Later Rabbi Yossi told Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai what had happened. And Rabbi Yohanan replied: “Fortunate are we to have been so blessed. And now I know why I dreamed last night that you and I were sitting together on Mount Sinai when we heard a heavenly voice telling us to rise, for magnificent palaces and golden beds awaited us in Paradise, where we were to join the souls that sit before the Divine Presence.”
There are two primary categories of early kabbalistic contemplation: those linked to Ma’aseh Bereshit or The Work of Creation, and those linked to Ma’aseh Merkavah, or The Work of the Chariot. The former focuses on the mystical meaning of Creation as described in Genesis, and the latter on the vision of Ezekiel. Here the discussion of Ezekiel’s vision and its mystical implications invokes yet another vision, shared by two rabbis, of angels dancing in a field. In many ways this talmudic tale defines the essential kabbalistic experience, presenting it in a positive and powerful fashion, and making it clear that Jewish mysticism is not merely a text-oriented study, but involves actual mystical experiences. Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai was one of the great talmudic sages, but here the sage accompanying him is the one who invokes the mystical vision. This tale serves as a primary model for many tales found in the Zohar, where two or more rabbis discover that the lowly Jew who is traveling with them is actually a hidden saint, who reveals great kabbalistic mysteries to them, or invokes a mystical vision.
Sources:
Y. Hagigah 77a; B. Hagigah 14.
Studies:
The Merkabah in Rabbinic Literature by David J. Halperin.
The Faces of the Chariot by David J. Halperin.
217. THE SEVEN HEAVENS
There are seven heavens. The first serves to renew the work of Creation every day. The second is that in which the sun and moon and stars and constellations are set. In the third millstones grind manna for the righteous. In the fourth is the heavenly Jerusalem, where the Temple and altar are built. There Michael, Israel’s guardian angel, makes offerings. In the fifth heaven there are companies of the ministering angels who are silent by day and utter divine songs at night.
In the sixth heaven are stored the treasuries of snow and hail, and the lofts of dews and raindrops, the chambers of whirlwind and storm, the cave of vapor and the doors of fire. The seventh is the highest heaven, Aravot, where are found the treasuries of peace and blessing, the souls of the righteous and the souls not yet created, as well as the dew with which God will revive the dead. So too are there many kinds of angels, the Ofanim and the Seraphim and the holy living creatures and the ministering angels. And the Throne of God, high and exalted, dwells over them all.
In Jewish lore, the basic concepts of heaven and hell are elaborated, describing seven levels of heaven and seven levels of hell. In fact, there are also seven levels of the earth. The seven heavens are identified as Vilon (Curtain), Raki’a (Firmament), Shehakim (Clouds), Zebul (Lofty Dwelling), Ma’on (Dwelling), Makhon (Residence) and Aravot (Highest Heaven). This myth of the seven heavens attributes a specific function to each one. In more general terms, the souls of the righteous are said to ascend from the lower heavens to the higher ones as they become worthy of them. The higher the soul ascends, the closer it comes to God and to the palaces of the patriarchs and sages that are found in the highest heavens. According to Rabbi Meir ibn Gabbai in Avodat ha-Kodesh 27, the soul does not ascend to the highest heavens on the first attempt. Accustomed to living in the darkness of the body, it cannot endure the brilliance of the divine light. Therefore the soul stays in the lower Gan Eden until it gets used to this light, and then it ascends on high.
Sources:
B. Hagigah 12b-13a; Avot de-Rabbi Natan 37.
Studies:
Jewish Mystical Testimonies by Louis Jacobs.
218. THE EIGHTH HEAVEN
There are not only seven heavens, but there is even an eighth heaven. It is found above the heads of the living creatures, as it is said, Above the heads of the creatures was a form: an expanse, with an awe-inspiring gleam as of crystal, was spread out above their heads (Ezek. 1:22). This is the place where the most hidden mysteries are to be found. But it is not permitted to reveal any more about them, as it said, The hidden things are for God, the revealed things are for our children (Deut. 29:28).
While Jewish lore often speaks of seven heavens, and these are described in detail in various rabbinic texts and in the Hekhalot texts that recount heavenly journeys, little is said about an eighth heaven. But in B. Hagigah 13a, Rabbi Aha ben Jacob mentions the eighth heaven, which is described as being above the hayot or living creatures that hold up God’s throne. This is the ultimate place of mysteries, and such mysteries could not be revealed: “The things that are the mystery of the world should be kept secret” (B. Hag. 13a). The existence of such an eighth heaven may be inferred since the living creatures in the seventh heaven hold up the Throne of Glory, and Ezekiel 1:13-14 describes a vast expanse that is understood to be another firmament (raki’a) above their heads.
This eighth heaven is an essential part of Gnostic speculation, where it is described as a power beyond the reach of the seven heavens. See Poimandres 26.
Sources:.
B:Hagigah 13a.
Studies:
Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah Mysticism and Talmudic Tradition by Gershom Scholem, pp. 65-74.
The Gnostic Scriptures translated by Bentley Layton, pp. 457-458.
219. THE PARGOD
There is an exceedingly wonderful curtain in Paradise, spread before God, which separates God from the angels. That curtain is entirely covered with supernal illuminations, forming the letters of the complete Name of God. All forms and representations in this world are depicted there, just the way they are in the world below. This curtain is known as the Pargod. Only God’s Bride and the angel Metatron, Prince of the Presence, are permitted on God’s side of the curtain. The deeds of all the generations of the world, past and present, are printed there, until the last generation.
When Rabbi Ishmael ascended on high, Metatron took him to the Pargod. There Metatron pointed out all the generations that would follow, like a father teaching his son the letters of the Torah. And there Rabbi Ishmael witnessed all the generations from the time of Adam until the days of the Messiah, and all of their deeds were recounted there. Not only did he witness these deeds with his own eyes, but he experienced them as if they were taking place.
After witnessing all of the generations printed on that heavenly curtain, Rabbi Ishmael opened his mouth, saying, How many are the things You have made, O Lord; the earth is full of Your creations (Ps. 104:24).
3 Enoch records Rabbi Ishmael’s ascent into heaven, led by the angel Metatron, the Prince of the Presence. As part of his tour of heaven, Metatron takes him to the Pargod, the curtain that separates God from the angels. This curtain is the heavenly counterpart of the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies in the earthly Tabernacle and Temple. (See Exodus 26:31 and 2 Chronicles 3:14.)
This myth demonstrates that God, and the mysteries of God, are hidden even from the angels, except for Metatron. Just as humans are not supposed to view God face to face, neither are the angels. There are occasional exceptions to this rule, whereby, for example, Moses ascends to the Throne of Glory and speaks to God face to face (B. Men. 29b and B. Shab. 88b-89a). The Pargod is also known as Pargod ha-Makom—the Curtain of the Place of God. The identification of Makom as the place of God comes from the dream of Jacob, when he said, This is none other than the abode of God, and that is the gateway to heaven (Gen. 28:17) The term Makom is also a designation for God, and is often translated as “God Almighty.”
In this myth, the Pargod is the curtain that God is hidden behind, which has printed on it the history of all generations from the first to the last. Thus the whole course of human history has already been determined in the heavenly realm and has been preordained by God. This motif of God’s foreknowledge of all generations is also found in The Book of Raziel, p. 253 and in the myths about the pre-existence o
f the Torah. See “Seven Things Created Before the Creation,” p. 74.
Shloyshe Sheorim describes a heavenly curtain that separates the men from the women in Paradise. See “Women in Paradise,” p. 190.
Sources:
B. Yoma 77a; B. Berakhot 18b; B. Hagigah 15a; B. Sanhedrin 89b; B. Sota. 49a; 3 Enoch 45:1-6;Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 4, 6; Zohar 1:47a, 2:149b-150a; Shloyshe Sheorim; Masekhet Hekhalot 7; Seder Gan Eden in Beit ha-Midrash 3:135; Ma’ayan Hokhmah in Otzar Midrashim pp. 306-311.
220. THE MAP OF TIME AND SPACE
There is a king who possesses a map of all the worlds. It is shaped like a hand, with five fingers and lines, like a real hand. Everything that has existed or will ever exist until the end of time is illustrated on this hand. The lines and wrinkles of the hand illustrate the structure of all the worlds, just like a map. Every nation and city is illustrated there, along with all the rivers, bridges, and mountains. All the people who live in those nations and everything they experience are illustrated on that hand, even the roads from one nation to another. So too are the pathways from earth to heaven delineated, as well as the pathways between one world and the next. Elijah ascended to heaven on one pathway, while Moses went to heaven on another, and Enoch went to heaven on yet another path, and all of these pathways are also illustrated there. Thus everything is illustrated on that hand: what was, what is, and what will be.
This is an intriguing allegory by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav in which a king—who is surely God—possesses an object in the shape of a map that portrays everything that has existed or will exist. This map of time and space likely represents the Pargod, the mythical curtain in Paradise that separates God from the angels. One side of this curtain is said to portray all of the past and future, exactly as does this map. See “The Pargod,” p. 186.
Sources:
Sippurei Ma’asiyot.
221. THE PLACE OF THE STARS
The stars in the firmament have fiery bodies, like angels, and they are gathered in the Place of the Stars. When Metatron, Prince of the Presence, took Rabbi Ishmael on a tour of heaven, he showed him that place. As Rabbi Ishmael walked by his side, hand in hand, Metatron pointed out the stars standing like fiery sparks around the Merkavah, the very Throne and Chariot of God Almighty, surrounding it on every side.
At that moment Metatron clapped his hands, and chased the stars away from there. They flew off with flaming wings, and fled from the four sides of God’s Throne, and as the stars flew by, Metatron told Rabbi Ishmael the name of every single one of them, as it is said, He reckoned the number of the stars; to each He gave its name (Ps. 147:4). For God had given every one of them a name.
All the stars in the firmament are counted by the angel Rahatiel, for they are the handiwork of God. They come forth to be counted in order to praise God with songs and hymns, as it is said, The heavens declare the glory of God (Ps. 19:1).
But in the time to come God will create them anew, and they will open their mouths and utter a song to the Lord.
In this celestial myth, the stars are regarded as animate beings, much like angels. Above all they are drawn to surround God’s Throne, the Merkavah, which is also portrayed as a chariot. In this view, the stars, like the angels, exist primarily to praise God, and they are fully under the control of heaven, as indicated here by the ease with which Metatron claps his hand and they depart. 3 Enoch is a treasure-trove of information about the fantastic geography of heaven. In later Jewish texts, such as those of Maimonides, this mythic view of the stars would be replaced by a speculative astrological view.
Sources:
3 Enoch 46; Akedat Yitzhak 4.
222. THE RAINBOW OF THE SHEKHINAH
The heavenly counterpart of the rainbow seen in the clouds is the rainbow of the Shekhinah, as it is said, I have set My bow in the clouds (Gen. 9:13). The arches of this rainbow are set above Aravot, the highest heaven, and clouds of the rainbow surround the Throne of Glory. Above the arches of the rainbow are the wheels of the Merkavah. The rainbow itself rests upon the shoulders of the angel Kerubiel, the Prince of the Cherubim. This angel has a mouth that is like a lamp of fire, a tongue of consuming fire, eyebrows like lightning, and eyes like sparks of brilliance. On his head there is a crown of holiness on which God’s Name is engraved. Between his shoulders rests the rainbow of the Shekhinah, and the splendor of the Shekhinah is on his face.
Here the rainbow of the Shekhinah is described as a heavenly counterpart of the earthly rainbow. Its sources can be found in Genesis 9:13 and in Ezekiel 1:28: Like the appearance of the bow which shines in the clouds on a day of rain, such was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Ezekiel’s vision also links the rainbow with the vision of the Merkavah: Above the expanse over their heads was the semblance of a throne (Ezek. 1:26).
Building on the vision of Ezekiel, this divine rainbow is described as one of the heavenly splendors, in terms that link it to other mythic elements in the divine constellation. These include the Throne of Glory and the wheels of the Merkavah, the Divine Chariot. (Note that in Ezekiel’s visions, there is some kind of combination of the identity of the Throne of Glory and the Divine Chariot.) These are known as “the wheels of the Ophanim.” Imposed on all this is a gigantic angel, Kerubiel, Prince of the Cherubim, with the rainbow of the Shekhinah resting between his shoulders.
The angel Kerubiel is described in terms almost identical to Metatron, the fiery angel who is the focus of 3 Enoch. Both angels seem to represent the sun, which explains the strange image of the rainbow resting on the angel’s shoulders, since the rainbow is seen when the rain has stopped and the sun has reemerged.
Sources:
3 Enoch 22:5, 22C:4, 22C:7.
223. THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES
Heaven is always making music, with perfect harmony, created in accordance with its celestial motions, as it is said, The heavens declare the glory of God (Ps. 19:2). Some say the source of this music is an orchestra of angels. Others say it is the rhythm and melody of the planets and stars as they circle the heavens.
If, by chance, this music should reach our ears, irrepressible cravings would emerge, frenzied longings, and insane passions. These longings would be so great, we would no longer take nourishment from food and drink in the manner of mortals, but as beings destined for immortality.
This happened to Moses when he ascended Mount Sinai. There, for forty days and nights, he touched neither bread nor water. Soon the strains of this heavenly music reached his ears, along with the words of the Torah as God recited them. It is said that for the rest of his life Moses heard this unearthly music, just as the light that shone from his face after Sinai always remained with him.
Here Philo draws on the Pythagorean concept of the music of the spheres. Philo’s immediate source was probably an ancient midrash, which is found in Sefer Hadar Zekenim Toratam shel Rishonim. (See Ginzberg, Legends, 5:36, note 102.) However, its inclusion in his writings is consistent with his interest in Greek concepts. In the Greek view, music was believed to reflect divine harmony. The rhythm and melody of the heavenly bodies thus delineate the music of the spheres as well as reflect the moral order of the universe. The closest Jewish myth is that of the song of praise of the heavenly bodies, which grows out of Psalm 19:2: The heavens declare the glory of Yahweh. The progress of the sun in its circuit was said to produce a hymn of praise to God. See also Zohar 1:2316.
Linking the Greek concept of the music of the spheres with Moses creates a Jewish myth. Philo suggests that this music can only be heard by a disembodied soul, since it would otherwise drive mortals mad with passion. Since Moses did without food or drink while on Mount Sinai, he achieved this spiritual state, and thus was able to hear this heavenly music.
Sources:
Philo, De Somniis 1:35-36; Sefer Hadar Zekenim Toratam shel Rishonim.
224. THE TREASURY OF MERITS
There is a Treasury of Merits hidden in heaven. In that treasury there are rooms in which ledgers are kept that show the sorrows record
ed there, all differing from one another. Nearby there are rooms with even greater hardships to be found—those destined to die by the sword, those destined to die by famine, those destined for captivity, those destined for disgrace. And every day there are added hardships more severe than these, but whenever Israel blesses God’s Name, these hardships are not permitted to leave the room.
So too are there treasuries of comfort, where ministering angels sit and weave garments of salvation, making crowns of life and fixing precious stones and pearls to them. These, too, are intended for the Israelites. One crown has the sun and moon and twelve constellations fastened to it. This crown is intended for David, King of Israel.
When Moses was in heaven, God showed him all the treasuries that will be given to the righteous in the World to Come. Some of those treasuries were for those who obeyed God’s commandments, others for those who took care of orphans. Among them Moses saw a very great treasury. He asked, “And to whom will this treasury be given?” God answered, “That is the Treasury of Gifts. I will give it to whomever I want.”
There are many myths about heavenly treasuries. The Treasury of Merits contains ledgers that keep track of sorrows and hardships. This reinforces the idea that God observes all that takes place in a person’s life and credits them for their suffering and hardships. See “The Books of Life and Death,” p. 289. So too are there treasuries of comfort, intended for the righteous in the World to Come. Moses encounters a mysterious, large treasury, which God identifies as the Treasury of Gifts, and God refuses to explain how He will determine who will receive those gifts. Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav identifies these free gifts as the life force. He states that this gift can only be received in idle moments. Therefore, even holy men need these idle moments to receive this life-force, which they then pass on to those who really need it. Thus for Rabbi Nachman times of leisure are just as sacred as times of prayer or study. In this he follows the pattern of his great-grandfather the Ba’al Shem Tov, who often took long walks in the forest. See “The Treasury of Souls,” p. 166.
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