Divrei Yisroel - 23:20
“הנה אנכי שולח מלאך לפניך לשמרך בדרך, ולהביאך אל המקום אשר הכנותי” – “Behold! I send an angel before you to protect you on the way, and to bring you to the other place that I have prepared.” Rashi says that here Klal Yisroel were informed that they were destined to sin with the Eigel, and that the Shechinah would say to them, “כי לא אעלה בקרבך” – “For I will not ascend in your midst.” Why did Klal Yisroel need to know now about the Tzarah that would happen in the future – why tell Klal Yisroel the bad news now that the Shechinah would leave them in the future? The Targum Onkelos says that really what Hakodosh Boruch Hu was saying, was that despite the fact that Klal Yisroel would sin with the Eigel, nonetheless, Hakodosh Boruch Hu would not remove His Shechinah from amongst them, as the Posuk in Vayikra 16:16 says, “השוכן אתם בתוך טומאותם” – that even in Tumah, the Shechinah remains. In fact, this was good news that Klal Yisroel were being told here. They were being told that even when they Chas V’sholom sin, and turn away from Hakodosh Boruch Hu, He is always with them due to His great love for them.
Now we can understand why Moshe Rabbeinu did not contest what Hakodosh Boruch Hu said that He would send a Malach to escort Klal Yisroel. Moshe Rabbeinu wanted Klal Yisroel to always have a direct connection to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Having a direct connection does not mean that Hakodosh Boruch Hu cannot send Malachim to escort them. The Torah says, “אנכי” – there was a direct involvement – Hakodosh Boruch Hu was directly involved. Later on, Moshe pleaded with Hakodosh Boruch Hu not to send a Malach, for there Moshe saw it as a punishment, that Klal Yisroel would not “see” Hakodosh Boruch Hu within them. However here, Klal Yisroel were on an elevated level of Ruchniyos, and they saw Hakodosh Boruch Hu. When they clearly see Hakodosh Boruch Hu, then it is fine to have Malachim as well, and it should not seem that the Malachim are Chas V’sholom replacing the Ribbono Shel Olam. May we be Zoche to always see, even at times when it is difficult to see, that Hakodosh Boruch Hu is always with us.
