Observe that tradition teaches us that Adam was created on the first day of the year. Now, there is a heavenly New Year’s Day and an earthly New Year’s Day. New Year’s Day is the day on which God grants fruitfulness to barren women. How do we know that it is on New Year’s Day that God grants this favour? Because it is written: “And the Lord (va-Jehovah) visited Sarah”; now, wherever Scripture uses the word “va-Jehovah,” it speaks of New Year’s Day. And because Adam was brought into the world on New Year’s Day, severity reigns in the world. Therefore Scripture says, “sin lieth at the door,” that is to say: where severity reigns.
It is written: “He shall sigh after thy person; and Thou shalt rule over him.” “He shall sigh after thy person” means: until thou hast disappeared; “and thou shalt rule over him” means: his dominion shall depend upon thee. This mystery is expressed in the words of Scripture: “...And Thou givest life unto all.” From this we infer that the Holy One, blessed be He, will reign upon the earth only when all the guilty have disappeared. Therefore Scripture says: “Ve atha thimschal bo”; for as soon as the Angel of Death has caused the guilty to disappear, the Holy One, blessed be He, will exercise His dominion over this Angel and prevent Him from attacking also the souls of these guilty ones. Thus Scripture says: “...And Thou (ve-atha) shalt rule over him.”
Rabbi Isaac says: Wherever there are judges charged with settling disputes, there is also an officer charged with seeing that the sentence is carried out. Rabbi Yehouda says: “...And thou shalt rule over him” means: Thou shalt rule over the Angel of Death, if thou repentest.
Rabbi Isaac says: Wherever there are judges charged with settling disputes, there is also an officer charged with seeing that the sentence is carried out. Rabbi Yehouda says: “...And thou shalt rule over him” means: Thou shalt rule over the Angel of Death, if thou repentest.
Rabbi Yossé said: As long as the generation of Cain lived upon the earth, it never ceased to corrupt it; it had certain traits in common with the beings above and the beings below. Rabbi Isaac said: When the angels Aza and Azaël fell from the place of celestial holiness, they saw the daughters of men, with whom they sinned and begot sons who gave rise to the race of the “Nephilim” (the Fallen), as it is written: “And there were giants (Nephilim) upon the earth,”
…in those days.” Rabbi Riya said: By “sons of Elohim,” Scripture designates the sons of Cain; for, when Samael cohabited with Eve, he imparted his corruption to her, and she conceived thereby; and then she gave birth to Cain, whose face was unlike that of other men; and all those who sprang from his stock were called by no other name than “sons of Elohim.” Rabbi Yehouda said: They are also designated by the name “sons of the Fallen” (Nephilim). Scripture adds: “There came forth from them children who were mighty men and famous in the world.” The number of these mighty men was sixty, so that the number of the mighty men on earth equalled that of the mighty men above; for here Scripture uses the term “mighty men,” and elsewhere it is written: “The bed of Schelomoh is surrounded by sixty mighty men from among the strong men of Israel.” Rabbi Yossé said: What is the meaning of “men of a name”? They came from the place where the divine name reigns; that is to say, they came from heaven; for here Scripture uses the word “name”; and elsewhere it is written: “He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord…”; and elsewhere: “…And the son of an Israelitish woman blasphemed the name.” Rabbi Iliyâ said: They did not come from heaven, but from this lower world; thus, the word “meolam,” of the world, denotes the world below, as it is written: “Remember, O Lord, Thy loving-kindnesses and Thy mercies, which are from the world (meolam)”; here also the Psalmist speaks of this lower world; for it is the patriarchs who draw down the divine mercies here below. Rabbi Isaac said: “Meolam” denotes the bed of Schelomoh, as it is written: “The bed of Schelomoh is surrounded by sixty mighty men.” Rabbi Aha said: Before the corruption of the world, all men were called “sons of Elohim.”
Note that, at the moment of creation, all the works existed only as a sketch; it was only after the Holy One, blessed be He, had uprooted them and transplanted them elsewhere that they appeared in their present form. Rabbi Yessa asked: What is the meaning of this verse: “This is the book of the generation of man. On the day that Elohim created man, He made him in the likeness of Elohim. He created them male and female; He blessed them and gave them the name of Man (Adam)”? Rabbi Abba answered him: This verse contains a supreme Mystery. Tradition teaches us, indeed, that, on New Year’s Day, three books are opened in heaven; one is intended for the names of the perfectly righteous, etc.
The first book is the supreme book, which is the source of all things, even of the letters of Scripture. The middle book partakes of both heaven and earth. Lastly, the third book is the book of the Written Law, which was intended for the first man. The “book of the generation of man” is the book of the perfect righteous, as it is said: “This is the book of the generation of man.” “Man” is the righteous one who is fruitful. Scripture adds: “When God created man,” that is, man was created in the image of God. Scripture adds: “He created them male and female”; the word “created them” (baram) ends with a closed Mem, alluding to the fact that they were included one within the other. According to another version, the book of which Scripture speaks designates the mystery contained in the following verse: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: The righteous runneth into it, and is set up on high.” This is the mystery that God had revealed to Adam; and this is what Scripture designates by the name of “book of the generation of man.” This is the tower of which Scripture speaks, and which Adam had traversed. What is this tower? It is the tower of David; and it is this that Scripture designates by the term: “The name of the Lord
“is a strong tower”; for all mean the same thing, as is known to the faithful. Rabbi Abba further said: This book had been revealed to the first man; and, as soon as he looked into it, he recognized therein the “Supreme Wisdom.” This book also came to the children of God, that is to say, to the men who were the foremost in knowledge during their lifetime and who had the good fortune to recognize the “Supreme Wisdom.” May everyone meditate upon this book and recognize through it the “Supreme Wisdom.” This book was brought down from heaven and given to Adam by the Angel, master of mysteries, who was preceded by three messengers. When Adam was driven out of Eden, he clung to this book, for fear it might slip from his hands. But the book flew away. Adam began to weep and pray to his Master that the book might be returned to him. The book was then returned to him with the promise that one day it would be revealed to men, so that they might know the “Supreme Wisdom” and strive to know their Master. Another tradition also tells us that Enoch possessed a book as well; it was the same one that had been revealed to Adam. Thus did he know the mystery of the “Eternal Wisdom”; and this is why he was taken from the earth, as it is written: “And he appeared no more, because Elohim took him.” It is also Enoch whom Scripture designates by the word “youth” (naar), as it is written: “Train the youth (hanokh) in his early years.” All the treasures of the celestial World had been entrusted to Enoch’s hands; and Enoch, having recognized the “Eternal Wisdom,” revealed it to others and sent messengers to spread this mystery throughout the world. The “Eternal Wisdom” had entrusted a thousand keys to Enoch’s hands. Every day he uttered a hundred blessings and wove crowns thereof for his Master. God took him from this world to serve Him, as it is written: “… Because Elohim took him.” From that time onward this book has been known among men as the “Book of Enoch.”
At the moment when the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed this mystery to him, He showed him all the heavenly treasures; He showed him the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden, its leaves and its branches; for all is found in the book of Enoch. Happy is the lot of men of great virtue, to whom the mystery of the “Eternal Wisdom” has been revealed, for they shall never forget it, as it is written: “The mystery of the Lord is revealed to them that fear Him; and He maketh known His Covenant to those who desire to know it.”
It is written: “My spirit shall not abide for ever with man, because he is but flesh.” Rabbi Aha said: At this moment, the light that forms the Spirit of the Tree of Life departs from it and enters the Tree that contains death. Thus the spirit of which men are deprived during their lifetime seizes their souls at the moment when they leave their bodies. Therefore Scripture says: “My spirit shall not abide for ever with man, because he is but flesh”; whence it follows that the spirit abides with man only so long as he is flesh, but returns to the soul as soon as the latter has left the body.
It is written: “My spirit shall not abide for ever with man, because he is but flesh.” Rabbi Aha said: At this moment, the light that forms the Spirit of the Tree of Life departs from it and enters the Tree that contains death. Thus the spirit of which men are deprived during their lifetime seizes their souls at the moment when they leave their bodies. Therefore Scripture says: “My spirit shall not abide for ever with man, because he is but flesh”; whence it follows that the spirit abides with man only so long as he is flesh, but returns to the soul as soon as the latter has left the body.
Rabbi Éléazar said: “‘For he is but (beschagam) flesh’ designates Moses; for it is he who illumines the moon, and through him the men of this world found salvation for a long space of time. It is written: ‘And the time of man shall be an hundred and twenty years.’ These words designate Moses, through whom the Law was given to Israel; and it was in this manner that Moses imparted to men the vital spirit of the Tree of Life; and had Israel not sinned, they would have preserved this vital spirit for ever, as it is written: ‘And the tables of the law were the work of Elohim; and the writing was the writing of Elohim, graven upon the tables of the law’; now the word ‘harouth,’ graven, also means ‘set free’; for had Israel not sinned, the tables of the law would have set them free from the Angel of Death. For Moses drew the Tree of Life down here below; and this is what Scripture indicates by the words ‘beschagam hou basar’ (he is but flesh); ‘beschagam’ means: it is thanks to Moses that the word endures, and it is thanks to him that the Spirit of Life descended; it is ‘beschagam’ (Moses) who brings about unity above and unity below. That is why tradition teaches us that Moses did not die; he was only taken away from the world; but he continues to illumine the moon. Just as the sun, when it disappears from our sight, does not die, but continues to illumine the moon with its light, so it is with Moses.”
According to another version, the words “beschagam hou basar” signify that man’s spirit, that is to say, his soul, shall be clothed in flesh many times, until it has become susceptible to the Spirit of God.
Rabbi Isaac said: The generations descended from Seth were all righteous and pious; they spread throughout the world, peopled it, and introduced the art of war. These generations continued until the coming of Noah, who gave the inhabitants of the world another direction by initiating them into the knowledge of agriculture; for, before Noah, men had no need to sow or reap, and it was only later that the need arose, as it is written: “While the earth remaineth now, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease to succeed each other in turn.” Rabbi Eleazar said: The Holy One, blessed be He, will one day redeem the world and grant His Spirit to men, so that they may live for ever, as it is written: “… For My people shall live as long as the Tree”; and elsewhere it is written: “He will swallow up death for ever; and the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and He will remove from off the earth the reproach of His people; for the Lord hath spoken.”
Rabbi Isaac said: The generations descended from Seth were all righteous and pious; they spread throughout the world, peopled it, and introduced the art of war. These generations continued until the coming of Noah, who gave the inhabitants of the world another direction by initiating them into the knowledge of agriculture; for, before Noah, men had no need to sow or reap, and it was only later that the need arose, as it is written: “While the earth remaineth now, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease to succeed each other in turn.” Rabbi Eleazar said: The Holy One, blessed be He, will one day redeem the world and grant His Spirit to men, so that they may live for ever, as it is written: “… For My people shall live as long as the Tree”; and elsewhere it is written: “He will swallow up death for ever; and the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and He will remove from off the earth the reproach of His people; for the Lord hath spoken.”
Rabbi Siméon said: We know by tradition that when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He engraved the mystery of the Faith with letters of a scintillating light; He engraved this mystery above and engraved it also below; there, as here, it is the same mystery; the world below is made after that above; the world below is but the mirror of that above; it was made thus so that all things might be united in a perfect union. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, engraved the letters of the mystery of the Faith above as well as below; it is by this mystery that He created the worlds. Observe that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the first man in the same way as He created the world. Rabbi Siméon began his discourse as follows: It is written: “But they, like Adam, have transgressed the Covenant; there they dealt treacherously with Me.” When the Holy One, blessed be He, created man, He crowned him with heavenly crowns and fashioned him to rule in the six directions; He fashioned him perfect in all things. All beings feared man; for, at the moment of his creation, he bore upon his face the impress from above. All beings trembled at the sight of this face. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, brought him into the Garden of Eden, that he might there enjoy heavenly delights. The angels surrounded him, paid him homage, and revealed to him the mysteries concerning the knowledge of their Master. Observe that at the moment when the Holy One, blessed be He, brought man into the Garden of Eden, He caused him to glimpse all the supreme Mysteries and all the “Wisdom,” so that man might know the glory of his Master. There are above seven palaces containing the mystery of the Faith, and there are likewise below seven palaces corresponding to those above. Of these seven palaces above, only six are accessible to man’s understanding, whereas the seventh is secret and mysterious and forms part of the supreme Mysteries. Since the seven palaces below are formed after the pattern of those above, it follows that, among the seven palaces below, there is one that is
superior to all others, because he partook of Heaven and earth. This is the palace which God appointed for man as his dwelling. But after the first man had been driven out of the Garden of Eden, the Holy One, blessed be He, reserved for the souls of the righteous the happiness of enjoying the presence of God and of assuming on high that countenance of the first man which partook of Heaven and earth, as we have just said. The first palace is that which prepares the world below to attain a perfection like that of the beings above. The hosts of the Garden of Eden are made up of our companions. For no eye can behold it save the souls of the righteous, who are admitted therein, that they may partake of Heaven and earth and meditate therein upon the mysteries of their Master, while enjoying the delights of Heaven. The righteous whose souls gain access thereto are those who do not deny their Master under the pressure of any threat. It is written: “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband.” In this verse is expressed the mystery of Faith. Man must ever remain attached to his Master, fear Him continually, and never turn aside either to the right or to the left; as we have just said, man must never yield to the pressure of threats, nor deny his Master through a fear which is called an “adulterous woman”; wherefore Scripture says: “Say unto ‘Wisdom’: Thou art my sister; and call ‘Understanding’ (Bina) thy friend, that she may defend thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who useth soft speech.” In this palace are souls destined to ascend higher. For when the souls of the righteous leave this world, they enter this palace situated in the lower Eden; they remain there for all the time needed to prepare them to ascend into the upper Eden. In each of the palaces of the lower Eden, therefore, are souls already having the form of those of the upper Eden, and others having the form of those of the lower Eden. For in the lower Eden the souls are clothed in garments whose essence corresponds to the place; the souls enjoy these coverings with which they are surrounded for as long as their sojourn in these palaces lasts. But as soon as the time comes for them to ascend to a higher region, they are stripped of their covering. Despite this covering, the souls can see the celestial forms and contemplate the glory of their Master. In this palace the souls can also behold the light that emanates from the souls of the converts, who ascend and descend; each time, before ascending, these souls surround themselves with a covering of dazzling light, yet one scarcely discernible to the eyes of the other souls. This palace is more splendid than precious stones and gold. It is furnished with a gate leading to the gate of Hell. Through this gate the righteous behold the guilty who refused to enter the sacred Covenant, and whose souls were violently cast by the destroying Angels into Hell, where they are burned. At the sight of these torments, the souls of the converts rejoice that they themselves have escaped them. It is also through this gate that the light of the palace enters Hell three times a day to bring the guilty some relief from their torments. At the head of the souls dwelling in this palace are those of Abdias, Onkelos the Convert, and other converts. The rank in which the souls are placed in this palace of the lower Eden is likewise preserved in the palace of the upper Eden, when the souls are judged worthy to be crowned therein.
The second palace lies farther within the region of the Garden of Eden than the first. It is situated beside the tomb of the patriarchs. This palace sheds a light more radiant than the first, surpassing in splendour the brightness of all precious stones. This palace is illumined by a light of every colour, which casts rays from above to below. This palace is the dwelling of those who, for the salvation of their souls, have suffered morally and physically in this lower world, and who nevertheless gave thanks to their Master each day, never neglecting
The Prayer. This palace is the dwelling of those who have sanctified with all their might the name of their Master and who have responded with all their might to the liturgical formula: “Amen! May His great name be blessed.” The souls of the men mentioned dwell in this palace and are illumined by this light, which is composed of all colors. Through this light, they behold other lights, either united or separated from one another. Above these souls stands the Messiah, who comes to this palace to raise the souls up to the third palace. In this palace dwell the souls of those who, during their lifetime, suffered greatly from very grievous illnesses, as well as the souls of young children who died before reaching adulthood. Also dwelling in this palace are the souls of those who, during their lifetime, grieved and shed tears because of the destruction of the Temple. All the souls of the men mentioned dwell in this third palace. The Messiah comforts them, raises them up from this palace, and brings them into the fourth palace. In this palace dwell the souls of all those who mourned for Sion and Jerusalem, as well as the souls of those who were slain by the heathen peoples. At the sight of these souls, the Messiah grieves and weeps, and all the chiefs of the stock of David gather around him and comfort him. The Messiah continues to weep until his voice, rising on high, joins the “Voice” par excellence. He remains in this fourth palace until the new moon. When the Messiah descends to enter this fourth palace, he is accompanied by several rays of light that heal and illumine the souls of all those who were slain, who suffered, or who labored for the Messiah. The Messiah then wraps himself in a purple mantle upon which are inscribed the names of all those who were slain by the heathen peoples because of him. This purple mantle then rises on high and conveys the imprint of these names to the purple of the heavenly King. A day will come when the Holy One, blessed be He, will wrap Himself in this purple mantle to judge the peoples, as it is written: “He shall execute judgment among the nations.”
Until that day, the Messiah visits the martyrs to comfort them. He is accompanied by many rays of light and many legions of angels, to surround and delight the souls of the martyrs. It is also in this palace that the ten great masters of Israel dwell, such as Rabbi Aqiba and his colleagues and others, who all there acquire the gift of seeing the reflection of that glorious and supreme Light of which Scripture says: “No eye has ever seen it, except Thou alone, O God.” The fifth palace is the abode of the true penitents who, having come to their senses, have turned back and restored their souls to a state of purity. This palace is also the abode of those who sanctified the name of their Master by going forth to meet death for the glory of God. At the gate of this palace stands Manasseh, king of Judah, whose repentance the Holy One, blessed be He, accepted, stretching out His hand to him. The souls of those who, at the hour of their death, felt remorse for the evil deeds they had committed are also received into this palace; the souls of these share every day the heavenly delights with the other souls in this palace. Three times a day, a heavenly light enters this palace, delighting each soul according to its degree of holiness. Each of the souls in this palace is consumed by the light that shines from the canopy of its neighbor, both its neighbor above and its neighbor below. This palace is above the four palaces named before; even the perfect righteous cannot enter it, much less dwell therein. As one can see, penitents occupy in Heaven a rank higher than that of the perfect righteous, except, however, for the zealots, whose souls sit in the highest rank. The sixth palace
is the abode of the souls of the zealous. This palace is higher than all the other palaces to which souls have access. None may enter this palace save the holy zealots, and all those who love their Master with a true love. At the gate of this palace stand all those who, during their lifetime, proclaimed each day the unity of their Master. They stand at the gate so that, when the time comes to leave this palace and ascend to the palaces of the upper Eden, they may be the first to depart. At one of the gates of this palace stands Abraham, who is the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He. At the other gate stands Isaac, who was bound upon the altar and offered as a perfect burnt offering to the Holy One, blessed be He. At the third gate stands Jacob, surrounded by the twelve chiefs of the tribes, above whom the Shekhinah hovers. Whenever Israel is in distress, the three Patriarchs arise and implore the Shekhinah to protect him; then the Shekhinah descends, places a crown upon his head, and protects Israel.
Just as there are palaces below, in the Garden of Eden, so there are palaces above, which complete those below, wherein the mystery of the Faith is contained. All the six palaces aforesaid are interwoven with one another, and have the seventh palace for their centre. The seventh palace is more hidden and more mysterious than all the others. In the midst of this palace rises a many-coloured pillar: green, white, red, and black. When souls leave the world, they are brought into this palace for an instant. Such a soul as sees one colour of the pillar is placed in the palace that corresponds to that colour; another soul sees another colour of the pillar, and is placed in the palace that corresponds to that other colour, and so on. The six palaces aforesaid are intended as a dwelling-place for souls, but the seventh is not, since souls are brought into it only for an instant.
The name of Seth expresses the mystery of these six palaces. That is why Scripture says “Bereschith,” which means “Bara schith” (created six); it is an allusion to the six palaces forming the six degrees below; all are comprised in the same mystery. Observe that Genesis begins with the word “Bereschith.” Rabbi Yehouda said: There were two Temples, one was above, the other below. There are also, in the name of Jehovah, two He’s, one of which is above and the other below, and both are one. The letter Beth has this peculiarity, that it represents the form of a house with an open door; and if one turns the letter in every direction, its door is likewise open in every direction. That is why Scripture begins with the word “Bereschith,” which means “Beth reschith,” that is to say: He Who is the Door symbolized by the letter Beth constitutes the beginning and the foundation (reschith) of the whole edifice (baith). Rabbi Isaac said in the name of Rabbi Éléazar: By the word “Bereschith,” Scripture designates that Figure which is the synthesis of all the others and to which the words of Scripture allude: “Such was the likeness of the glory of the Lord”; it is the Figure in which the six others are concentrated. The word “Bereschith” may therefore be interpreted in this way: “Be reschith bara schith,” that is to say: it is by the Figure par excellence, “Bereschith,” that God created the six other figures, “Bara schith.”
Rabbi Yossé opened one of his discourses with the following prelude: It is written: “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.” “The flowers” designate the six degrees; “appear on the earth” designate the six degrees of the lower Eden, which correspond to those of the higher Eden; “the time of singing is come” means that it is only through knowledge of the six degrees that man becomes able to sing the praises of God, as it is written: “…That I may sing Thy praises in the midst of my glory.” That is why this chapter of the Psalms begins with the word “song”; and we know by tradition that all the Psalms beginning with the words “A song of David” were sung by David only after they had been inspired in him by the Shekhinah.
Rabbi Abba said: Everything in the world is divided into two parts, one visible and the other invisible. That which is visible is but the reflection of that which is invisible. Thus the six celestial days produced invisible things; the six days of creation here below produced visible things. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “Be-reschith bara Elohim,” which means: “Bereschith” gave birth to Elohim, for Elohim is the visible sacred Name. “Be-reschith” is above; Elohim is its image below. Thus all the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, have their reflection here below. Just as “Bereschith” is reflected in Elohim here below, so is heaven reflected in the earth; the invisible heaven must necessarily have a visible reflection, and this is the earth; therefore Scripture says: “Eth haschamaïm ve eth haaretz”: Heaven produced the earth, which is its visible part.
It is written: “And the earth was thohou and bohou.” This verse has already been explained by us. The “earth” designates the upper earth, which has no light of its own. Scripture adds “was,” which means that it had already existed of old, but that at the time of creation it was in a state of thohou and bohou. Finally, Scripture says: “And the darknesses...,” to indicate to us that, since the earth had asked, at the time of creation, to be diminished in comparison with the pre-existing earth, God likewise diminished its light. Scripture enumerates: Thohou, Bohou, Darkness, Spirit; these are the four elements that form the foundation of the world. Another version reads “ve eth ha-aretz”: this is the lower earth, which is divided into several compartments, different from those above. This is alluded to in the verse: “And the earth was thohou, bohou, darkness and spirit; and behold, these are the seven compartments whose names are: ‘Eretz,’ ‘Adama,’ ‘Gliée,’ ‘Xesia,’ ‘Cia,’ ‘Arqa,’ ‘Thebel.’” The greatest of them all is “Thebel,” as it is written: “And He shall judge the earth (Thebel) in equity.”
Rabbi Yossé asked: What is this land that bears the world “Cia”? Rabbi Simeon answered him: It is the land upon which Hell is situated, as it is written: “A dry and barren land, the image of death...” This mystery is expressed in the words: “And darkness covered the face of the deep.” This is an allusion to “Cia,” where Hell is situated and where the angel of death also dwells. This land is designated by the word “darkness” because the fire of Hell which it contains blackens the faces of all the damned. The word “thohou” designates the land “Nesia,” because one cannot cast one’s eyes upon this land without forgetting all the past. The word “bohou” designates the land “Arqa,” because forgetfulness does not exist in this land. Rabbi Hiyâ said: The word “bohou” designates the land “Gliée.” The words: “And the Spirit of Élohim hovered over the waters” designate the land “Thebel,” which is nourished by the spirit of Élohim; this spirit also reigns over our land “Éretz.” Just as there are seven compartments below, so, for the celestial land, there are seven regions situated one above the other, in which the higher angels dwell. These seven regions are united with our land “Éretz” and subsist only through it. In all these regions, the angels sing praises of the Holy One, blessed be He. The degrees of these angels are indicated by the regions they inhabit. The first region, counting from the one below, is a part of space where there is no light. The angels who inhabit it resemble hurricanes whose passage one feels but cannot see; they are invisible, since they have neither light, nor darkness, nor any color. They are unaware of their own existence, since in their region there is no form. This region has for its chief an angel named “Tahariel,” who has under him seventy underchiefs. This chief and his underchiefs traverse this region. The angels of this region are annihilated every day by strokes of lightning invisible and imperceptible to the other angels. They are renewed every morning. Since these strokes of lightning occur only at night and never during the day, the disappearance and reappearance of the angels mark day and night in this region. The second region is a part of space where there is somewhat more light than in the preceding one. It serves as the dwelling place of the higher angels appointed to watch over the deeds of men and to turn them aside when they follow the evil path. This region is visible and does not
unlike the preceding one. The angels who dwell therein sometimes wage war against men. They feed upon the fragrance that rises from the good deeds performed below. They have for their chief an angel named “Qadomiel.” They begin to sing hymns to God; but no sooner have they begun than they cease their song and become invisible, until Israel begins below to sing the praises of the Lord. Then these angels become visible again and shed more light than before. They sanctify the name of God three times a day. And when Israel devotes itself to the study of doctrine, all the angels take flight and rise on high to bear witness thereto; and the Holy One, blessed be He, takes account of it in their favor. The third region is a part of space filled with fire and flames. From this region issues the river of fire (Nahar dinour), which makes its way to hell, where it falls upon the heads of the guilty. It is likewise in this region that dwell the destroying angels who torment the guilty in hell. These angels are the accusers of Israel, to whom they do great harm, except at the time when Israel repents and thus makes the evil angels unable to take hold of it. They have a chief who is on the left; indeed, all are on the side of darkness, as it is written: “And darkness was upon the face of the deep.” Samaël the guilty is also there. The fourth region is that part of space which shines with light. There dwell the highest angels of the right side. The angels who dwell there begin and end the hymns, and consequently differ from the aforementioned angels, who are consumed by flashes of lightning before finishing their hymns and are renewed every morning. The angels of the fourth region remain forever unchanged; they are the angels of mercy, who are never transformed. Of these angels Scripture says: “Who makest Thy angels as the winds, and Thy ministers as flaming fire...” These angels are charged with missions on earth; but they appear to men only in dreams, or in some other manner, according to the degree of understanding of those to whom they appear. They have a chief named “Padaël.” These angels are charged with keeping the keys that open the gates of mercy to those who repent and return to their Master; that is to say, the keys that open the gates through which prayers and vows pass. The fifth region is a part of space where the light shines more brightly than in all the preceding regions. It is the dwelling place of angels, one part of whom is fire and the other water. These angels are messengers sometimes of mercy and sometimes of severity. The former dwell on one side of the region, and the latter on the other. Sometimes the former are luminous and the latter dark; sometimes the reverse. They sing the praises of their Master in the middle of the night. They have a chief whose name is “Qadaschiël.” When midnight comes and the north wind blows, the Holy One, blessed be He, arrives in the Garden of Eden to converse with the righteous. This north wind warns the angels charged with singing the praises of God at midnight that the hour has come. Then all sing the hymns. And when morning comes and the darkness of twilight mingles with the brightness of day, all the other angels sing hymns, and all the stars of heaven, as well as all the angels below, join in their song, as it is written: “...When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” This song of the angels continues until Israel begins to sing the praises. The sixth region is the one situated nearest to the celestial kingdom. This region is traversed by ships that cover the rivers and lakes issuing from the sea. There are also fish that travel throughout the world in every direction. They have several chiefs,
And the name of the supreme chief is “Oriel,” who is above his subordinate chiefs. The latter have appointed hours and moments at which their rule begins and ends. When the ships sail in the direction of the South, it is the chief Michael who governs that region. When the ships sail in the direction of the North, it is Gabriel who governs, since this angel stands on the left side of the celestial Chariot, whereas Michael stands on the right side. When the ships sail toward the East, it is Raphael who governs that region, since he, too, stands on the right side of the celestial Chariot. Lastly, when the ships sail in the direction of the West, it is Oriel himself who governs that region; it is therefore he who governs last. The seventh region is the highest part of space of all; only the souls of the righteous enter there, and in that region they enjoy celestial splendor and delight in celestial charms. No other beings are found in this region apart from the blessed ones named above. There are gathered the treasures of peace, blessing, and grace. But, since we said previously that the lower world is formed after the pattern of the upper one, it follows that the lower world is likewise divided into seven regions. All seven lands are inhabited by men whose forms are like ours. The inhabitants of all these lands praise the Holy One, blessed be He, and give thanks to Him. But the inhabitants of none of these seven lands know the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, as well as those who dwell in the uppermost land called “Thebel”; for it is inhabited only by the righteous, whose bodies are sanctified. Just as the seventh of these celestial regions is reserved exclusively for the souls of the righteous, so the seventh land is inhabited exclusively by the bodies of the righteous, so that this region below may correspond to the one above. Rabbi Siméon says: Besides the seven regions mentioned, there are also seven palaces containing the mystery of the Faith. These seven palaces are situated in the seven regions named above and correspond to the seven upper heavens.
Each palace is inhabited by a superior spirit. The first palace is inhabited by the spirit charged with the souls of converts. His name is “Rahmiel.” It is he who leads these souls to bring them into the presence of the splendor of the supreme glory. The second palace is inhabited by a spirit named “Ahinael.” He is charged with the souls of children who had not the good fortune in this world to devote themselves to the study of the esoteric doctrine; it is he who is charged with instructing them. The third palace is inhabited by a spirit named “Adrahinael.” He is charged with the souls of those who, before dying, had resolved to abandon their evil ways and do penance, but who, overtaken by death, had been unable to carry out their resolve. The souls of such men are first cast into hell; and afterward the spirit mentioned draws them out and prepares them to enjoy the splendor of the glory of their Master. Yet the enjoyment of these souls is inferior to that of the others. They are called “children of flesh”; it is to them that the words of Scripture refer: “And from new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, saith the Lord.” The fourth palace is inhabited by the spirit named “Gadrihael.” He is charged with the souls of those who have been slain by the heathen peoples because of their faith. This spirit causes these souls to ascend in the purple of the King, where their names are inscribed, awaiting the day when the Holy One, blessed be He, shall avenge them, as it is written: “He shall judge among the heathen; He shall fill all places with ruins; He shall crush upon the earth the heads of many.” The fifth palace is inhabited by a spirit named “Adiriel.” He is charged with the souls of penitents who persevered in their penance until death. These souls are superior to all the others, just as the palace that shelters them is superior to the others. Above all these five spirits is placed Michael, the great heavenly chief, under whose command are several thousand and several hundred millions of angels. Michael is charged with delighting the souls of the zealous by showing them the celestial light that issues from the river leading to the world to come.