Underrated Earth

Souls wait up in heaven for thousands of years, longing for their moment upon this earth to do another soul a favor.

Angels burn with jealousy each time a human being turns himself around and creates beauty in this world.

Heaven is nice, but on the best things, earth has exclusive rights.

By Tzvi Freeman

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.

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19 Comments

Silvana February 3, 2022

You know what angels don't have: The natural gift to feel together with someone, very close and in a tenderly way, to experience love within the universe. For that they are mostly jealous for. Reply

Richard Ft. Lauderdale February 10, 2018

Heaven is Nice But... This reading is somewhat different it seems from what we have learned and heard. I take it to mean that life on Earth should not be underrated because it gives humans and other life forms the chance to work to better negative conditions that exist and work together with a Supreme Being to perfect the Earth. Whereas in The Heavenly realm there is no chance to work toward perfection since it is already so. But then, why would Ángels be jealous of humans? How do Ángels come into being? Is it necessary for Jews to believe in a Heaven? Reply

Tzvi Freeman February 11, 2018

in response to Richard:

You're obviously thinking and on the right track.

Jewish literature speaks of heaven often, beginning with the very first sentence of Genesis. Like almost everybody before the age of materialism, Jews believe that there are beings and worlds that are not physical as we are.

But there is a repetitive theme in Jewish literature that all these higher worlds and the beings that populate them only exist so that the Creator could be known in this lowest of all worlds. That is what we are doing in this world: Making it a place that reflects its Creator.

And that is the truest closeness that any being could have with its Creator—the closeness of partnering with our Creator to bring His creation to its fulfillment.

So, yes, it is paradoxical, but the closest one can get to G-d is in the lowest of all worlds. That is why we are given the Torah, and not the angels. Reply

Jeff Shapiro Bala February 4, 2018

I follow this daily, and learn daily, and appreciate daily.
And, in the headline, and last sentence, I would have written the preposition “of”, Rather than “on”. Reply

GABRIEL London February 4, 2018

Upon what Jewish writings or Jewish knowledge do you base your statement that:

"Angels burn with jealousy"? Reply

Tzvi Freeman February 6, 2018

in response to GABRIEL:

This Daily Dose is based on two statements of the holy Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer. He said that the archangel Michael, the highest of all angels, would give away all his divine experience just for one tzitzit of a Jewish tallit.

It is also implicit in the whole idea of Torah as a covenant between us and G-d. Angels don't have such a covenant. They just do their job. But there is no real relationship. A covenant connects the essence of the two parties, in this case, the essence of G-d and the essence of us, His people.

With every mitzvah we do, those two essences meet.

Let the angels burn in jealousy. Reply

Anonymous Manhattan February 4, 2018

This needs major clarification .
It’s actually disturbing since it requires more “down to earth “ explanation Reply

Brenda Toronto, Canada February 4, 2018

in response to Anonymous:

Earth I- A Stepping Stone To Heaven Angels at forces governed by G_d. They have no free will to change their status as a servant.

Currently we are under the domination of Pharaoh. We are controlled by our egoistic force that separates us from others and programs us to benefit our self above others. This is our Earth mentality.

G_d has given us the ability to break free from our current earthly state.
We are at a point of recognising our flawed nature. The crises, chaos, conflict between nations, within nations and between people is driving us to despair.

When there are no more answers to continue with this nature, a new drive within us will motivate us to discover G_d. With the guidance of an authentic Kabbalist who has begun to step above our earthly state, we will learn how to become like G_d: We will learn how to live as an interconnected holy system in which His Light flows between us.

Together with G_d we will merit to participate in this system, while angels perform their programmed functions. Reply

Carla Beck February 4, 2018

in response to Anonymous:

A very disturbing comment. I'm finding the things I am reading and hearing thru Chabad.org are more and more in contradiction with the scriptures that hold great value to me. Reply

Gershon Mcgreevey Kansas June 24, 2014

Angels The Torah has many references to angels. In the Book of Daniel, they even have names. There is nothing un-Jewish about them. Just like He made plants, animals, and humans, He also made spiritual beings. Reply

jay abouaf jaffa June 19, 2014

I agree I agree Reply

valerie j becker akron June 18, 2014

underrated earth/jealous angels??? never ever heard anything like this before! well...i definitely do not underrate earth, never have - on the contrary, really like it here. surely would not want to cause an angel even the slightest angst. ...so, i'll just hang around here, and try to keep things as they are, no noticeable turnarounds. that way their long wait will be worthwhile. Reply

Anonymous m.m. June 18, 2014

Do the angels want to be human? or are they happy with their angel state? We are not suppose to be jealous of them but they want to have a human body experience? I have learned a little about angels form others.Angels have single attributes and angels are attracted to the smells of our fragrances.

I wonder how we might build understanding between humans and the angels.

Angels might not have understood the grief of a mother and father from the loss of a child and why we carry on in such suffering when a person of an older generation experiences a younger persons death.

.I imagine that the angels too might be transforming as we transform..and the angels may get their experiences form the creator too and transform? maybe the angels would comprehend our human grief if they lost a little angel. And what would that be like for a one attribute angel creations? and do angels pass? Reply

David Levant Emerson,NJ May 23, 2014

Do not do "favors." Give freely of yourself to all, and there will be no jealously. Do not be exclusive, be inclusive. Reply

Michelle Largo, USA February 3, 2011

Underrated Earth I'm not sure I am understanding what Rabbi is saying....I would like very much for some help with gaining more insight on this.....Thanks Reply

Boomer Durham, NC February 3, 2011

Thanks This was one of the most uplifting things I've read in a long time. Reply

Anonymous February 3, 2011

Underrated Earth Where do we find this information about the angels being jealous of souls?

How do we know about this issue? Have anybody being in Heavens and come back to tell?

Would G-d Almighty gossip about the issues going on in Heavens or any angel for that matter? Please acknowledge. Thanks Reply

Miss Judith L Witten Brockton, Ma/USA February 3, 2011

Dedicated to Chassidic Earth This is dedicated to a Chassid Rabbi who was nice enough to set the story straight for me recently about Chassid and Chassic Rabbis and where they stand. And I am so very lucky to have that response from him. I will not mention his name-He is a very fine Rabbi for being that honest with me.
This is a series of jokes about the good earth?-No! But I know other kinds of Jews do that.Prresupposing? Maybe....I'll go on if I may..The good earth is made up of things only in our environment such as trees and birds -well no it also has bad influences such as bombs that kill off the trees and the birs and deer and other animals of the forest etc. so how do we deal with that? By picking up a gun? No...Actually I believe we should be delegating and in discussion about it-see? Those other kinds of Jews aren't that bad. Reply

Silvana Origlia Vienna, Austria June 30, 2008

... and maybe ae are jealous of angels? Angels burn with jealousy... and human beeing too(!) - I am sorry for speakinf "badly" about ourselves, but it's a matter of psychologic "economy" that we don't even know about our burning jealousy because we usually create some brave ideologies around that all, to protect ourselves from feeling guilty and for helping to feel pride. Maybe that's ourselves to be jealous of angels?
Very truly yours, Reply

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