God & the angels – Vayyechi
We all love the verse that says Hamalach hago’el oti mikkol ra yevarech et han’arim – “May the angel who saved me from all evil bless the lads” (Gen. 48:16).
However, the previous verse says, “The God before whom my fathers walked…, the God who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day…”. The beautiful reference to God as a shepherd is the inspiration for Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd”.
If we ask who it is from whom the blessing comes – God or an angel – Rashi notes that God often works through an angelic messenger.
Sforno adds that Jacob is asking God to send His angel to bless the lads on His behalf if He considers this the appropriate course of action in this case.
