Midrash su Ezechiele 1:26
וּמִמַּ֗עַל לָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־רֹאשָׁ֔ם כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה אֶֽבֶן־סַפִּ֖יר דְּמ֣וּת כִּסֵּ֑א וְעַל֙ דְּמ֣וּת הַכִּסֵּ֔א דְּמ֞וּת כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה אָדָ֛ם עָלָ֖יו מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃
E sopra il firmamento che era sopra le loro teste c'era la somiglianza di un trono, come l'apparenza di una pietra di zaffiro; e sulla somiglianza del trono c'era una somiglianza come l'apparizione di un uomo sopra di esso.
Kohelet Rabbah
“Who is like the wise man, and who knows the meaning of a matter? The wisdom of a man illuminates his face, and the boldness of his face is changed” (Ecclesiastes 8:1).
“Who is like the wise man” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, in whose regard it is written: “Wise of heart, mighty in strength” (Job 9:4). “And who knows the meaning of a matter” – for He explained the Torah to Moses. “The wisdom of a man illuminates his face” – Rabbi Shimon said: Great is the ability of the prophets, as they compare the [human] form to its maker,1By portraying God in human terms. as it is written: “I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai” (Daniel 8:16). Rabbi Yudan said: We have a verse that is clearer than that, as it is written: “And upon the likeness of the throne there was a likeness like the appearance of a man upon it, from above” (Ezekiel 1:26). “And the boldness of his face is changed” – He changes from the attribute of justice to the attribute of mercy regarding Israel.
“Who is like the wise man” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, in whose regard it is written: “Wise of heart, mighty in strength” (Job 9:4). “And who knows the meaning of a matter” – for He explained the Torah to Moses. “The wisdom of a man illuminates his face” – Rabbi Shimon said: Great is the ability of the prophets, as they compare the [human] form to its maker,1By portraying God in human terms. as it is written: “I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai” (Daniel 8:16). Rabbi Yudan said: We have a verse that is clearer than that, as it is written: “And upon the likeness of the throne there was a likeness like the appearance of a man upon it, from above” (Ezekiel 1:26). “And the boldness of his face is changed” – He changes from the attribute of justice to the attribute of mercy regarding Israel.
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Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
Raba expounded: "As a reward to Abraham who said (Ib., ib., ib.) Although I am but dust and ashes, his children merited the following two commandments, the rule of the Parah A'dumah and the ashes of a Sota." But there is also the ashes that are used for covering the blood [of a beast and fowl]. The ashes used for covering the blood is only the prologue to a commandment but not the commandment itself. Raba expounded: "As a reward for what Abraham said, (Ib. 14, 23) And that I will not take from a, thread, even to a shoe-lachet, his children merited the following two commandments, the straps of the Tephillin and the T'cheileth of the Tzitzith It is readily understood that the strap of the Tephillin is a reward, for it is written (Dept. 28, 10) And all the nations of the world shall see, that thou art called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of thee. And we are taught that R. Elazar the Great says: "This refers to the Tephillin of the head." But as to the thread of Tcheleth, what kind of a reward is this? This is as R. Maier said in the following Baraitha, "Why was the color blue chosen from all other colors? Because blue resembles the sea, the sea resembles the heaven, and the heaven resembles the Divine Throne, as it is said (Ex. 24, 10) They saw the God of Israel; and the place under His feet was like a paved work of brilliant sapphire, and like the color of heaven in clearness. And again it is written (Ez. 1, 26) There was like the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne."
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Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
We are taught that R. Mair said: "Why was purple-blue selected [for the showfringes] rather than any other color? Because purple-blue resembles the [color of the] ocean, and the ocean resembles the sky and the sky resembles the Divine Throne, as it is said (Ex. 24, 10) And there was under His feet the like of a paved work sapphire stone, and the like of the very heavens for clearness, and again there is a passage (Ez. 1, 26) The likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone."
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