"Mishpatim — Part VII — Moshe’s Ascent & the Structure of Creation"

7.1 — Israel Under Direct Divine Rule

Why Israel is governed differently from the nations

Toward the end of Parshas Mishpatim, after the laws and covenantal declarations, the Torah turns its attention to the future journey of Israel. Hashem promises to lead the people into the Land, but He describes this guidance in a striking way:

שמות כ״ג:כ׳–כ״א
“הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ, לִשְׁמָרְךָ בַּדָּרֶךְ, וְלַהֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הֲכִנֹתִי.
הִשָּׁמֶר מִפָּנָיו, וּשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ; אַל־תַּמֵּר בּוֹ, כִּי לֹא יִשָּׂא לְפִשְׁעֲכֶם, כִּי שְׁמִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ.”

“Behold, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Be careful before him and heed his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not forgive your sins, for My Name is within him.”

This passage raises a profound theological question: how does Hashem govern the world? And how is Israel’s relationship to that governance different from that of other nations?

Abarbanel: two modes of Divine governance

Abarbanel explains that the Torah here is revealing a fundamental principle about the structure of the world. Hashem governs humanity in two different ways.

For most nations, Divine providence operates through intermediaries. Each nation is guided by a heavenly force or angelic representative (malech). Their fate is influenced by natural systems, celestial forces, and spiritual intermediaries that stand between them and the direct presence of Hashem.

Israel, however, is different.

Abarbanel teaches that the Jewish people are not meant to be governed by an intermediary. Their relationship is meant to be direct. Hashem Himself becomes their King, their Judge, and their Protector.

This is the meaning of the covenant. Israel is not simply another nation among nations. It is a people under direct Divine rule.

The angel as a temporary arrangement

In this passage, Hashem tells the people that an angel will lead them into the Land. Abarbanel explains that this was not the ideal arrangement. The ideal state for Israel is direct guidance from Hashem, without intermediaries.

The presence of the angel represents a concession to the people’s spiritual state. After the challenges and failures in the wilderness, Israel would not yet be ready for constant, direct Divine revelation. They would need a mediated form of guidance.

Yet the verse hints at something deeper: “כִּי שְׁמִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ” — “for My Name is within him.” Even the intermediary carries the Divine presence. Israel’s destiny remains bound directly to Hashem.

Covenant and providence

For Abarbanel, this difference in governance reflects the nature of the covenant itself.

Other nations relate to Hashem through the natural order:

• Their rise and fall follow historical and political forces.
• Their prosperity depends on material strength.
• Their fate is tied to worldly systems.

Israel’s covenant creates a different structure:

• Its history is shaped by spiritual faithfulness.
• Its success or failure depends on its relationship with Hashem.
• Its destiny is not determined by power alone, but by covenant.

This is why Israel’s history often appears unusual. Small in number, scattered among the nations, and subject to great challenges, it nevertheless survives and endures. Its existence is not explained by ordinary political logic. It is sustained by covenantal providence.

Responsibility under direct rule

Direct Divine governance carries both privilege and responsibility. A nation under such a covenant cannot live like other nations. Its moral and spiritual life has immediate consequences.

When Israel follows the covenant:

• It experiences protection and blessing.
• Its society reflects justice and holiness.
• Its land becomes a place of Divine presence.

When it abandons the covenant:

• Its protection weakens.
• Its society becomes unstable.
• Its exile becomes part of the covenantal process.

Abarbanel emphasizes that this is not punishment in the ordinary sense. It is the natural outcome of a covenantal relationship. A nation bound directly to Hashem lives by spiritual laws as much as physical ones.

A different vision of national destiny

Most nations define themselves through land, language, and political power. Israel’s identity is different. It is defined by its covenant.

Its destiny is not merely to survive as a people. It is to live under the direct rule of Hashem and to reflect that relationship in its national life.

This gives Israel a unique role in history:

• To model a society shaped by Divine law.
• To demonstrate that morality and spirituality can guide a nation.
• To show that history itself can be directed by covenant.

Application for Today — spiritual destiny over material definition

In the modern world, nations are often measured by wealth, power, and influence. The Torah offers a different measure for Israel: its relationship with Hashem.

To live as a covenantal people today means:

• Defining identity through Torah, not only through culture or nationality.
• Measuring success by spiritual integrity, not only by material achievement.
• Recognizing that Jewish destiny is shaped by covenantal faithfulness.
• Seeing challenges and blessings alike as part of a relationship with Hashem.

Israel’s uniqueness is not only a historical fact. It is a spiritual calling. A people under direct Divine rule must live with a sense of mission, responsibility, and covenantal purpose.

📖 Sources

• Full sources available on the Mitzvah Minute Parshas Mishpatim page under insights and commentaries.