Heikhalot Rabbati Reader

how your hearts may behold the Law.” At once did Zerubabel the son of Shealtiel answer and stood upon his feet as an interpreter and stated the names of the princes of the Law, each one according to his name, the name of a crown and the name of a seal.

Rabbi Ishmael said: What is the distinction of the praises that one would recite who sought to gaze upon the vision of the Chariot, to descend in peace and to ascend in peace? Greater than all of them is to enter, and to bring oneself in, and to be brought into the chambers of the palace of the firmament, to be set before the throne of His glory, and to know all that is destined to be in the world: whom they bring low and whom they raise up; whom they weaken and whom they strengthen; whom they impoverish and whom they enrich; whom they put to death and whom they keep alive; from whom they take away an inheritance and to whom they give an inheritance; to whom they grant Torah as a possession and to whom they give wisdom. Greater than all of them is that he gazes upon every deed of the children of men: he knows and recognizes the man who has committed adultery; he knows and recognizes the man who has murdered a soul; he knows and recognizes the man who is suspected of these things. Greater than all of them is that he recognizes every kind of sorcery. Greater than all of them is that whoever raises his hand against him and strikes him, they clothe him in leprosy and crown him with a bright spot. Greater than all of them is that whoever speaks slander against him, they cast and fling upon him plagues of boils, bruises, and wounds, from which moist sores break out. Rabbi Ishmael said: Thus they would teach concerning the vision of the Chariot: One who is engaged with the Chariot has no permission to rise to his feet except on account of these three distinctions: before a king, before a high priest, and before a Sanhedrin at a time when there is a Nasi among them; but if there is no Nasi among them, then not even before the Sanhedrin should he rise; and if he did rise, his blood is upon his own head, for he shortens his days and diminishes his years.

Said Rabbi Ishmael: What are those songs which he recites who would behold the vision of the Merkaba, who would descend in peace and would ascend in peace?

Greatest of all, it is that have a care for him, to gather him in and bring him unto the chambers of the palace of the seventh heaven, to cause him to stand on the right hand of the throne of the glory of God; for there be times when he standeth over against Tazsh the Lord God of Israel, to see all that which is done before the throne of His glory and to know all that which is destined to come to pass in the world: Who shall be cast down, who exalted; Who shall be weakened, who made strong; Who shall be crushed with poverty, who made rich; Who shall die, who shall live; From whom shall inheritance be taken, To whom shall inheritance be given; Who shall be granted the Law for his portion And who be given Wisdom.

Greatest of all it is that he beholdeth all the works of the children of men, yea even those which they work in their secret chambers, whether these be seemly works or works corrupt: A man stole – he knoweth and recognizeth it; A man committed adultery – he knoweth and recognizeth it; A man committed murder – he knoweth and recognizeth it; A man was suspect to have lain with a woman in her uncleanness – he knoweth and recognizeth it; A man spread slander – he knoweth and recognizeth it. Greatest of all it is that he recognizeth all those who know sorcery.

Greatest of all it is that any man who lift up his hand against him and smite him is clothed with scalls and covered with leprosy and crowned with a pox. Greatest of all it is that any man who slander him is subject to all manner of injuries: morbid growths and discolourations and wounds which give rise to running ulcers.

Greatest of all it is that he is set apart from all the children of men and is exalted in all his doings and is honored by those above and those below. And if any man find cause of offense in him, upon that man do offenses, great and evil and harsh, fall from heaven. And if any man stretch forth his hand against him in reproach, against that man doth the heavenly court of justice stretch forth its hand to consume him from the world.

Greatest of all it is that all men are set before him as silver before the refiner, to know which is alloyed silver, which is pure silver. And, moreover, he beholdeth in families: How many in a family be children of forbidden unions, How many in a family be children of their mother’s impurity, How many in a family be wounded in the stones, How many in a family be cut off of their privy members, How many in a family be children of slaves, How many in a family be children of the uncircumcised, How many in a family be unfit for the priesthood.

Greatest of all it is that any man who harden his face against him to gainsay him is darkened from the light of the balls of his eyes. Greatest of all it is that if any man treat him despitefully he leaves neither root nor branch nor yet inheritor. Greatest of all it is that any man who spread evil report against him is consumed, his judgment is determined and no mercy is had upon him.

Greatest of all it is that in the heavenly court of justice, three times each day three times each day they blow the trumpets thrice and excommunicate with the lesser excommunication and again excommunicate with the greater excommunication, saying: “Let him be excommunicated to Tazsh the Lord God of Israel, to him and to the throne of His glory and to the crown upon His head, to the heavenly court of justice and to the earthly court of justice and to all the host of heaven and to all its servants, he who standeth before one beholding the Merkabha and who abandoneth him.”

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Thus ran the teaching as to the vision of the Merkabha: He who beholdeth the Merkabha hath no right to stand up [out of courtesy to a superior], except before three authorities only: before a king and before a high priest and before a Sanhedrin. And should he stand up he would be guilty of death because he had stood up before it, and he would lessen his days and cut short his years.

Said Rabbi Ishmael: What be the words of the songs which a man doth recite when he descendeth to the Merkabha? Let him begin and recite the principal songs: The beginning of praise and the commencement of song The beginning of jubilation and the commencement of exultation Do the princes sing who serve each day The Lord God of Israel and the throne of His glory; They bear up the wheel of the throne of His glory: ―Sing, sing for joy, supernal dwelling!―Shout, shout for joy, precious vessel! ―Made marvelously and a marvel. ―Surely thou shalt gladden the King who sitteth upon thee, ―as the joy of the bridegroom in his bridechamber. When I came to take refuge under the shadow of Thy wings In the joy of my heart which rejoiced in thee.

―From the praise and song of each day, ―From the jubilation and exaltation of each hour, ―And from the utterance which preceedeth out of the mouths of the holy ones ―And from the melody which welleth up out of the mouths of the servants ―Mountains of fire and hills of flame ―Are piled up and hidden and poured out each day.

“Why should’st thou be affrighted, faithful servant? “Why should’st thou be terrified, servitor beloved?” “I say to thy face, Zoharariel, Lord God of Israel, “If I be not affrighted, who is he that shall be affrighted? “If I be not terrified, who is he that shall be terrified? “For I am summoned before the Omnipotent six hours in each day, “And a thousand times I am dragged upon my knees “Until I touch the throne of glory.” And then the voice would answer say: “As for those who practice upon you those practices – “Reproach shall not be cast upon their words, “Nor shall any contradict their discourse, “Nor any contradict their words.” His kingly servants behold the King majestic Enthroned in the chambers of the palace of silence, Dread and fear, holiness and purity.

King of miracles, King of powers, King of wonders, King transcendent. Thy throne doth fly and standeth still. Years very many, generations without end have passed Since thou didst drive the peg for the weaving of the web On which the perfection of the world and the excellence thereof do stand And even yet hath Thy throne not rested its foot upon the firm ground of the seventh heaven, But as a bird doth fly it fly and standeth still.

The loftiest of the lofty, they whose brows be bound with diadems, And all angels, the chief hypostases which Thou hast created, Stand harnessed beneath the throne of glory And do hold it up continually with strength, might and power. And they also have not rested their feet upon the firm ground of the seventh heaven, But as a bird do they fly yet stand still.

And three times in each day Doth the throne of Thy glory prostrate itself before Thee and say to Thee, “Zoharariel, Lord God of Israel, “Pray seat Thyself upon me, O splendid King, “For Thy burden is delightful to me “And weigheth not heavy upon me.”

Wonderful loftiness and strange lordship Is the loftiness of exultation and the lordship of splendor With which the angel of the presence doth conduct himself Three times each day In the heavenly court of justice As he goeth and cometh upon the seventh heaven Which is upon the heads of the cherubim and upon the heads of the ophanim And upon the heads of the holy beasts. And the cherubim and the ophanim and the holy beasts Are harnessed and stand beneath the throne of glory. And when they behold anyone in the height As he goeth and cometh upon the seventh heaven They are terrified and affrighted and faint and fall backward, For no creature is able to attain unto that place By a distance of one hundred and eighty five thousand myriad parasangs Because of the streaming fires which flow and issue forth From the mouths of the cherubim and from the mouths of the ophanim and from the mouths of the holy beasts Who open their mouths to say “Holy” When Israel saith before Him “Holy”.

A measure of holiness, a measure of dominion, A measure of fearfulness, a measure of consternation, A measure of trembling, a measure of shaking, A measure of terror, a measure of panic Is the measure of the garment of Zoharariel Lord God of Israel Who cometh crowned to the throne of His glory.

And it is every part engraved from within and from without with the words The Lord, The Lord. And the eye of no creature is able to behold it, Not the eyes of flesh and blood, and not the eyes of His servants. And as for him who doth behold it, or glimpseth or seeth it, Hallucinations lay hold upon the balls of his eyes And the balls of his eyes emit and send forth torches of fire And these enkindle him and these burn him. Why? Because of the measure of the garment Of Zoharariel, Lord God of Israel, Who cometh crowned to the throne of His glory. And pleasant and sweet is His beauty As the appearance of the beauty of the glory of the majesty Of the eyes of the likeness of the holy beasts.

Who is like unto our King among all the lofty ones of them who lay hold upon kingship? Who is like out Maker? Who is like unto the Lord our God? Who is like unto Him among those who knot the knots of diadems? For with six voices do the supernal servants,

The bearers of the throne of His glory, The cherubim and the ophanim and the holy beasts, sing before Him, For each voice is exalted beyond its fellows and differeth form that which was before it.

The first voice: Everyone who heareth it at once crieth out and prostrateth himself. The second voice: Everyone who hearkeneth unto it at once falleth into confusion and thereafter returneth not. The third voice: Everyone who heareth it at once is seized by convulsions and at once dieth. The fourth voice: Everyone who hearkeneth unto it at once hath the skull of his head and his body broken and most of the ends of his ribs are torn out. The fifth voice: Everyone who heareth it at once poureth himself out as a vessel and is utterly dissolved into blood. The sixth voice: Everyone who hearkeneth unto it at once is seized at heart by a fierce fire, and his heart is tumultuous and overturneth his inmost bowels, and his bile is dissolved within him as to be as water.

Who is like unto our King? Who is like unto our Maker? Who is like unto the Lord our God? The sun and the moon emit and send forth the crown on His head. The Pleiades and Orion and the star of morning, Constellations and stars and planets Flow and issue forth from the garment of Him Who sitteth crowned upon the throne of His glory. And He gave forth a great light from between His eyes. For King of miracles, King of powers, King of wonders, King transcendent is He.

Said Rabbi Ishmael: All these songs did Rabbi Akiva hear when he descended to the Merkabha, and he laid hold upon them and learned them before the throne of God’s glory, for there His servants sang them before God.

Said Rabbi Ishmael: That day was the fifth day of the week when there came abysmal tidings from the great city of Rome saying: “Four men from among the mighty of Israel have been seized – Rabbi Simon ben Gamaliel and Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha and Rabbi Elazar ben Dama and Rabbi Judah ben Baba; and eight thousand students from Jerusalem shall be their ransom.”

And when Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah saw this decree, he caused me at once to descend to the Merkabha and I questioned Surya the Prince of the Presence. And he said to me: “Ten men did the heavenly court of justice write down, and gave them unto Sammael the wicked, the genius of Rome, saying: ‘Go out and destroy from the mighty of Israel every good member, thigh and shoulder, to fulfill the decree’: “And he that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.” And the sons of Jacob stole Joseph their brother and sold him, what shall be done concerning them? At once was the authority given to Samael to destroy ten of the mighty in their stead, in order to fulfill the decree. And a vengeance to be avenged upon him is laid up against him until the time shall come when ‘The Lord shall punish the host of the high ones on high,’ for he shall be cut down and cast upon the earth, ne and all the princes of the kingdoms in the height, as the goats and sheep of the day of atonement.”

Said Rabbi Ishmael: All these warnings and all these conditions were made known to and laid upon Samael the wicked, and he saith, ‘I have taken all upon me provided only that ten of the mighty shall be destroyed, to wit: Rabbi Akiva ben Joseph, and Rabbi Judah ben Baba, and Rabbi Jeshbab the scribe, and Rabbi Hananya ben Teradyon, Rabbi Hozpit the interpreter, Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua, Rabbi Hanina ben Hakinai, Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha, Rabban Simon ben Gamaliel, Rabbi Eliezer ben Dama.’

Said Rabbi Ishmael: What then did Zoharariel the Lord God of Israel? Because of the wrath with which He was filled against Sammael as having taken upon him all those conditions, [His patience] did not then suffice Him that He should say to the scribe: “Write decrees of punishment and great plagues, strong and harsh and fearful and terrible, heavy and disgraceful against the wicked city, Rome.” Nay, but at once He Himself took paper and wrote upon the paper.

And thus He wrote against the day of vengeance which is destined and laid up for the wicked city, Rome. “One cloud shall come up and stand above Rome six months and pour down a running sore upon man and upon beast and upon the silver and upon the gold and upon all the fruit and upon all kinds of metals. And thereafter shall another cloud come up and drive away its fellow and stand in its place six months and pour down a scall of leprosy and scab and pox and all manner of scalls whatsoever upon the wicked city Rome, until the time shall come when a man shall say to his fellow, ‘Behold, the wicked city Rome, she and all that which is in her, are thine for one farthing,’ and he shall say to him, ‘I want her not.’”

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Seganzegael, the Prince of the Presence, said to me, “My friend, sit in my bosom and I shall tell thee what is to come upon Israel.” I sat in his bosom and he gazed upon me and did weep, and his tears ran down continually from his eyes and fell upon my face. I said to him, “Why does your Excellency weep?” He said to me, “My friend, come, and I shall take thee in and teach thee what is laid up for Israel, the holy people.”

He grasped me by my hand and took me in to the inmost chambers and to the most secret rooms and to the treasuries. He took tablets and opened them and showed me letters written with griefs each different from the other. I said to him, “For whom are these?” He said to me, “For Israel.”

I said to him, “And can Israel bear them?” He said to me, “Come tomorrow and I shall teach thee of griefs yet different from these.” On the morrow he took me in to the inmost chambers and showed me griefs more bitter than the first: those by the sword for the sword; those by hunger, for hunger; those who shall be led captive, for captivity. I said to him, “And did then, your Excellency, Israel alone sin?”

He said to me, “Griefs more bitter than these are laid on them anew each day. And when, assembling in synagogues and schools, they say, ‘Amen. Let the great name be blessed,’ we do not permit these to go forth from the inmost chambers.”

When I went down from before him I heard a voice speaking in the Aramaic language, and thus it said: “The holy shrine shall be a ruin; and the temple, a fire burning; “And the dwelling of the king, desolation; and she in whom the king rejoiced shall mourn as a widow; “And the virgins and the youths shall be spoiled; and the servants of the king, be killed; “And the pure altar, polluted; and the table which was set before the Lord, taken as spoil by the enemy; “And Jerusalem shall be desolation; and the land of Israel trembling.”

When I heard the voice of this vision I was terrified and struck silent and fell backwards. But then came the angel Hadariel and gave me breath and spirit and stood me upon my feet. He said to me,” My friend, what came over thee?” I said to him, “Your Excellency, is there no restoration for Israel?”

He said to me, “Come, and I shall bring thee in to treasuries of consolations and to treasuries of salvations and shall show thee.” He brought me in to treasuries of salvations and to treasuries of consolations and I beheld the companies of ministering angels, that they were sitting and weaving garments of salvations and making crowns of life and fixing in them precious stones and pearls and compounding all manner of spices and perfumed wines for the righteous.

And I beheld one crown which differed from all the [other] crowns, and the sun and the moon and the twelve signs of the zodiac were fixed in it. I said to him, “Your Excellency, for whom are these crowns?” He said to me, “For Israel.” “And that different crown, for whom is that destined?”

He said to me, “For David, the king of Israel.” I said to him, “Your Excellency, show me the glory of David.” He said to me, “My friend, wait for three hours until David cometh hither and thou shalt behold his greatness.”

He took me and seated me in his bosom. He said to me, “What dost thou see?” I said to him, “I see seven lightnings which strike as one.” He said to me, “My son, close thine eyes that thou not be shaken by those that shall go forth to meet David.”

At once, all ophanim and seraphim and the holy beasts and treasuries of snow and treasuries of hail and clouds of glory and planets and stars and ministering angels and fiery spirits of the fourth heaven cried out in tumult, saying: “For the chief musician, a psalm of David. The heavens are telling the glory of God.” And I heard a sound of a great uproar which came from Gozen, saying: “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”

And behold David, the King of Israel, came first, and I beheld all the kings of the house of David following after him, and each had his crown on his head and the crown of David was more brilliant and differed from all the other crowns and its splendor went forth from one end of the world to the other.

When David went up to the great school which is in the firmament, there was set for him a throne of fire which was forty parasangs in height and double in length and double in breadth. And when David came and sat down upon his throne which was prepared for him opposite the throne of his Creator (and all the kings of the house of David sit before him, and all the kings of the house of Israel stand behind him) at once David arose and uttered songs and praises [such as] ear hath not heard from [the creation of] the world.

And when David began and said, “The Lord shall rule forever; thy God, Zion, to all generations, Hallelujah!” Metatron and all his servants began and said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, all the earth is full of His glory,” and the beasts praise God saying, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His [dwelling] place,” and the firmaments say, “The Lord shall reign forever,” and all the earth saith, “The Lord has been King, the Lord is King, the Lord shall be King, forever and ever,” and all the kings of the house of David say, “The Lord shall be King over all the earth, in that day shall the Lord be one and His name One.”

Said Rabbi Ishmael: When I came and bore witness to this [which I had received] from before the throne of glory, all [my] fellows rejoiced and they made that day before Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah a day of feasting and rejoicing; and yet more - the Patriarch himself did say in his joy, “Bring in before us all manner of musical instruments, and we shall drink wine to their accompaniment, inasmuch as Zoharariel the Lord God of Israel shall surely wreak vengeance and do wonders and wonders of wonders upon the wicked city Rome, and we shall exult with joy of harp and flute.”...

Said Rabbi Ishmael: What then did the heavenly court of justice? They at once gave command to the angels of torment, and these descending, wrought upon Lupinus Caesar utter destruction; and there was not left in all his palace a fugitive nor a remnant, and Rufa the wife of his youth and all his mistresses and all his maid- servants and all his concubines were cast dead on the earth before him, and all his sons and all his daughters and all the delights of his eyes were rent asunder and thrown [dead] before him.

Said Rabbi Ishmael: What was done to that wicked man himself? He was abased and made contemptible by reason of his dead, that they lay ever before him. And whensoever and man stretched forth his hand to take one of the dead of Lupinus Caesar, that he should lay it upon the bier and take it forth to bury it, then would the abyss swallow up that body, and, when the burier withdrew his hand, would the abyss again vomit it forth. Thus did his dead lie ever before him; and yet more – they were noisome and stank throughout all his royal palace and he was ashamed before the royal princes who came in and went out before his face.

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Surya, the Prince of the Presence, spoke to me [saying]: “Friend, why did all this disgrace, all this revilement, and all this shame befall that wicked man? Because of Rabbi Hanaya ben Teradyon. For when the day came which he had set for his execution, [some of his servants] said to him, ‘Lord Caesar, repeal [the sentence which] thou [hast passed] upon that sage, that he be not killed.’ [But] he replied, ‘Let him die. For though I and all these of my family, yea, even though all Rome be destroyed with him – yet in this matter I will not change my mind.’”

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Surya, the Prince of the Presence, spoke to me [saying]: “Friend I say unto thee, thou shalt not be grieved at this death in which thou departest to thine eternal dwelling, for already hath Zoharariel the Lord God of Israel filled His mouth with laughter at that wicked man and said: ‘By the glory of the loftiness of the fearful palace in which I dwell, and by the throne of My glory which is My concern and which I leave not from [the time of] its creation and unto eternity: In Gehenna, at the hand of Rabbi Hananya ben Teradyon, I will cause that wicked man to taste the taste of flame of fire and fiery coals of cherubim and ophanim and the holy beasts.’”

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Surya, the Prince of the Presence, spoke to me [saying]: “Friend, I shall tell thee what did then the pure effulgence of the splendor of the effulgence of ’Uzhaya the Lord God of Israel. At that time He commanded me and I descended and banished and drove out Lupinus Caesar from his palace in which he was sleeping during the night and took him to a pig sty and a dog pound and put him asleep [there], and I brought in Rabbi Hananya and put him asleep in the palace of Lupinus Caesar. Next day came the executioners who had been commanded concerning Rabbi Hananya to this effect: ‘He is sitting and doing wonders in the school and is teaching law to the mighty of Israel. Off with his head!’ Lupinus Caesar appeared to them as Rabbi Hananya ben Teradyon and they cut off his head.

And Rabbi Hananya ben Teradyon bound on the diadem of his royalty and reigned over the wicked city Rome in the likeness of Lupinus Caesar, six months, and killed in it six thousand bishops, a thousand bishops a month. And something in the form of Rabbi Hananya ben Teradyon was then put before the men of the wicked city Rome and they laid hold upon it and cast it into the fire. And who was he whom they cast into the fire? Lupinus Caesar. For after he was killed, he was made alive again in the heavenly court of justice. And they laid hold upon him and cast him into the fire, and he was in anguish in the midst of the fierce fire. And after this manner did they with all ten sages of Israel,

for the proclamation goeth forth from the seventh heaven proclaiming and saying in the heavenly court of justice: ‘As for the design which the wicked city Rome designed against the mighty of Israel to destroy them, Zoharariel the Lord God of Israel has agreed, but even the meditation of the heart which Rome meditateth against his children is weighty to them as if they carried it out.’”

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Surya, the Prince of the Presence, spoke to me, saying, “Friend, I shall tell thee the praise of the King and of his throne.” Therefore it is said: Thou hast uplifted the throne of Thy glory upon the cherubim of heaven, and the ophanim of greatness do bear it, and creatures of frost, creatures of mist, creatures of flame, Ccowned with loftiness and with splendor. And the eyes of Shaddai are lifted up upon them, And they were extended beneath it as rams beneath the plough. And it was erected upon their heads with strength, might and power. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.”)

Be exalted, be raised on high, be lifted up, O splendid King! Upon the throne raised high and lifted up, fearful and terrific. Thou dwellest in the chambers of the temple of loftiness. The servants of Thy throne are terrified and make tremble the heavens which are the footstool of Thy feet, each day, with voice of exultation and tumult of psalmody and roar of songs. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.”)

Messengers of the Power [of God] and awakeners of the Shekhinah (tumultuous of voice, who magnify song to the voice of the servants and the voice of the mighty), sing, with sweet mouth and with holy melody, Him who dwelleth in the lava stream of flaming coals. They bear up the wheel of the throne of His glory, [singing]: “Sing, sing for joy, supernal dwelling! Shout, shout for joy, precious vessel!

O wreathed with splendor, crowned with crowns, supernal singers in the song of rejubilation, extol ye the Lord of flame, for in the innermost Shekhinah, in the innermost chamber of the chamber of His chambers do ye dwell. He hath distinguished your name from the name of His servants, He hath separated you from the servants of the Merkabha. He who nameth the name of one from among you – fire flames, flame encircles, blaze encompasseth, coals of splendor brought forth. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.”)