Talmud sur Ézéchiel 1:29

He who prepares to pray must equalize his feet⁵⁶The Babli (Berakhot 10b) brings only the opinion that in praying the ‘Amidah prayer one has to equalize one’s feet like the angels; and this is the name of R. Yose bar Ḥanina in the name of R. Eliezer ben Jacob.. Two Amoraim, Rebbi Levi⁵⁷A preacher in the Academy of R. Yoḥanan. and Rebbi Simon⁵⁸An older preacher, R. Simon ben Pazi, student of R. Joshua ben Levi.; one of them says like angels⁵⁹It is usually explained that this means that both legs have to be parallel and together so that they would look like one foot, from the verse quoted: “their feet were one straight foot.” However, Sefer Haëshkol (part 1, p. 17) quotes an opinion, possibly of Rav Hai Gaon, that the heels should be together but the toes separated to form a semicircle since the verse quoted from Ezechiel continues “the sole of their feet was like the foot sole of a calf.” and one of them says like priests. He who says like priests, (Ex. 20:26): “You shall not ascend my alter by stairs;” that means that they were walking with their heel next to the great toe and great toe next to the heel. He who says like angels (Ez. 1:7)” “Their feet were a straight foot.” Rebbi Ḥanina bar Andrei in the name of R. Samuel ben Soṭar⁶⁰Rebbi Ḥanina bar Andrei seems to have been a contemporary of R. Levi and R. Yose bar Ḥanina; he is mentioned only two times in Talmudic literature. R. Samuel bar Soṭar seems to be identical with R. Samuel bar Sosarṭa, another contemporary of the preceding. The entire discussion in the Yerushalmi is between sages of the same generation.: angels have no moving joints. What is the reason? (Dan. 7:16) “I approached one of those standing,” the fixed ones⁶¹In Midrash Bereshit rabba 65(17), the lexical note is attributed to the slightly older authority R. Reuben: Rebbi Reuben said: It is written (Ez. 1:25) “When they were standing their wings became limp.” Is there any sitting in heaven (that standing should be remarkable)? Does not R. Samuel say: there is no sitting in heaven since it says (Ez. 1:7) “their feet were a straight foot.” They have no moving joints: (Dan. 7:16) “I approached one of those standing קאמיה,” the fixed ones קיימיא. It also says (Is. 6:2): “Seraphim are standing over Him;” (2Chr. 18:18): “All the hosts of Heaven were standing,” and here it says “when they are standing”; this is astonishing. What really means “when they are standing” (בעמדם), it means “the people come, silence” (בא עם דם), i.e., when Israel are saying “Hear o Israel” the angels are silent and then their wings drop.
Midrash Bereshit rabba is an old Yerushalmi source and one may speculate that the Midrash precedes the editing of the Talmud; otherwise it would be incomprehensible why a statement on the Amidah prayer intrudes on the discussion of the rules of Shema‘..

⁷⁷Babli 39b, Menaḥot109b; Tosephta Sotah 13:8.. The first sentence is quoted in the next Chapter, 6:3. Simeon the Just served Israel as High Priest for forty years, and in the last year he told them, in this year I am going to die. They asked him, from where do you know? He said to them, every year when I entered the Holiest of Holies, an old man dressed in white and his head wrapped in white entered with me and left with me. But this year he entered with me but did not leave with me. ⁷⁸Cf Chapter 1, Notes 220 ff. They asked before Rebbi Abbahu: Is it not written⁷⁹Lev. 16:17., nobody shall be in the Tent of Meeting during his coming to atone in the sanctuary until he leaves, not even those about whom it is written⁸⁰Ez. 1:10., the shapes of their faces are human shapes shall not be in the Tent of Meeting? He answered them, who tells me that it was a person? I am saying that it was the Holy One, praise to Him⁸¹In the apparition known as Shekhina..

⁵⁵Most of this paragraph also is in Lev. rabba 23(8), Cant. rabba 4(17). Rebbi Berekhia, Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Levi bar Sisi explained in Nahardea: They saw the God of Israel and below His feet like the work of a brick of sapphire, and like the true sky in purity⁵⁶Ex. 24:10.. That is, before they were freed. But after they were freed, (it was not its way to be put) [where usually the brick is put]⁵⁷The sapphire brick was at God’s feet as symbol of the enslavement of Israel; after their freeing it was no longer necessary but took its place in the Heavenly Temple. The corrector’s text in brackets is that of the Midrashim. there it is put. Rebbi Berekhia said, it is not written here the work, but like the work, it and all its tools⁵⁸Greek ʼεργαλεῑα “tools of trade”., (it and the basket and the rake.)⁵⁹The scribe’s text in parentheses is confirmed by the Midrashim. The remainder of the text up to the statement of Bar Qappara is not in the parallel sources. [it and all its merchandise. Rebbi Miasha said, in Babylonia it is written⁶⁰Ez. 1:26., like the looks of sapphire stone, but in Egypt it is written, like the work of] a brick of sapphire. To teach you that just as the stone is harder than the brick, so the servitude of Babylonia was harder than the servitude of Egypt. Bar Qappara stated, before Israel was rescued from Egypt it⁶¹The brick of sapphire. was traced in the sky; after they were rescued it was no longer seen in the sky. What is the reason? and like the true sky in purity, the sky if it is empty of clouds.

They asked before Rebbi Abbahu: Is it not written²²⁰.Lev. 16:17., nobody shall be in the Tent of Meeting during his coming to atone in the sanctuary until he leaves, not even those about whom it is written²²¹Ez. 1:10., the shapes of their faces are human shapes shall not be in the Tent of Meeting²²²If the offending priest was hit on his head by a calf’s foot it must have been by one of the four-headed angels seen by Ezechiel whose feet are calves’ feet (Ez.1:7)? He answered them, if he enters following normal rules

They asked before Rebbi Abbahu: Is it not written¹²⁶Lev. 16:17., nobody shall be in the Tent of Meeting during his coming to atone in the sanctuary until he leaves, not even those about whom it is written¹²⁷Ez. 1:10. If the offending priest was hit on his head by a calf’s foot it must have been by one of the four-headed angels seen by Ezechiel whose feet are calves’ feet (Ez. 1:7)., the shapes of their faces are human shapes shall not be in the Tent of Meeting? He answered them, if he enters following normal rules.