Angel Hahahel (No. 41): regency, psalm, symbolism and reading

Who is Hahahel, angel no. 41?

Hahahel is the forty-first angel on the list and the first of the choir of the Virtues. His name, which repeats the letter He three times, is one of the easiest to spot in the table. Tradition makes him the angel of vocation, of sincere faith and of truthful speech.

In French editions, he is the symbolic patron of those who follow a religious or missionary calling, but also of all who seek to remain faithful to their convictions.

Hahahel bears the number 41 in the list of the 72 angels of the Shem HaMephorash, which Kabbalistic tradition draws from three verses of Exodus (14:19 to 21). Everything that follows is presented according to the Kabbalistic and esoteric tradition. For the origin of the system, read our introduction to the 72 angels.

Traditional benchmarks

Dates follow the most common calendar (angel no. 1 reigns from 21 to 25 March, then five days per angel over 365 days); sources sometimes shift by a few days, and leap years are handled differently: see how the guardian angel is calculated. According to many authors, the hour is counted in local solar time.

The verse and the name

The verse retained is a prayer against lying: “Lord, deliver my soul from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.” It opens Psalm 120, which begins the series of the “Songs of Ascents”, sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem.

The contrast is telling: the pilgrim setting out towards a place of truth first asks to be protected from false speech. Tradition has drawn from this a theme of honesty, sincerity and fidelity to what one believes.

The name is formed, according to tradition, from the Hebrew letter triplet ההה (He, He, He) followed by the ending Aleph and Lamed (El, “God”). The spelling is fairly stable from one edition to another, but the transliteration of Hebrew may vary. Psalm 120 is Psalm 119 in the Vulgate; it is the first of the “Songs of Ascents” (Psalms 120 to 134). The verse lists also differ slightly from one author to another.

What tradition associates with Hahahel

Among Hahahel's attributions:

• Vocation: the sense of being called to a mission, religious or otherwise.
• Sincere faith and constancy in one's convictions.
• Truthful speech: refusing flattery, lies and slander.
• Discernment in the face of hypocrisy, in more recent lists.

These themes belong to interpretation. No angel keeps liars at bay: vigilance remains a human matter.

A reading for today

The word “vocation” today refers as much to a religious calling as to a job chosen wholeheartedly: teacher, carer, craftsperson. The theme of Hahahel invites us to ask what, in our life, comes from a calling rather than from habit.

As for truthful speech, it is an everyday practice: saying what one thinks without brutality, keeping one's word, avoiding gossip.

Its period of the year and its sign

Hahahel's period, 7 to 11 October, falls in autumn (northern hemisphere, within the framework of the original calendar). It roughly covers the sign of Libra. In the table of the 36 decans, each ten-day span receives two angels: Hahahel shares his with Mikael (no. 42).

In the choir of the Virtues

In the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius (around 500), the Virtues belong to the second triad; the word comes from the Greek dynameis, “forces”. Tradition sees in them the angels of the strength of the soul and of the “signs”. In the list of 72, this choir comprises angels 41 to 48, and follows that of the Powers (33 to 40), whereas Dionysius reverses the two.

Hahahel is the first angel of the Virtues. In the symbolism of this choir, which evokes force in action and the capacity to act, he opens the series with the truth of speech and of commitment.

To place Hahahel in the sequence of angels, here are his immediate neighbours: Yeiazel (no. 40) before him and Mikael (no. 42) after him. The choir is presented in detail on the page Choir of the Virtues.

A gentle practice with Hahahel

An exercise on vocation, lasting ten minutes:

1. Note three activities in which you lost track of time because they fascinated you.
2. Look for what they say about what matters to you.
3. Read verse 2 of Psalm 120; ask yourself whether your words are aligned with these values.
4. Choose one gesture to move in that direction this week.

This exercise needs no equipment and carries no particular religious connotation.

What to keep in mind

Take this sheet as an honest account of a tradition, with its sources and its disagreements: no diagnosis, no horoscope, no prediction. If an idea speaks to you, so much the better; if not, the tradition itself asks nothing of you.

The Catholic Church does not recognise this system: it retains only the three archangels named in Scripture, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Believers of all faiths nevertheless find in the psalms a text for prayer.

See also the guide to the 72 angels and the guide to the archangels.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to the 72 guardian angels.