The Protective Angel

In Parshat Mishpatim, Shmot 23:20 we read: "Behold, I send an angel before you, to protect you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared (Beit HaMikdash, Temple)."

Ramban, basing himself on a midrash in Shmot Raba 32:9 comments: God said to Moshe: The one who guarded the fathers will guard the children.

When Avraham sent his servant Eliezer to find a wife for Yitzchak he used the words "The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindered and who spoke to me, and swore to me saying, to your seed I will give this land, He will send his angel before you. (Breisheet 24:7)"

When blessing his grandchildren, Yaakov used the words "The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the children.(Breisheet 48:16)" Yaakov was saved from his brother Esav who wanted to kill him, as well as from his father in law, Lavan and from the many years of famine.

God said to Moshe, Now too, the one who guarded the fathers will guard the children. Whenever the angel appears, the Shechina, Divine presence appears. As it says in Shmot 3:2: "And the angel of God appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush." Immediately after, we read in Shmot 3:4 "God called out to him out of the midst of the bush."

The midrash continues, When the Jewish people call out before this angel, the redemption will come. As we saw when B'nai Yisrael were enslaved in Egypt the angel told Moshe, Shmot 3:9 "Behold the cry of B'nai Yisrael has come to me." Soon after, the exodus from Egypt began.

We read about the final geula, redemption in Malachi 3:1 "Behold, I will send my messenger and he shall clear the way before me, and God who you seek shall suddenly come to his Heical (Temple)."

Let's hope and pray that the final redemption will soon be upon us.