Rabbi Ishmael, a central figure in the Heikhalot literature (texts describing mystical ascents to heaven), once posed this very question. He asks, what did Zoharariel, the Lord God of Israel, actually do when his wrath against Sammael (often seen as an accuser or adversary) reached its peak?
According to Heikhalot Rabbati (a major text within the Heikhalot literature), God didn't just dictate decrees of punishment. No, his patience was so utterly exhausted that He didn't even instruct a scribe! Instead, He personally took up the paper and wrote. He wrote against Rome, the "wicked city," and the day of vengeance destined for it.
Can you imagine the intensity? The sheer force of divine will focused into words?
So, what did He write?
The text describes a terrifying vision of plagues unleashed upon Rome. First, a cloud would hover over the city for six months, unleashing a “running sore” upon everything – people, animals, precious metals, even the very fruit of the land. Talk about widespread devastation!
But it doesn't end there.
After six months, a second cloud appears, driving away the first. This new cloud brings an even more grotesque affliction: a "scall of leprosy and scab and pox and all manner of scalls." The description is visceral, almost unbearable.
The prophecy culminates in a moment of utter desolation. A time will come, the text says, when someone could have the entire city of Rome and all its contents for next to nothing – "one farthing," it states. And yet, no one would want it. "I want her not," the person would declare.
Think about that for a second. A city once so powerful, so influential, reduced to utter worthlessness. A place so afflicted that it becomes repellent.
Why Rome? Well, within certain Jewish apocalyptic traditions, Rome often symbolizes wickedness and oppression. Understanding that context helps illuminate the deeper meaning of this passage.
What does this vision ultimately tell us? Perhaps it's a warning about the consequences of unchecked power and moral decay. Maybe it's an expression of hope that even the most formidable empires are not immune to divine justice. Or maybe, just maybe, it's a glimpse into the unimaginable power of divine wrath when it finally breaks its bounds. Whatever your interpretation, it's a chilling and unforgettable image drawn from the heart of Jewish mystical tradition.