Musar zu Schemot 27:1

On the difference between the מרכבה on earth and the מרכבה in the Celestial Regions: One must appreciate that just as there is a carrier of G–d's Presence here on earth, so there is a parallel carrier, מרכבה in the heavenly regions. This is alluded to in Song of Songs 3,10 ומרכבו ארגמן, "its carrier was purple red," and in Song of Songs 6,12 where we find: מרכבות עמי נדיב, "amid chariots of Ami Nadiv.” We will first explain what is meant by the "purple red carrier," and later, with G–d's help, the meaning of the words מרכבות עמי נדיב. The land of Israel and the Holy Temple have their counterparts in the Heavenly Regions. The Holy Temple consists of a Sanctuary called קדש, holy, as well as an inner sanctuary, קדשי קדשים, Holiest of Holies, and we find an altar outside the Sanctuary as well as a golden altar inside the Sanctuary close to the Inner Sanctum. Both altars were square seeing the Torah describes them as such i.e. רבוע יהיה (Exodus 27,1). Because the Torah has given the exact dimensions of the altars, the statement "it shall be square," seems superfluous. We understand it therefore as an allusion to the heavenly counterparts of these furnishings of the Sanctuary, each one of which is also four-cornered representing four celestial armies headed by the angels רפאל, גבריאל, מיכאל, and נוריאל. The word ארגמ"ן is an acronym composed of the first letters respectively of the angels heading these four armies plus the letter א meaning the One and Only, i.e. G–d. He, of course is the One, who is "carried," i.e. supported by these four armies.

There is yet another altar above the one on which the archangel Michael offers the souls of the righteous, just as there were two altars in the Tabernacle on earth. There is an outer and an inner altar. When the Torah gives the measurements of these two altars we are told that they should be square (Exodus 27,1 and 30,1). This is strange since the Torah had already given the measurements of both the front and the sides of these altars, i.e we know that they were to be square. The extra words רבוע, square, may therefore be understood as an allusion to the corresponding altars in the Heavenly Sanctuary. The "outer" altar in the Heavens corresponds to the encampment of the Israelites in the desert which was square and which was guarded by the four angels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael. The "upper" altar in the Heavens was supported by the four חיות which Ezekiel saw in his vision in which he was shown the מרכבה (Ezekiel chapter 1). This is where the crown of the good name is at home. The crown of priesthood is immediately below. The border or crown around the Altar represents the righteous in the World to Come who sit around the table wearing their crowns and enjoying the splendour of G–d's presence.