Sar ha-Panim

Contributed by Rabbi Geoffrey W. Dennis

Angel or Prince of the [Divine] Countenance. Sar ha-Panim is an angel, or angels, that serve as a visible manifestation of God. Metatron is the angelic figure most associated with the Panim title. Other angels, such as Ozhiya, Sariel and Tzakadhazy are also called by the title ha-Panim, leading to some confusion. Are all these angels actually different names for Metatron, as one tradition suggests, or are the ha-Panim really a whole class of angels, of which Metatron is only the most famous?

Article copyright © 2004 Geoffrey Dennis.