It's a peek behind the curtain, so to speak, into the very heart of holiness.
The text describes a powerful scene, a testament to the unbreakable bond between God and His people. It speaks of God's throne, and on that throne, incredibly, is engraved the "feature of the face of Jacob your father." Yes, Jacob, the patriarch! The one we also know as Israel.
The text continues with God saying that when the angels proclaim "Holy," God bows down to the image of Jacob. He clasps it, embraces it, and kisses it. And not just once, but three times. This mirrors the three-fold declaration of holiness: "Holy, holy, holy."
Think about that for a moment. The Divine, in its infinite glory, showing such intimate affection for the image of our ancestor. It's an astounding idea, isn't it? What does it mean?
Perhaps it speaks to the inherent holiness within humanity, reflected in the face of Jacob, the father of the Israelite nation. Maybe it highlights the profound connection between the earthly and the heavenly, the human and the Divine. God isn't some remote, detached being. The image suggests a God deeply invested in and lovingly connected to humanity.
The text then shifts, almost breathless with awe. "Who will not attribute majesty to the King majestic?" it asks. "Who will not give praise to the King who is praised, who will not hallow the King who is hallowed?" It’s a rhetorical question, of course. The answer is obvious. Everyone should!
Heikhalot Rabbati emphasizes the constant, dynamic nature of the divine realm. "For each day do powers and many wonders come to pass before Him," it declares, "each surpassing and more strange than the other." Imagine a never-ending stream of miracles, each more astonishing than the last, unfolding before God’s very eyes.
And where does this energy come from? The text offers an intriguing detail. It says that these powers arise "from the breath of the eyelids of His chief servants." These are the angels, of course. They are the ones who "move and go out from their mouths when they make mention of that splendid name."
What's the splendid name? It's the divine name, the unspeakable name of God, the Shem HaMeforash. The text tells us that this name "entereth by the ears and goeth out by the mouth and which is forgotten from the heart that is not fitted for it." So, it's a name that only those with a pure and prepared heart can truly grasp and retain.
Again, the triple declaration: "Holy, holy, holy."
This passage from Heikhalot Rabbati is more than just a description of angelic worship. It's an invitation. An invitation to contemplate the profound mystery of God’s love for humanity, the dynamic energy of the divine realm, and the transformative power of holiness.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What would it be like to witness such a scene? To truly grasp the meaning of "Holy, holy, holy?" Perhaps, by reflecting on these ancient words, we can catch a glimpse of that celestial reality, and bring a bit of that holiness into our own lives.