Midrash sobre Ezequiel 1:22

We are taught in a Baraitha that R. Jose says: "Woe to the human beings who see and know not what they see; who stand and know not upon what they stand." Upon what does the earth stand? Upon the pillars, as it is said (Job 9, 6) Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place; The pillars stand upon the waters, as it is said (Ps. 136, 6) Who stretched out the earth above the waters; the waters upon the mountains, as it is said (Ib. 104, 6) Above the mountains stood the waters; the mountains upon the wind, as it is said (Amos 4. 13) He that wind, the wind upon the storm, as it is said (Ps. 148, 8) Stormy wind, fulfilled his word; the storm is suspended upon the supbort of the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Deut. 33, 27) And underneath are the everlasting arms. The sages however say: "The world stands upon twelve pillars, as it said (Ib. 32, 8) He set the bounds of the tribe according to the number of the sons of Israel." According to others, it stands upon seven pillars, as it is said (Prov. 9, 1) She had hewn out her seven pillars. R. Elazor b. Shamna says: "Upon one pillar, whose name is Zaddik (Righteous), as it is said (Ib. 10, 25) But the righteous (Zaddik) is an everlasting foundation." R. Juda said: "There are two firmaments, as it is said (Deut. 10, 14) Behold, to the Lord thy God belong the heavens and the heavens of the heavens." Resh Lakish said: "They are seven, viz.: Vilon (Curtain), Rakia (Expanse), Shchakim (Clouds), Zbul (Entertainment place), Maon (Dwelling), Machon (Residence), Araboth. Vilon serves no purpose whatever save that the luminaries enter through it in the morning and leave through it in the evening, by which means it renews daily the work of creation, as it is said (Is. 40, 22) … that stretched out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. Rakia is that in which the sun and moon, the stars and constellations are set, as it is said (Gen. 1, 17) And God set them in the expansion of the heavens. Shehakim is that in which the millstones stand and grind manna for the righteous, as it is said (Ps. 78, 23) Then He ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven He opened and He let rain upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave He unto them. Zbul is that in which the heavenly Jerusalem and the Temple, and the altar are built there, where Michael the great [Arch-Angel] prince stands and offers sacrifices daily, as it is said (I Kings 8, 13) I have surely built Thee a house of habitation, a place for Thee to dwell in for ever, and whence do we know that the same is called Shamayim? It is said (Is. 63, 15) Look down from heaven (Misha-mayim) and behold, from the habitation (Zbul) of Thy Holiness, Maon is that in which are companies of ministering angels, who utter songs during the night and are silent during the day for the sake of the glory of Israel, as it is said (Ps. 42, 9) In the day time, the Lord will command His kindness, and in the night His songs shall be with me. (Resh Lakish said: "Whoever studies the Torah during the night time, the Holy One, praised be He! will stretch over him the thread of grace for the future world, which is compared unto day, as it is said: By the day the Lord gives His merciful command, and by night His song is with me." According to others Resh Lakish said: "Whoever studies the Torah in this world which is likened unto night, the Holy One, praised be He! will stretch over him the thread of grace in the world to come which is likened unto day, as it is said: By the day the Lord gives His merciful command, and by night His song is with me." R. Levi said: "Whoever interrupts his study of the Torah, and occupies himself with idle talk will, as a punishment, be fed with hot coals, as it is said (Job 30, 4) Who crops off mallows by the bushes, and have brumbush roots as their bread." And whence do we know that Maon refers to Heaven.? It is said (Deut. 26, 15) Look down from Thy habitation (Maon) of Thy holiness from the heavens. Machon is that in which are the treasures of snow and hail, and the upper chamber (store) of harmful dews and the upper chamber (store) of the raiins, and the chamber of the whirlwind and of the storm, and the retreat of noisome vabor; and their doors are made of fire, as it is said (Deut. 28, 12) The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure. Are then these treasures in Heaven? Behold, they are on the earth, for it is written (Ps. 148, 7) Praise the Lord from the earth, ye sea-monsters and all deeps; fire and hail; snow and vapor; the storm wind, that fulfill His word, hence everything exists on the earth? Said R. Juda in the name of Rab: "Originally they were situated in Heaven, but David prayed for them and caused them to be brought down, on the earth." He entreated Him: "Sovereign of the Universe! (Ib. 5, 5) For thou art not a God, that hath pleasure in wickedness; evil cannot abide with Thee, i.e., Thou art a righteous God! O God! and therefore evil cannot abide with Thee. And whence do we know that the Maon refers to heaven, it is said (I Kings 8, 43) Mayest Thou listen in Heaven, the place of Thy dwelling (Maon). Araboth is that place in which dwell righteousness. Justice and grace; the treasures of life, the treasures of blessing, and the souls of the righteous, as well as the spirits and souls which are about to be created, also the dew with which the Holy One, praised be He! will revive the dead. That there dwell righteousness and justice, we find in the following passage (Ps. 89, 15) Righteousness and justice are the prop of Thy throne. That there is grace, we infer from the following passage (Is. 59, 17) And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail. That the treasures of peace exist there, we infer from the following passage (Judges 6, 24) And He called it (the altar) Adonay-Shalom (the eternal of peace). That the treasures of life exist there we infer from the following passage (Ps. 36, 10) For with Thee is the source of life. That the treasures of blessing exist there, we infer from the following passage (I Sam. 25, 20) Yet will the soul of my lord, be bound in the bound of life with the Lord thy God. That the spirits and souls which are about to be created abide there, we infer from the following passage (Is. 57, 16) When the spirit from before Me is overwhelmed, and the souls which I have made. That there exists the dew with which the Holy One, praised be He! will survive the dead, we infer from the following passage (Ps. 68, 10) Rain of beneficience didst thou pour down, O God! There also are celestials and seraphim, and holy being and ministering angels and the Divine throne of glory, and the King, the living God, the high and exalted, sitting over them among the clouds, as it is said (Ib. ib. 5) Exalt Him who rideth upon the heavens; the everlasting is His name. And whence do we know that Araboth refers to heaven? A. Abahu said: "We infer from the similar words, Richiba, Richiba; it is written here, 'Exalt him who rideth (Rdchab) upon the heavens, and it is also written (Deut. 33, 26) Who rideth (Rochab) to help thee upon the heavens." And darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him, as it is said (Ps. 18, 12) He made darkness his hiding place, etc. Now is there darkness in the presence of the Lord? Is it not written (Dan. 2, 22) He is that revealeth what is deep and secret: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him? This presents no difficulty. (Fol. 13) The one refers to that which is within, the other to that which is without. R. Acha b. Jacob said: "There still is another firmament above the heads of the Holy being, for it is said (Ez. 1, 22) And the likeness of a vault was ever the head of the living creatures, shining like the glitter of the living crystal. So far hast thou permission to speak. Thenceforth thou hast not permission to speak. For thus it is written in the book of Ben Sira: "Search not into that which is concealed from thee; that which is hidden from thee do not try to penetrate; consider only that which thou hast permission. Thou must have nothing to do with mysteries."

THE CREATION ON THE SECOND DAY
ON the second day the Holy One, blessed be He, created the firmament, the angels, fire for flesh and blood, and the fire of Gehinnom. Were not heaven and earth created on the first day, as it is said, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1)? Which firmament was created on the second day? Rabbi Eliezer said: || It was the firmament which is above the heads of the four Chajjôth (living creatures), (as it is said), "And over the head of the Chajjôth there was the likeness of a firmament, like the colour of the terrible crystal" (Ezek. 1:22). What is the meaning of (the expression), "like the colour of the terrible crystal"? It means like precious stones and pearls; it illuminates all the heavens like a lamp which is illuminating the whole house and like the sun which is shining with maximum intensity at noonday, as it is said, "The light dwelleth with him" (Dan. 2:22); and like this in the future will the righteous shed light, as it is said, "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament" (Dan. 12:3). Were it not for that firmament the world would be engulfed by the waters above it and below it; but (the firmament) divides the waters (above) from the waters (below), as it is said, "And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, (and let it divide the waters from the waters)" (Gen. 1:6), it illuminates between the waters above and the waters below.

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.