Midrash sa Ezekiel 1:7: Midrash Tehillim, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Midrash Tanchuma & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

Another interpretation of “Blessed is the person” (Psalms 1:1) – This [relates to] that which is said in the verse: “Then King David came and sat before God [and he said, “What am I, Oh Sovereign God, and what is my family, that You have brought me thus far?” (2 Samuel 7:18). And so, Rabbi Chiya taught: “There is no sitting in the Temple courtyard except for the kings of the Davidic dynasty.” And Rabbi Ami said, in the name of Reish Lakish: “There is no sitting in the Temple courtyard except in the place designated for the kings of the Davidic dynasty.” And that’s why it says that, “David sat” (2 Samuel 7:18). Rav Huna said, in the name of Rabbi Yishmael, “Not so! There is no sitting above [in heaven], as it is stated, “I approached one of the [heavenly] attendants” (Daniel 7:16) [and the Aramaic word for “attendant” suggests that he was standing,] since [angels] do not have knees. As it is said, “Their legs were straight legs” (Ezekiel 1:7). And it is written, “Seraphs stood above him” (Isaiah 6:2). And it is written, “I will grant you walking among those who stand here” (Zechariah 3:7). Above there is no sitting, but David sits?!” Rabbi Ami said, “Even the kings of the house of David have no sitting. And what [does the verse mean when it says that] “he sat”? It means that he leaned himself.” And for whom was there sitting? You might suggest [that there was sitting for] the high priest. As it is said, “And Eli the priest sat upon a seat” (1 Samuel 1:9). If so [if there was only sitting for the high priest in the Tabernacle], what [does it mean when it says of David that] “he sat before the Lord” (2 Samuel 7:18)? It means that he placed himself in prayer [i.e., with such devotion that he could be described as dwelling/sitting within his prayer]. There [in 2 Samuel 7:18] we learn that the prohibition upon male Ammonite and Moabite [converts] is an eternal prohibition, but that their women are permitted [to convert] immediately: “Who am I, and who is my household, that you have brought me this far?” (2 Samuel 7:18). What is “this far”? Is it not enough that I [even managed] to come into the congregation [given my Moabite background], but that I became king? And “this far” [i.e., the Hebrew word הלום] refers only to a king, as it is said, “Behold the king comes” (1 Samuel 10:22) [and the word used for “king,” in that verse, is הלום איש]. “And this was yet small in Your eyes” (2 Samuel 7:19) — like a person who says to his fellow: “This is but a small thing in your presence.” “And You have spoken also of Your servant’s house for a great while to come” (2 Samuel 7:19) — [the fact that the future is described in terms of its being far away is an allusion to David’s feeling that] “I was far away [as a descendent of Moab], yet I have been brought near.” “And this is the Torah for mankind” (2 Samuel 7:19) — This is what you wrote in your Torah, “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 23:4). You wrote only about the men, but their women are permitted immediately. And [in 2 Samuel 7:19] the Torah is not described as the Torah of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but the Torah of mankind. And who is the most praiseworthy of the prophets, and who is the most praiseworthy of the kings? The most praiseworthy of the prophets is Moses. The most praiseworthy of the kings is David. Moses took the Israelites out of Egypt. And David took Israel [out from under] the subjugation of [various] kingdoms. Moses made war with Sihon and Og. And David fought the wars of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said “for the wars of God, my master has fought” (1 Samuel 25:28). Moses was king over Israel and Judah as it is said, “And he was king in Yeshurun” (Deuteronomy 23:5). And David ruled over Israel and Judah. Moses split the sea for [the Israelites]. And David split the rivers for them, as it says, “He fought against Aram Naharayim” [which can be creatively translated, given the etymology of the various words, to mean, “He split mighty rivers”] (Psalms 60:2). Moses built an altar. And David built an altar. This one brought sacrifices, and that one brought sacrifices. Moses gave them five books of the Torah, and to correspond to them, David gave them the book of Psalms which contains five books: [the one which starts with] “Blessed is the person” (Psalms 1:1); [the one which starts with] “For the leader” (Psalms 42:1); [the one which starts with] “A psalm of Asaph” (Psalms 73:1); [the one that starts with] “A prayer of Moses” (Psalms 90:1); [and the one that begins] “Let those who have been redeemed say” (Psalms 107:2). Moses blessed the Israelites with the word “אשריך - you are blessed” (Deuteronomy 33:29), and David blessed [them] with [the word] אשרי [which begins the book of Psalms in Psalms 1:1]. “All my words are just. None of them are perverse or crooked” (Proverbs 8:8). There is neither pedantry nor deviation within them. We find that Scripture deviates two or three letters rather than to utter an ugly thing. As it is said, “from the pure animal, and from the animal which isn’t pure” (Genesis 7:8). Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Menasia said, “even when [it describes the properties of unkosher animals, the Torah prefers] to start with the pure [attributes that it might have. For example, the Torah] doesn’t say, “the Camel [is unkosher], because it doesn’t have split hooves;” instead [it opens by telling us that despite the fact that it] “chews the cud” [it isn’t kosher, because it doesn’t have split hooves] (Leviticus 11:4). [Likewise, the Torah] doesn’t say, “And the pig [isn't kosher], because it doesn’t chew the cud;” instead [it opens by telling us that despite the fact that it] “has split hooves” [it isn’t kosher, because it doesn’t chew the cud] (Leviticus 11:7). David said, even the Holy One, blessed be He, has testified about me, and said: “God will search for a more like-hearted person” (1 Samuel 13:14). He likened his name to his creator. Just as his creator doesn’t utter anything unsightly, the same could be said of David. He could have said, “Cursed is the person who walks in the company of the wicked,” or “Blessed is the person that walks in the company of the righteous.” But he said, “[blessed is the person] who doesn’t walk..." (Psalms 1:1). You could say a similar thing, [given the following verse:] “[Even if] Moses and Samuel [were to] intercede [with me...]” (Jeremiah 15:1). You find that everything that is written about one [i.e. Moses] is written about the other [i.e. Samuel]. This one was a Levi, and that one was a Levi. This one built an altar and that one built an altar. This one brought sacrifices, and that one brought sacrifices. This one was king, and that one was king. And so, it is said, “a prophet from among your brethren will arise like me” (Deuteronomy 18:15). And thus, you find [what we’ve just seen in the book of] Jeremiah [that Moses and Samuel are compared]. That which is written about this one [i.e. Moses] is written about that one [i.e. Samuel]. And a similar thing could be said about David and Solomon. That which is written about this one is written about that one. Rabbi Yuden says that this Psalm [i.e., the first one] is more praiseworthy than all of the others.

The Chajjôth stand next to the throne of His glory and they do not know the place of His glory. The Chajjôth stand in awe and dread, in fear and trembling, and from the perspiration of their faces a river of fire arises and goes forth before Him, as it is said, "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him…"(Dan. 7:10). And the wings of Gallizur the angel, who stands next to the Chajjôth, (are spread forth) so that the fire which consumes the fire of the angels should not burn (them). Two Seraphim stand, one on His right and one on His left, each one has six wings, with twain they cover their face so as not to behold the presence of the Shekhinah, with twain they cover their feet so that they should not be seen before the presence of the Shekhinah, || so that the standing of the foot of the calf might be forgotten. With twain do they fly, praising and reverencing, and they sanctify. One answers and another calls, one calls and another answers, and they say, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 6:3).

(Lev. 22:27) “When a bull or a sheep or a goat.” R. Jacob bar Zavday in the name of R. Abbahu opened [his discourse] (with Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity (i.e., the iniquity of the golden calf) […].”⁴³Lev. R. 27:3; PRK 9:3. It is also written (in Is. 6:2), “Above Him stood the seraphim, six wings to each one… with two he covered his face,” so as not to look at the Divine Presence, “with two he covered his feet,” so that the face of the Divine Presence would not see them, since it is written (in Ezek. 1:7), “and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot.”⁴⁴Cf. Hag. 13b. [This is] because (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.”⁴⁵In other words, the seraphim covered their calf feet, lest they recall the sin of the golden calf. (Is 6:2:) “And with two he flew,” for praise. We are taught there (in RH 3:2), “All the shofars are valid except that of a cow, since it is from a calf; for (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.” We have been taught there⁴⁶See Sanh. 7:4. (in Lev. 20:16): “You shall kill the woman and the beast.” If a woman sins, what is the beast’s sin? It is simply because a stumbling block came to the woman on account of [the beast]. Therefore the Scripture said, “So that the beast will not pass through the market, where they will say, ‘This is the beast on account of which such and such a woman was killed.’” [This is] because (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.” Now we have been taught: For what reason did they say, “A suspected adulteress (sotah) is not to drink from the cup of her colleague (i.e., another suspected adulteress)?”⁴⁷According to Sot. 2:2, a new earthenware dish was to be used for each such trial by ordeal. [It is] so that the people will not say, “When such and such a woman drank of this cup, she died.” [This is] because (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.” So also here (in Lev. 22:27), “When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born.” Is a bull born? Is not a calf born? It is simply because of what is written (in Exod. 32:8), “they have made themselves a golden calf.” Hence the Scripture called it a “bull”, and did not call it a "calf.”