Kabbalah Library

423) Rabbi Yosi said, “This mountain is terrible, let us go and not stay here because this mountain is terrible.” Rabbi Yehuda said, “We learned that one who walks alone risks his soul, but three do not. And each of the three is worthy of protection that the Shechina will not depart from him.”

424) One should not rely on a miracle. How do we know this? From Samuel, as it is written, “How can I go? When Saul hears, he will kill me.” Was Samuel more worthy of a miracle than three? Samuel was alone, so if Saul heard, he would certainly kill him. But for three, the harm is not certain because harm-doers, demons, do not appear before three and do not harm.

425) It is written, “The angel that redeems me from all evil.” Should it not have said, “That redeemed?” It is “That redeems” because it is always with man and never parts from a man who is righteous.

The redeeming angel is the Shechina, who always walks with man and never parts from him as long as one keeps the Mitzvot of the Torah. Hence, one should be careful not to go out on the road by himself. What does it mean, “By himself”? One should be careful to keep the Mitzvot of the Torah so that the Shechina will not part from him and he will be forced to walk alone, without a coupling with the Shechina.

426) When a man goes out to the road, he should set up his prayer before his Master, to draw the light of the Shechina on himself, and then set out. It turns out that the coupling of the Shechina is to redeem him on the way and to save him however is needed.

427) It is written about Jacob, “If God is with me.” This is the coupling of the Shechina. “And keeps me on this way” is to redeem him from all evil. At that time, Jacob was alone, and the Shechina was walking before him. It is all the more so with the friends, who have words of Torah among them.