The Riders of the Chariot and Those Who Enter the Heavenly Halls Introduction thas been noted in dhe previous chapter that thote were cls fof mystics engaged in ascent of the soul in order wo gaze at the imerkarah andthe heavenly halls, the bibhal. Ir has been noted that Hai Gaon refers to those ciecles which existed in his dy, and Yet the lnerature concerning thee ascents dares back tothe period ‘of the apocalypicits—visonares ving atthe begining of the Present Era, who, by gating into the fiture sought describe the events that would tanspite atthe ead of ume. At approx imately the same time there arose the movement ree known fmong Christians as the Gnostic (°Knowledge") movement The Gnostic tended took! dualistic theorks regarding creation anid claimed tbe in posenion of exoteric wisdom, expecially ‘nthe aibjctof God' snare and Hisrelaonship tothe univers Scholem observes thatthe period in which thewe Gnostic speci lations and ascents took place extcaded over alow a thowand year, fom the Bt century 8c. t0 the rem century ce. The {erm generally usd for the” charie gazes yore a-merkorah, Inerally “those who go dawn isthe charge” of “riders of the chariot" The Heithalt hteratare has boon psserved in warons tidrushic collections, The text quoted in this chapter is, as- ord to Scholem, probably the eathest example of merkavah Iterature, This text found in the Cairo Gentzah, dates from the fourth, or, at ee latest theft, century Ce leis in the form of rrah tthe fre yor ofthe book of Exckich and in this r= semble rabbinic midahin, but contains, to, important hints ofthe actual techniques of mystical contemplation in the period Fragments ofthis text were published by A. Marmorsein i Jews Quarry Reviaw (New Sere), 8917-18), 367-78 and bby J Mat in Hon Zofh le-Hokbmat Yarach, 5, 256-4, fall sinc edition with notes has recently been published by 1 Gruenwald, under the tile, “Rejyot Yoheshiel,” im Temi, Text ‘The Vison of Ezekiel [Now it came te pass the thick year: What the sigaitiance ofthese? Those thrry years correspond tothe thirty Kings who aos in sal. For thus did they ihe people) say to Ezekiel; Our fathers were ste for forty years in the wildermess, “foe every day a year” and we, too, have been smitten for the number of veurs corresponding to the number of kings who have area among us Tn he fourth month, the ih day ofthe month: Whi did zit sce his vision of the Power m the roms of Tamia? fs thn noe 2 month of evil omen fr Issel, since the age teach inthe Mish- hah that on the seventceath day of Tammuz the tablet of stone wets broken? But Raby Lee said: le sto tll you of dhe power tnd praie of the Holy One, blened be He, that in the month fof Tammuz, the very mont ap which they were smu, there extended 10 them the merc of the Holy One, blessed be He (OF Hosea tis writen: "The word ofthe Lord tha ame unto Hosea and so you might ak, why docs Eackiel have to say: end 1 ance among the captive? Rabba Judah Ha-Nasi sid: Exchil boegan to complain to the Holy One, Blosed be He, saying: Sovercign of the univers! Am I not 4 priest and » prophet? Why did fish prophesy in Jcuslem yee I have to. prophesy among the captives? Why did Horse prophesy in Jerusalem yet Thave to prophey among the capaves? OF Iai is writen: The vision of fuiah-” Ist is because their prophecies brought ‘rood tidings and mine vi, ii not so, but ine ate good and their were evil, A parable was told. To what can this be com 2”28 jews soca resents pred? Toa king of ted and blood with many servant to sehom he allotted tasks to perform, He made the cleverest among them a shepherd, whereupon that clever man protested: My colleague st in an inhabited place, why souk T have to bes the wildenen? So, too, Ezekiel protested: All my colleagues ‘wore in Jerusalem, why should {have ro be among the captives? [No sooner did Ezckiel speak chs than the Holy One, blewed be He, opened sven compartments down belose. Exckicl gazed into thew inorder tose all tha eon high. These ate the s- ‘en compartments down below: Adamsh (° (Barth); Held World”): Nehsiyyah (°Forgstalnen”) Die ‘nah Silence”); She'ol ("Pe"): and Tih Vaven(*Miry Clay”) Where # Adamah mentioned? In the verse: "The ground did 131 cleave.” Where is Erez mentioned? I the verte: ""And the ‘tes earth opened her mouth” Where it Hiled mentioned? In the 2 vere: “Give eat, al ye inhabitams of the wot.” Where is 1) Neshiypah mentioned? hs the verse: “And Thy righteousnes i the land of forgetfulness.” Where i Duniah mentioned? Inthe ‘bs nssir vere: "Neither any that go down into silence.” Where it Sic’! 1:31 mentioned? In the verse: "So they, and all hat appereined £0 them, went down alive into the pt” Where i Ti hi-¥ ave 40:1 mentioned? Inthe verse: "He brovght me up also out of the tusmultows pit. and oat of the miry clay” ‘Rabb auc sad: The Holy One, blewed be He, showed Ezckil ‘where the primordial waters are situated inthe Great Sea and in Job 906i eraces, a8 i said: “Hawt chow entered into the springy of the sea?" He showed him a mountain beneath the sea fom whence the sacred vesels ofthe Temple wil be restored in the fatore ‘As Ezchiel gazed, the Holy One, besed be He, opened to ims the seven heavensand he sw the Power. parable wa tld. To ‘what ean this be compared? To a man who visited his barber ‘Alter the barber had cutis hae he gave him 3 uror is wich to look Ashe was looking into the mirror the king passe by and he sw the king and his armies posing by the door (feces ‘n dhe miror) The barber sald to itn: Look behind you and you will ye the king. The man replied Ihave already seen. Thus Eckel stood beside the river Chebar gazing into the water and the seven heavens were opened toi 50 that he sw the Glory (ofthe Holy On, blessed be He, the hayyot the ministering anges “HM niDeRS OF THE CAAMIOT 29 the angelic hosts. the seraphim, these of sparkling wings. all sacha to the merkarah. They passed by in heaven wihle Ezekiel saw them (reflected in the water. Hence the vers sy: “by the river Cheba. Teshould have sid: "Heaven wa opened" Why does ie “The heavens were opened?” This teaches that seven heavens Es. 1:1 were opened to Each: Shamayyin; Shem ho-Shamayy: oval Arapel: Shehskin; Aravats and the Throne of Glory Rabbi Lev said in the name of Rabby Your of Ma'on: Rabbi Meir said: The Holy One, blewed be He, erated sevcn heavens and in these there are seven chariots. ks impondble wo say dat the Holy One, blessed be He, declared to Ezckel: I show you My mrkarsk on condition that you explain sto frac, a8 si said: "Declare ll that thou acest to the howe of rae,” and is ‘Sid: “Morsover, He said unto mie: Son of man, all My words that Fol speak unto thee receive sn thy heat, and hear wih thine ars And go gee thecto them ofthe captivity. uno thechil- E310 ren of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them.” Butt wari order to expound to man the extn to which the eye cas sce and the cat he. ‘Rabbi Isaac said: I 63 Give hundred year journey from the sath othe firmament (t's) 8st sid: "That your days may the mulkplied, and the days of your children as the days of Diu 11 the heaven upon the earth.” The thickness of dhe firmament isa five hundred year journey. The firmament contaise only the sun, moon and sears bur there i one merkawab therein. What is Ma the marie ofthis merkaah? lei Rekha its said: “Bind the chariot [haomerkiva to the swift stod! [rkhes.” The waters above the firmament area five hunded year journey, ati said Gow 8 ‘And God called the firmament Heaven [Shanayyim.” Read ‘not: Shama yi but Sha Mayyin (water is there"), How i Fashioned? Is ike «ten, ase said: “Its He that siteth above the circle of the earch dwell in.” Is Fashioned in no other way than asa omic. Ke sicker than the earth apd it edges reach to the sea andthe wind enters in a the sides in ard to divide the upper seater rom the Tower waters. From the yes to the Heaven of Heavens [Sheri heeShameyyin| i 4 Give hundeed year jourey. There ae to be found the angels who siy the Kedviheh, They are not there permancanly boc. as Rabbi Levi said: “They are new every Law. Fes ‘And spreadeth thems out ata tent tf go oeJews srTicaL Tesrorons ‘mocning”. Rabbi sid: And from where are they created? From nnhar dona (River of Fite”). No sooner have they been created than they trctch cut heir hands to take oF the fire oF nar demu with which chey wash ther lips and tongues before reciting the Kedishsh. Theit voices continue uncesingly ftom sunrise snict, artisnid-"From theriting oftheranantothe going down thereof she Lord's name is praised" Then hey ace hidden aveay and others are created to ake their place. Theres ia mer ah, ‘What the mame of dis merkarah? Ie x Suit Horses”) 28 i js sad’ "T saw in the night, and behold a man siding upon a red howe fou)” Ie isa five hundred year joormey from Sime ho-Shamsyim to Zevul. Whats there in ZevuT? Rabbi Levi sid inthe name of Rabbi Hama bsr Ukba in che name of Rabbi Jobanan: The Princes in no other place tha in Zeval ad hes the very falless of Zena and before him there are thousands of thousands and ‘myriads of myriads who minister before him. Of them Daniel ys" "I beheld fill thrones were placed. .A fcry stream Thousand thousands miniwered into him...” What i his ram? It is Kimos, Rabbi laacsid Me‘anah i he name, Rabbi Inyane: bar Sinon said: BlaZend (ln Zeoul") x his mame Rabbi Tanhiin the Elder said: Atatya i his name. Elearar Nadvadaya said: Aca, ike the name of The Power. And those who make the theurgical wie of the divine name sy ‘Saat it bis nanne; Kat, Bat, Bas, Kena is his name, like the narme ‘ofthe Creator ofthe work, And whats the name ofthe mekavah that sin Zevul? Holeayah its mame, concerning which David ‘aid: To Him that Heth upon the heaven of heavens” From Zev to raphe! sa five hundred year journey and the thicknes thereof tea five hundred year journey” Therein i the ‘Canopy of the Torah, as it fs eid: "Bat Moses drew near nto the thick darkness [raphel] where Goal was." There is the ‘merkavah upon which the Holy One, Blesed be He, dexended ‘ipo Mount Sinai What its name? i Charo ef King, con cerning which David sai: “The chariots of God are myriads, ven thousands upon thowands; dhe Lords among them, a 1a Sat, hotness” From Aap! to Shohoki va five hundred year journey and the thickness thereof Isa five landed year journey. What i “The rebuilt Jersale, the Temple and the Sanctuary, there the Testinony, the Ark, the Merah, the Table, the sued ‘enels and al the sdommments ofthe Temple togsther with the ‘Manna tha was eaten by the races. How do we Know that alle scred wench ate there? For its wid: "Ascrbe ye eogth tt God and Hissength sin he skis hchakin| "Therein ica mehavah, Whats the name ofthis merkara es Cherutim, ‘pom which He rade when He went down to th x, a 6 Sid: "And He rode ypom cher, an did Ay" From Siehakim to Makan i five hundred year journey What thercin? The torchoes of snow and the ttehowes of hat the dread prshmente riod fr the wicked and the rewards forthe rghtoos rom Makhon to Ararat a five hundred yar journey and the thicken thereon ive dee yur journey. What chersin? ‘The tcasurchowes of Besing, the storchoues of nose, the storchoues of pace the suls ofthe righteous and the ous yet tobe bom, che dread panhmens reserved forthe wicked and the rewards for the righteous. What she nate of he mera ‘hac there? Av Cloud") sis ame, ait sald: "The Barden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon + swat cloud (a) From Arae tthe Throve of Glory #3 five handted year journey and the thickncw thereof sa Be hundred eae ourney ‘What therein? The hooves ofthe hayyot and pat of the wings ofthe hee a8 id: "And ner the mame were dee wig conformable” Therln a great charoc upon which the Holy Ore, blesed be He will desend nthe fue jae all ‘he maton, concerning which hai id: "For, behold, the Lo sul come nie, An Hh chai hl be BE the when What its mime? fi: Chariots of ie and Whirwind. Above are dhe wings othe haya coresponding ise to che toi Ieagth ofthe yeven heavens and the sven ices = ‘suse ther. Above them ithe Hly One les be He. May the same ofthe King ofthe Kings of King, bleed be He, be toned, pred, glociie, aggrandiaed, mageified, adored Iabed up, cxaed and sincied. He endures fog ever. Amn Amen Nesah Seah, Fore This concludes the vision of Ezekiel the sn of Hui the Prist ”