467. He opened the discussion saying, "The angel who redeemed me from all evil" (Beresheet 48:16). We have studied it already, yet it is written, "Behold, I send an angel before you..." (Shemot 23:20). This is the angel who redeems the world, CALLED THE REDEEMING ANGEL, who protects people, AS IT SAYS "TO KEEP YOU IN THE WAY" (IBID.). It secures blessings for the whole world, first receiving them, and then providing them to the world; NAMELY THE ANGEL METATRON. It is therefore written, "Behold, I send an angel before you" and "and I will send an angel before you" (Shemot 33:2).

468. This angel is now male, now female. When procuring blessings for the world he is male and called male. As a male, he orders blessings for the female. And when there is judgment in the world, she is called female, and as a pregnant female, she is filled with judgments, and is then called a female. Therefore, now he is male, and now she is female. All this is one mystery.

469. It is likewise written, "And the bright blade of a revolving sword" (Beresheet 3:24); NAMELY there are angel messengers in the world which revolve and turn into several shapes, sometimes female and sometimes male, now Judgment and now Mercy, and all is the same matter. In the same manner, this angel has many shapes, and all the colors, WHITE, RED AND GREEN, of the world, THE NUKVA, are in this place. This is the mystery of: "As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Hashem" (Yechezkel 1:28). THE APPEARANCE OF THE BOW, THE NUKVA, CONTAINS THE THREE COLORS. Since THE ANGEL has the three colors, he leads the world.