Musar su Daniele 9:21

The מגדל עז, "tower of strength," which the Zohar had described as referring to the ark, refers to the three separate levels of accommodation in the ark. It symbolises the three domains of עולם העשיה, the lower level; the עולם היצירה, the middle level; and lastly the עולם הבריאה, the highest level of the emanations. The lowest level contained a lot of garbage, comparable to our world. The middle level which contained the animals may be understood to symbolize a world in which creatures can fly, similar to the Zohar's understanding of the commandment in Genesis 1,20: "let the waters swarm with living creatures and birds that fly over the earth, over the expanse of the heavens..”

The Zohar sees in this a reference to the angels who fly and whose residence is in the עולם היצירה. The word ועוף in that verse is understood as specifically referring to the archangel Michael, of whom we are told in Isaiah 6,6: "Then one of the Seraphim flew over to me with a live coal." The second time that word occurs, i.e. יעופף, refers to the archangel Gabriel of whom we are told in Daniel 9,21: והאיש גבריאל … מעף ביעף, "and the man Gabriel was lifted in flight, etc."

We perceive Eliezer setting out on his mission with Mattaron hovering over him, invisibly. Whenever the Torah employs the word עבד in this narrative, the reference is to Eliezer the earthly עבד. Whenever the Torah mentions the word האיש in the narrative, the reference is to the עבד עברי של מעלה, to Mattatron. We have other examples when such an angel is referred to by the Torah as איש, and our sages have defined such an איש as מלאך, an angel. One such example is Genesis 37,15. Rashi, quoting Midrash Tanchuma, says that this was the angel Gabriel. In 24,17, we find “וירץ העבד לקראתה, followed in verse 21 by והאיש משתאה לה.” Onkelos translates this latter verse as meaning that Eliezer remained standing looking on silently. He was reflecting on whether the Heavenly input indicated that his mission was succesful or not. The word לדעת, to know, in verse 21 is a veiled reference to the tree of knowledge.