Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating ancient text, gives us a glimpse. It tells us that when He speaks westward, His voice resonates between the Cherubim – those powerful angelic beings – that bear the face of an ox. When He turns northward, the voice echoes between Cherubim with the face of an eagle. Isn’t that evocative?
But it doesn’t stop there.
The text continues, painting a picture of the divine chariot, the Merkavah. Now, Ezekiel, in his famous vision (Ezekiel 1), also describes this chariot, with its wheels within wheels. Our text calls these wheels the Ophanim – wheels, literally – and the Whirling Wheels of the Chariot.
And here's the kicker: When He gazes upon the earth, His chariots rest upon these Ophanim. And the sheer noise, the cacophony generated by these whirling wheels? According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, that’s what causes lightning and thunder to erupt into the world. for a second. The divine gaze, the movement of the chariot, directly impacting our reality.
It’s a powerful metaphor. A reminder of the constant, often unseen, activity of the Divine in our world.
But wait, there’s more! The text shifts gears, moving from the earthly realm to the celestial. When He dwells in heaven, He rides upon a swift cloud. And when He is in a hurry? Well, then He flies upon the wings of the wind.
There's even a verse to back this up, taken from Psalm 18:10: "And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, he flew swiftly upon the wings of the wind." It's as if the Psalmist caught a glimpse of this very vision, this very movement of the Divine.
So, what does it all mean? Is it a literal description of heavenly mechanics? Maybe. But perhaps it's more about conveying the sheer power, the omnipresence, and the constant activity of the Divine. The image of the chariot, the wheels, the wind – they all point to a God who is not distant or detached, but intimately involved in the workings of the universe. A God whose very voice can shake the heavens and the earth. Think about the next time you hear thunder. Perhaps it is more than just atmospheric discharge. Perhaps it is a reminder of something far grander than we can imagine.