People Fell from Heaven?

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

When the spies returned from exploring Israel, they frightened the nation by saying, “We saw the Nephilim (giants) there—the Anakites are part of the Nephilim—and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so too were we (small) in their eyes” (Num. 13:33).

Rashi comments: “Anakim who were descendants of Shemchazai and Azael who fell from heaven in the generation of Enosh” (Ibid.).

However, “falling from heaven” doesn’t mean those humans originated as angels in heaven and fell to Earth. It means that certain humans were cast down “by heaven” from their status, i.e., God lowered their status (Rashi Num.  34:2).