll send an angel to lead you.
But Moses refuses this arrangement. In Exodus 33:15, he protests:
“If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”
Astonishingly, G-d listens. Moses’ plea restores direct Divine leadership. This moment teaches us that angels represent a structured, cause-and-effect system of divine governance. When G-d interacts with us directly, there’s room for mercy and relationship. When angels lead, things run by strict justice—like a bureaucrat enforcing rules without exception.
Are Angels Really More Holy Than Humans?
You might think angels, with their Divine missions, are holier than us. But Judaism teaches the opposite: Humans are spiritually higher than angels. Why? Because angels have no free will.
Angels are like divine robots. They cannot choose between good and evil—they simply carry out G-d’s commands. But human beings have the power to choose. And that choice gives our actions meaning.
The Midrash even tells a story about angels who begged G-d to send them to Earth to prove they were better than humans. What happened? They failed miserably. Without divine programming, they succumbed to temptation. Their failure led to chaos, showing that the ability to struggle and overcome is what makes humans spiritually unique.
What Does This Mean for Us?
Do you feel like G-d is directly involved in your life? Or does it feel like you’re living in a system of cause and effect, where everything happens mechanically? The answer is: you choose.
When we live with faith, when we strive to connect with G-d, we bypass the system and experience direct divine guidance. When we move away from that connection, life feels ruled by intermediaries—by strict justice instead of mercy.
But here’s the most important takeaway: We don’t need angels to connect to God. We already have everything we need.
How to Recognize Divine Guidance
Want to see G-d’s hand in your life more clearly? Try keeping a synchronicity journal. Start writing down moments where things seemed too perfectly timed to be coincidence. Maybe a last-minute change of plans saved you from an accident. Maybe an unexpected opportunity came just when you needed it most. The more you recognize divine intervention, the more you’ll see it happening.
The Torah’s message is clear: G-d is always with us. The question is, how will we choose to engage with Him?
Final Thoughts
In Jewish thought, angels are not celestial beings with wings and harps. They are Divine messengers, processes through which G-d interacts with the world. And while they may seem powerful, they lack what makes us truly unique—the ability to choose, to struggle, and to elevate the world through our actions.
So the next time something inexplicably good happens in your life, take a moment. Pay attention. It might not be an angel watching over you—In fact, it IS G-d Himself.
By Rabbi Tani Burton
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