There are a few more points to be made about the angels\u2019 makeup and their role in God\u2019s governance, though, before we can go on to Ramchal\u2019s remarks about them.<\/p>\n
They haven\u2019t physical bodies [1]; they often function as God\u2019s \u201centourage\u201d (Shir HaShirim Rabbah<\/em> 8:11) aside from being His agents and consultants; there are \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad” ones (Shabbat 119b); and despite their functions they\u2019re still and all subordinate to man (Sifre<\/em>, Ha\u2019azinu<\/em> 306).<\/p>\n Now Ramchal\u2019s view of them.<\/p>\n ——————————<\/p>\n Note:<\/p>\n [1]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rambam depicts them as \u201chaving no body\u201d but as still being \u201cforms that are distinct from each other\u201d despite the fact that they haven\u2019t bodies, which would ordinarily distinguish them from each other (Yesodei<\/em> HaTorah<\/em> 2:3). It\u2019s clear that one of the reasons why he made that point was to differentiate angels in their natural state from how they appear in Tanach<\/em> in human form (Ibid<\/em>. 2:4). Cordovero remarks, though, that they\u2019re spiritual entities indeed, but they\u2019re also comprised of \u201csubtle, spiritual material (substance)\u201d, which is to say that they\u2019re physical \u201cwhile in the physical realm, but spiritual in the spiritual realm\u201d (Shiur<\/em> Koma<\/em> 16).<\/p>\n (c) 2010 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman<\/p>\n Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org<\/a><\/p>\n ———————————————————-<\/p>\n AT LONG LAST! Rabbi Feldman’s translation of Maimonides’ “Eight Chapters” is available here<\/a> at a discount.<\/p>\n You can still purchase a copy of Rabbi Feldman’s translation of “The Gates of Repentance” here<\/a> at a discount as well.<\/p>\n Rabbi Yaakov Feldman has also translated and commented upon “The Path of the Just” and “The Duties of the Heart” (Jason Aronson Publishers).<\/p>\n Rabbi Feldman also offers two free e-mail classes on www.torah.org entitled “Spiritual Excellence<\/a>\u201d and \u201cRamchal<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are a few more points to be made about the angels\u2019 makeup and their role in God\u2019s governance, though, before we can go on to Ramchal\u2019s remarks about them. They haven\u2019t physical bodies [1]; they often function as God\u2019s … Continue reading