Maaseh Merkavah

Maaseh Merkavah

Rabbi Ishmael said: I asked Rabbi Akiva concerning the prayer that one recites when one descends to the Chariot, and concerning the praise of Ruzia, Lord, God of Israel. He said to me: Let purity and holiness be in his heart, and let him pray in this manner:

May You be praised forever, You who dwell upon the Throne of Glory, in the chambers on high and in the exalted palace. Your servants stand before You in dread; the holy living creatures bear Your throne; the wheels proclaim Your majesty; the seraphim sanctify Your name; and all the hosts above answer one another in trembling.

Blessed are You, YHWH, magnificent in chambers of song, exalted in the palaces of praise, enthroned above the cherubim, dwelling in hidden majesty. Your throne is established in mercy, and Your seat in righteousness. Before You are fire and flame; around You are storm and cloud; beneath You are wheels of burning brightness; and above You resounds the voice of holiness.

You have established in glory and praise a magnificent song of praise. All the angelic legions and the seraphim standing before You praise and glorify Your name. The wheels of the Chariot utter song before You. You have established Your Throne of Glory in song and merit, and the ministering angels who stand and sanctify the holiness of Your name extol Your might and say: YHWH of Hosts, Shaddai, YHWH lives forever.

Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of Hosts; the fullness of the earth is His glory. Blessed is the glory of YHWH from His place. Blessed is His name whose kingdom is forever and ever. Blessed is the King of the universe, the God of Israel, who rides upon the highest heavens and whose majesty is over the clouds.

Rabbi Ishmael said: When I recited this prayer with all my strength, I saw the splendor of the Presence, and the Presence was beloved to me. I beheld the King in His beauty, seated upon a high and exalted throne, and the hosts of fire stood on His right and on His left. No eye of flesh can endure their radiance, and no mouth can tell their number.

To His right is life, and to His left is death. Before Him is righteousness, and behind Him is mercy. Above Him is a crown of holiness, and beneath Him the living creatures carry the throne. From His voice the palaces tremble; from His breath the firmaments burn; from the utterance of His mouth the angels are created; and from the splendor of His face the righteous are illumined.

Rabbi Ishmael said: I asked Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaQanah, my teacher: When one recites the twelve words, how may one gaze upon the splendor of the Presence? He said to me: Let him purify himself, let him separate from uncleanness, let him humble his heart, and let him stand in fear before the Name.

[Divine-name sequence uncertain in the manuscripts.]

Let him say: I adjure you, princes of the Presence, servants of the Throne of Glory, by the great and fearful Name, by the Name through which heaven and earth were made, by the Name engraved upon the crown of the King, that you do not terrify me, do not confound me, and do not cast me down. Open for me the gates of righteousness, the gates of understanding, the gates of wisdom, and the gates of the palace of the King.

Let no accuser rise against me, let no destroyer approach me, let no wrath seize me, and let no flame consume me. May the King of Glory protect me beneath the shadow of His throne, and may the ministering angels lead me in peace and bring me out in peace.

Rabbi Akiva said: When I prayed this prayer for mercy, I saw a great light whose brilliance filled all the chambers. The holy living creatures lifted their wings, the wheels turned beneath them, and the voice of their song went out from one end of the world to the other.

It is incumbent upon me to praise the Lord of all, to ascribe greatness to the Maker of creation, who did not make me as the nations of the lands and did not place me as the families of the earth, but gave me a portion among those who know His name and a lot among those who serve His glory.

He is our God; there is none else. He is truth, and His seal is truth. He alone is King before anything was formed; when all was made by His will, His name was called King; and after all things cease, He alone will reign in majesty.

Blessed are You, YHWH our God, King of the universe, who formed the heavens by understanding, established the earth by wisdom, stretched out the firmament by His might, and set the Chariot of His glory above the waters.

You are mighty among the mighty, exalted above the exalted, hidden from all who are hidden, revealed to all who behold Your works. Your name is concealed from the angels, yet Your praise fills every mouth. Your glory is veiled from the living creatures, yet the sound of Your holiness shakes their wings.

The wheels call to the living creatures, and the living creatures answer the seraphim. The seraphim call to the throne, and the throne answers the King. All of them proclaim with one voice, with one speech, and with one song: Holy is the King of Glory; holy is the One who dwells in the palace of holiness; holy is YHWH of Hosts forever.

Blessed is the place of His glory. Blessed is His throne. Blessed is the crown upon His head. Blessed are the servants who stand before Him. Blessed are those who know His Name and those who remember His kingdom with fear.

Rabbi Ishmael said: Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaQanah said to me: Everyone who prays this prayer with all his strength is able to behold the splendor of the Presence, and the Presence becomes beloved to him. But he must not make use of the Name in arrogance, nor speak it in uncleanness, nor reveal it to one who is unworthy.

He who reveals the mystery to the unfit brings judgment upon himself. He who preserves it in purity is preserved by heaven. He who utters the praise with a humble spirit is received before the Throne of Glory as though he had offered a pure offering upon the altar.

Rabbi Akiva said: Our fathers took it upon themselves to set stone upon stone in the palace of YHWH until the King of the universe and all His servants were compelled to receive their petition. Not by force did they prevail, but by prayer, fasting, purity, humility, and the praise of the great Name.

Let the one who seeks this mystery fast according to his strength, wash his garments, cleanse his body, guard his tongue from falsehood, and his heart from hatred. Let him sit in solitude, wrap himself in his garment, lower his eyes, and direct his heart toward the throne.

[The manuscripts preserve divergent instructions here concerning the number of days of fasting and the repetition of the names.]

Then let him say: King of mercy, Lord of forgiveness, God who answers in the hour of distress, answer me. Open to me the gate through which the righteous enter. Let me hear the hymn of the holy living creatures and understand the praise of the wheels. Do not permit the angels of destruction to rule over me, and do not let the fire of the sixth palace consume me.

I call upon You by Your name, YHWH, YHWH, merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in steadfast love and truth. I call upon You by the memorial of Your kingdom, by the crown of Your holiness, and by the throne of Your glory. Let Your mercy go before me and Your truth guard me behind.

[Long sequence of divine and angelic names; readings differ greatly among the manuscripts.]

Rabbi Ishmael said: When I reached the gate, the guardians stood against me, their eyes like torches of fire and their breath like burning coals. I showed them the seal that Rabbi Nehuniah had given me, and they turned their faces from me and said: Enter in peace, you who seek the King.

I entered and saw rivers of fire flowing from before the Throne of Glory. I saw storehouses of snow and chambers of hail, treasuries of wind and clouds, and angels appointed over every work. I heard the voice of praise, but I could not distinguish whether it came from the living creatures, from the wheels, or from the throne itself.

They sang: Glorious and majestic is the King who sits upon the throne. His garments are light; His crown is holiness; His scepter is righteousness; His footstool is mercy. He humbles the proud and raises the lowly. He reveals secrets to those who fear Him and hides His glory from the arrogant.

They sang: Who is like You among the gods, YHWH? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Your throne is fire, Your servants are flame, Your word is spirit, and Your kingdom has no end.

They sang: He is one, and there is no second. He is first, and there is no beginning before Him. He is last, and there is no end after Him. He fills the worlds and surrounds the worlds, yet no world contains Him.

Rabbi Ishmael said: I fell upon my face, for I could not endure the voice. Then a prince of the Presence approached me and strengthened me. He said: Son of the beloved seed, do not fear. The King of Glory delights in the praise of Israel, and the sound of their prayer crowns Him with crowns of holiness.

When Israel says, Holy, holy, holy, the living creatures are silent. When Israel says, Blessed is the glory of YHWH from His place, the wheels stand still. When Israel proclaims the unity of His name, all the hosts above receive the yoke of His kingdom.

Rabbi Akiva said: Happy is the person who knows this song and teaches it to one who is worthy. Happy is the person whose heart is pure when he utters it. His prayer is not rejected, his memory is for blessing, and his portion is with those who behold the King in His beauty.

Blessed are You, YHWH, God of Israel, who delights in songs of praise. Blessed are You, King of mysteries, who reveals the hidden things. Blessed are You, enthroned upon praises, whose glory fills heaven and earth.

Let the heavens rejoice in Your kingdom; let the earth exult in Your dominion; let the depths tremble at Your rebuke; let the mountains melt before Your splendor; and let all flesh bless Your holy name forever.

Great are You and greatly praised. Your greatness is beyond searching. Generation to generation declares Your works, and the hosts of heaven tell of Your might. They speak of the glory of Your kingdom and discourse of Your power.

The crown upon Your head is called Truth. The seal upon Your arm is called Faithfulness. The throne beneath You is called Righteousness. The palace around You is called Holiness. The song before You is called Peace.

[Name sequence uncertain.]

By these names the heavens are sealed, the earth is established, the sea is restrained, the abyss is barred, the sun rises, the moon renews itself, the stars keep their watches, and the angels perform their service.

Rabbi Ishmael said: Do not suppose that the Name is used as a charm, for the Name is holy and fearful. Rather, sanctify the Name in your heart, and the King who knows the hidden thoughts will answer according to His mercy.

Rabbi Akiva said: Whoever makes himself small before the Name is made great before the throne. Whoever seeks glory for himself is cast away from glory. Whoever turns his prayer into a weapon against his neighbor has no portion in the mystery.

Let him pray for mercy, wisdom, understanding, repentance, healing, peace, and the deliverance of Israel. Let him not pray for the destruction of the innocent, nor for wealth gained through oppression, nor for honor taken from another.

May it be Your will, YHWH our God and God of our fathers, that You forgive our sins, pardon our transgressions, remove wrath from us, nullify harsh decrees, and write us among those who fear Your name.

You who annul the decree, dissolve the oath, repel wrath, and turn back jealousy, remember mercy in anger. Let the attribute of mercy prevail over the attribute of judgment. Let the throne of mercy be established over Your people.

Why do the servants above sing praises, and at times rejoice, and at times fear and recoil? When the wheels of the glory of the Chariot grow dark, they stand in great dread; but when the radiance of the Chariot gives light, they rejoice greatly and say: Holy, holy, holy is YHWH of Hosts; the fullness of the earth is His glory.

Blessed are You, who forms light and creates darkness, makes peace and creates all things. Blessed are You, who renews the work of creation each day. Blessed are You, whose mercies are new every morning and whose faithfulness is great.

The great lights praise You; the shining stars glorify You; the sun and moon tell Your rule; the constellations proclaim Your wisdom; and all the hosts of heaven bow before Your throne.

The holy living creatures run and return. The wheels blaze like coals. The seraphim cover their faces. The princes of the Presence tremble. Yet Your people Israel stand below and proclaim Your unity, and their voice is beloved before You.

Rabbi Ishmael said: I asked Rabbi Akiva: What is the end of this mystery? He said to me: Its end is love, its seal is peace, its crown is humility, and its foundation is fear of heaven.

One who descends in peace must ascend in peace. One who enters with arrogance is confounded. One who enters with purity is received. One who enters for the sake of heaven is guarded by the servants of the King.

[Several manuscripts append additional adjurations and name lists here; their sequence and wording are unstable.]

May the great King, the God of Israel, whose name is holy, guard the one who remembers this praise. May He cover him beneath His wings, save him from every destroyer, give him wisdom in his heart, and establish peace in his dwelling.

Blessed is YHWH forever. Amen and amen.