The Ishim ( Heb. אִישִׁים, ''ʾĪšīm;'' lit. ''Men'' by an unusual plural via Prov. 8:4, cf. אנשים) are the lowest tier of

angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...

in the

cosmology Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in Latin by German philosopher ...

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Tora ...

. "These", writes Maimonides, "are the angels which speak with the

prophets In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...

and appear to them in visions. They are called Men because their tier is almost within reach of the human mind". The Ishim later appear in the Zohar, which copied this term from Maimonides.

Samuel ibn Tibbon Samuel ben Judah ibn Tibbon ( 1150 – c. 1230), more commonly known as Samuel ibn Tibbon ( he, שמואל בן יהודה אבן תבון, ar, ابن تبّون), was a Jewish philosopher and doctor who lived and worked in Provence, later par ...

speculated that the term "ishim" has a lost Talmudic origin. Reuven Rappaport suggested

Midrash Proverbs Midrash Proverbs (Hebrew: מדרש משלי, Midrash Mishlei) is the aggadic midrash to the Book of Proverbs. Names It is first mentioned under the title "Midrash Mishlei" by R. Hananeel b. Ḥushiel. Nathan of Rome called it "Aggadat Mishlei". ...

to 8:4, which contrasts two terms for men, ''ishim'' and ''bene adam'', understanding ''ishim'' as more complementary, and writes "O men 'ishim''I call to you -- If you are good and follow the Law, you are called men 'ishim''like the attending angels." This reflects several Biblical references to angels in human guise (according to Rabbinic tradition) always as ''ish'' or ''anashim'' and never as ''bene adam'': Dan. 9:21, "And while I was praying the man 'ish''Gabriel . . .", Gen. 18:2ff., "And he raised his eyes and saw three men 'anashim''standing . . .", Gen. 32:25, "And the man 'ish''wrestled with him until dawn came", and Gen. 37:15, "And a man 'ish''found him wandering in the field . . ."RSHI ad loc.

References

Angels in Islam Angels in Judaism Classes of angels {{Kabbalah-stub