The Angels’ Forces: From The Guide for the Perplexed by Maimonides (vegetarian), Part 1 of 2

Maimonides, also known as HaRambam, or Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, was a notable medieval Jewish philosopher, astronomer, physician, and intellectual figure. Famous works by Maimonides include “Mishneh Torah,” a commentary on the Talmud, and “The Guide for the Perplexed,” philosophical discussions regarding theological matters.

We will now read a selection from Part 2, Chapter 6, in Rabbi Moses ben Maimon’s book “The Guide for the Perplexed.” The Rabbi elaborates on the missions of the angels and their forces, by using quotes from other religious texts, thereby expanding our views on the definition of an angel and the way they manifest themselves.

“As for the existence of angels, there is no necessity to cite any proof from Scripture, where the fact is frequently mentioned. The term elohim signifies ‘judges’; ‘The cause of both parties shall come before the “judges”.’” “It has been figuratively applied to angels, and to the Creator as being Judge over the angels. When God says, ‘I am the Lord your God,’ the pronoun ‘your’ refers to all mankind; but in the phrase elohe ha-elohim, He is described as the God of the angels, and in adone ha-adonim, as the Lord of the spheres and the stars, which are the masters of the rest of the corporeal creation.”

“In Bereshit Rabba it is also stated, that wherever the term ‘and the Lord’ occurred in Scripture, the Lord with His court is to be understood. These passages do not convey the idea that God spoke, thought, reflected, or that He consulted and employed the opinion of other beings, as ignorant persons have believed. How could the Creator be assisted by those whom He created! They only show that all parts of the Universe, even the limbs of animals in their actual form, are produced through angels; for natural forces and angels are identical. How bad and injurious is the blindness of ignorance!”