Tree of Souls

by Howard Schwartz

  When he finished praying, Rabbah could not find his basket. He asked the Bedouin if there were thieves in that place. The Bedouin explained that the Wheel of Heaven turned when the sun set. He told Rabbah to wait until the next day and he would find his basket. And he did.

  This is one of the miraculous tales attributed to Rabbah bar Bar Hannah, who is the Sinbad of rabbinic literature. A series of tall tales attributed to him is found in tractate Bava Batra of the Talmud. Here a mysterious Bedouin (who might be Elijah in disguise) shows him where the Wheel of Heaven can be found, at the place where heaven and earth kiss. Proof that the wheel does indeed revolve every twenty-four hours comes from the disappearance and reappearance of Rabbah’s basket.

  The reference to the Wheel of Heaven offers an explanation for the cycle of the sun, positing a mythical place where the Wheel of Heaven comes into contact with the earth. That such a place would be found in rabbinic lore is significant, as it ties together the worlds above and below.

  Sources: B.

  Bava Batra 74b

  Studies:

  “Talmudic Tall Tales” by Dan Ben-Amos.

  233. THE PRIMORDIAL METATRON

  The Primordial Metatron was the first of creation, the son of the Shekhinah. The first words of the Torah, In the beginning God created, refer to Metatron. The Primordial Metatron assisted God in the creation of the world, and has assisted God ever since in ruling the worlds above and below. When God said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord,” he meant to come up to Metatron.

  This description of a Primordial Metatron closely resembles the myths about the Heavenly Man and Adam Kadmon. What is unusual is that the primordial Metatron is described as the son of the Shekhinah. Since this myth is found in the Zohar, the Shekhinah refers to God’s Bride, making the Primordial Metatron the child of God and the Shekhinah. The Christian echoes of the “son of God” are apparent, as well as the structure of a divine family as is found in other mythic traditions, such as the Greek or Canaanite. See “The Heavenly Man,” p. 124 and “Adam Kadmon,” p. 15.

  The identification of “the Lord” as Metatron is, surprisingly, found in the Talmud. For a further discussion of this, see the Introduction, p. l.

  The notion of a Primordial Metatron contradicts the standard explanation of Metatron’s origin as Enoch, who was transformed into Metatron after being carried into heaven in a fiery chariot. It demonstrates an alternate Metatron tradition apart from that linked to Enoch. Of course, the original Enoch tradition dates from around the second century BCE, and the Zohar from the thirteenth century. Thus it is possible that this is one of many new mythic traditions found in the Zohar.

  Sources:

  B. Sanhedrin 38b; Zohar 1:94b.

  234. THE ANGEL METATRON

  God made a throne for Metatron similar to the Throne of Glory, and spread a curtain of splendor over him, and on it were fixed all kinds of lights in the universe. Metatron sits on that throne at the entrance to the seventh heavenly palace, where he judges all the upper beings, the family on high, with the permission of God. So too does he offer the souls of the righteous in the heavenly Temple as an atonement for the Jewish people. The hand of God rests on the head of His servant, whose height is that of the entire universe, and the attending angels stand before him.

  When Surya, the Prince of the Presence, goes in to arrange and to set in order God’s Throne of Glory and to prepare a seat for Metatron, the Mighty One of Jacob, he binds a thousand diadems of majesty upon the heads of each of them, and kneels and falls down and prostrates himself a thousand times before each one.

  Before God appointed Metatron to serve the Throne of Glory, God opened up three hundred thousands gates of discernment to him, and as many gates of cunning, compassion, and love, as well as the gates of humility, sustenance, mercy, and the fear of heaven. And God revealed the mysteries of the Torah to him and all the secrets of wisdom, and all the secrets of Creation.

  Then God gave Metatron a royal crown that included 49 precious stones, each as bright as the light of the sun. The light of these stones penetrates to the far corners of all seven heavens. God Himself engraved on Metatron’s crown the letters with which the heavens and the earth and all their hosts were created. So too did God give him His cloak, His crown, and His name. And God made Metatron a garment with all types of light in it, and He dressed him in it. So too did God give Metatron the highest splendor, which is the light of the soul that Adam forfeited by his sin.

  And God sent forth a herald, who announced that Metatron was ruler over all the princes of heaven and over all the children of heaven. And every angel who had to speak in God’s presence should speak to him instead. Indeed, there are those who say that Metatron is the Lord God of Israel, God of the heavens and God of the earth, God of Gods, God of the sea and God of the land.

  This is Metatron, Prince of the Presence. The angels who are with him encircle the Throne of Glory on one side and the celestial beasts are on the other side, and the Shekhinah is in the center of the Throne of Glory. And God called Metatron the little god before His entire heavenly family, as it is said, for “My Name is within him” (Exod. 23:23).

  Then Metatron says in a great voice, “The Throne of Glory is glistening!” Immediately, the angels surrounding the throne fall silent and hasten into the river of fire, and the celestial creatures turn their faces toward the earth. Then Metatron brings the fire of deafness and puts it in their ears, so that they do not hear the sound of God’s speech and the explicit Name that Metatron utters at that time in seven voices, or, some say, seventy voices in all.

  In the Hekhalot texts, describing heavenly journeys, the angel Metatron is described in terms that are virtually equal, and sometimes superior, to those used to describe God. When Hekhalot Rabbati describes Metatron as “Lord God of Israel, God of heavens and God of the earth, God of Gods, God of the sea and God of the land,” there is little doubt that the author regards Metatron at least as the “Lesser Yahweh,” if not as God’s equal. Just the fact that both God and Metatron are served by Surya, the Prince of the Presence is a clear indication of their divine status, and he is described as treating them equally, prostrating himself a thousand times before each one.

  According to Gershom Scholem, Metatron was a secret name for Michael. Michael is not only one of the archangels, but he is also the High Priest in the heavenly Temple, so that his role is already elevated, although not to the heights of Metatron. Metatron is more commonly linked to Enoch and the belief that Enoch had been transformed into Metatron. See “The Metamorphosis and Enthronement of Metatron,” p. 156.

  Sources:

  Numbers Rabbah 3b; Shi’ur Komah, Oxford Ms. 1791, ff. 58-70; 3 Enoch 10:1-13:2; Hekhalot Rabbati 11, 27; Zohar Hadash 42d, 68a.

  Studies:

  3 Enoch or the Hebrew Book of Enoch by Hugo Odeberg.

  Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah Mysticism, and Talmudic Tradition by Gershom Scholem.

  235. THE ANGEL SANDALPHON

  Now the angels do not have permission to sing in heaven until the children of Israel first raise their voices in song on earth. Only when the angels hear praises of Israel can they commence to sing.

  When it comes time to attend to the songs and music and praises that ascend from earth from the synagogues and schools, there is a certain angel, Sandalphon, who stands above the windows of the firmament. As the prayers of Israel are offered, all the words uttered ascend on high, cleaving their way through ethers and firmaments, until they reach Sandalphon. He stands behind the Throne of God and wreathes crowns out of those prayers.

  When the crowns are ready, he adjures them so that they rise of their own accord and come to rest on the head of God, as it is said, Blessings light upon the head of the righteous (Prov. 10:6). And when the crown reaches God’s head, all the hosts on high shake with awe, and the creatures of the chariot roar like lions, and all of them cry out, Holy, holy, holy! The Lord of Hosts (Isa. 6:3).

  Sandalphon is one of the most prominent of the angel
s in Jewish lore. He is said to be so tall that if he were standing on the earth, his head would reach into the highest heaven. In the myths about the ascent of Moses into heaven, Moses sees Sandalphon standing behind God’s throne. See “The Ascent of Moses,” p. 261. But the most common myth about Sandalphon concerns his gathering the prayers of Israel and forming them into crowns of prayer for God to wear on His Throne of Glory.

  Sources:

  B. Hagigah 13a; Pesikta Rabbati 20:4; Midrash Tehillim 19:7; Hekhalot Rabbati 11; Sefer haZikhronot 52:6.

  Studies:

  Keter: The Crown of God in Early Jewish Mysticism by Arthur Green.

  236. MICHAEL, THE PATRON ANGEL

  The archangel Michael is Israel’s patron angel. Once Michael praised Israel for her loyalty to God. Overhearing this, Satan declared that he could take away the holiness entrusted to Israel. Through sin and strife, Satan succeeded in snatching it away, and the Temple was destroyed and the people sent into exile. The angel Michael led them into exile, but then he abandoned them. But the day will come when it will be proved that Israel did not intentionally surrender her trust, and then she will regain the favor of her patron angel.

  This myth grows out of the tradition that each nation has its own guardian angel, and Michael is the guardian angel of Israel. Here Israel loses Michael’s trust through sin and strife, triggered by Satan, and the only hope for Israel is to regain Michael’s trust. This, it appears, would be the equivalent of the coming of the Messiah. Other myths describe God as Israel’s guardian, while all other nations have angels. See “The Seventy Nations and the Land of Israel,” p. 408.

  Sources:

  Midrash Ribesh Tov 2:55.

  237. ELIJAH THE ANGEL

  Elijah was translated, body and soul, from this world to the world above, as it is said, A fiery chariot with fiery horses suddenly appeared & and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). Nor did he ever taste death, but he was transformed into an angel. At that time Elijah received a celestial body, which made it possible for him to ascend to heaven. But when he descends to earth on a mission, he resumes wearing his terrestrial body.

  The angel Elijah has giant wings, and with four strokes of his wings he can travel from one end of the world to the other. Therefore no place on earth is too far removed for his help. Thus he serves as a protector of the just and pious, hovering over them and guarding them against evil and saving them from danger.

  Some say that Elijah was originally created as an angel, and later he descended to earth as the prophet Elijah. Others say that the heavenly Elijah is none other than the angel Sandalphon, one of the greatest and mightiest of the heavenly hosts. Thus, Elijah is known as Sandalphon on high, but when he descends to this world, he is known as Elijah.

  Elijah is not only an important prophet, but the manner of his departure from earth, carried into heaven in a fiery chariot, inspired extensive rabbinic and folk traditions about Elijah’s role after he was taken into Paradise. There are hundreds of tales about Elijah returning to earth as God’s messenger, meeting with the great sages of subsequent generations and assisting the poor in their times of desperation. It was Elijah who was said to have taught Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai the secrets of heaven that were later written down in the Zohar, during the 13 years Shimon bar Yohai remained in hiding in a cave from the Romans. In this role as a teacher, Elijah created the role of the Tzaddik, who imparts holy secrets to those worthy of receiving them. And it is Elijah whom, it is said, will sound the horn of the ram that Abraham sacrificed at Mount Moriah to announce the beginning of the messianic era.

  In addition to these traditions about Elijah’s role in this world, there are tales about Elijah’s role in heaven. Here he is described as having been transformed into an angel, or, in an alternate version, having been created as an angel in the first place. One myth identifies him as the angel Sandalphon when he is in heaven, and as Elijah when he descends to this world. See “The Angel Sandalphon,” p. 197.

  The most striking parallel to Elijah is the myth of Enoch. Just as Elijah was carried into paradise in a chariot, so too was Enoch brought into heaven the same way when God took him (Gen. 5:24). And just as Elijah is described here as being transformed into angel, so too was Enoch transformed into the angel Metatron. Both of them are among the most important angels, taking orders directly from God. In fact, it seems likely that the extensive mythic tradition about Enoch was inspired by the description of Elijah being taken into heaven in a fiery chariot. See “The Metamorphosis of Enoch,” p. 156.

  Sources:

  B. Eruvin 45a; B. Mo’ed Katan 26a; Seder Olam 2, 17; Zohar 2:197a; Genesis Rabbah 21:5. Pesikta de-Rav Kahana 9:76a.

  Studies:

  Tales of Elijah the Prophet by Peninnah Schram.

  238. THE KEEPER OF THE BOOK OF RECORDS

  There is a heavenly prince, Radweriel, who is the Keeper of the Book of Records. Out of every word that issues from his mouth, an angel is created. He fetches the case of writings with the Book of Records in it, and brings it before God. And he breaks the seal of the case, opens it, takes out the book and delivers it to God. And God receives it and gives it to the heavenly scribes, that they may greet it in the Great Court of Justice, in the highest heaven, before the heavenly household.

  There are a multitude of angels listed in various ancient Jewish texts, each with his own particular role to play. Although Metatron is identified as the heavenly scribe, Radweriel is identified as the Keeper of the Book of Records. This is the book that contains a record of everything that a person does, so that on Rosh ha-Shanah God can weigh their good and bad deeds and make a decision about whether their lives should be renewed for another year, a decision that is sealed ten days later on Yom Kippur.

  One strange detail about Radweriel suggests that his power is exceptionally great, for each time he speaks, an angel is created. Since God is said to be the Creator of everything, including the angels, the notion that one angel has the power to create other angels implies a shift of one of God’s primary roles. See “The Book of Life and the Book of Death,” p. 289.

  Sources:

  B. Avot 3; 3 Enoch 27:1-3.

  239. THE ANGEL GALLIZUR

  God does not utter evil decrees Himself, as it is said, It is not at the word of the Most High, that weal and woe befall (Lam. 3:38). Instead, God has the angel Gallizur utter all evil decrees. Gallizur also reveals the secrets of God. So too does he open his wings to absorb the fiery breath of the creatures of the chariot, for if he did not absorb it, the angels would be consumed by their fiery breath. Gallizur also takes braziers filled with coals from the river Rigyon, the river of fire, whose coals consume angels and men, and he holds these up near angels and kings, so that fear of the angels and kings will strike the world.

  This obscure angel is in charge of pronouncing God’s evil decrees. This is an attempt to resolve the theological problem of God’s role in the existence of evil. In monotheism, God is responsible for both good and evil. On the other hand, God is portrayed as being entirely good, and it would be inappropriate and unseemly for God to pronounce evil decrees, as stated in Lamentations 3:38. Therefore the angel Gallizur takes over this role and pronounces evil decrees for God. There is perhaps a hint here of a Gnostic dualism.

  Sources:

  Pesikta Rabbati 20:4; Sefer ha-Zikhronot 52:8.

  240. THE ANGEL OF CONCEPTION

  Among the angels there is one who serves as the midwife of souls. This is Lailah, the Angel of Conception. When the time has come for a man and his wife to conceive a child, God directs Lailah to seek out a certain soul hidden in the Garden of Eden, and command it to enter a drop of semen. At first the soul refuses, for it still remembers the pain of being born, and it prefers to remain pure. But Lailah compels the soul to obey, and that is when God decrees what the fate of that sperm will be, whether male or female, strong or weak, rich or poor, and so on. Then the angel turns around and places the soul in the womb of the mother.

 
While the infant grows in the womb, Lailah places a lighted candle at the head of the unborn infant, so he can see from one end of the world to the other, as it is said, His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through darkness (Job 29:3). For nine months Lailah watches over the unborn infant, teaching him the entire Torah as well as the history of his soul. During this time, the evil inclination has no power over him. And before he is born, he is given an oath to keep his soul pure, lest God take it back from him. Then Lailah leads the child into the Garden of Eden, and shows him the righteous ones with crowns on their heads. So too does Lailah lead the child to the netherworld and show him the punishments of Gehenna. But when the time has come to be born, the angel extinguishes the lamp, and brings forth the child into the world. The instant the child emerges, Lailah lightly strikes the newborn above the lip, causing it to cry out. And at that instant the infant forgets all it has learned. That is the origin of the mark on the upper lip, which everyone bears.

  Indeed, Lailah is a guardian angel, who watches over that child all of his days. And when the time has come to take leave of this world, it is Lailah who comes to him and says, “Do you not recognize me? The time of your departure has come. I have come to take you from this world.” Thereupon Lailah leads him to the World to Come, where he renders an accounting before God, and he is judged according to his merits.

  This myth describes the formation of a child. The soul is here revealed to have been drawn from on high and sent to this world reluctantly. Such a myth affirms the rabbinic belief in the essential purity of the human soul, which is subjected to the power of the Yetzer ha-Ra, the Evil Inclination. This myth of conception is also a reminder of God’s powerful role in every stage of our lives. A famous passage in Pirke Avot 3:1 says: “Know where you came from, where you are going, and before whom you will in the future have to give account and reckoning. Where you came from—from a fetid drop; where you are going—to a place of dust, worms and maggots; and before whom you will in the future have to give account and reckoning—before God, the Supreme King of kings.”