Turns out, that feeling isn’t new. According to some fascinating threads in Jewish tradition, it was the very reason one righteous man, Enoch, was taken directly to heaven.
Why Enoch? The story, as told in Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg, paints a picture of a world steeped in sin. People were essentially telling God, "We don't want to know you!" A pretty harsh rejection, right? This, according to Rabbi Ishmael as quoted in Ginzberg, is why Enoch was "translated" – taken alive – to heaven. He was to serve as a witness. A testament to the fact that even with the impending destruction of the flood, God wasn't acting cruelly.
Imagine Enoch's journey. Guided by the angel 'Anpiel, he ascends from earth to heaven. Now, picture this: the celestial beings – the ofanim, seraphim, and cherubim, all those fiery spirits who move God's throne – notice him. From an immense distance, they detect "the odor of one born of woman." "How did a human get here?" they wonder.
But God has an answer. "My servants," He says, "don't be offended! Humanity has denied Me. They worship idols. I had to move the Shekhinah" — that's the Divine Presence — "from earth to heaven. But this man, Enoch, he’s different. He's the best of the bunch. He's the reward I get from that whole terrestrial experiment!"
Before Enoch can get settled into his heavenly digs, he needs a bit of an upgrade. The gates of wisdom, understanding, discernment, life, peace, and yes, even the Shekhinah itself, are opened to him. We're talking a full download of divine knowledge and qualities. The Zohar tells us that gaining wisdom is one of the most important things we can do in life, and here, Enoch is just flooded with it.
He’s not just given knowledge; he's given qualities. Compassion, love, kindness, grace, humility… the works. According to Ginzberg's retelling, he's endowed with more of these excellent attributes than even the celestial beings possess. He's blessed thousands of times over! And his physical form changes too – he becomes enormous, gaining 36 wings and 365,000 eyes, each shining like the sun. I mean, can you even imagine what that must look like?
And then comes the big moment. A throne is erected for him beside the gates of the seventh celestial palace. A herald announces his new name: Metatron. From now on, he is prince and chief over all the princes in God's realm… except for the eight most exalted princes who bear God's name. Wow.
So, what does Metatron do? Well, any angel with a request for God has to go through him. He’s the gatekeeper, the intermediary. The princes of wisdom and understanding are at his service, revealing to him all the knowledge of the celestial and terrestrial realms, past, present, and future. He's also the guardian of the treasures in the heaven 'Arabot, including the treasures of life. The Midrash Rabbah expands on this, noting that the 'Arabot is considered the highest heaven, reserved for justice, righteousness, and treasures.
Out of pure love, God decks Metatron out in a magnificent garment covered in every kind of light. He’s crowned with a diadem gleaming with forty-nine jewels whose brilliance fills all the heavens and the four corners of the earth. This crown, we're told, even contains the letters by which heaven and earth were created! He is then called "the little Lord."
The effect is… intense. Even the highest-ranking angels, including some pretty fearsome figures like Samael and Gabriel, tremble before him. His magnificence, majesty, splendor, and beauty are overwhelming. The text even lists a whole host of angels, each in charge of different elements like hail, wind, lightning, and constellations – and they all bow before Metatron.
Finally, we get to the truly transformative part. Enoch's body is turned into celestial fire. His flesh becomes flame, his veins fire, his bones glimmering coals. His eyes are torches, his hair a blaze. He is literally consumed by divine fire, surrounded by storms and whirlwinds.
It’s a pretty wild image, isn't it? This transformation into Metatron is more than just a promotion; it's a complete metamorphosis. It’s a story about the potential for humanity, even in the face of widespread sin. It’s about the power of righteousness and the possibility of ascending to unimaginable heights. And it leaves you wondering: what potential lies dormant within each of us, waiting to be ignited?