Midrasch zu Jechezkiel 1:13

(Numb. 8:2:) “When you set up the lamps.” What is written above the matter (in Numb. 7:1–2)? “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished [ … ] that the princes of Israel, [the heads of their ancestral houses, namely the princes of the tribes, the ones in charge of those being numbered,] made their offerings.” Then afterwards (in Numb. 8:2), “Speak unto Aaron [and say unto him], ’When you set up [the lamps].’”¹²Numb. R. 15:6. This text is related (to Ps. 34:10), “Fear the Lord, O you His holy ones, for those who fear Him lack nothing.” You find above (in Numb. 7) that eleven tribes made offerings, while the tribe of Levi made no offering. So while the tribe of Ephraim made offerings and all of the princes made offerings, the prince of Levi [did not]. Now who was the prince of Levi? This was Aaron, as stated (in Numb. 17:18), “And you shall write the name of Aaron upon the rod of Levi.” So Aaron did not make an offering with the princes, for he said, “Woe to me! Perhaps it is because of me that the Holy One, blessed be He, is not accepting the tribe of Levi.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, “Go, say unto Aaron, ‘Do not be afraid. You are destined for something greater than this.’” It is therefore written (in Numb. 8:2), “Speak unto Aaron [...], ‘When you are raised.’” The offerings remain in force as long as the Temple exists, but the lamps are forever (according to Numb. 8:2 cont.) “in front of the menorah.” Moreover, all the blessings which I have given you to bless My children shall never pass away. Another interpretation (of Numb. 8:2 cont.), “in front of the menorah.” So that you will not despise this menorah. It is so stated (in Zech. 4:10), “For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice to see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel, [even] these seven [...].” This is the menorah. And what are “[these] seven?” These are the seven lamps corresponding to the seven planets that (ibid. cont.) “roam around all the earth.”¹³Numb. R. 15:7. These seven likewise are dear to Me. Thus you may not despise them. It is therefore written (in Numb. 8:2:) “let the seven lamps give their light in front of the menorah.” Lest your [evil] drive lead you astray into saying that He (i.e. The Holy One, blessed be He) has need of light, [see] what is written about the windows of the Temple (in Ezek. 40:16, 25), “Now there were narrow windows into the cells [...]. Like the windows (kehahallonot) mentioned above.” "Kahallonot"¹⁴The midrash is explaining an extra he (h) which does not belong there. is not written here but "kehahallonot" (understood here as kehah halonot which means "dim windows"), in that they were wide on the outside and narrow on the inside in order to send forth light to the outside.¹⁵Above, Numb. 3:2. R. Berekhyah the Priest said, “This lightning is the result of fire from on high. When it goes forth it brightens up the whole world, as stated (in Ezek. 1:13), ‘As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like coals of fire burning with the appearance of torches … [and from the fire there went forth lightning],’ and it brightens up the whole world. And I would need your light? [So] why did I tell to you to give Me light? Simply in order to exalt you (ha'alotekha),¹⁶Cf. Numb. 8:2: WHEN YOU SET UP THE LAMPS (ha‘alotekha). as stated (in Numb. 8:2), ‘When you set up (beha'alotekha).’” R. Hanina said, “Concerning your own eyes they have within them both black and white. Still you see not out of the white but out of the black. [Now if in the case of your eyes, which have within them both black and white, but with you seeing only out of the black], would the Holy One, blessed be He, who is all light need your light?” Another interpretation (of Numb. 8:2 cont.), “in front of the menorah.” Flesh and blood lights a lamp from a burning lamp. Could one [ever] light a lamp from the darkness? The Holy One, blessed be He, however, did make a lamp give light from the darkness, as stated (in Gen. 1:2), “with darkness upon the face of the deep.” What is written after that (in vs. 3)? “Then God said, ‘Let there be light.’” [Since] I have brought light out of the darkness, do I have need for your light? So why did I say [to light lamps]? Simply to exalt you (rt.: 'lh), (in the words of Exod. 27:20) “to set up (rt.: 'lh) an everburning lamp.”

David declared: For Thou dost light my lamp (Ps. 18:29). R. Berechiah BeRabbi⁶A title of honor. said: No eye is able to look at the birth of fire Above, as it is said: And there was brightness to the fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning (Ezek. 1:13). And no eye is able to look at the lightning though it needs light. R. Johanan said: In your eyes there is a white part, through which you are not able to see, and a dark part in the middle of the eye, by means of which one does see. In other words, one sees out of the dark part of the eye and not out of the white part. You are unable to survive by means of the light part of your own eyes (through which you cannot see), yet you desire to survive by means of the light of the Holy One, blessed be He. Why is this so? Your first inclination might lead you to err and say: “He requires your light.” R. Abin the Levite BeRabbi:⁷See above, note 6. You find that when a man constructs windows, he builds them wide on the inside and narrow on the outside. Why? He does this so that the light may spread throughout the house. The windows in the Temple, however, were constructed wide on the outside and narrow within, so that the light of the Temple might spread forth to illumine the world. Therefore He demanded the lamps only for our sake. David said: Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart (Ps. 97:11).

Another interpretation (of Numb. 8:2 cont.): LET THE SEVEN LAMPS GIVE THEIR LIGHT IN FRONT OF THE MENORAH, so that you will not despise this menorah. It is so stated (in Zech. 4:10): FOR WHOEVER HAS DESPISED THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS SHALL REJOICE TO SEE THE PLUMMET IN THE HAND OF ZERUBBABEL, <EVEN> THESE SEVEN. What are <THESE> SEVEN? These are the seven planets, in that (ibid. cont.:) THEY ROAM AROUND ALL THE EARTH.¹⁶Tanh. Numb. 3:5 cont.; Numb. R. 15:7. (Numb. 8:2:) LET THE SEVEN LAMPS GIVE THEIR LIGHT. These seven likewise are dear to him. Thus you may not despise them. It is therefore written (in Numb. 8:2:) LET THE SEVEN LAMPS GIVE THEIR LIGHT IN FRONT OF THE MENORAH, lest your <evil> drive lead you astray into saying that he (i.e. the Holy One) has need of light. See what written about light, <i.e.> about the windows of the temple (in Ezek. 40:16, 25): NOW THERE WERE NARROW WINDOWS INTO THE CELLS […. LIKE THE WINDOWS (kehahallonot) MENTIONED ABOVE]. "Behallonot"¹⁷The traditional Tanhuma Numb. 3:5 reads kahallonot, which is probably the correct reading. The midrash is explaining an extra he (h) which does not belong there. is not written here but "kehahallonot" (understood here as kehah halonot which means "dim windows"), in that they were wide on the outside and narrow on the inside in order to send forth light to the outside.¹⁸Above, Numb. 3:2. R. Berekhyah the Priest [Berabbi] said: This lightning is the result of fire from on high. When it goes forth it brightens up the whole world, as stated (in Ezek. 1:13): AS FOR THE LIKENESS OF THE LIVING CREATURES, [THEIR APPEARANCE WAS LIKE COALS OF FIRE BURNING WITH THE APPEARANCE OF TORCHES … AND FROM THE FIRE THERE WENT FORTH LIGHTNING]. The Holy One said: I have no need of your light. [So why did I tell to you <to give me light>]? Simply in order to exalt you (ha'alotekha).¹⁹Cf. Numb. 8:2: WHEN YOU SET UP THE LAMPS (ha‘alotekha).

And thou shalt overlay it with brass (Exod. 27:2). R. Judah the son of Shalum stated: Moses had said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, You told me to make an altar of acacia-wood and to overlay it with brass, and You said also: A fire should burn perpetually unto Me on the altar (Lev. 6:6). But will not the fire penetrate the overlay and burn the wood? The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Moses, normally this does happen, but think of the angels of glowing fire who are near Me, and of the treasures of snow and hail that I possess, as it is said: Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail? (Job 38:22), and it says also: Who layest the beams of thine upper chambers in the waters (Ps. 104:3). The water, however, does not extinguish the fire, nor does the fire consume the water. The creatures of fire, likewise, are unaffected by the waters of the firmament above their heads, as is said: As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like the coals of fire, burning like the appearance of torches; it flashed up and down among the living creatures (Ezek. 1:13). It is also written there: And over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, like the color of the terrible ice, stretched forth over their heads above (ibid., v. 22). They bore the entire body of water which was the thickness of the firmament, a distance of five hundred years’ journey, and they also supported the great bodies of fire, which stood between the firmaments, that were a distance of five hundred years’ journey.

“Emerge, daughters of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, at the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the rejoicing of his heart” (Song of Songs 3:11).
“Emerge, daughters of Zion, and gaze,” sons who are conspicuous [metzuyanim] for me in haircut, in circumcision, in ritual fringes; “at King Solomon [Shlomo],” at the King who created perfect [shelemot] creations. He created the sun and the moon in their completeness, the stars and the constellations in their completeness. Bar Kappara said: Adam and Eve were created as at the age of twenty. “At King Solomon [Shlomo],” at the King [of Whom it may be said] that peace is His.
Another matter, “at King Solomon [Shlomo],” the King who made peace between His works and His creatures. How so? He made the fire be at peace with our patriarch Abraham; He made the sword be at peace with Isaac; He made the angel be at peace with Jacob.¹⁰⁶God saw to it that Abraham was not harmed when he was thrown into the fiery furnace; that Isaac was not harmed when Abraham was about to slaughter him; and that Jacob was not harmed when he struggled with the angel.
Another matter, “at King Solomon [Shlomo],” the King who made peace between His creations. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The firmament is of snow and the [celestial] creatures are of fire. The firmament is of snow, as it is stated: “Over the heads of the creature there was the likeness of a firmament, resembling the awesome ice” (Ezekiel 1:22). The creatures are of fire, as it is stated: “The likeness of the creatures, their appearance was like fiery coals” (Ezekiel 1:13), and it is written: “The creatures were darting to and fro like the appearance of a flash” (Ezekiel 1:14). This one does not extinguish that one, and that one does not extinguish this one. Mikhael is the angel of snow and Gabriel of fire; this one does not extinguish that one, and that one does not harm this one.
Rabbi Avin said: This is not merely between angel and angel, but even within one angel that is half snow and half fire, the Holy One blessed be He makes peace between them. It has five descriptions, and they are: “His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning” (Daniel 10:6);¹⁰⁷The full verse states: “His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes as torches of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” Thus it is described as like beryl, lightning, torches of fire, burnished brass, and the voice of a multitude—five descriptions. and one does not harm the other.
One verse says: “He covers His upper chambers with water” (Psalms 104:3), and one verse says: “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and it is written: “His throne was sparks of fire” (Daniel 7:9). This one does not harm that one, and that one does not harm this one. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is written: “He makes peace in His high places” (Job 25:2), the firmament is of water and the stars of fire and they do not harm each other. The sun has never seen the defect of the moon.¹⁰⁸The deficient side of the moon’s crescent never faces the sun. This is taken as an indication that God causes there to be peace between them.
Rabbi Yaakov of the village of Ḥanin said: It is written: “Dominion and fear are with Him” (Job 25:2). “Dominion,” this is Mikhael, “and fear,” this is Gavriel, “with Him,” what is “with Him”? They are at peace for Him. Rabbi Levi said: No constellation ever passed another on their ascent. There is no star that sees what is above it, but rather what is below it, like a person who descends a ladder and does not look behind him.
Even regarding the plagues of Pharaoh, the Holy One blessed be He brought about peace, as it is stated: “There was hail, and fire aflame within the hail” (Exodus 9:24). Rabbi Yuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yuda said: Bowls of hail filled with fire; this one did not extinguish that one, and that one did not extinguish this one. Rabbi Ḥanin said: That [description] of Rabbi Yuda is similar to a pomegranate aril, as [the seed] inside each aril can be seen.¹⁰⁹Just as the seed is visible from outside the aril, the hail contained fire that was visible despite being surrounded by ice. Rabbi Neḥemya said: Fire and hail intermingled with each other. Rabbi Ḥanin said: That [description] of Rabbi Neḥemya is similar to the bowl of an oil lamp, where water and oil are intermingled and it continues to burn. This one does not extinguish that one, and that one does not extinguish this one. The Rabbis say:¹¹⁰Expounding the word “aflame” [mitlakaḥat]. Death [mita] and reassembly [mitkalha], death and reassembly in order to perform the will of their Creator.¹¹¹The ice and fire would continually eliminate each other and be restored. Rabbi Aḥa said: [This is analogous] to a king who had two powerful legions and they were enemies with each other. Once they saw that the king’s war was intensifying, they made peace with one another in order to wage the king’s war. So too, fire and hail are enemies with each other. When they saw the war of the King of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, which was the war against the Egyptians, they made peace between them and waged the war of the Holy One blessed be He against Egypt. That is what is written: “There was hail and fire aflame within the hail”—a miracle within a miracle.

Another explanation, "at the front of the menorah, let the seven lights give light" (Numbers 8:2), so that they shouldn't dishonour the menorah. (Zechariah 4:10) "Does anyone scorn a day of small [beginnings]? When they see the stone of distinction in the hand of Zerubavel they shall rejoice over these seven". "These" -- this is the menorah. "Seven" -- these are the seven lights, corresponding to the seven stars that wander in all the land [planets?]. So they are beloved that they are not disgraced on them, for this it says "at the front of the menorah let the seven lights give light" -- so that they should not become mistaken to you, and you should need to say that He needs light, see that which is written of windows (Ezekiel 40:16) "The recesses—and their supports—had windows with frames on the interior [of the gate complex on both sides]" etc., and so "the interiors [of the vestibules also had windows on both sides]" (ibid.) were like these windows. 'Like windows' is not written here, rather, "like the windows", that they should be wide from the outside and narrow from within, so that they would bring in light from outside. Rabbi Berachyah the kohen said in the name of Rabbi, this lightning is offspring of the fire from above, and it comes out and lights the whole world, as it says (Ezekiel 1:13) "Such then was the appearance of the creatures. With them was something that looked like burning coals of fire. This fire, suggestive of torches, kept moving about among the creatures; the fire had a radiance, and lightning issued from the fire." And lights the whole world, and I need their light. And why did I tell you? To deceive you. Rabbi Chanina said, the Holy Blessed one said "Eyes have black and white [parts] in them, and you don't see from the white but rather from the black [parts], and so if your eyes that have black and white within them only see with the black, the Holy Blessed One is entirely Light and needs to light them. Another explanation, "at the front of the menorah", flesh and blood kindle a light from another light, since they are unable to create light from darkness, as it says (Genesis 1:2) "Darkness was over the face of the deep". Why is it written after this (Genesis 1:3) "And God said, "Let there be light"" and from the midst of the darkness brought forth light. And I need to light them, and I didn't say to you except to bring you up -- (Exodus 27:20) "to set up the eternal light" .