Man’s purpose in this world is to act as Hashem’s emissary. If Moshe could do it, every person can do likewise. The obligation to function as His emissary is implicit in the birth of man, as noted in the previously cited passage from Masechet Nidah. Man accepts this responsibility by taking a vow and an oath, as it says Ki li tichra kol berech tishava kol lashon. Coupling of an oath with shlichus appears in Tanach regarding complex and complicated missions with significant possibility of failure. Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, took an oath to fulfill his mission to find a wife for Isaac in Charan. Jacob had Joseph swear to bury him in Me’aras Ha’machpelah. Jacob knew Joseph would face difficulty in fulfilling his promise, hence the need to reinforce it and prevent Joseph from retreating from his obligation.
When man sins, he transgresses in two respects: blemishing his soul and desecrating the shlichus – moel b’shlichus – entrusted through tzelem Elokim. The Midrash cited above supports this concept beautifully: And you should know that Hashem is holy and His emissaries are holy, and the soul that Hashem gave you is holy. You are up to the task of being the emissary of Hashem, if you choose to. However, the choice is yours.
Judaism says man exists while he has a mission to perform, and does not desecrate his shlichus. The Mishaleach, Hashem, can cancel the shlichus at His discretion. This is the meaning of Ki li tichra kol berech, the vow taken prior to exiting the womb, referring to the ultimate death of the individual. This concept is echoed in the verse (Job 15:5-6) that man’s existence is likened to that of a hired worker. Once his task is completed, he is dismissed.
Judaism extends shlichus further. A person does not live in a specified time and place by coincidence. Hashem provides man the optimal circumstances to fulfill his shlichus. Questions like why we were placed in this specific time period instead of a previous or future generation can only be answered through the perspective of shlichus. Hashgacha places man in the most appropriate period to fulfill his mission (Doctrine of Assignment), and provides the abilities to fulfill that mission, because an unattainable mission, shlichus sh’ey efshar l’kaymo, is invalid, similar to an unattainable stipulation.
An extension on an idea from Rav Kook, zt”l, on Elokay, ad shelo notzarti (Amidah on Yom Kippur, Berachos 17a): My God, You did not create me in a previous or subsequent generation because You knew that I was not worthy to be sent out as Your emissary. My effectiveness as emissary in my assigned generation is similar to how ineffective I would have been in a different generation.
Shlichus applies to man and angel alike. They differ in that man has free will to fulfill his mission, while angels must comply with Hashem’s will. The angels who visited Abraham were called anashim, people, but are called malachim, angels, when they visited Lot. The Midrash (quoted by Rashi) explains that relative to Abraham who was visited frequently by angels, they appeared as people. To Lot, who willingly abandoned Abraham’s tzelem Elokim for the depravity of Sodom, they appeared as incongruous beings, angels. Abraham, who spread Hashem’s name through acts of kindness, was the most exemplary malach, a man performing Hashem’s will. Abraham looked in the mirror and saw an angel. Angels in Abraham’s house were as unremarkable as bringing straw to Ophrayim, or magic to Egypt.
The people of Sodom recognized, but rejected Hashem. Sodom obliterated the entire concept of shlichus. The arrival of these angels was sensational. Everyone asked: have you heard that two strangers arrived who reject our depraved lifestyle and instead follow Hashem’s will? They were viewed as angels in comparison to the demented population of Sodom. Lot, who rejected Abraham’s values, saw them in the same sensational way as the rest of Sodom, as angels sent to rescue him.