{"id":72889,"date":"2018-07-09T17:47:18","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T14:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wall\/wall-453\/"},"modified":"2023-10-31T11:53:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-31T09:53:35","slug":"wall-453","status":"publish","type":"wall","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wall\/wall-453\/","title":{"rendered":"chapter-Prophets-Ezekiel-1"},"parent":0,"template":"","acf":{"type":"chapter","wall_id":"453","date":"20270525","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","books_group":"Prophets","posts":[{"order":1,"id":"72899","color":"#f8ebe3","size":"1","name":"JPS Audio Bible - Ezekiel Chapter 1 ","post_title":"JPS Audio Bible - Ezekiel Chapter 1","slug":"jps-audio-bible-ezekiel-chapter-1","old_id":"72899","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34686,"post_title":"Soundcloud","slug":"soundcloud","old_id":"34686","first_name":"","last_name":"","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34656,"alt":"","title":"491","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","width":300,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","medium_large-width":300,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","large-width":300,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":300,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":300,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":300,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/491-2.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"4","show_author_image":true,"old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"JPS Audio Bible","tile_main_caption":"Ezekiel Chapter 1","tile_main_caption_size":"2","tile_sub_caption":"Hear the daily chapter","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-753876298\/jps_audio_bible_ezekiel_chapter_1","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":2,"id":"118626","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"Ben Adam ","post_title":"Ben Adam","slug":"ben-adam","old_id":"118626","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":101758,"post_title":"Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam","slug":"naomi-bromberg-bar-yam","old_id":"101758","first_name":"Naomi ","last_name":"Bromberg Bar-Yam ","description":"Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam is a social worker and advocate in maternal and child health. She explores her work and life through Torah drashot, rituals and children\u2019s stories.","short_description":"Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam is a social worker and advocate in maternal and child health. She explores her work and life through Torah drashot, rituals and children\u2019s stories.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":101760,"alt":"","title":"-62028435af471--62028435af472Naomi Bromberg Bar-Yam.jpg","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/02\/62028435af471-62028435af472Naomi-Bromberg-Bar-Yam.jpg.jpg","width":361,"height":449,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/02\/62028435af471-62028435af472Naomi-Bromberg-Bar-Yam.jpg-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/02\/62028435af471-62028435af472Naomi-Bromberg-Bar-Yam.jpg-241x300.jpg","medium-width":241,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/02\/62028435af471-62028435af472Naomi-Bromberg-Bar-Yam.jpg.jpg","medium_large-width":361,"medium_large-height":449,"large":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/02\/62028435af471-62028435af472Naomi-Bromberg-Bar-Yam.jpg.jpg","large-width":361,"large-height":449,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/02\/62028435af471-62028435af472Naomi-Bromberg-Bar-Yam.jpg.jpg","1536x1536-width":361,"1536x1536-height":449,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/02\/62028435af471-62028435af472Naomi-Bromberg-Bar-Yam.jpg.jpg","2048x2048-width":361,"2048x2048-height":449,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/02\/62028435af471-62028435af472Naomi-Bromberg-Bar-Yam.jpg.jpg","post_full_size-width":361,"post_full_size-height":449,"home_baner":"https:\/\/cetwpuploads.blob.core.windows.net\/wp929\/uploads\/2022\/02\/62028435af471-62028435af472Naomi-Bromberg-Bar-Yam.jpg-338x420.jpg","home_baner-width":338,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Like Adam, Ezekiel was exiled. And like Adam, he started over\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

The term Ben Adam \/ son of man\/Adam appears 107 times in Tanakh, 93 of those times in the book of Ezekiel. It is the way God addresses Ezekiel throughout the book. No other prophet or biblical personality is referred to in this way so often and consistently.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Rashi offers two complementary explanations: Because Ezekiel was the only human in the heavens to see the Celestial Chariot, he is named Ben Adam; and because Ezekiel alone among humans saw it, God calls him son of man, so that he will not become haughty. Abrabanel explains that, just as Adam was exiled from Eden, so Ezekiel was exiled from Israel, so he is Ben Adam, son of Adam.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Like other prophets, Ezekiel prophesies to Israel of God\u2019s anger, their punishment of exile and their return, and he prophesies to other nations about their dire fates.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From the first chapter, Ezekiel, Ben Adam, also has extraordinary experiences and visions, even for a prophet. He goes on, and takes us on, journeys that are powerful, vivid and yet hard to understand: God\u2019s battle chariot; God enthroned over Jerusalem; dry bones resurrected as Israel will be resurrected and returned to our homeland; the war of Gog and Magog, in which Israel\u2019s enemies are destroyed bringing a period of peace; and a vision and description of a third Temple (Ezekiel lived after the destruction of the first Temple) and, with it, the return of God\u2019s presence in Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ezekiel is the first prophet of the Exile, his time, energy and prophecies focused on the Israelites exiled to Babylonia. The first exile, of the 10 tribes of Northern Israel, had no prophets or leaders, no promise to them of their return. They were absorbed into the cultures where they were exiled. This exile is different. Before they are exiled, God makes clear, through the words of multiple prophets, that this exile is temporary and they will return.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Adam, mankind, was exiled from Eden, and he, and we, made a productive, though troubled, life outside of Eden. Ezekiel, Ben Adam, is also at a moment of exile and starting again. The People of Israel has been decimated; the diaspora has begun. To this day, we have never fully returned to Israel and it took several millennia to be sovereign in our own land again. He, and we, have made a productive, though troubled, life outside of Israel.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

God addresses Ezekiel as Ben Adam. We are all Ben (or Bat) Adam. Like Ezekiel, we have the potential for extraordinary experiences, visions of restoration.\u00a0 As Ezekiel and all of our prophets teach, it is up to us to create the reality, the Eden and the return to Israel, as God\u2019s partner.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: William Blake, God Judging Adam (detail), 1795 \/ wikimedia<\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":64989,"alt":"","title":"is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795.jpg","width":517,"height":540,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795-287x300.jpg","medium-width":287,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795.jpg","medium_large-width":517,"medium_large-height":540,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795.jpg","large-width":517,"large-height":540,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795.jpg","1536x1536-width":517,"1536x1536-height":540,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795.jpg","2048x2048-width":517,"2048x2048-height":540,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795.jpg","post_full_size-width":517,"post_full_size-height":540,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/is6-God_judging_adam_blake_1795-402x420.jpg","home_baner-width":402,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Ben Adam","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Like Adam, Ezekiel was exiled. 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Every good blockbuster movie starts with an exhilarating action sequence. Think of the opening scenes of the James Bond movies before the iconic credit sequence, the raptor scene in Jurassic Park, or the bank robbery scene in The Dark Knight. There is no bigger action sequence to start something than the Vision of the Divine Chariot (the \u201c<\/span>Ma\u2019aseh Merkava\u201d<\/span><\/i>). The Mishnah in Chagigah dictates that \u201cone may not expound by oneself the Design of the Divine Chariot, a mystical teaching with regard to the ways God conducts the world, unless he is wise and understands most matters on his own\u201d (Steinsalz).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Gemara in Chagigah 14b bolsters this directive by telling two stories of two pairs of rabbis who discuss the Ma\u2019aseh Merkava. In one story a ring of fire encircles the rabbis and in the other clouds fill the sky and angels descend to listen to words of the lesson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Maimonides explains that the person must be wise on his own so that he is able to go into the reading of the text with a pre-understanding of the ideas and thoughts that it expounds due the mystical nature of the chapter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

In such an instance, he is given fundamental points, and an outline of the concepts is made known to him. He [is expected to continue to contemplate] until he reaches understanding with his powers of knowledge and knows the ultimate meaning and depth of the concept. These concepts are extremely deep, and not every [person has] the knowledge necessary to appreciate them.\u201d (Mishnah Torah: Foundations of the Torah 2:12).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Mishnah in Megillah 4:10 prohibits reading from chapter 1 of Ezekiel as a haftorah,\u00a0 although it is read as the haftorah on the first day of Shavuot. The idea is to link the revelation on Sinai with Ezekiel\u2019s revelation of the divine chariot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Putting the mystical nature of the chapter aside, why does the book begin with this story? Ezekiel was a member of the nobility\u00a0 and therefore was one of the first to be exiled to Babylonia. He is the first prophet in exile. God\u2019s message through Jeremiah to the people who were exiled was to build a temporary life in Babylonia and not to resist God\u2019s directive of destruction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ezekiel\u2019s vision of the chariot serves two purposes. It is symbolic of God leaving Jerusalem due to the destruction. It is also symbolic of God going into exile with his people. The newly exiled may have been skeptical that God would join them outside the land. In the ancient world, gods only dwelt in the lands of their people. Chapter One assuages those fears and reminds the people that God is everywhere and especially where God\u2019s people reside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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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>\r\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>\r\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>\r\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>\r\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>\r\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>","post_main_content_image":{"id":72999,"alt":"","title":"ez1-Ezekiel's_vision","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","width":417,"height":323,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision-300x232.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":232,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","medium_large-width":417,"medium_large-height":323,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","large-width":417,"large-height":323,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","1536x1536-width":417,"1536x1536-height":323,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","2048x2048-width":417,"2048x2048-height":323,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","post_full_size-width":417,"post_full_size-height":323,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","home_baner-width":417,"home_baner-height":323}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Ezekiel\u2019s Chariot Vision of God","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"And the origins of Jewish mysticism","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":72999,"alt":"","title":"ez1-Ezekiel's_vision","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","width":417,"height":323,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision-300x232.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":232,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","medium_large-width":417,"medium_large-height":323,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","large-width":417,"large-height":323,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","1536x1536-width":417,"1536x1536-height":323,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","2048x2048-width":417,"2048x2048-height":323,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","post_full_size-width":417,"post_full_size-height":323,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Ezekiels_vision.jpg","home_baner-width":417,"home_baner-height":323}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":6,"id":"73007","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Proudly Aware But Humbly Silent ","post_title":"Proudly Aware But Humbly Silent","slug":"proudly-aware-but-humbly-silent","old_id":"73007","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34250,"post_title":"Sarah Rudolph","slug":"sarah-rudolph","old_id":"34250","first_name":"Sarah ","last_name":"Rudolph","description":"Sarah Rudolph is a freelance Jewish educator, writer, and editor. She has been sharing her passion for Jewish texts of all kinds for over 15 years, with students of all ages. Sarah\u2019s essays have been published in a variety of internet and print media, including Times of Israel, Kveller, Jewish Action, OU Life, The Lehrhaus, TorahMusings, and more. 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Studying in Israel for a gap year (and then another) before college, I both grew in my Jewish learning and became ever more aware of how much I didn\u2019t yet know. In an attempt to fill some of the holes in my background knowledge, I decided I would start reading my way through all 24 books of Tanach \u2013 not a chapter a day as in the esteemed 929 program, but however much or little I could, whenever I could.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

While I conceived of this project more as reading than as studying, I figured I would need some help even to follow on a basic level, and chose the Daat Mikra commentary as my guide. When it came to Ezekiel, though, with his reputation for being particularly esoteric, I figured I might need more of a boost than I could get from a Hebrew commentary. I\u2019d come across a pocket-sized English translation and commentary by Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer and decided to try that, and settled excitedly down to finally plumb the mysteries of Ezekiel.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I was quickly put in my place. As Ezekiel introduces his cosmic vision in chapter 1 verse 4, Rabbi Dr. Breuer first offers some general comments on the experience of prophecy and then quotes from Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch\u2019s commentary on Exodus 24:10: \u201cWho would be so presumptuous as to attempt to describe such a vision in exact detail?\u201d Rabbi Breuer continues, \u201cLet us rather remain humbly silent, but at the same time proudly and happily aware that we possess such a proclamation of God\u2019s glory in our Book of Exile.\u201d (In his foreword, Rabbi Breuer had described Ezekiel as \u201cour guide through the exile.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

That line made me smile, as did the fact that he provides no translation or commentary at all on verses 5-27.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

My father was a philosophy teacher, and I learned from him to appreciate knowledge as well as its limitations. While some might call it cheating to skip these verses so completely, and certainly many commentators do make the attempt that Rabbi Hirsch calls presumptuous, I could appreciate the honesty of a scholar taking a look at the vision and saying \u201cHuh?\u201d I could appreciate an ideological stance that refuses to pretend we can understand the secrets of the divine.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I could also appreciate the notion that these lines are both for us and not for us. We have them; they are part of our tradition, part of our comfort in Exile. But we don\u2019t have mastery over them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We might strive to know a great many things in life, but there is value too in accepting that there are some things we simply cannot understand.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And then we can turn the page, and discover how much more there is for us to learn.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73008,"alt":"","title":"ez1-silence","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence.jpg","width":1920,"height":1281,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1025,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1281,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-1200x801.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":801,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Proudly Aware But Humbly Silent","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"When we are given mystery instead of mastery\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73008,"alt":"","title":"ez1-silence","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence.jpg","width":1920,"height":1281,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1025,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1281,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-1200x801.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":801,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-silence-630x420.jpg","home_baner-width":630,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":7,"id":"73015","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"The Chariot and the Journeys of God's Glory ","post_title":"The Chariot and the Journeys of God's Glory","slug":"the-chariot-and-the-journeys-of-gods-glory","old_id":"73015","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":72948,"post_title":"Tova Ganzel","slug":"tova-ganzel","old_id":"72948","first_name":"Tova ","last_name":"Ganzel ","description":"Dr. Tova Ganzel is the Director of the Midrasha at Bar-Ilan University, and is one the first trained women\u2019s halakhic advisors (Yoatzot Halacha). She received her PhD from Bar-Ilan\u2019s Department of Bible Studies, and teaches at the Institute for Advanced Torah Studies at Bar-Ilan University. Her work is mainly on the Hebrew Bible in the context of the larger ancient Near Eastern world. \r\n","short_description":"Dr. Tova Ganzel is the Director of the Midrasha at Bar-Ilan University, and is one the first trained women\u2019s halakhic advisors (Yoatzot Halacha).","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":72949,"alt":"","title":"tova ganzel","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","width":892,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel-268x300.jpg","medium-width":268,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel-768x861.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":861,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","large-width":892,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","1536x1536-width":892,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","2048x2048-width":892,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel.jpg","post_full_size-width":892,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/tova-ganzel-375x420.jpg","home_baner-width":375,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Where is the place of His glory? Not in the Temple anymore...\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

At the beginning of his book, Ezekiel describes how \"the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.\" Chapter 1, described by the rabbis as the \"ma'aseh merkava\" is one of the most difficult chapters to understand in all of Tanakh.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This Divine vision, which appears at the very outset of the book, holds the key to understanding one of the central prophetic messages of the book. The recollection of this vision accompanies Ezekiel's prophecy throughout the rest of the book. In these visions, God's glory is borne in a chariot, which indicates motion. The upshot of all these visions is that God's glory has departed from the Temple.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Even in Ezekiel's pre-Destruction prophecies the glory of God has already departed from the Temple and the Divine Presence is no longer within the city of Jerusalem. Therefore, during the six first years of Ezekiel's prophecy \u2013 from the time he began to prophesy until the destruction of the Temple \u2013 there is no call to the nation as a whole to mend its ways and to repent. The fate of Jerusalem has already been sealed; the Temple is defiled and desecrated, and the city will not be purified until God has poured out His wrath in its midst.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Where is God's glory is to be found during the years of the Destruction? Does God's glory wander with the people to Babylon, or does it remain in the Land of Israel, outside Jerusalem, waiting for the people to return?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ezekiel emphasizes that even though this is the first time that God's glory has departed \u2013 indeed the Temple lies in ruins \u2013 nevertheless the same Divine vision will return and once again dwell in the future Temple. The nation need not fear that the departure of God's glory from the Temple means the departure of His glory from the nation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

God\u2019s Presence in the Temple cannot be assumed to be unconditional; God will not allow His Presence to dwell there if the nation causes the Temple to be defiled. But even though the nation refuses to accept the message of the prophets and fails to repent, even after the destruction of the Temple, God will never abandon His people.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

(published in conjunction with hatanach.com)<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73016,"alt":"","title":"ez1-chariot","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot.jpg","width":1920,"height":1021,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-300x160.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":160,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-768x408.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":408,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-1024x545.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":545,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":817,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1021,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-1200x638.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":638,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-790x420.jpg","home_baner-width":790,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"The Chariot and the Journeys of God's Glory","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Where is the place of His glory? Not in the Temple anymore...","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73016,"alt":"","title":"ez1-chariot","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot.jpg","width":1920,"height":1021,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-300x160.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":160,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-768x408.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":408,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-1024x545.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":545,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":817,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1021,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-1200x638.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":638,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-chariot-790x420.jpg","home_baner-width":790,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":8,"id":"73004","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Sky Show At The River Chebar ","post_title":"Sky Show At The River Chebar","slug":"sky-show-at-the-river-chebar","old_id":"73004","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":70715,"post_title":"Judry Subar","slug":"judry-subar","old_id":"70715","first_name":"Judry ","last_name":"Subar","description":"Judry Subar, who lives in Potomac, Maryland, spent most of his professional career as a lawyer with the federal government in Washington, DC. Since his retirement, Jud has been involved in various writing and educational projects.","short_description":"Judry Subar spent most of his professional career as a lawyer with the federal government in Washington. Since his retirement, he has been involved in various writing and educational projects.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":70716,"alt":"","title":"judry subar","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/judry-subar.jpg","width":400,"height":400,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/judry-subar-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/judry-subar-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/judry-subar.jpg","medium_large-width":400,"medium_large-height":400,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/judry-subar.jpg","large-width":400,"large-height":400,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/judry-subar.jpg","1536x1536-width":400,"1536x1536-height":400,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/judry-subar.jpg","2048x2048-width":400,"2048x2048-height":400,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/judry-subar.jpg","post_full_size-width":400,"post_full_size-height":400,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/judry-subar.jpg","home_baner-width":400,"home_baner-height":400}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"With a dude named Zeke...\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

\u201cBeen to the movies lately?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cYou know there won\u2019t be any movies for another few millenia.\u00a0 How can you expect me to go down to the mall to check out the latest flick?\u00a0 Next thing you know, you\u2019ll suggest that I just stay home and stream something. Even though all that streams in my house are tears.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cTears? You mean as in sadness?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cWell, we\u2019re not just peeling onions at home.\u00a0 And it\u2019s not even really home that I\u2019m talking about.\u00a0 Just a way station on what I hope is some sort of round trip back to the land of my -- and maybe your? -- dreams.\u00a0 You remember, don\u2019t you? Waving wheat, fragrant olives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cThere you go again, spinning out about what once was and ignoring what is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cDate syrup flowing from every kitchen faucet.\u00a0 Streets paved with golden bricks made from goat\u2019s milk cheese.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cStop!\u00a0 Sounds incredibly messy.\u00a0 Will you get a grip?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cEven if you\u2019re right when you imagine what I dream about, I think you\u2019re the one with the mixed up millenia.\u00a0 Golden bricks lining the streets, indeed. You\u2019ve got to get out more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cOkay, smarty pants, where do you suggest we go for a little entertainment?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cThat\u2019s easy.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard there\u2019s an incredible show down at Nehar Chebar.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0\u201cWhat is it, something put on by those Aegean travelers?\u00a0 I heard they\u2019re trying to break into the biz with what they call tragedy -- a form I think I could really relate to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cNo, not them. They get their material from a bunch of old fables. It\u2019s a dude named Zeke. He\u2019s one of us, and word is that when he gets going it\u2019s as if he\u2019s gathering a host of creatures the likes of you\u2019ve never seen, and making the sky light up with starbursts.\u00a0 Sounds like special effects to die for.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cOkay, okay, you\u2019ve convinced me. If I\u2019m going to weep by the waters, it might as well be because of the acrid smell of fireworks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cThere you go with your timewarp again. But I\u2019m glad you\u2019re seeing the light; let\u2019s get a move on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cThere he is.\u00a0 What a trance he\u2019s in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cFor sure.\u00a0 But I can\u2019t see whatever he sees at all.\u00a0 And do you hear what he\u2019s saying?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cYeah, wow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cOMG!\u00a0 Flying things, and rings of wings.\u00a0 Crystal and sapphire and the pure sky that holds a rainbow in its clouds.\u00a0 And wheels and flares. And eyes opened wide. And there, up above, as if to be seen. . . OMG!!!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ezekiel 1:28:\u00a0 \u201c... the appearance of the semblance of the Presence of the Lord...\u201d<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73005,"alt":"","title":"ez1-fireworks","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks.jpg","width":1920,"height":1053,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-300x165.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":165,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-768x421.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":421,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-1024x562.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":562,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":842,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1053,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-1200x658.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":658,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-766x420.jpg","home_baner-width":766,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Sky Show At The River Chebar","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"With a dude named Zeke...","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73005,"alt":"","title":"ez1-fireworks","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks.jpg","width":1920,"height":1053,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-300x165.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":165,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-768x421.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":421,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-1024x562.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":562,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":842,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":1053,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-1200x658.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":658,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-fireworks-766x420.jpg","home_baner-width":766,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":9,"id":"72976","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Spellbound ","post_title":"Spellbound","slug":"spellbound","old_id":"72976","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":59587,"post_title":"Benjamin Morse","slug":"benjamin-morse","old_id":"59587","first_name":"Benjamin ","last_name":"Morse ","description":"Dr. Benjamin Morse studied religion and art history at Vassar, Oxford, and the Courtauld before completing a PhD in biblical interpretation. 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","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":59588,"alt":"","title":"Benjamin Morse by Lenka Opalena","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Benjamin-Morse-by-Lenka-Opalena.jpg","width":1069,"height":1576,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Benjamin-Morse-by-Lenka-Opalena-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Benjamin-Morse-by-Lenka-Opalena-203x300.jpg","medium-width":203,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Benjamin-Morse-by-Lenka-Opalena-695x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":695,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Benjamin-Morse-by-Lenka-Opalena-695x1024.jpg","large-width":695,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Benjamin-Morse-by-Lenka-Opalena.jpg","1536x1536-width":1042,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Benjamin-Morse-by-Lenka-Opalena.jpg","2048x2048-width":1069,"2048x2048-height":1576,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Benjamin-Morse-by-Lenka-Opalena-814x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":814,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Benjamin-Morse-by-Lenka-Opalena-285x420.jpg","home_baner-width":285,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Ezekiel 1 Read by Jessica Rabbit\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

One of my most God-conscious friends is a Slovak bombshell with better English than most native speakers. After our ulpan in Jerusalem in 1997, she became Bratislava\u2019s most popular MTV presenter. She\u2019s been in front of the cameras ever since.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

FaceTiming this morning from our respective quarantines, we reflected on what freaks the ancient prophets were. Hosea naming his kid Not Loved and Ezekiel\u2019s episodes with excrement wouldn\u2019t have been crowd pleasers. \u201cActs of faith,\u201d she said, \u201clook as bizarre to non-believers today as they did to them back then.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

She and I had bonded over talks like this ever since we formed an exclusive club of two the first day of ulpan. So there was no question of who would read the chapter I chose from Ezekiel for my gay wedding ten years later. It could only be Vera.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

For all of its spectacular details, the passage ultimately attests to the limits there are to describing God. Almost everything Ezekiel sees is \u201clike\u201d but <\/span>not quite<\/span><\/i> something on earth: the likeness of four beings, the likeness of a man, the likeness of fiery coals, etc.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

At the heart of the blinding vision extraordinaire there glows \u201csomething like gleaming amber\u201d. When Vera read these words, knowing friends chuckled at my mischief in highlighting my wedding with an allusion to Amber Valletta (a portal to the divine for this gay boy since her first <\/span>Vogue<\/span><\/i> cover in February 1993). But it was Vera who set the revelation on fire, branding it on their hearts forever.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Before the service we had seen her alongside her unworthy boyfriend, dressing down a figure-hugging gown with a short denim jacket. When the time came for her to read, she removed the jacket to reveal a silhouette last seen in Toontown. Every man and woman\u2019s jaw dropped as she strode up the aisle, turned towards the lectern, and reverenced the moment with a dramatic pause before addressing her page of Scripture.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

She lured us backwards in time as the first phrases rolled from her lips: \u201cIn the thirtieth year\u2026 in the fourth month\u2026 on the fifth day of the month.\u201d The guttural emphasis she laid on the river <\/span>Che<\/span><\/i>bar presaged the transfixing close of the opening line: \u201cthe heavens were opened\u2026 and I saw <\/span>visions of God<\/span><\/i>.\u201d I had abridged the chapter so that people would stay rapt, and by the time she sealed the prophecy with \u201c<\/span>This<\/span><\/i> was the <\/span>appearance <\/span><\/i>of the <\/span>likeness <\/span><\/i>of the <\/span>glory of God<\/span><\/i>,\u201d not a soul was thinking about the sanctity of marriage.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The erotics of biblical literature are as plain as day to some of us. Ezekiel\u2019s relationship to prophecy is so physical, he eats his scroll. His radiant apparition even culminates in something like human loins and the \u201cfire below\u201d (v. 27). His divine encounter puts me in touch with him and suggests he was more than spellbound by the golden chariot. He was seduced.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Ian Sklarsky<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":72977,"alt":"","title":"Ez1 Vera by Ian Sklarsky","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky.jpg","width":2048,"height":2868,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-214x300.jpg","medium-width":214,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-731x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":731,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-731x1024.jpg","large-width":731,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky.jpg","1536x1536-width":1097,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky.jpg","2048x2048-width":1462,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-857x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":857,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-300x420.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Spellbound","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Ezekiel 1 Read by Jessica Rabbit","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":72977,"alt":"","title":"Ez1 Vera by Ian Sklarsky","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky.jpg","width":2048,"height":2868,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-214x300.jpg","medium-width":214,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-731x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":731,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-731x1024.jpg","large-width":731,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky.jpg","1536x1536-width":1097,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky.jpg","2048x2048-width":1462,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-857x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":857,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Ez1-Vera-by-Ian-Sklarsky-300x420.jpg","home_baner-width":300,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":10,"id":"72946","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Accoutrements Of Epiphany ","post_title":"Accoutrements Of Epiphany","slug":"accoutrements-of-epiphany","old_id":"72946","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":54356,"post_title":"Robert Alter","slug":"robert-alter","old_id":"54356","first_name":"Robert ","last_name":"Alter","description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967. He has written over twenty books, focusing on such topics as the European novel from the 18th century to the present, contemporary American fiction, and modern Hebrew literature. He has also written extensively on the literary aspects of the Bible. His most recent work is his monumental three volume translation of the entire Hebrew Bible - The Hebrew Bible, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019 - from which the selections in 929 are taken. ","short_description":"Robert Alter is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and author of the three-volume translation of the entire Hebrew Bible - The Hebrew Bible, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":54357,"alt":"","title":"robert alter","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","width":184,"height":275,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium-width":184,"medium-height":275,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","medium_large-width":184,"medium_large-height":275,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","large-width":184,"large-height":275,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","1536x1536-width":184,"1536x1536-height":275,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","2048x2048-width":184,"2048x2048-height":275,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","post_full_size-width":184,"post_full_size-height":275,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/robert-alter.jpg","home_baner-width":184,"home_baner-height":275}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Pyrotechnic paraphernalia of divine revelation\u00a0\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

1:4 \u201cAnd I saw, and look, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud, and fire flashing, and radiance all round it, and from within it like the appearance of amber from within the fire.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

These accoutrements of epiphany are traditional in the Bible: in many different texts, from Exodus to Psalms, God reveals himself in fire and lightning and cloud. Nevertheless, this prophecy is strikingly innovative in form. First, it combines the pyrotechnic paraphernalia of divine revelation with imagery evidently borrowed from sundry Mesopotamian sources--the wheeled throne, the four faces of the creatures like the four faces of the Babylonian god Marduk, the iconic animals. Isaiah in his dedication scene (Isaiah 6) glimpses the skirts of God\u2019s robe filling the Temple and seeing the seraphim, but there is no direct description of God and no elaborate imagining of a celestial vehicle. One should also note that this elevated vision is cast in prose, but it is a visibly poetic prose marked by hypnotic cadences. The words do not scan as poetry, yet some of the diction is poetic. The reiterated term for \u201cradiance,\u201d <\/span>nogah<\/span><\/i>, for example, ordinarily appears only in poetic texts. Thus, Ezekiel has devised a prophetic prose-poetry that has scant precedents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From: Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible<\/em>, vol. 2: Prophets, W. W. Norton & Co., 2019, ad loc. By permission of the author.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"From Robert Alter's Bible Translation and Commentary","tile_main_caption":"Accoutrements Of Epiphany","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Pyrotechnic paraphernalia of divine revelation\u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":54890,"alt":"","title":"Alter-Cover","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","width":1200,"height":693,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-300x173.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":173,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-768x444.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1024x591.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":591,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":693,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover.jpg","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":693,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-1200x693.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":693,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Alter-Cover-727x420.jpg","home_baner-width":727,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":11,"id":"73020","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Lamassu ","post_title":"Lamassu","slug":"lamassu","old_id":"73020","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":34243,"post_title":"Moshe Sokolow","slug":"moshe-sokolow","old_id":"34243","first_name":"Moshe","last_name":"Sokolow","description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University, and teaches a weekly class in parashat hashavu`a at Lincoln Square Synagogue. He is the author of TANAKH: An Owner\u2019s Manual (Jerusalem: Urim\/Ktav, 2015).\r\n\r\n","short_description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34244,"alt":"","title":"sokolow","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","width":302,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-300x298.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":298,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","medium_large-width":302,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","large-width":302,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","1536x1536-width":302,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","2048x2048-width":302,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","post_full_size-width":302,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","home_baner-width":302,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"A magnificent image - even if not divine\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In this chapter, Ezekiel described his prophetic initiation alongside the banks of the Chebar River in Babylonia. \u201cI saw,\u201d he said, \u201cvisions of God\u201d (<\/span>mar\u2019ot Elohim<\/span><\/i>, v.1). Two prime questions arise: What did he see, and what connection was there between what he saw and how God really appears?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

But first, Radak offered a linguistic note. He would have us take issue with the English translation we used for the object of Ezekiel\u2019s vision. Rather than taking <\/span>mar\u2019ot Elohim<\/span><\/i> as a construct (possessive) of two nouns (visions of God), he saw it as a noun and an adjective (godly, or divine visions), explaining:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This means wonderful and magnificent visions, as it is the custom of Scripture to aggrandize something by relating it to God, such as \u201ca great godly city\u201d [describing metropolitan Nineveh], \u201cgodly mountains\u201d [lofty], \u201cgodly cedars\u201d [tall], \u201cgodly darkness\u201d [gloomy], and \u201cgodly flame\u201d [blazing].<\/span><\/p>\r\n

If we may add an example of our own, <\/span>tzelem Elohim<\/span><\/i> (Gen. 1:27) cannot mean \u201cthe image of God\u201d because, as Maimonides formulated it, \u201cHe is neither corporeal, nor can He be described through corporeal attributes\u201d (Article 3 of his 13 articles of faith). Following Radak, it should be rendered as a godly, or divine image, a recognized biblical form of hyperbole used for extravagant praise or stature.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As to what Ezekiel saw, by his own admission\u2014through his repeated use of the word <\/span>mar\u2019eh<\/span><\/i> (appearance, or semblance)\u2014we do not have an exact description of what that was; it strongly implies that he did not see those items in reality, but things that resemble them. But if he indeed saw something \u201creal,\u201d the closest that biblical scholarship and archaeology have come to identifying that object is the <\/span>lamassu<\/span><\/i>, a composite human, eagle, bull, and lion (see v.10). It was regarded in Mesopotamia as a protective deity and was often found at the entrances to palaces or temples and was surely recognizable to the exiled Jews who lived in their proximity.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Later Jewish mystical tradition considered this vision to be God\u2019 s chariot (<\/span>merkavah<\/span><\/i>) with its four faces symbolizing universal sovereignty: The bull rules domesticated animals, the lion\u2014wild animals, the eagle\u2014birds, man rules all animals and birds, and God rules over man.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Image: Lamassu from Dur-Sharrukin. University of Chicago Oriental Institute. Syrian limestone Neo-Assyrian Period, c. 721\u2013705 BCE \/ wikipedia<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73021,"alt":"","title":"ez1-Lammasu","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","width":800,"height":708,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu-300x266.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":266,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu-768x680.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":680,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","large-width":800,"large-height":708,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","1536x1536-width":800,"1536x1536-height":708,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","2048x2048-width":800,"2048x2048-height":708,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":708,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu-475x420.jpg","home_baner-width":475,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Lamassu","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"A magnificent image - even if not divine","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73021,"alt":"","title":"ez1-Lammasu","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","width":800,"height":708,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu-300x266.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":266,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu-768x680.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":680,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","large-width":800,"large-height":708,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","1536x1536-width":800,"1536x1536-height":708,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","2048x2048-width":800,"2048x2048-height":708,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu.jpg","post_full_size-width":800,"post_full_size-height":708,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Lammasu-475x420.jpg","home_baner-width":475,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":12,"id":"73023","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Oh, Sweet Mystery Of Life ","post_title":"Oh, Sweet Mystery Of Life","slug":"oh-sweet-mystery-of-life","old_id":"73023","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":46656,"post_title":"Molly Morris","slug":"molly-morris","old_id":"46656","first_name":"Molly ","last_name":"Morris ","description":"Molly Morris holds a Masters degree in Leadership and Community Engagement. Her particular area of interest is biblical leadership. Molly participates in the 929 initiative with a dedicated group from the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto congregation. \r\n\r\n","short_description":"Molly Morris holds a Masters degree in Leadership and Community Engagement. Molly participates in the 929 initiative with a dedicated group from the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto congregation. \r\n\r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":92561,"alt":"","title":"molly morris","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","width":2192,"height":2488,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-264x300.jpg","medium-width":264,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-768x872.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":872,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-902x1024.jpg","large-width":902,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","1536x1536-width":1353,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris.jpg","2048x2048-width":1804,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-1057x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":1057,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/molly-morris-370x420.jpg","home_baner-width":370,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"We may need it more than answers to our questions\r\n\r\n\u00a0","post_main_content_content":"

We begin learning Tanach by reading about <\/span>Ma\u2019aseh Bereishit<\/span><\/i>, the account of creation. Although the concept of creating something from nothing may be beyond our comprehension, the creation story describes a physical world that we can understand and relate to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

On the other end of the spectrum is the opening of the Book of Ezekiel, in which the entire first chapter is devoted to a prophecy far beyond any human understanding. <\/span>Ma\u2019aseh Merkava<\/span><\/i>, the account of the Divine chariot, describes a completely metaphysical world that even our sages felt largely inadequate to explain. So incomprehensible is this construct that some sages have suggested parameters around who should learn it in depth (only a very select group at an extraordinary level of spirituality) and how it should be taught (one-to-one, not in large classes.)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As the chapter progresses, even Ezekial begins to struggle with his own prophetic vision. He starts with vivid descriptions like <\/span>\"a storm wind [v. 4]\u201d, and \"a huge cloud of flashing fire surrounded by a radiance [v. 4].\u201d But by the end of the chapter (v. 27) he resorts to less tangible descriptions like \" what <\/span>appeared to be<\/span><\/i> his loins\u201d and \u201cwhat <\/span>looked like<\/span><\/i> a fire\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span>If <\/span>Ma\u2019aseh Merkava<\/span><\/i> is so beyond our comprehension that even the prophet Ezekial finds it difficult to describe, then why include it in such detail? Is God trying to teach us something about the role of mystery in our spiritual health?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Mystery is distinct from \u201cblind faith\u201d. The commandments grouped under <\/span>Chukim<\/span><\/i> require blind faith. These are laws with no rational basis, like those concerning <\/span>shatnez<\/span><\/i> (the prohibition of wearing cloth containing both wool and linen). We keep those laws simply because God told us to, even though we cannot fathom their purpose. Mystery, on the other hand, isn\u2019t something we have to act on but rather the art of accepting the unbelievable and being okay with the knowledge that there are things in this world we will never understand.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We know from the prophecy of Isaiah that the one thing God wants from us is humility, and what could make us more humble than resigning ourselves to the reality that we have to accept mystery. <\/span>\u2018The need for mystery,\u2019 wrote American author Ken Kesey, \u2018is greater than the need for an answer.\u2019 It reminds us that there is something about our world that is far greater than ourselves and our own rationality.<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":50016,"alt":"","title":"dt8-question","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question.png","width":771,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-181x300.png","medium-width":181,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-617x1024.png","medium_large-width":617,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-617x1024.png","large-width":617,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question.png","1536x1536-width":771,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question.png","2048x2048-width":771,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-723x1200.png","post_full_size-width":723,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-253x420.png","home_baner-width":253,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"Oh, Sweet Mystery Of Life","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"We may need it more than answers to our questions \u00a0","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":50016,"alt":"","title":"dt8-question","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question.png","width":771,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-181x300.png","medium-width":181,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-617x1024.png","medium_large-width":617,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-617x1024.png","large-width":617,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question.png","1536x1536-width":771,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question.png","2048x2048-width":771,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-723x1200.png","post_full_size-width":723,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/dt8-question-253x420.png","home_baner-width":253,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":13,"id":"72967","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"2","name":"The Chariot ","post_title":"The Chariot","slug":"the-chariot","old_id":"72967","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":36669,"post_title":"Yakov Azriel","slug":"yakov-azriel","old_id":"36669","first_name":"Yakov ","last_name":"Azriel","description":"Yakov Azriel, who lives in Israel, has published five books of poetry in the USA and hundreds of poems in journals and magazines. His poems have won twenty-two prizes in international poetry competitions, and he has twice been awarded fellowships from the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture.","short_description":"Yakov Azriel is an English language poet who lives in Israel","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":36670,"alt":"","title":"Yakov.Azriel.Photo","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668.jpg","width":1099,"height":1519,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-217x300.jpg","medium-width":217,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-741x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":741,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-741x1024.jpg","large-width":741,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668.jpg","1536x1536-width":1099,"1536x1536-height":1519,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668.jpg","2048x2048-width":1099,"2048x2048-height":1519,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-868x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":868,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Yakov.Azriel.Photo_-e1533158407668-304x420.jpg","home_baner-width":304,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"\u201cIt was in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth of the month, while I was among the exiles on the river Chebar, the heavens opened and I saw divine visions.\u201d (Ezekiel 1:1)\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

The Chariot<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Emerges<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>From out of the storm wind, the opaque cloud,<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>The fire, the glow.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And in the glow \u2014 a semblance<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Of faces; eyes; hands; outstretched wings<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>The color of burnished brass;<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>The profile of a lion, an ox, an eagle through the mist;<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Burning coals and torches.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Chariot<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Draws closer \u2014 wheels<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>And wheels within wheels<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>The color of topaz and polished copper.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The opening of heaven.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Chariot \u2014 now the reflection of a firmament,<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Of thick ice;<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>The sound of flapping wings \u2014 now the noise<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Of many waters, the tumult of an armed camp.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Chariot \u2014 now a Throne<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Of sapphire glistening<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>With the spectrum of a rainbow, shimmering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And out of the glow: One speaking-silence.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>And out of the tumult: One still small voice.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>And out of the cloud: One thread of light.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>And out of the vision: One grace.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Behind the wheel of polished copper \u2014 One;<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Above the Chariot \u2014 One;<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Beyond the Throne \u2014 One.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

One is not many; One is not two or three or ten;<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>One is not none.<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>Before the before and after the After:<\/span>
\r\n<\/span>One.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Only One.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Chariot","tile_main_caption":"And out of the glow: One speaking-silence. And out of the tumult: One still small voice. And out of the cloud: One thread of light. And out of the vision: One grace.","tile_main_caption_size":"2","tile_sub_caption":"","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":14,"id":"73026","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"The Merkava Revelation As A Maimonidean Litmus Test ","post_title":"The Merkava Revelation As A Maimonidean Litmus Test","slug":"the-merkava-revelation-as-a-maimonidean-litmus-test","old_id":"73026","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":70197,"post_title":"Shmuel Phillips","slug":"shmuel-phillips","old_id":"70197","first_name":"Shmuel ","last_name":"Phillips ","description":"Shmuel Phillips holds a law degree from the University of London and is the author of Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah - www.JudasimReclaimed.com. He lives in Jerusalem.","short_description":"Shmuel Phillips is the author of Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah - www.JudasimReclaimed.com.","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":70204,"alt":"","title":"Shmuel Philips","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Shmuel-Philips.jpg","width":269,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Shmuel-Philips-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Shmuel-Philips-269x300.jpg","medium-width":269,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Shmuel-Philips.jpg","medium_large-width":269,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Shmuel-Philips.jpg","large-width":269,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Shmuel-Philips.jpg","1536x1536-width":269,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Shmuel-Philips.jpg","2048x2048-width":269,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Shmuel-Philips.jpg","post_full_size-width":269,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Shmuel-Philips.jpg","home_baner-width":269,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Just how Aristotelian was Rambam?\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

The celestial <\/span>Merkava<\/span><\/i> prophecy in the opening chapter of Ezekiel represents a crucial battleground in the debate over the true identity of Maimonides, known as Rambam. Is he to be viewed primarily as a religious scholar who merely cloaked his Jewish philosophy within the Aristotelian terminology and thought categories of his era, or was he chie\ufb02y an Aristotelian philosopher who struggled to reconcile the faith of his community with his true philosophical beliefs?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

One of the most prominent and frequently cited instances of Rambam seemingly giving primacy to Aristotelian philosophy at the expense of Jewish tradition is his explanation, in the third section of <\/span>Guide To The Perplexed<\/span><\/i>, of the Divine secrets of <\/span>Ma\u2019aseh Merkavah <\/span><\/i>as a representation of Aristotelian cosmology. While Rambam\u2019s controversial interpretation of the <\/span>Ma\u2019aseh Merkavah <\/span><\/i>on the basis of Aristotelian metaphysics is the subject of much fanfare and criticism, scant attention is paid to his introductory comments, in which he expresses extreme caution concerning his approach:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Regarding these matters I followed conjecture and supposition; no Divine revelation has come to me to teach me that the intention in the matter in question is such and such, nor did I receive what to believe in these matters from a teacher\u2026it is possible that they are di\ufb00erent and something else is intended.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n

This is hardly the credo of someone who is arrogantly imposing his preconceived philosophical understandings on the Torah\u2019s texts. Indeed, Rambam\u2019s own words reject the notion that he is giving primacy to Aristotelian thought over the Torah. Rather, they suggest that Rambam was engaging in a genuine attempt to fathom and give meaning to the sacred texts in the spirit of the prevailing ideas of his era; that he was approaching this task with humility and trepidation, well aware of the possibility that his interpretations, and the premises upon which they were based, may not represent the true meaning of the prophecy. Such awareness conforms with the attitude displayed elsewhere by Rambam toward Aristotle\u2019s scientific and philosophical conclusions:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Everything that Aristotle expounds with regard to the sphere of the moon and that which is above it is, except for certain things, something analogous to guesswork and conjecture. (Guide, 2:22)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n

In his recent ground-breaking book on <\/span>Moreh Nevuchim<\/span><\/i>, Dr. Micah Goodman builds on this broader approach to understanding Rambam\u2019s relationship with the Aristotelian worldview, listing several crucial areas in which Rambam departs from Aristotelian science and philosophy. Goodman is led to conclude that \u201cRambam believed that Aristotle\u2019s thought was full of errors.\u201d [<\/span>Maimonides and the Book That Changed Judaism <\/span><\/i>(JPS, 2015), p. 224.]<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The most important aspect of Rambam\u2019s interpretation is not his Aristotelian orientation. Rather, it is his genuine attempt to fathom and give meaning to the sacred texts in the spirit of the prevailing ideas of his era.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

(This post is adapted from a chapter of Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah. More about this book can be found at www.JudaismReclaimed.com).<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":{"id":73027,"alt":"","title":"ez1-Maimonides-2","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","width":198,"height":264,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","medium-width":198,"medium-height":264,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","medium_large-width":198,"medium_large-height":264,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","large-width":198,"large-height":264,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":198,"1536x1536-height":264,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":198,"2048x2048-height":264,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":198,"post_full_size-height":264,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","home_baner-width":198,"home_baner-height":264}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"The Merkava Revelation As A Maimonidean Litmus Test","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Just how Aristotelian was Rambam?","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":73027,"alt":"","title":"ez1-Maimonides-2","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","width":198,"height":264,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","medium-width":198,"medium-height":264,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","medium_large-width":198,"medium_large-height":264,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","large-width":198,"large-height":264,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","1536x1536-width":198,"1536x1536-height":264,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","2048x2048-width":198,"2048x2048-height":264,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","post_full_size-width":198,"post_full_size-height":264,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez1-Maimonides-2.jpg","home_baner-width":198,"home_baner-height":264}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":15,"id":"118628","color":"#f6edf6","size":"1","name":"The Tanakh Podcast-Ezekiel1","post_title":"The Tanakh Podcast-Ezekiel1","slug":"the-tanakh-podcast-ezekiel1","old_id":"118628","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":33692,"post_title":"Alex Israel","slug":"33692-2","old_id":"33692","first_name":"Alex","last_name":"Israel","description":"Alex Israel teaches Tanakh at the Pardes Institute, Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi and Matan, Jerusalem. His first book \"I Kings - Torn in Two\" was published in 2013. See his website www.alexisrael.org, and his podcasts at https:\/\/elmad.pardes.org\/ and https:\/\/tanachstudy.com\/ \r\n","credit":"","image_url":"","short_description":"Alex Israel teaches Tanakh at the Pardes Institute, Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi and Matan, Jerusalem.","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":33693,"alt":"","title":"alex israel","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel.jpg","width":1657,"height":2500,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-199x300.jpg","medium-width":199,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-679x1024.jpg","medium_large-width":679,"medium_large-height":1024,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-679x1024.jpg","large-width":679,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel.jpg","1536x1536-width":1018,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel.jpg","2048x2048-width":1357,"2048x2048-height":2048,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-795x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":795,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/alex-israel-278x420.jpg","home_baner-width":278,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"4","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"The Tanakh Podcast","tile_main_caption":"Ezekiel 1: Introduction & The Merkava (\"Chariot\")","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"After a short introduction to the Book of Ezekiel we offer two ways of looking at the scene of the Divine Chariot witnessed by Ezekiel in the opening chapter.","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":108885,"alt":"","title":"-635baf915f04f--635baf915f050tanakh podcast - 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He is the author of TANAKH: An Owner\u2019s Manual (Jerusalem: Urim\/Ktav, 2015).\r\n\r\n","short_description":"Dr. Moshe Sokolow is Associate Dean of the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration, Yeshiva University","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":34244,"alt":"","title":"sokolow","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","width":302,"height":300,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow-300x298.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":298,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","medium_large-width":302,"medium_large-height":300,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","large-width":302,"large-height":300,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","1536x1536-width":302,"1536x1536-height":300,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","2048x2048-width":302,"2048x2048-height":300,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","post_full_size-width":302,"post_full_size-height":300,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/sokolow.jpg","home_baner-width":302,"home_baner-height":300}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Like his teacher - a master of contextual exegesis\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

In our introduction to Jeremiah, we cited the opinion of the Sages (Baba Batra 14b) to the effect that the Book of Ezekiel is \u201chalf doom and half consolation.\u201d Indeed, chapters 1-24 are mostly prophecies of doom while 25-48 are largely consolation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

We have previously made the acquaintance of several northern French exegetes of the 11-12<\/span>th<\/span> centuries, specifically, Rashi, and his grandson Rashbam. We now have an opportunity to meet yet another: Eliezer of Beaugency, a student of Rashbam. Like his teacher, he was a forceful advocate of <\/span>peshat<\/span><\/i> and, as we shall see, just as capable of arriving at unorthodox conclusions. Since we have no commentary of Rashbam to the Prophets, we shall look to Eliezer, wherever possible, to chart the progress of <\/span>peshat<\/span><\/i>, the contextual meaning of Scripture, in the generation after Rashi.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Moshe Greenberg (1928-2010), who taught at the University of Pennsylvania and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, composed a commentary on Ezekiel 1-37 on behalf of the Anchor Bible. I had the rare opportunity to watch him work on this commentary as part of a small group of students to whom he assigned various sources he was utilizing. One of the sources he assigned me was the commentary of Eliezer of Beaugency. He excelled in bringing a wide range of perspectives to bear on the text, particularly those of rabbinic exegesis and modern historical philology.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Identification of the Prophet:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Note that v.1 and everything from v. 4 onwards is written in the first-person singular, while vs. 2-3 speak about Ezekiel in the third person and also supply his identity and chronological time frame. Rashi attributed the interrupting verses to \u201cthe sacred spirit\u201d; Radak considered this established biblical style and cited several such examples, implying, like Rashi, that the author himself, employing <\/span>ru\u2019ach hakodesh<\/span><\/i>, was responsible for the change. Eliezer of Beaugency, in contrast, made an unusual remark: \u201cIn these two verses, the scribe (<\/span>sofer<\/span><\/i>) who transcribed all his words added an explanation of what he had sealed and abbreviated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As regards Ezekiel\u2019s chronology, the opening words of the book date his opening prophecy to \u201cthe thirtieth year,\u201d but fail to situate that within a recognizable time frame, as opposed to Isaiah or Jeremiah whose prophecies were dated to the reigns of specific kings. Radak first cited his father, Yosef, who linked it to the Jubilee year, which Radak himself rejected in favor of the Aramaic Targum, which dated the thirty years to King Josiah when the Scroll of the Law was discovered during the renovation of the Temple. Since that occurred in 622, it would place Ezekiel in Babylon in 592, several years before the Destruction of the Temple, living among the Judeans who had been exiled there in 597.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Eliezer of Beaugency, in his introduction to the book, concurred and advanced an explanation why Ezekiel would have chosen to date himself by that discovery: \u201cBecause there is no prophet who chastised his generation regarding Torah and mitzvot more than he did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"","tile_main_caption":"An Introduction to the Prophet Ezekiel and Eliezer of Beaugency","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Like his teacher - a master of contextual exegesis","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":"","tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":17,"id":"73001","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"E.T Go Home: The Aliens are Coming ","post_title":"E.T Go Home: The Aliens are Coming","slug":"e-t-go-home-the-aliens-are-coming","old_id":"73001","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":64462,"post_title":"Analia Bortz","slug":"analia-bortz","old_id":"64462","first_name":"Analia ","last_name":"Bortz ","description":"Rabbi Dr. Analia Bortz is a medical doctor with postdoctoral studies in Bioethics. She is the first female Latin American rabbi, and is a AJWS Global Justice Fellow in 2019-2020 She and her husband Rabbi Mario Karpuj founded Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs, Georgia. She is the author of The Voice of Silence: A Rabbi's Journey into a Trappist Monastery and Other Contemplation (2017)","short_description":"Rabbi Dr. Analia Bortz is a medical doctor and with her husband Rabbi Mario Karpuj founded Congregation Or Hadash in Sandy Springs, Georgia. ","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":64463,"alt":"","title":"analia bortz","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","width":225,"height":225,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","medium-width":225,"medium-height":225,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","medium_large-width":225,"medium_large-height":225,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","large-width":225,"large-height":225,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","1536x1536-width":225,"1536x1536-height":225,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","2048x2048-width":225,"2048x2048-height":225,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","post_full_size-width":225,"post_full_size-height":225,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/analia-bortz.jpg","home_baner-width":225,"home_baner-height":225}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"Ezekiel\u2019s sci-fi vision\u00a0\r\n\r\n","post_main_content_content":"

The prophet Ezekiel opens his book with a bizarre vision. The text is so peculiar that Erich von D\u00e4niken, a Swiss \u201cufologist,\u201d, U.F.O. \u2018researcher,\u2019 used Ezekiel\u2019s vision of the chariot as a paradigm example of an alien visitation story.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Let\u2019s set the scene:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

\u201cIn the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, when I was in the community of exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened, and I saw visions of God\u201d (Ezek. 1:1).<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Von D\u00e4niken\u2019s book, \u201cChariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past\" was written in 1968 and presents the <\/span>hypothesis<\/span> that the <\/span>technologies<\/span> and <\/span>religions<\/span> of many <\/span>ancient civilizations<\/span> were given to them by <\/span>ancient astronauts<\/span><\/a> who were welcomed as <\/span>gods<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Although the book was later completely discredited, it is one recognition of the uncanny nature of Ezekiel\u2019s visions.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Nevertheless, if noted filmmaker Steven Spielberg was able to open our imagination and let us fly on a bike that transformed our childhood imagination, why shouldn\u2019t we invite the exiled prophet Ezekiel into our personal ride?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

So, let me suggest we accompany the seer and open our minds to the many possibilities of the unknown, to Ezekiel\u2019s visions:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

I looked, and lo, a stormy wind came sweeping out of the north\u2014a huge cloud and flashing fire, surrounded by a radiance; and in the center of it, in the center of the fire, a gleam as of amber. (Ezek. 1:4)<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n

So far, the prophet allows the reader to reenact a similar theophany as the one presented on Mount Sinai. As the prophet recounts his vision, the reader is captivated by imaginary fiction, mesmerized by the sight:<\/span><\/p>\r\n

As I gazed on the creatures, I saw one wheel on the ground next to each of the four-faced creatures. As for the appearance and structure of the wheels, they gleamed like beryl. All four had the same form; the appearance and structure of each was as of two wheels cutting through each other. (Ezek.1:16)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Ezekiel captivates the reader\u2019s attention. How does this theological depiction contine? Where is God in this magisterial scenery?<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Above the heads of the creatures was a form: an expanse, with an awe-inspiring gleam as of crystal, was spread out above their heads. Under the expanse, each had one pair of wings extended toward those of the others; and each had another pair covering its body. When they moved, I could hear the sound of their wings like the sound of mighty waters, like the sound of Shaddai, a tumult like the din of an army. When they stood still, they would let their wings droop. (Ezek. 1:22-24)<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\r\n

So, as we knock on the door of the prophet\u2019s book, intrigued by what his revelation has to offer, we enter a new unidentified space.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Who knows? We might find ET.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

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\u201cJew Curious-Mysticism<\/a>\u201d by Getzel David: An introduction to mysticism<\/p>\r\n

\u201cBiblical and Other Sources of the \u201cNew Colossus\u201d by Emma Lazarus\u201d<\/a> by Mihael Howald: Using Torah to inspire poetry<\/p>","post_main_content_image":"","post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Go deeper into the chapter....","tile_main_caption":"Source Sheets - Ezekiel 1","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Links to learning resources","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":42232,"alt":"","title":"sefaria-words-sunburst","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","width":608,"height":395,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst-300x195.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":195,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","medium_large-width":608,"medium_large-height":395,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","large-width":608,"large-height":395,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","1536x1536-width":608,"1536x1536-height":395,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","2048x2048-width":608,"2048x2048-height":395,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","post_full_size-width":608,"post_full_size-height":395,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/sefaria-words-sunburst.png","home_baner-width":608,"home_baner-height":395}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"Sefaria word sunburst visualization","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","old_create_date":"","links":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false},{"order":20,"id":"72974","color":"#e2f4fa","size":"1","name":"Points to Ponder - Ezekiel 1 ","post_title":"Points to Ponder - Ezekiel 1","slug":"points-to-ponder-ezekiel-1","old_id":"72974","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":{"id":38102,"post_title":"929-English","slug":"929-english","old_id":"38102","first_name":"","last_name":"929-English","description":"","short_description":"","credit":"","image_url":"","hide_writer":false,"link_for_pay":false,"image":{"id":38333,"alt":"","title":"\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/png","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","width":1513,"height":860,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-300x171.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":171,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-768x437.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":437,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1024x582.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":582,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","1536x1536-width":1513,"1536x1536-height":860,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5.png","2048x2048-width":1513,"2048x2048-height":860,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-1200x682.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":682,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/\u05dc\u05d5\u05d2\u05d5-739x420.png","home_baner-width":739,"home_baner-height":420}},"tags":false},"related_cahpter":"453","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content_description":"","post_main_content_content":"

    \r\n\t
  1. Questions and voices<\/em>. What are the questions that are bothering the exiles from Judah in Babylonia? Some of them we will hear later, in the rest of the book, others we can only surmise. There was a Temple in Jerusalem, a state in Judah. How should they live in Babylonia? Sitting on their suitcases? Settle down? Assimilate? Is it possible to live as Jews without a state? If exile is a punishment - what does that say about the exiles themselves? What does that say about those who were able to stay in Judah? Difficult questions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  2. What exactly happened thirty years ago?<\/em> \u201cIn the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month...\u201d begins the chapter. What happened 30 years before Ezekiel began to prophesy - that is,\u00a0 in the year 623-22 BCE. Commentators suggest different answers. There are those who suggest that the finding of the Torah scroll in the Temple by Josiah, and his religious reform, were a turning point, others count from the jubilee, and there are those who simply see this as Ezekiel\u2019s age.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  3. The Merkava (chariot)<\/em>. From the book of Ezekiel through the gamut of kabbalistic sources, \u201cma\u2019aseh merkava,\u201d (literally, \u201cthe work of the chariot\u201d) is a sort of code name for dabbling in divine secrets.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  4. Chashmal \/ amber\/electra \/ electricity<\/em>. First there was the chashmal of Ezekeiel (verse 4 and 27), translated here as \u201camber,\u201d but it\u2019s not entirely clear what he was referring to. Only (much) later did Eliezer Ben Yehudah take that to be the word for that thing that flows in the wires in our houses.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t
  5. Movement<\/em>. There aren\u2019t that many description of what God looks like in the Tanach. But Ezekiel is not alone, nor is he even the first. 113 chapters previously, in Isaiah 6, Isaiah the son of Amotz shared with us his vision of the divine retinue. There is even a certain similarity between the holy creatures that the two of them saw. What is special about Ezekiel\u2019s description is the movement. The chariot is on the go. The glory of God is too. Why is that important? In another 10 chapters, we will know more. Stay with us.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","post_main_content_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"post_main_content_embedded_video":"","post_main_content_video_duration":"","post_main_content_show_fb_comments":"1","post_main_content_credit_media":"","tile_top_caption":"Ezekiel 1","tile_main_caption":"Points to Ponder","tile_main_caption_size":"1","tile_sub_caption":"Insights and questions for personal reflection and group discussion","tile_preview_embedded":"","tile_preview_image":{"id":86314,"alt":"","title":"Points to ponder","caption":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":1000,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":1000,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":1000,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder.jpg","post_full_size-width":1000,"post_full_size-height":1000,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Points-to-ponder-420x420.jpg","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"tile_preview_video":"","tile_external_link":"","tile_tile_gallery_items":"","tile_credits":"","alternate_tile_top_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption":"","alternate_tile_main_caption_size":"1","alternate_tile_sub_caption":"","alternate_tile_hide_media":"0","tile_group_preview_image_url":"","tile_group_main_caption":"","tile_group_sub_caption":"","tile_group_popup_package_extra_content":"","tile_group_read_time":"","home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo_seo_title":"","seo_seo_description":"","seo_seo_default_title":"","seo_seo_default_description":"","links":false,"tile_link_for_pay":"0","send_noty":false,"chapter_info":{"books_group":"Prophets","book":"Ezekiel","chapter":"1","chapter_main_number":"453","date":"20270525","wall_id":"453"},"link_for_pay":false,"tags":false}],"hide_acf":true,"home_image":false,"home_posts":false,"home_posts_title":"","posts_home":[],"static_cube_title":"","static_cube_brief":"","static_cube_color":"","link_teaser":"","listen_link":"","other_title":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall\/72889"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wall"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wall"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}