There are other angelic beings who inhabit our earth. They are the teachers, the sages, the masters, the gurus, the rebbes, who open our hearts and open our eyes. They are the spiritual guides in human form who bring God's word into this world. They are the earth-beings who inspire us to seek and climb the heights of our human potential, to strive toward earthly perfection.
Our greatest teachers are human beings who both think and feel, who combine the world of the mind with the world of the heart and spirit.
Our greatest teachers are human beings who are able to go beyond their own egos, who let go of self. In this way, they become pure channels of God. In this way they can "crawl inside" their disciples to teach from out of the disciples' needs instead of their own.
The Talmud instructs, "Get yourself a teacher" (Avot 1:6).
— Wayne Dosick, Soul Judaism