Heikhalot Rabbati Reader

O ye who cancel decrees, who annul vows, who avert wrath, who quiet jealousy, who cause love to be remembered, who set forth friendship before the loftiness of the majesty of the fearful palace, what aileth ye that ye be fearful and there be times when ye rejoice? What aileth ye that ye do sing for exultation, and there be times when ye are terrified? They said: “When the ophanim of the power of God darken the Merkabha we rejoice with great joy.” (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.”)

A lovely face, a majestic face, a face of beauty, a face of flame, is the face of the Lord God of Israel when He sitteth upon the throne of His glory and His dignity is established in the dwelling of His majesty. His beauty is more lovely than the beauty of the powers, His majesty surpasseth the majesty of the bridegrooms and brides in their bridechambers. He that beholdeth Him is at once torn in pieces, and he that glimpseth His beauty at once poureth himself out as a vessel.

They who serve Him today serve Him not tomorrow, and they who serve Him tomorrow serve Him never again. For their strength grew feeble and their faces darkened, their hearts wandered and their eyes were obscured after [the vision of] His majesty, the splendor of the beauty of their King. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy.”)

Servitors beloved, servitors lovely, servitors who hasten, servitors swift, are they who stand upon the stone of the throne of the glory and who are stationed upon the wheel of the Merkabha. As the stone of the throne of the glory returneth upon them, as the wheel of the Merkabha snatches them, they who stand to the right return and stand to the left and they who stand to the left return and stand to the right, and they who stand before return and stand behind And they who stand behind return and stand before.

He who beholdeth the other saith, “This is he,” for the feature of the face of the one is like the feature of the face of the other, and the feature of the face of the other is like the feature of the face of the one. Happy the King of whom those be the servants! And happy the servants of whom this be the King! Happy the eye which feedeth itself... and which gazeth upon this wonderful light, a vision wonderful and exceeding strange! (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy.”)

Rivers of joy, rivers of rejoicing, rivers of rejubilation, rivers of content, rivers of love, rivers of friendship, pour themselves, issuing forth from before the throne of glory, strengthen themselves and pass through the gates of the seventh heaven. From the sound of the playing of the harps of His beasts, from the sound of the exultation of the drums of His ophanim, and from the sound of music of the cymbals of His cherubim a sound strengtheneth itself and goeth forth in a great tumult when Israel saith before Him, “Holy, holy, holy.”

In the sound of the seas, in the tumult of rivers, in the waves of Tarshish which the south wind troubleth, in the sound of the song of the throne of glory which maketh music and praiseth the splendid King – a multitude of sounds and great tumult! – Many did utter their voices before the throne of glory, to aid it and to strengthen it, when it maketh music and applaudeth the Mighty One of Jacob. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy.”)

“Blessed be ye to the heavens and to the earth, ye who descend to the Merkabha, if ye will say and will declare to My children what I do, in morning prayer and in noonday and in evening prayer and in each day and in each hour when Israel saith before me ‘Holy.’ Teach them, and say unto them, ‘Lift up your eyes to the firmament over against your house of prayer. t the time when you say before Me ‘Holy.’’”

“For I have no pleasure in all My world which I have created like in that time when your eyes are lifted up to Mine and Mine eyes are lifted up to yours, at the time you say before Me, ‘Holy.’ For the breath which goeth forth from your mouths at that time moveth and riseth up before Me as a pleasant savor.”

“And bear witness to them, witness of what ye have seen, what I do to the feature of the face of Jacob your father which is graven for Me upon the throne of My glory, for at the time when you say before Me, ‘Holy,’ I bow down upon it and clasp it and embrace it and kiss it and My hands rest upon its arms three times as against the three times that you say before Me, ‘Holy.’” (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy.”)

Who will not attribute majesty to the King majestic, who will not give praise to the King who is praised, who will not hallow the King who is hallowed? For each day do powers and many wonders come to pass before Him, each surpassing and more strange than the other. For from the breath of the eyelids of His chief servants, which moveth and goeth out from their mouths when they make mention of that splendid name, the name which entereth by the ears and goeth out by the mouth and which is forgotten from the heart that is not fitted for it. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy.”)

For in that place where it be mentioned It lighteneth and dawneth and gildeth and silvereth and moveth topaz and onyx and sapphire, aarbuncle and emerald and pure marble, for wonderful and strange and great secret is it, the name by which heaven and earth were created and by which all the categories of creation were swallowed up and bound together and suspended and sealed. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy.”)

Be proud, be proud ye lofty! Lift yourselves up, lift yourselves up ye splendid! Strengthen, strengthen yourselves, ye strong! Exalt, exalt yourselves, ye haughty!

For to the King of the world and to all His servants, to them alone [belong] loftiness and strength, haughtiness and splendor. For it is fitting that the servants of His sublimity should exalt themselves, and it is proper that they who bear up His throne should make themselves strong.

For from the throne of His glory and upwards His height is one hundred and eighty thousands of myriads of parasangs, and from the throne of His glory and downwards there be one hundred and eighty thousands of myriads of parasangs. His stature is two hundred and thirty and six thousands of myriads of parasangs. From the ball of the right eye to the ball of the left eye there be thirty myriads of parasangs.

The width of His right eye is three myriads of parasangs and three thou sands of parasangs, and so for His left eye. And from His right arm to His left arm His width is seventy and seven myriads of parasangs, and His arms are folded upon His shoulders. His right arm – The Mover is its name, and the name of His left arm is The Follower (?) The palms of His hands are four thousands of myriads of parasangs, each one.

The right palm – its name is Just, and of the left the name is Holy. Therefore He was called “God the great, the strong, and the fearful.” Said Metatron, “Thus far have I beheld the height of Jedidiah, the Master of the world. Peace.” [These revelations enable us to understand the verses in the Song of Songs 5.9 ff.]

“What is thy beloved move than another beloved, O thou fairest among women?” etc. “My love is white and ruddy,” etc., all the section down to “daughters of Jerusalem.”

For how many of the mighty are they who bear up the throne of the glory of this mighty King, standing laden, day and night, evening and morning and noon, in trembling and in terror, in fright, in shivering, in shaking and in fear!

And how great strength is there in ye, ye servants of our God, that ye recall to Him and cause Him to hear the reminder of His name, in the height of the world! There is no searching out and no telling the sound and the strength. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy.”) The ban of Heaven be upon ye, ye who descend to the Merkabha, if ye remember not and declare not what ye have heard and if ye bear not witness of what ye have seen on the faces,

The faces of loftiness, the faces of strength, the faces of sublimity, the faces of splendor, which lift themselves up, and maintain themselves on high, which crowd upward and make themselves great, the faces exalt and strengthen themselves three times each day, on high, and the children of men know them not and recognize them not. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy.”)

When the Angel of the Presence goeth in to arrange and to set in order the throne of His glory and to prepare a seat for the Mighty One of Jacob, a thousand diadems doth he bind upon the head of each one of the ophanim of majesty, and a thousand times doth he kneel and fall down and prostrate himself before each one of them. Two thousand diadems doth he bind upon the head of each one of the cherubim of glory, and two thousand times doth he kneel and fall down and prostrate himself before each one of them. Three thousand diadems doth he bind upon the head of each one of the Holy Beasts, and three thousand times doth he kneel and fall down and prostrate himself before each one of them. Six thousand diadems doth he bind to [him who is called] Shining Light, to him and to eight thousand thousands of thousands of myriad myriads of myriads of diadems, and six thousand times doth he kneel and fall down and prostrate himself before each one of them. Twelve thousand diadems doth he bind upon [the angel of] lightning, upon him and upon sixteen thousand thousands and myriad myriads of myriads of diadems, twelve thousand times doth he kneel and fall down and prostrate himself before each one of them.

I make a request of ye... hypostates, who bear the throne of His glory with whole heart and with longing soul: Increase rejubilation and exultation and song and the making of music before the glorious throne of Totrosiai Nebhobh Medhath Za’an. (And there be those who say Tesar Nadhibh Merath Za’an the Lord God of Israel.) And let His heart rejoice at the time of the prayer of his children, and He will permit Himself to be sought and to be found of them that descend to the Merkabha at the time when they stand before the throne of His glory.

Each day, when the dawn beginneth to appear, the King majestic sitteth and blesseth the beasts: “To ye, Beasts, do I speak, ye, Creatures, do I cause to hear. O Beasts, who bear the throne of My glory with whole heart and with longing soul, may that hour be blest in which I created ye, may that planet be exalted under which I formed ye, may the light of that day in which ye occured to the thoughts of My heart, shine. For ye are a precious vessel which I have prepared and have completed. Be silent before Me, all creatures which I have made, that I may listen and give ear to the voice of the prayer of My children.”

Each day, when [the time of] the afternoon prayer arriveth, the King majestic sitteth and praiseth the beasts, but before He have finished speaking the holy beasts come forth from beneath the throne of glory, their mouths full of exultation, their wings full of rejubilation, clapping their hands, their feet dancing, and they encircle and surround their King, one on His right and one on His left and one before Him and one behind Him.

And they embrace and kiss Him and uncover their faces, (they uncover, and the King of glory covereth His face) and the seventh heaven is broken like a sieve because of the effulgence of the splendor of the beauty of the dignity of the loveliness of the mercy of the desire of the brilliance of the glory of the praise of the appearance of their faces. (As it is said, “Holy, holy, holy.”)

They who cancel decrees, who annul vows, who avert wrath, who quiet jealousy, who cause love to be remembered – the love of Abraham – before their King, when they behold Him, that He is angry against His children, what do they do? They beat upon their crowns and ungird their loins and strike their heads and fall upon their faces and say: “Release, release, O Maker of Creation! “Pardon, pardon, O mighty One of Jacob! Atone, atone, O Holy One of Israel! For loftiest of Kings art thou.

King fearful, King terrific, King beloved, King honored, why shouldst Thou be hostile against the seed of Abraham? Why shouldst Thou be jealous against the seed of Isaac? Why shouldst Thou be contentious against the seed of Jacob? For Thou hast called them the purchase of heaven and earth.” And horns come out from beneath the throne of His glory in many multitudes, and blow long and loud, and bless [saying]:

“Blessed be ye who are advocates for My children, Praised be ye who laud the Patriarchs.” And all the host on high rendered them glory and greatness, ’drw ’th t‘n ‘wry tzt the Lord God of Israel, which they were called. Behold it saith [I Chr. 29.2 ff.]: “Thine, Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth [is Thine]; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of Thee, and Thou rulest over all, and in Thine hand is power and might, and in Thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all. Now, therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name.” And it saith, “How many are Thy works, O Lord, all of them hast Thou made with wisdom. The earth is full of Thy creatures.” Therefore be clothed with majesty, be exalted and be lifted up, O splendid King, be blessed and be praised and be hallowed, Totrosi’ai Lord God of Israel.

For He is called Totrosi’ai, Totrosyah, Totrosy’a, Totrosih, Totrosiel, Totrosig, Totrosikh, Totrosiph, Totrosiz, Totrosish, Totrosibh, Totrosin, Totrosis, Totrosi‘, Totrosik, Totrosith, Zurtag, Zoharariel, ‘Ashrawwili’ai. And the right procedure in dealing with this paragraph with these great [magical] names is to read Totrosi’ai to Totrosith according to this order, Yod, He, Aleph, Heth, Lamed, Gimel, Kaph, Pe, Zade, etc. [These being the final letters of the names.]

Said Rabbi Ishmael: When Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah saw that the wicked city Rome had taken counsel against the mighty ones of Israel to destroy them, he straightway revealed the secret of the world, that which is seen of him who is worthy to gaze upon the King and His throne, in His glory and His beauty, and [upon] the holy beasts, upon the cherubim of the Power [of God], and upon the ophanim of the Shekinah, upon lightning terrific, upon chain-lightning terrible, when the lava-stream which encompasseth His throne, upon its bridges and upon conflagrations which increase in strength and rise up between one bridge and another, and upon dust of smoke and upon wind of splendour which raised all the dust of coals which was covering and hiding with the darkness of coals all the chambers of the palace of the seventh heaven. And Surya, Prince of the Presence, the servant of Totrakhiel the Lord, is great.

To what can this scheme for those who descend to the Merkabha be likened? It is like unto a man who hath a ladder in his house, [and] who was going up and down on it and there is no creature that preventeth him. Whoever is clean and guiltless of idolatry and of sexual sins and of murder and of slander and vain oaths and of blasphemy and presumption and of groundless enmity and who keepeth every positive and negative commandment.

Said Rabbi Ishmael: My master Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah said to me: Scion of nobles, fortunate is he (who is thus clean) and fortunate is his soul, for everyone who is clean and guiltless of these eight matters (which Totrakiel the Lord and His servant Surya the Prince of the Presence loathe)

may go down and gaze on the wonderful loftiness and strange lordship, loftiness of exaltation and lordship of splendor, which come to pass before the throne of His glory three times each day, on high from the day when the world was created and until now, for praise, with which Totrakiel the Lord doth conduct himself on high.

Said Rabbi Ishmael: When my ears heard this warning my strength grew feeble. I said to Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah my master, “If so there is no end to the matter. For you will find no man whose soul is yet in his body who is clean and guiltless of these eight matters.” He said to me, “Scion of nobles, and if not –? Arise and bring before me all the great ones of the company and all the mighty ones of the academy, and I shall declare before them the hidden, the concealed secrets, wonders of the ascent, and the weaving of the web upon which the perfection of the world and the excellence thereof doth stand, and the beauty of heaven and earth (wherein all the ends of the earth and the world and the ends of the firmaments of the height are bound, sewed and joined, hung and standing) and the path of the ladder to the height, of which one end is on earth and one end on the right foot of the throne of glory.”

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Straightway I arose and assembled all the Sanhedrin, great and small, to the third entrance which was in the house of the Lord. And he was sitting upon a chair of pure marble which Elisha my father gave me, for it was of the goods of her that bore me which she did bring to him in her dowry.

And there came Rabban Simon ben Gamliel and Rabbi Eliezer the Great and Rabbi Elazar ben Dama and Elazar ben Shammua and Jonathan ben Dahabhai and Haninah ben Hakkanai and Jonathan ben Uziel and Rabbi Akiba and Rabbi Judah ben Babba. We came and sat down before him. And all the multitude of companies were standing upon their feet, for they saw spiderwebs of fire and torches of light which made a separation between them and between us. And Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah sitteth and setteth in order before them all the teachings concerning the Merkabha, [the] descent and [the] ascent, how he descendeth who descendeth, and how he ascendeth who ascendeth.

And whenever a man wished to descend to the Merkabha he would call to Surya the Prince of the Presence and conjure him one hundred and twelve times by Totrosi’ai the Lord (who is called Totrosi’ai Zurtak Totrakhiel Tophgar ’Ashrawwili’ai Zebhodiel Zoharariel Tandiel, and Shekhadhozi’ai Dehibhiron, and ’Andiriron the Lord God of Israel.

And let him beware that he do not exceed an hundred and twelve times and do not diminish from them. And if he exceed or diminish his blood is upon his own head. Bit his mouth must utter [the words of conjuration] and the fingers of his hands must count one hundred and twelve and forthwith he may go down and rule in the [world of the] Merkabha.)

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Thus did Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah say to me: Totrosi’ai the Lord God of Israel of Hosts sitteth within seven palaces, one within another. And at the entrance to each palace are eight door-keepers, four to the right of the lintel and four to the left of the lintel.

These be the names of the door-keepers of the first palace: Lahabhiel, and Kashrael, Gahoriel, Zekhuthiel, Tophhiel, and Lahariel, Mathkiel, and Shuwael. And there be those who say, And Shubhael.

These be the names of the door- keepers of the second palace: Tagriel, and Mathpiel, Sarhiel, and ‘Azpiel, Shaharariel, and Starel, Rig‘iel, and Sahabiel.

And these be the names of the door-keepers of the third palace: Shebhuriel, and Rezuziel, and Shalmiel, Sabhlael, and Zahazhael, Hadarel, and Puriel, and Paltriel.

These be the names of the door- keepers of the fourth palace: Pahdiel, Gebhurthiel, Pozaziel, and Shekhinael, Shathkael, and ‘Arbhiel, and Kapiel, and ‘Anaphiel.

These be the names of the door-keepers of the fifth palace: Tehilael, and ‘Azwiel, Gatoel, Gathoel, and Sa‘aphriel, Naraphiel, and Gariel, Hadiel.

And these be the names of the door-keepers of the sixth palace: Domiel, and Kazpiel, Gahaghiel, and ’Arasbarasbiel, ‘Anromiel, and Parziel, and Magogael, and Tophrael....

And at the door of the seventh palace stand angry all the heroes, warlike, strong, harsh, fearful, terrific, taller than mountains and sharper than peaks. Their bows are strung and stand before them; their swords are sharpened and in their hands. And lightnings flow and issue forth from the balls of their eyes, and spider-webs of fire from their nostrils and torches of fiery coals from their mouths. And they are equipped with helmets and with coats of mail, and javelins and spears are hung upon their thews.

Their horses be heroes of darkness, horses of the shadow of death, horses of thick darkness, horses of fire, horses of blood, horses of hail, horses of iron, horses of fog. The horses upon which they ride stand beside mangers of fire full of coals of juniper and eat fiery coals from their mangers, [taking] a measure of forty bushel of coals in one mouthful. And the measure of the [content of the] mouth of such horse is [the content of] three mangers such as the mangers of Caesaraea, and the measure of each manger is the measure of the gate of Caesaraea.

And there be rivers of fire beside their mangers, and each of their horses drinks as the measure of the fullness of the watercourse which is in the valley of Kidron, which bringeth and containeth all the rainwater of all Jerusalem. And in that place was a cloud above their heads, showering blood above their heads and [above the heads] of their horses. And this is the sign and the measure of the horses of the entrance of the seventh palace and a horse of the entrance of each palace.

And all of those who descend to the Chariot would go up and not be injured, even though they would see all of this chamber. So they would descend in peace and come and stand and testify to an awesome and shattering sight, something which is not found in any chamber of the kings of flesh and blood. They bless, praise, laud, adorn, elevate, embellish and give glory, splendor and greatness to Totrosiyah, the Lord God of Israel, who rejoiced about those who descended to the Chariot; and sat and anticipated when every Jew shall descend with wonderous greatness and unusual power, with the greatness of elevation and the power of the beings that enthuse in praise before the Throne of Glory three times every day in the Heights, from when the world was created until now.

King just, King faithful, King beloved, King lovely, King supporting King lowly, King humble, King righteous, King pious, King holy, King pure, King blessed, King lofty, King mighty, King gracious, King merciful, King of Kings of Kings

and Lord of the Crowns. Totrosi’ai the Lord God of Israel desireth and awaiteth – in such measure as He awaiteth for the redemption and for the season of salvation which is laid up for Israel for a day of vengeance after the destruction of the last temple – when shall he that descendeth to the Merkabha descend? When shall he see the loftiness of the height? When shall he see the end which bringeth salvation? When shall he hear the end which is wrought by wonders? When shall he see that which eye hath not seen? When shall he ascend and tell to the seed of Abraham who loved Him?

Said Rabbi Ishmael: When thou comest and standest at the entrance of the first palace take two seals in thy hands, one that of Totrosi’ai the Lord and one that of Surya the Prince of the Presence. Show that of Totrosi’ai the Lord to those standing to the right, and show that of Surya the Prince of the Presence to those standing on the left. Straightway Dahabhiel the Prince who is head of the entrance of the first palace and is appointed over the first palace and standeth to the right of the lintel, and Tophahiel the Prince who standeth to the left of the lintel with him, – straightway they seize thee, one from thy right and one from thy left until they bring thee and hand thee over to Taghriel and Mathpiel and make thy peace with them and warn them concerning thee.

Now Taghriel is the prince who is head of the entrance of the second palace and standeth to the right of the lintel, and Mathpiel is the prince who standeth to the left of the lintel with him.

And show them two seals, one of ‘Adhriwaron the Lord and one of ‘Uzhiy’a the Prince of the Presence. Show that of ‘Adhriwaron the Lord to those standing to the right, and show that of ‘Uzhiy’a the Prince of the Presence to those standing to the left. Straightway they seize thee, one from thy right and one from thy left, until they bring thee and hand thee over to Shebhoriel and Reziziel and make thy peace with them and warn them concerning thee. Now Shebhoriel is the prince who is head of the entrance of the third palace and standeth to the right of the lintel, and Reziziel is the prince who standeth to the left of the lintel with him.

Show them two seals, one of Zurtak the Lord to those standing to the right, and show that of Dehabhyoron the Prince of the Presence to those standing to the left. Straightway they seize thee, one from thy right and one from thy left, and these bring thee – two princes before and two princes behinds the – and hand thee over to Pahdiel and Gebhortiel and make thy peace with them and warn them concerning thee. Now Pahdiel is the prince who is head of the entrance of the fourth palace and standeth to the right of the lintel, and Gebhortiel is the prince who standeth to the left of the lintel with him.

And show them two seals, one of Zebhoriel the Lord and one of Margiwiel the Prince of the Presence. Show that of Zebhoriel the Lord to those standing to the right, and show that of Margiwiel the Prince of the Presence to those standing to the left. Straightway they seize thee, one from thy right and one from thy left, until they bring thee and hand thee over to Tehilael and ‘Azriel and make thy peace with them and warn them concerning thee. Now Tehilael is the prince who is head of the entrance of the fifth palace and standeth to the right of the lintel, and ‘Azriel is the prince who standeth to the left of the lintel with him.

And show them two seals, one of Totrakhiel the Lord and one of Zehaphtariai the Prince of the Presence. Show that of Totrakhiel to those standing to the right, and show that of Zehaphtariai to those standing to the left. Straightway they seize thee and bring thee – three princes before thee and three princes behind thee and two princes at thy sides,

because the door-keepers of the sixth palace would destroy all those who “do and do not” descend to the Merkabha because they act without permission. And [the superior powers] did give the door-keepers orders and beat them and burn them and set others in their place. And also the others who replace them behave in the same fashion, for they do not fear, nor do they consider, saying: “Why should we be burned and what pleasure is it to us that we should destroy [all] those that do and do not descend to the Merkabha because they act without permission?” And this is still the behaviour of the door-keepers of the sixth palace.

Said Rabbi Ishmael: All the companions said to me: “Scion of nobles, thou who rulest by the light of the Law as doth Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah, see him and bring him back that he sit with us, leaving the vision which he glimpseth in the vision of the Merkabha, and that he tell us who is he who doth and doth not descend to the Merkabha – he whom the door-keepers of the sixth palace would attack, for they would not touch at all those who [really] descend to the Merkabha. What is the difference between those [who would not be attacked] and those [who would]?”

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Thereupon I took a piece of woolen cloth and gave it to Rabbi Akiba, and Rabbi Akiba gave it to a servant of ours, saying, “Go and lay this cloth beside a woman who immersed herself and yet did not become pure, and let her immerse [herself a second time]. For if that woman will come and will declare the measure of her menstrual flow before the company, it is known that one forbids [her to her husband] and the majority permit. Say to that woman, ‘Touch this cloth with the end of the middle finger of thy hand, and press not the end of thy finger upon it, but [only] as a man [presseth] who taketh a hair, which hath fallen therein, from out his eye-ball, pushing it very gently.’”

They went and did so, and placed the cloth before Rabbi Ishmael. He [picked it up by] thrusting into it a bough of myrrh full of oil of spikenard which was laid up in clean balsam and they placed it upon the knees of Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah and therewith caused him to be dismissed from before the throne of glory where he had been sitting and beholding wonderful loftiness and strange lordship, loftiness of exaltation and lordship of splendor, which come to pass before the throne of His glory three times each day, on high, from the time when the world was created and until now, for praise.

And we besought of him [to know] who is he who “doth and doth not” descend to the Merkabha. He said unto us, “These be the men whom those who [really] descend to the Merkabha do take and cause to stand above them or to sit before them and do say unto them, ‘Behold and see and give ear and write down all that which we say and all that which you hear from before the throne of glory.’ And if those men be not fit for this task, then would the door-keepers of the sixth palace attack them. And take care that ye choose for yourselves fit men and these from the tested companions.”

When thou comest and standest at the entrance of the sixth palace, display three seals of the door- keepers of the sixth palace. Display two seals to Kazpiel the Prince, whose sword is drawn in his hand, and there issue forth from it lightnings, and he shaketh it against everyone who is not fit to behold the King and his throne, and there is no creature who may stay his hand. And his sword crieth and saith: “Pain!” And he standeth by the lintel of the [entrance on the] right. And one seal show Dumiel.

And is Dumiel indeed his name And is not ’byrghydrhym (i.e. Air Earth Water Fire) his name? And why was his name called Dumiel? Said Rabbi Ishmael: Thus said Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah: “Each day doth a voice go forth from the seventh heaven and proclaimeth and saith in the heavenly court of justice (saying as follows): ’t ‘ws wbrmnzh / wpwr g ‘st the Lord God of Israel called him Dumiel according to His Own Name, [saying]: ‘Just as I see and hold my peace so doth Dumiel [viz: The silence of God].’” His authority [extendeth over] the right lintel, but Kazpiel the Prince driveth him away, yet he cherisheth against him neither enmity nor hatred nor jealousy nor contention, but each [doteth] for His honor.

Zoharariel and Pa‘ali Pa‘ali: Show something of these two seals to Kazpiel, and show Beronyah to Dumiel the Prince, a just and humble prince. And at once would Kazpiel the Prince string his bow and draw his sword and bring thee a whirlwind and seat thee in a chariot of brilliance and trumpet before thee as eight thousands of myriads of horns and three thousands of myriads of rams’ horns and four thousands of myriads of bugles. And Dumiel the Prince seizeth a gift and walketh before thee.

And what gift? Said Rabbi Ishmael: Thus said Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah my master: “This gift which Dumiel the Prince would seize [and carry] before the chariot of that man who doth deserve by reason of his righteousness to descend to the Merkabha is not a gift of silver and not a gift of gold, but it is that they grant him the privilege that he should not be questioned, not in the first palace and not in the second palace and not in the third palace and not in the fourth palace and not the in the fifth palace and not in the sixth palace and not in the seventh palace, but he showeth them his seal and they leave him [in peace] and he entereth.”