Comfort
Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda says: Two ministering angels accompany a person on Shabbat evening from the synagogue to his home, one good angel and one evil angel. And when he reaches his home and finds a lamp burning and a table set and his bed made, the good angel says: May it be Your will that it shall be like this for another Shabbat. And the evil angel answers against his will: Amen. And if the person’s home is not prepared for Shabbat in that manner, the evil angel says: May it be Your will that it shall be so for another Shabbat, and the good angel answers against his will: Amen.
Shabtai (left) and Uri (right) are two angels assigned the task of accompanying one home from synagogue, permanently cemented in their roles of ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Uri never imagined being the negatively-framed counterpart, let alone to an angel he admired for centuries. Shabtai had been unpartnered for a millennium and struggles with his conflict of joy for the role he yearned to have for so long while witnessing his opposing partner in ceaseless distress. After every amen passes his partner’s lips, Uri is visibly overcome with grief for his role in Shabtai’s submission. What Uri takes as looks of disappointment are in reality sadness for the guilt Shabtai knows Uri will experience. Shabtai grows to hope his partner must always submit to him not only for the sake of those they follow, but to shield the gentle angel from his pain. Shabtai comes to see Uri as not just his counterpart, but as his close friend. In time he finds himself softly assuring Uri despite his struggle with words. In time he finds himself thinking of Uri’s pearly tears slowly trailing down his delicate neck. It becomes commonplace for him to hold the weeping angel close regardless of outcome, from relief or to comfort. With much thought Shabtai finds his words to comfort Uri- struggling to tell him he is not ‘evil’, he is his balance. He is the other half of the scale, equally necessary to define one another’s purpose. The only issue is that with clarifying his thoughts to Uri.. He makes the realization he’s fallen horribly in love and his counterpart is completely oblivious. Now Shabtai needs to figure out how he can confess in a way Uri will understand.