Midrash sa Ezekiel 10:15: Midrash Tanchuma & Bereshit Rabbah

Another illustration of this is in the verse Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this matter (supporting Ezra’s decree that the Israelites were to send away their foreign wives); and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them (Ezek. 10:15).¹⁶See Ezra 10:9–33. Because Jonathan devoted himself zealously to this matter while the other only helped him, his name is mentioned first. Similarly in the case of Bezalel. All the wise men assisted him, but because he devoted himself most zealously to the erection of the Tabernacle, it is written: And Bezalel made the ark.

“East” – Rav said: In every place, the eastern direction offers refuge. Adam the first man – “He banished the man; He stationed the cherubs east of the Garden of Eden.” Cain – “Cain departed from the presence of the Lord, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden” (Genesis 4:16). The killer – “Then, Moses designated three cities on the eastern side of the Jordan [that a killer may flee there who kills his neighbor unwittingly]” (Deuteronomy 4:41–42).
Another matter, “[He stationed the cherubs] east [mikedem] [of the Garden of Eden]” – the angels were created before [kodem] the Garden of Eden. That is what is written: “This was the Ḥaya angel that I had seen beneath the God of Israel at the Kevar River, and I knew that they were cherubs” (Ezekiel 10:20).²⁶This verse proves that “cherubs” are angels. “And the flame” – based on: “His servants are flaming fires” (Psalms 104:4). “The ever-turning [hamithapekhet]” – as they [angels] have various forms [mithapekhim], sometimes men, sometimes women, sometimes winds, sometimes angels.
Another matter, “mikedem” – Gehenna²⁷Alluded to here by the flaming sword, as the Midrash will explain. was created before [mikodem] the Garden of Eden; Gehenna on the second day and the Garden of Eden on the third. “And the flame [lahat] of the ever-turning sword” – based on: “The day that is coming will burn [velihat] them” (Malachi 3:19). “Ever-turning”– as it turns over upon the person and burns him from head to toe and from toe to head. Adam said: ‘Who will save my descendants from this fire?’ Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Abba: The sword of circumcision, as it is stated: “Make flint swords for yourself [and circumcise the children of Israel]” (Joshua 5:2). The Rabbis say: The sword of Torah, as it is stated: “And a double-edged sword in their hand” (Psalms 149:6). When Adam saw that his descendants were destined to descend to Gehenna, he restrained himself from procreation. But when he saw that after twenty-six generations Israel was destined to receive the Torah, He consorted in order to produce descendants, as it is stated: “The man was intimate with Eve, his wife” (Genesis 4:1).