שופטים, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ׳

A moment of profound connection between the physical and spiritual worlds occurs as a divine messenger completes his earthly task. He departs from the world in a supernatural display, rising upward toward the sky [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד]. This departure is entirely miraculous. The fire burning on the altar is not an ordinary, earthly flame lit by human hands. Instead, it is a divine fire that descends from heaven to the altar and then travels back up. The messenger attaches himself to this heavenly flame, ascending with it [אלשיך]. This awe-inspiring exit echoes an earlier event with Gideon, where a heavenly fire consumed an offering right before an angel vanished.

The messenger intentionally hides his true identity until this fiery departure. During an era when the word of God is rare, a powerful, undeniable sign is necessary to cement the couple's faith in the prophecy they have just received [רלב״ג]. As the flame rises, Manoah and his wife watch the messenger ascend within it [מצודת דוד]. Witnessing this event carries deep spiritual weight. Seeing an angel at the exact moment he sheds his physical disguise and returns to his pure, abstract spiritual state is a far greater achievement than simply looking at him in human form. This rare vision, much like the requirement Elijah later places on Elisha to witness his departure in a storm, explains the intense fear Manoah feels afterward, terrified that they might die after experiencing such a divine sight [מלבי״ם].

Furthermore, the act of watching marks a distinct shift in the scene. Just moments before, the angel, Manoah, and his wife all stood together observing the miracle on the altar. Once the messenger ascends into the sky, the couple is left standing alone. It is only in this final moment of departure that Manoah's lingering doubts are completely resolved. He finally understands with absolute certainty that this is an angel of God, a truth his wife had recognized from the very beginning of their encounter [אלשיך].