Chagigah 13b (יג:) — the Talmud in English

Ḥashmal is an acronym" :

"living creatures speaking fire"

[fire emerges from their speech].

In the baraita

[in the baraita]

the tanna

gave another acronym:

At times they "are silent"

[the living creatures are silent],

at times they "speak"

[that is, they praise and extol God, Rashi on Ezekiel];

When speech emerges from the mouth of the Holy One

they

are silent, and when speech does not emerge from the mouth of the Holy One

they

speak.

It is written further in the account of the Merkava in Ezekiel:

"And the living creatures ran and returned like the appearance of lightning":

What is the meaning of "ran and returned":

Rav Yehuda said: Like light

like a flame

emerging from the mouth of the furnace

in which stones are burned into lime.

That is: The living creatures thrust their heads out from beneath the firmament stretched above their heads, and then draw them back in out of awe of the Divine Presence, swiftly, like the running and returning of a flame emerging from the mouth of the furnace when the stones are burned.

What is the meaning of "like the appearance of lightning"?

Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: Like light emerging from between earthenware shards.

Gold refiners would perforate an earthenware vessel with many holes and place it upside down over coals containing gold, within crushed shards of bricks laid upon earthenware; a flame would emerge upward through the holes in the vessel. It would be composed of many colors and would continually emerge and withdraw.

It is written further at the beginning of the account of the Merkava:

"And I saw, and behold, a storm wind came from the north

[from Babylonia, which is in the north],

a great cloud and a flashing fire, and a brightness around it.

And from within it was something resembling ḥashmal, from within the fire."

What did it seek

the wind

there

[Baḥ, based on Rashi]? Why did the wind go to Babylonia?!

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: It went to conquer the entire world under the rule of the wicked Nebuchadnezzar.

And why all this?

In order

that the nations of the world should not say

when the Israelites were delivered into the hands of Babylonia:

"The Holy One delivered His children into the hands of a lowly nation,"

and therefore He first made their king ruler over the entire world.

The Holy One said: Who caused Me to serve

idol worshippers,

to make them rulers over the entire world?

The sins of Israel caused Me to do so!

It is written further in the account of the Merkava in Ezekiel:

"And I saw the living creatures, and behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures."

Rabbi Elazar

explained:

It is one angel

that

stands on the earth, and whose head reaches beside the living creatures,

and this is what is stated: "On the earth, beside the living creatures."

In the baraita it was taught: His name is Sandalfon, and he is taller than his fellow by a journey of five hundred years; he stands behind the Merkava and binds crowns for his Master.

And we challenge this:

Is that so!

Is it possible that he knows where the place of His glorious Presence is, so that he can place a crown upon it?!

But it is written: "Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place"!

That is: From that unknown place where He is.

By inference, "His place"

of the Holy One

is not known by anyone!

[No one knows where His place is].

And we answer: Indeed, he does not himself bind a crown for his Master.

Rather, he binds it

Sandalfon

to the crown

[he prepares the crown],

and adjures

the crown

by the Explicit Name, and then the crown goes

[the crown goes by itself]

and sits in its place

[Baḥ; it seats itself in its place].

Rava said: Everything

that

Ezekiel saw

in the visions of the account of the Merkava,

Isaiah also saw

when

Isaiah

the prophet was visited by the Divine Spirit, as it is stated: "And I saw the Lord sitting upon a high and lofty throne." However, Isaiah did not take care to describe everything, because Isaiah was like a city dweller who sees the king constantly; therefore he is not frightened by him, is not astonished by his appearance, and does not take care to relate it, as the Gemara proceeds to explain.

And why did Ezekiel relate what he saw, whereas Isaiah did not relate it?

Because

Ezekiel is comparable to a villager who saw the king.

And Isaiah is comparable to a city dweller who saw the king.

Reish Lakish said: What

is the meaning of the verse

that is written: "Sing to the Lord, for He is greatly exalted"

[Baḥ]?

Sing to the One who is exalted over the exalted.

As the Master said: The king among wild animals is the lion.

The king among domesticated animals is the ox.

The king among birds is the eagle.

And man is exalted over them.

And the Holy One is exalted over them all, and over the entire world.

The Gemara further expounds verses from the account of the Merkava in Ezekiel: "

And I saw, and behold, a storm wind came from the north, a great cloud and a flashing fire, and a brightness around it, and from within it was something resembling ḥashmal, from within the fire.

And from within it was the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: the likeness of a man was upon them.

And four faces for each one, and four wings for each one of them.

And their legs were straight legs, and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot, and they sparkled like the appearance of burnished copper.

And human hands were beneath their wings on their four sides. And their faces and their wings were for all four of them.

Their wings were joined, each woman to her sister.

They did not turn as they went; each went in the direction of its face.

And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man [from the front].

And the face of a lion was to the right [on the right side of the human face] for all four of them [this was so for all four living creatures].

And the face of an ox was on the left [on the left side of the human face], and the face of an eagle was for all four of them [behind the human face]."

One verse says: "The likeness of their faces was the face of a man.

And the face of a lion was to the right for all four of them. And the face of an ox

was on the left for all four of them,"

and the face of an eagle was for all four of them.

But,

on the other hand,

it is written

in Ezekiel, chapter 10:

"And four faces for each one"

[the verse is speaking of the sacred living creatures].

The face of the first—

the face of a cherub

[one face was the face of a cherub],

and the face of the second—

the face of a man, and the third—

the face of a lion, and the fourth—

the face of an eagle."

But

the face of an

ox is not counted

[rather, the face of a cherub]?!

Reish Lakish

explained:

Ezekiel pleaded for mercy concerning it, and it was changed

from "the face of an ox"

to

the face of a

cherub.

And so

Ezekiel said

before Him:

"Master of the universe! Let an accuser not become a defender!"

[Baḥ]

For we need Your chariots to plead for mercy on our behalf, whereas the ox is an accuser because of the sin of the Golden Calf.

And we explain:

What is the meaning of "cherub"?

Rabbi Abbahu said:

"Cherub" is as though one said:

like

a child.

For in Babylonia they call a young child

[a baby]

a child,

and the living creatures have the face of a child.

Rav Pappa said to Abaye: If that is so,

since the living creatures have the face of a child, and this is the face of the cherub:

This

that is written

[there, in the aforementioned verse],

"The face of the first was the face of a cherub, and the face of the second was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle,"

then according to your words

the face of a cherub is the same as the face of a man?!

And we answer:

Man and cherub

indeed

are one and the same

[Baḥ].

The distinction between them is that a man has

a large

face

[a large face],

whereas

a cherub has

a small face

[a small face].

The Gemara further raises a difficulty from Isaiah's prophecy against Ezekiel's prophecy:

One verse

in Isaiah's prophecy

says: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a high and lofty throne, and His skirts filled the Temple.

Seraphim stood above Him.

Six wings, six wings for each one,

With two it covered its face, with two it covered its feet, and with two it flew.

And one called to the other and said: Holy."

Isaiah testifies that he saw six wings belonging to the seraphim.

But,

on the other hand,

one verse

in Ezekiel's prophecy

says

about the living creatures:

"And four faces for each one, and four wings for each one of them"?!

That is, they had only four wings, and not six wings as Isaiah saw!

And we answer:

It is not difficult,

because:

Here,

in Isaiah's days, they had six wings,

when the Temple was standing.

Here,

in Ezekiel's prophecy,

when the Temple was not standing,

for the time of its destruction had already arrived.

As though the wings of the living creatures had been diminished—

when the Temple was destroyed—from three pairs of wings to two.

And we explain:

Which of them was diminished

[which pair of wings among the three pairs was diminished]?

Rav Ḥananel said in the name of Rav: Those

wings

with which they recite song.

These are the ones concerning which it is stated, "And with two it flew": They would rustle their wings and recite song with them, as is implied by the juxtaposition of the verses: "And with two it flew. And one called to the other and said: Holy," and so on.

As it is written here: "And with two it flew," and one called to the other and said

Holy, and so on.

And it is written: "When you lift your eyes to it, it is gone."

You learn from this that those wings with which it flies are the wings concerning which it says: "It is gone."

But the Rabbis say:

The wings that were diminished were

those

the wings

with which

the living creatures

cover

their

feet

[as it is stated: "With two it covered its feet"].

The proof that in Ezekiel's prophecy those two wings with which they cover their feet were missing is

that

it is

stated

in Ezekiel's prophecy:

"And their legs

of the living creatures

were straight legs."

And if those wings that cover their feet had not been diminished,

those wings that cover their feet,

from where did

Ezekiel

know

what their covered legs looked like? Rather, it is necessarily the case that in the time of his prophecy these wings had been diminished and their legs were exposed.

And we challenge this: What proof is this?

Perhaps they exposed

their legs

and showed them to him

[Baḥ; perhaps the living creatures exposed their legs and showed them to Ezekiel]?!

For if you do not say this

[if you do not say that the living creatures revealed covered things to Ezekiel], then, concerning what is stated in Ezekiel's prophecy:

"And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man,"

would you also say

that the two wings with which it covered its face had been diminished

[as it is stated: "With two it covered its face"]?!

Rather,

it is necessarily the case

that their faces were exposed, and he saw them

[their faces were exposed, and Ezekiel saw them].

If so,

here too

one could say:

Their legs were exposed

and

he saw them

Ezekiel.

And we answer:

How can you compare the two!

What is the comparison?! The subject is not comparable to the proof, for exposure of the face cannot be compared to exposure of the feet!

Granted, the face: It is proper conduct to expose it before one's Master

[it is proper to reveal one's face before one's master].

But the feet: It is not proper conduct to expose them before one's Master!

[But regarding the feet, it is not proper conduct to expose them before one's master.]

It is necessarily the case that the wings with which they covered their feet were diminished, and Ezekiel was able to see their feet.

The Gemara further raises a contradiction between verses concerning the heavenly entourage:

One verse

in the Book of Daniel

says: "A thousand thousands ministered to Him, and myriads of myriads stood before Him"

[a thousand thousand attendants ministered to the Holy One, and myriads of myriads stood before Him].

Thus, there is a number for the heavenly entourage.

And one verse

in the Book of Job

says: "Is there a number to His armies?"

It is not difficult: Here,

in the Book of Job,

when the Temple is standing.

Here,

in Daniel,

when the Temple is not standing,

for in Daniel's time the Temple had already been destroyed.

And then,

as though

[we must speak in this manner even concerning the heavenly host, just as with flesh and blood, regarding which diminution is possible, Rashi]

the heavenly entourage was diminished.

It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi says in the name of Abba Yosei ben Dosai

to reconcile the verses:

"A thousand thousands ministered to Him"—

the statement in Daniel—refers to the

number

of those who minister in

one host.

And

if you seek

the

number of

His hosts—

there is no number!

as it is stated in Job.

And Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba said

to reconcile the verses:

"A thousand thousands ministered to Him" refers to the River of Fire.

As it is stated

in that same verse in Daniel:

"A River of Fire flowed and issued from before

Him"

[it flowed and issued from before Him],

"A thousand thousands ministered to Him, and myriads of myriads stood before Him."

But the heavenly entourage as a whole indeed has no number, as it is stated in Job.

And the Gemara explains the nature of the River of Fire:

From where does it emerge,

from where does the River of Fire flow?

Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba said in the name of Rav

[Baḥ]:

From the sweat of the living creatures.

And where does it flow

[where does it pour]?

Rav Zutra bar Tuvya said in the name of Rav: Upon the heads of the wicked in Gehenna, as it is stated: "Behold, the storm of the Lord, wrath has gone forth, and a whirling storm shall whirl upon the head of the wicked."

And Rav Aḥa bar Yaakov said:

The River of Fire pours

upon "those who were cut off"

[these are the generations whom the Holy One removed from the world before the giving of the Torah and did not create, and whom the Holy One placed in Gehenna, as stated below; the River of Fire pours upon them],

as it is stated: "Those who were cut off before their time"

[the verse will be explained below],

"a river was poured out as their foundation."