וְהֵ֣יךְ יוּכַ֗ל עֶ֤בֶד אֲדֹנִי֙ זֶ֔ה לְדַבֵּ֖ר עִם־אֲדֹ֣נִי זֶ֑ה וַאֲנִ֤י מֵעַ֙תָּה֙ לֹֽא־יַעֲמָד־בִּ֣י כֹ֔חַ וּנְשָׁמָ֖ה לֹ֥א נִשְׁאֲרָה־בִֽי׃
Bagaimana mungkin hamba tuanku ini dapat berbicara dengan tuanku ini? Sebab aku, mulai sekarang pun tidak ada lagi kekuatan yang bertahan padaku, dan tidak ada lagi napas yang tersisa dalam diriku.
Derashot HaRan
And this resolves a great problem — Joshua's bowing down to an angel, viz. (Joshua 5:14): "And he [the angel] answered: 'No, but I am captain of the host of the L-rd. I have come now.' And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and he bowed down to him…" This is, indeed, great cause for wonder. How was this permitted to Joshua when it is written (Exodus 20:4): "…that are in the heavens above […do not bow down to them"], concerning which our sages of blessed memory say (Mechilta, Yithro 6): "This includes the ministering angels." And there is no question that just as it is forbidden to sacrifice and to bring offerings to any but the L-rd Himself, so is bowing down similarly forbidden, as stated by our sages of blessed memory (Sanhedrin 60b): "…both he who sacrifices, he who offers incense, he who pours a libation, and he who bows down…" And I find no reference to anyone bowing down to an angel except Balaam (who was not one of us), of whom it is written (Numbers 22:31): "…and he bowed down and prostrated himself." But Jacob saw an angel and did not bow down to him, and David conducted himself likewise (viz. I Chronicles 21). And so we find with Daniel. He saw an angel and accorded him great honor, saying (Daniel 10:17): "How can the servant of my lord speak with this [i.e., you,], my lord?" — but he did not bow down to him, this not being permitted. How, then, was Joshua permitted to bow down to the angel that appeared to him?