Angels of Peace

5/17/23

It was a Sunday, two weeks after I signed the Covenant of Peace with the Lord.  I kept hearing and saying ‘Angel of Peace’ throughout the night.  Upon waking, I wondered if that was in the Bible or Jewish theology?

Interesting that the day before, I had a fleeting thought of Jacob’s ladder.  When I investigated the Angel of Peace, I read that Jacob called on messangers to meet Esau, they think he sent ANGELS OF PEACE!

“Who are the “messengers” (mal’akhim) that Jacob commissions? And how will they work toward bringing peace to the strained relationship of these brothers?  Jacob had special intentions in sending real angels to meet his brother Esau.

Rashi, the prolific medieval commentator writes that Jacob did not send just any messengers to his brother Esau, but indeed he commissioned real mal’akhim (angels), to engage in this task. This comes to teach us that if one truly wants to achieve peace, one cannot rely on routine emissaries. Such people have their own interests at heart and they are liable to fuel the fire rather than bring peace. For the achievement of peace, one needs to rely on angels commissioned from above. For they are truly lacking in jealousy, contempt and petty competition.” (HaCohen, Likrat Shabbat, 36) Angels of Peace - Jewish Theological Seminary (jtsa.edu)

In a recent post, I said God enlightened me that He will send His Angel ahead to do His work and to help us.  In Exodus 23:20-22: Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.  Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.  But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

In fact, Gideon had an encounter whereby he memorialized the event with an alter titled ‘The-Lord-Is-Peace’!  Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So, Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.” Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” So, Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace.  Judges 6:22-23.

When angels are involved in our affairs through the covenant, they also can impart peace and strength to us.  The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them. Psalm 34:7.

I find it fascinating that it was a Sunday when I heard ‘Angel of Peace’, and here is why.  I read a story of a nine-year old who asked a question of his Rabbi (Rebbe).

“So, I asked the Rebbe, ‘we sing at the start of the Shabbat evening meal, Shalom Aleichem. This song has four stanzas and in each stanza we refer to malachei shalom, “angels of peace,” except for the first stanza, in which we refer to malachei hashereis, “ministering angels.”How come? Why are we not consistent and call them ‘angels of peace’ each time?’

The Rebbe said, ‘If you notice, the first two stanzas seem to be redundant. He went on, I’ll tell you the reason. There are two types of angels – weekday angels and Shabbos angels. The ‘ministering angels’ are the weekday angels of servitude, and we are not welcoming them, but saying good-bye to them. In Hebrew, hello and good-bye are the same word, Shalom, so in the first stanza we are really sending off these weekday angels because Shabbos has begun. After that, we are greeting the Shabbos angels, the ‘angels of peace.’ So none of this is redundant or superfluous.”

Welcoming Angels - Shabbat/Holiday Prayers (chabad.org).

Now that I know this, what harm is there to ask the Lord of Peace to send us His Angels of Peace on our Sabbath?  No harm at all!  Lord, send Your Angels of Peace to us😊