{"id":72979,"date":"2020-04-06T18:15:13","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T15:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=72979"},"modified":"2020-04-06T18:15:13","modified_gmt":"2020-04-06T15:15:13","slug":"ezekiels-chariot-vision-of-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/ezekiels-chariot-vision-of-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Ezekiel\u2019s Chariot Vision of God"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"72979","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33877,"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"And the origins of Jewish mysticism\r\n\r\n","content":"

As we begin our study of the Book of Ezekiel, we should note that interpreting Ezekiel\u2019s astonishing visions proved for some downright dangerous! Talmud Bavli Hagigah 13a tells of an inexperienced person who when trying to expound the mysterious term \u201cchashmal\u201d (electrum? amber?) found only in the Book of Ezekiel (1:4, 27 and 8:2), a fire shot forth and consumed him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reservations about the content of Ezekiel\u2019s sometimes astonishingly graphic visions are reflected already in the earliest stratum of rabbinic literature. The Mishnah (Hagigah 4:10) records a majority ruling that Ezekiel\u2019s opening vision of \u201cthe Chariot \u2013 Ha-Merkavah\u201d (Chapter 1) may not be used as a haftarah (\u201cprophetic reading\u201d), though a minority opinion, that of Rabbi Yehudah, permits its use. Nevertheless, Talmud Bavli Megillah 31a rules that \u201cnowadays,\u201d Ezekiel chapter 1 is read as the haftarah on the first day of Shavuot. This led to the current practice on Shavuot, to read Ezekiel\u2019s Chariot vision as the haftarah (Ezekiel 1:1\u201328, 3:12) following the Torah Reading of the Revelation at Sinai (Exodus 19:1-20:23).<\/span><\/p>\n

Elsewhere, the Mishnah (Hagigah 2:1) rules that Ezekiel\u2019s chariot vision may not be interpreted even in the presence of one person unless he is a Sage who understands on his own. Bavli Hagigah 11b-14b preserves an extensive discussion on this mishnaic ruling. Here we find explicit explanation of rabbinic reservations about the prophecies of Ezekiel. Because some of Ezekiel\u2019s words contradict other passages in Scripture (compare Ezekiel 18:20 to Exodus 20:5), the Sages at one time considered \u201cconcealing\u201d it, i.e. excluding the entire Book of Ezekiel from the Biblical canon. However, Hananya ben Hizkiya burned up 300 kegs of oil to provide light in a secluded upper chamber until he managed to interpretively resolve these contradictions, thereby maintaining Ezekiel\u2019s canonicity.<\/span><\/p>\n

The same extensive Talmudic discussion includes narratives about the extraordinary events that occurred when Sages in the circle of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai (1<\/span>st<\/span> century CE) interpreted the opening chapter of Ezekiel. We are told that when Rabbi Eleazar ben Arakh expounded Ezekiel\u2019s vision of God, the Shekhinah and the ministering angels appeared. Fire descended from heaven, encircling all the trees in the field who began singing: \u201cPraise the Lord, from the land\u2026the fruit trees and all the cedars\u201d (Psalms 148:7-9). An angel responded: \u201cThis is indeed the Work of the Chariot \u2013 Ma\u2019aseh Ha-Merkavah\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, \u201cMa\u2019aseh Merkavah\u201d is one of the names of a whole genre of works known in academic research as the Merkavah Literature. These works which greatly expand on Ezekiel\u2019s chariot vision, evolved from late antiquity until the early Middle Ages and influenced medieval Kabbalah and Hasidism. They feature traditions of various individuals who ascended through the \u201cHeavenly Palaces \u2013 Hekhalot\u201d seeking to behold God sitting on His celestial throne (see Isaiah Chapter 6). According to Gershom Scholem (Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, pp. 40 and following), this extensive and variegated literature represents the first phase in the development of Jewish mysticism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Image: Engraved illustration of the “chariot vision” of the Biblical book of Ezekiel, after an earlier illustration by Matthaeus (Matth\u00e4us) Merian (1593-1650), for his “Icones Biblicae” , 1670 \/ wikipedia<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":72999,"id":72999,"title":"ez1-Ezekiel's_vision","filename":"ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/ezekiels-chariot-vision-of-god\/ez1-ezekiels_vision\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ez1-ezekiels_vision","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":72979,"date":"2020-04-06 15:15:00","modified":"2023-12-26 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