תּלמוד אויף יחזקאל 1:4

Question: Until when is 'The deed of the chariot'? Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] says, "Until the later, 'And I saw (Ezekiel 1:27).'" Rabbi Yitzchak says, "Until, 'The Chashmal (Ezekiel 1:27).'" We teach until "And I saw (Ezekiel 1:4)," and from there onward we give the general details. There are those who say: "Until, 'And I saw (Ezekiel 1:4)', we give the general details, and from here forward, if he is smart, he understands from his own knowledge; if [is] not [smart], then if he cannot [understand on his own], he cannot [understand it]."

"And I saw, and behold, a storm wind came from the north, a large cloud and gathered-up fire, and brightness encompassed it, and inside there was the figure of a Chashmal inside the fire." To where did [the cloud] go? Rav Yehudah said, "Rav said, 'It went to capture the entire world under Nevuchadnetzer the evildoer. And all this for what? So that the nations of the world would not say, 'In the hand of a lowly nation did the Holy One, be He, give his children.' The Holy One, Blessed be He, said, 'Who caused me to be a servant to worshippers of idols? The sins of Israel caused me [to do such].'"