APOCALYPTIC AND MERKAVAH MYSTICISM

Hekhalot Rabbati

This the major Hekhalot tractate we possess. The main body is 26 chapters, while the last 4 or 5, appended to them belong to Sar-Torah speculation. (The secret technique of the study of the law and its memorisation)

The text begins: "What are the incantations which should be recited by him who wants to behold the vision of the Merkavah, to descend and ascend safely."

1: Technical aspects of descending and ascending are asked.

2: Mystical incantations play an important part in the journey.

3: Those incantations were learnt by a mystic (Rabbi 'Akiva) during a heavenly ascent.

The idea of the mystics sharing the song of the angels comes close to the idea expressed by the Qumran sectarians that the special merit of the believers was to enjoy partnership with the angels.

Chapter 3 begins with a short dialogue between G-D, who is here called Zoharariel (G-D of the Shining Light) and the mystic as to why the mystic is so terrified. He says that he has called G-D for 6 hours a day, and the angels drag him to his knees till he reaches the Divine Throne.

He proceeds to describe the Divine Throne, described as hovering ever since the creation of the world.

The creatures carry it but they do not place their feet on the firmament.

What the Throne here is described as doing and saying implies that G-D is not always present on His Throne in the Divine Palace. When G-D is absent from the 7th hehhal, he resides in the 8th heaven which is above the heads of the creatures.

The 7th is therefore the official Court of G-D. He attends there, 2-3 times a day, corresponding to the prayer times of the People of Israel.

The text in Hekhalot Rabbati 3 describes G-Ds descent to the 7th hekhal says:

Wonderful loftiness, strange power, Loftiness of Grandeur, power of majesty that the Angel of the Countenance of G-D behaves thus thrice daily in heavenly court before Your Throne of Glory, when He comes and arrives in heavens above the heads of the cherubim, above the heads of the Ofanim and above the heads of the Heavenly Creatures.

And the Cherubim, Ofanim and the heavenly Creatures, bound, stand beneath the Throne of the Glory. And when they (the elders) see Him coming on the firmament which is above the heads of the Cherubim, the Ofanim and the Holy Creatures, they retreat and are frightened and fall back and swoon.

When G-D appears on His throne in the 7th heaven, He is clad in His Divine Garment (Haluq).

Architect's Note : Wisdom - rainbow light, shekinah

It is stated in the hekhalot Rabbati 9, G-Ds descents to His throne correspond to the times of the 3 daily prayers of the People of Israel.

In 11:3-4, G-D is addressing twice daily, words of blessing to those officiating before Him. G-D asks the angels to be silent so as to enable Him to listen to the prayers of His People.

Hekhalot Rabbati 9: G-D is quoted as asking the mystics the Yordei Merkavah to: "tell my sons what I am doing during the morning and afternoon prayers... teach and tell them... and testify unto them what you saw me doing to the countenance of the face of Jacob, your Patriarch, which is engraven on my Throne."

Here the mystics are explicitly asked to tell and to reveal to the general public (to my sons) this element of their vision.

In 10:3 it is stated: "May the decree of heaven be upon you, descenders unto the Merkavah, if you do not tell and say what you have heard, and if you do not tell what you have seen upon the countenance of grandeur, might, wonder and glory."

In 16:3-5, G-D is described as waiting for the mystics to descend unto the merkavah so as to be able to "see and tell to the seed of Abraham, His beloved."

Hekhalot writings almost never require secrecy. No esoteric layers of scripture are revealed in them.In Hekhalot Rabbati, a piece of Shi'yr Qomah speculation is introduced: "From the throne of His Glory the height of G-D is 180 000 x 10 000 parasangs and from his right arm to his left arm, His width is 70 000 x 10 000 parasangs.

In ch 11, the angel of the countenance crowns each of the Living creatures with 1000s upon 1000s of "crowns". He falls upon his face every time he puts a "crown" on their heads. When the Living Creatures see that G-D is angry with the People of Israel, they untie their "crowns" and beat them on the ground thus asking forgiveness for the people of Israel. ch 12.

13:2, "What is the technique of the merkavah mystic like? it is like having a ladder is one's house and being able to go up and down at will."

Rabbi Nehunyah ben Ha-Qanah: " The beam of the web upon which rest the perfection of the world and its beautiful construction. And also the axle of heaven and earth to which are bound, sewed, connected, hung, and fastened all the edges of the earth and the universe and also the edges of the celestial firmaments."

"When a man wanted to descend to the merkavah he would call Suriyah, the Prince of the Countenance, and conjure him 112 times, careful not to add or subtract or he might fatally injure himself."

"Totrosi'i, Lord G-D of Israel, dwells in 7 palaces, one inside the other, and at the gate of each palace are 8 doorkeepers, 4 on either side."

The names of the doorkeepers in the 6 palaces are given, the 7th palace keepers given in ch 22:1.

The passage through the doors is granted only when 2 seals are shown, 1 to those standing on the right and 1 to those standing on the left. (17).

At the door to the 6th hekhal, a change is introduced: 2 seals have to be shown to those standing on the right and 1 to those on the left (18:5-6).

Only when the seals are shown, do the doorkeepers accompany the mystic to the next door.

(25:5-6) The angel in charge of those standing on the right side of the door is Qezfiel ("The wrath of G-D") and he holds in his hand a drawn sword.- lightening bolts come out from it, and it shouts "destruction."

On the Left side stands Dumi'el (Divine Silence). Real name is Averbhidrihm. (Possibly a corrupt transcription of 3 Greek words: air, earth and water respectively)

The reason given in the text for the change of name is: "he should be called Dumi'el after my name: just as I see and remain silent so does he."

But Qezfiel the prince, used to push him aside.

The names of the gatekeepers of the 7th heaven, are given. There is a difference to those keeping the gates on the descent as to those of the ascent.

Anafi'el holds the prominent role. Why is he called Anafi'el? Because of the branch of the crown of the crowns that was placed on his head and used to cover the all the chambers of the palace of the firmament 'Aravot. In this he resembles the demiuge.

Of the demiuge, it is said "His glory covers the firmament (Habakkuk 3:3), so it is also with Anafi'el , the minister, who is a servant that is called after the name of his master."

24:3, for a description of G-D in similar terms: "King of Kings, G-D of Gods and Lord of Lords.

He who is exalted with chains of crowns/Who is encompassed by the branches of the rays of brilliance/Who covers the firmament with the branch of His Glory."

Anafi'el opens for the mystic the gates of the 7th palace. And when the holy creatures try to assault the mystic, "Anafi'el assists him, "he and the 63 gatekeepers of the 7 hekhalot."

Anafi'el belongs to the category of Angels of the highest rank. He is viewed as equal to Metatron, "Akatri'el and Synadelphon.

The text tells how G-D descended on His throne into the temple, and this only when the skeleton of the building was finished. This allegedly was to prove Haggai's prophecy (2:9) that the glory of the 2nd temple would be greater than that of the first one.