by Moshe Kerr

Created on: June 16, 2008

Are Angels real?

The Prophetical writings found in the Tanach prior to the Babylonian exile do not refer to Angels with specific names. The Holy writings included in the Tanach after this first exile/galut, do make reference to Angels by specific Names. Among my people, some scholars hold this indicates that giving Names unto Angels qualifies as a foreign import. The Torah employs the language of "angels" referring to the time when Yaacov sent messengers unto Esau his brother after separating from Lavan, his father in law. Rashi, the great commentator of the Torah, his simple explanation teaches that the Angels that Yaacov sent to his brothers were real angels. The Torah narrative continues and tells how Yaacov wrestled with an angel, prior to meeting his brother. The Talmud teaches that this angel was the angel of his brother Esau. What qualifies as the intent of this interpretation?

Clearly Angels imply something spiritual, but can spiritual beings also physically exist? The resurrection of the dead, the same question applies unto this great concept of faith. Obviously a person can not employ empirical methods in order to resolve spiritual perceptions of reality.
The question, do Angels exist, the question lacks clarity. Spirituality orbits around feelings. Do feelings physically exist? The rational mind has great difficulty in understanding feelings. It's something comparable to attempting to describe colors unto a person born blind!
It's a dispute between the brain stem and the neo-cortex. Normal children at birth, their health depends upon developed emotions. The neo-cortex requires years before attaining development. In a family, it's the older brother who's the boss among his siblings. The emotional intelligence orders the neo-cortex: justify my feelings!
The struggle of Yaacov and Esau teaches about coming to terms with powerful emotions. When the Torah states that Yaacov wrestled with an Angel and the Gemarah interprets this as meaning Yaacov wrestled with the Angel of Esau, by the way I learn this means that Yaacov struggled with the tumah emotions of Esau.
Tohor and tumah concepts without question qualify as if not the most difficult concepts of the Talmud, they for sure list in the 3 top visions discussed in the Talmud that require the help of heaven in order to understand. By the way I learn, tohor and tumah middot qualify as "spirits". These spirits the soul of man transports them. The bnai brit soul, that's a huge subject that this paper shall

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