Sefer haZohar on the First Verse of Genesis and the Image of the Cherubim on Top of the Ark Cover

"This image extended in the spreading of the cover, and in that spread two images formed, one male and one female, standing as two youths in passionate love, clinging to one another.  This mystery is: 'In the beginning God created' - spread of concealed cover.  'Heaven and earth' - two cherubim, standing in passionate cleaving.  It is not written שמים וארץ (shmayim va-aretz), but rather את (et) - to include two cherubim as one. This cover is spread within, in the secrecy of the Temple, and these two stand on two sides."

-- Sefer haZohar 2:277b


SPREADING OF THE COVER : As it is written, "The name of the Lord is a tower of strength; the righteous runs into it and is strengthened."  (Proverbs 18:10).

TWO IMAGES : This refers to the conjunction of יה with וה.

ONE MALE AND ONE FEMALE : Each image is comprised of male and female. In the first image, י (Yod) is male and ה (Heh) is female.  In the second image, ו (Vav) is male and ה (Heh) is female.

STANDING : They stand together in their place, as it is written, "Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place." (Ezekiel 3:12).

TWO YOUTHS : Each image is comprised of male and female, and these are the two youths.

SPREAD OF CONCEALED COVER : This refers to the Throne of Glory and the Seven Palaces.

TWO CHERUBIM, STANDING : The image of assembly for the Mishkan above, and the image of construction for the Beit haMiqdash below.

TWO CHERUBIM AS ONE : They are included as one under one sign.

COVER SPREAD WITHIN : The concealed emanation of the Head is revealed within the Body.

SECRECY OF THE TEMPLE : The secret is known to those two whom has been revealed the secret emanation from above spreading into below, as it says, "And I shall no longer hide My face from them, for I shall have poured out My spirit upon the House of Israel," says the Lord God."  (Ezekiel 39:29).

THESE TWO : These are the male on each side.  The י (Yod) is above, concealed, and the ו (Vav) is above, concealed.

STAND ON TWO SIDES : They stand above the female on each side.  The י (Yod) stands above the ה (Heh) on their side, in the image of the Throne of Glory inside the Seven Palaces.  And the ו (Vav) stands above the ה (Heh) on their side, in the image of the Mishkan inside the Beit haMiqdash.

Hekhalot Zutarti in the Four Who Entered Paradise and a Hidden Parallel in the Zohar

"And these are they who entered paradise (פרדס): Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Elisha ben Avuyah, and Rabbi Akiva.

"Ben Azzai peered and died. Concerning him the Scripture says, 'Worthy in the eyes of YHVH is the death of His pious ones' (Psalms 116:15).

"Ben Zoma peered and was struck down. Concerning him the Scripture says, 'Have you found honey? Eat only your fill, lest you become sated and vomit it up' (Proverbs 25:16).

"Elisha ben Avuyah peered and cut the plants. Concerning him the Scripture says, 'Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin' (Ecclesiastes 5:5).

"Rabbi Akiva entered safely and went forth safely. Concerning him the Scripture says, 'Draw me after you, let us run. The King has brought me into His chambers' (Song of Songs 1:4)."

-- Hekhalot Zutarti, §339, 345


BEN AZZAI : The one who teaches the Pshat (פשט), the literal meaning.
BEN ZOMA : The one who teaches the Remez (רמז), the allusions in scripture.
ELISHA BEN AVUYAH : The one who teaches the Derash (דרש), the homiletical discourse.
RABBI AKIVAH : The one who teaches the Sod (סוד), the secret wisdom.


"Come and see: The blessed Holy One formed the human being corresponding to the pattern above, all according to wisdom, for you cannot find a single human limb not founded upon supernal wisdom. Look! When the whole body is arrayed in its limbs fittingly, the blessed Holy One joins with it, inserting a holy soul - to teach the human how to walk in the ways of Torah and observe His commandments, so that he will perfect himself."

-- Sefer haZohar, 1:186b (Pritzker ed. 3.137)


THE PATTERN ABOVE : This is the soul of Ben Azzai.
ARRAYED IN ITS LIMBS FITTINGLY : This is the soul of Ben Zoma.
JOINS WITH IT : This is the soul of Elisha ben Avuyah.
A HOLY SOUL : This is the soul of Rabbi Akiva.


"And God said, 'Let us make...'" -- Genesis 1:26 

Talmud Bavli Shekalim on The Day the Mishkan was Erected

"On the day that the Mishkan was erected, on that very day the withdrawal of half-shekel donations was made from the treasury to pay for the communal offerings."

-- Talmud Bavli, Shekalim 2a


MISHKAN - This is the human body, about which it is said, "From my flesh I shall see God" (Job 19:26).

MISHKAN WAS ERECTED - This refers to Betzalel, about whom it is said, "Bezalel knew how to combine the letters by which the heavens and earth were created" (Berachot 55a).

THE WITHDRAWAL - These came from Salem. DONATIONS - These were brought to Zion. This is proved from "His Tabernacle was in Salem, and His dwelling place in Zion" (Psalms 76:3).
   

Talmud Bavli Succah on Torah Study in Breadth and Depth

"This is similar to the practice of Rava and Rami bar Chama.  When they would stand before Rav Chisda, they would first run through the Gemara with one another to review the material, and then analyze the material with logic."

-- Talmud Bavli, Succah 29a

This dictum encodes a formula for Torah study: breadth first, then depth.

Talmud Bavli Kereitot on the Preparation of the Anointing Oil

"This was the method used in preparing the anointing oil that Moses made in the wilderness: He would boil the hin of olive oil together with the roots of the spices - the words of Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yose said to him: But there is not enough oil to even smear the roots with the olive oil, let alone boil the roots in it! Rather, how does one proceed? First they brought the spice roots and soaked them in water, then Moses removed the roots from the water and he poured oil on them until they were covered with a layer of olive oil, and the oil absorbed the fragrance of the spices. Moses then quickly removed the oil from the bowl and wiped off the oil still clinging to the roots, and deposited it all into a flask."

-- Talmud Bavli, Kereitot 5a

Ramban on the Leshon haQodesh - Hebrew as the 'Holy Language'

"This is also the reason, I believe, for why our Sages call the language of the Torah 'the Holy Language' (Leshon haQodesh); it is because the words of the Torah and the prophecies and all kinds of other holy words were all said by the prophets to the people in this language. And furthermore, you see that it is the language in which the Holy One, Blessed is He - may His Name be blessed - speaks with His prophets and with His congregation, such as the first two Commandments, 'I am YHVH your God' and 'there shall not be for you other gods' as well as all the other communications from God recorded in the Torah and in the books of prophecy.

"And furthermore it is in that language that God is called by His sacred Names: El, Elohim, Tzeva'ot, Shaddai, Yah, and the ineffable, four-letter, great and unique Name. And furthermore it is in that language that He created His world and gave names to the heaven and the earth and everything that is in them. And furthermore, His angels and all His heavenly hosts - all of them He calls by names in that language, such as 'Michael' and 'Gabriel'. And furthermore it is in that language that He gave names to the holy ones who are on earth, such as to Abraham, Isaac, Solomon, and others besides him."

-- Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban), Commentary on the Torah - Exodus 30:13.

Mishnah Sanhedrin on the Mold of the First Adam

"Therefore was man created singly, to teach you that whoever destroys a single life from Israel is considered by Scripture as if he had destroyed an entire world; and that whoever preserves a single life from Israel is considered by Scripture as if he had preserved an entire world. [...]

"And to teach the greatness of the Holy One, Blessed is He: For a man mints many coins from one mold, and they are all similar to one another; but the King of kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He, minted all men from the mold of the First Adam, and not one of them is like his fellow man. Therefore each and every one is obligated to say, 'For my sake was the world created'."

-- Mishnah, Sanhedrin 4:5


"ISRAEL" - this is Metatron on the Spiritual plane, about whom it is said, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." (Genesis 35:10).

"AN ENTIRE WORLD" - this is Metatron on the Physical plane, about whom it is said, "the whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3).

"THE MOLD OF THE FIRST ADAM" - this is Metatron on the Astral plane, about whom it is said, "and on the likeness of the throne, was a likeness like the appearance of a man upon it above." (Ezekiel 1:26).