The Talmud mentions it, the Zohar expands upon it, and all the Kabbalists scramble to explain it: What in heaven's name are all these angels doing messing around with my prayers?
I set out to speak person-to-person, so to speak, straight out of my heart to my G‑d, who I understand takes a personal interest in whatever's bothering me. Next thing I know, according to the Talmud and Zohar, these angels have grabbed hold of every word I've said, putting them through an entire factory-line process of polishing, shining, re-engineering and reordering into fancy little tiaras before they can get to their source. They "hug, kiss and shine" the letters, the Zohar says. I say, who needs it? Just let me talk with my G‑d and get out of the way!
Well, it would be that simple if all prayer was about was dialogue. But when you want results, well, you need something that can impact the world around you. Words can do just that. The world, you see, was originally made out of words—as in "And G‑d said, 'Let there be light!' and there was light."
So now, I want my prayers to have an impact, right? I want the sick to be healed, Israel to be safe, world currencies rearranged, Miri to get to sleep, KabbalaLabs Junior League to win—all the good stuff. I provide the words, G‑d provides the approval and the energy, and things happen. Simple.
Problem: My words are not G‑d's words. They don't create a thing. Solution: Angels. They work hard transforming those words, step by step, until they become just like those powerful articulations of creative-energy packets with which the Creator originally brought this whole cosmos into being. Together, my words, the angel-processing, and the Creator's creative energy merge to redirect life on this planet.
Consumer distribution? Look in your standard Jewish prayer book.
By Tzvi Freeman 
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