“In the thirtieth year, the fourth month, etc.” [1:1]. Ezekiel said: It was in the thirtieth year, in the month of Tammuz; I was in exile near the river of Chebar, with other Israelites who were standing with me. I saw wonders and miracles from the Holy One.
“It was” [1:3]. The words of God to Ezekiel the son of Jeremiah the priest,1Radak, Ezekiel, 1:3, quoting Targum Yerushalmai. The Amsterdam, 1711 and some other editions changed it to Buzi, probably not having checked the commentaries cited. The commentaries explain that “Buzi” was a nickname for Jeremiah. The term is based on the idea that Jeremiah was shamed (bushah in Hebrew). in the land of the Chaldeans, near the river that was called Chebar. I saw a great storm wind from the north, a great cloud and a fire was flashing and great light surrounded the cloud. An angel called Hashmal2Radak, Ezekiel, 1:3. was in the middle of the fire. One face was that of a person, one face was that of a lion, one an ox and one an eagle and four creatures, each one with four faces. One face was like a person, the second like an ox, the third face was like a lion and the fourth face was like an eagle. Their feet were together and their feet were like calves feet. They shined brightly, like shiny polished copper. One wing touched the other partner and when they wanted to move, they did not have to turn around since they had a face on all our sides of the world. On their right side, they have the face of a person and the face of a lion on all four creatures. On the left side, the four creatures had an image like an ox and the eagle on all four creatures. Their wings were spread over their faces and with two wings they covered their bodies. The image of the creatures was like fiery coals burning among the creatures and lightning flashed from the fire. The creatures ran back and forth like lightning flashes. Then I saw wheels with each creature and the wheels were like a precious stone called beryl. The wheels were double, and they had a back and a front. They stand in constant fear and their back is full of eyes so that they can see in all directions. When the creatures move, the wheels move with them. The spirit of the creatures is in the wheels of the creatures. The wheels go with them. An image over the heads of the creatures was like a heaven, ice white, and under the heaven each of the creatures had two wings.
“I heard the sound of their wings” [1:24]. I heard the sound of the creatures. It was like a loud sound of strong waters, the sound of the living God. Like the sound of a great multitude shouting, and the sound went forth from the heaven that was spread above their heads was like a precious stone that is called sapphire, and the image of a throne and on the throne the image of a man. When the creatures stood still, they let their wings fall to their sides.
“Then a spirit carried me” [3:12]. A great wind lifted me up and I heard a great shout, “blessed is the Presence of the Lord, in His place” [3:12].
We will write some midrashim about the haftorah. The Tanhuma writes. It is written that each creature had four wings. Rabbi Jacob bar Zavdi said in the name of Rabbi Abahu that the Holy One made two wings for each creature because of the time that Israel made the Golden Calf. The angels and creatures have feet like a calf. That is why the Holy One made the wings, because the Holy One did not want to look at the feet of the angels. He made coverings for the sin that Israel made the Golden Calf. That is why the angels and creatures cover their feet with the additional two wings. This was an act of love for Israel, that the Holy One forgave Israel their sins.3Tanhuma, (ed. Buber), Emor 11; Yalkut Shimoni, Ezekiel, Remez, 337.
The Talmud writes in [tractate] Berakhot. “Their legs were a single rigid leg” [1:7]. Rabbi Yose the son of Haninah said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer the son of Jacob. The one who prays the Amidah should put his feet together. The verse says, “The Lord is near to all who call Him” [Psalms, 145:18].4B. Berakhot, 10b; Yalkut Shimoni, Ezekiel, Remez, 337. This means, God is near to all who call Him.
Rabbi Levi says: the distance from the earth to the heaven is what a person can travel in five hundred years. The thickness of each heaven is what a person can travel in five hundred years. The distance between one heaven and the other is the same. Rabbi Berachiah said: the hooves of the creatures and the step of the creatures is also what a person can travel in five hundred years. To this must be added fifteen years. This is because the verse says rigid [yesharah]. That is to say, this word has the numerical value of five hundred and fifteen. We can see how very far is the heaven of the Holy One. When the person prays slowly, the Holy One listens to his prayers. Where is there a God that is so close that He understands his words?5Midrash Shohar Tov, 4.3; Yalkut Shimoni, Ezekiel, Remez, 337.
We will now write about the Merkavah that Ezekiel saw. It is easy to understand what this meant. The Holy One showed him how the person should behave. That is why the Holy One appeared on a throne that stands on four creatures, as if the Holy One would be riding on it. This has the appearance of someone wanting to travel and wants to ride on a journey. This is how the Holy One appeared to the prophet. That is to say, the Holy One said that He want- ed to move out of the Temple because of the sins that Israel committed. The riding showed that the Holy One wanted to ride and travel outside the Temple. The Holy One also showed that He thinks about all of creation. He does with them as He wishes, like some one who rides a mount and knows very well what it is and knows what is needed for the journey and he leads the mount according to his will.
Why did the Holy One show four creatures with four faces? This is because the animals that live in the world are but four. The first is a lion, the king of the wild animals. The second is the ox, the king of the domesticated animals. The third is the eagle, the king of the birds. The fourth is the human, who is the king over everything in the world. Why wasn’t there a fish from the water in the Merkavah, since the Holy One also does what He wants with them? The explanation is that the bird was created half from the water and half from the dry land. Therefore, he does not have to think about the fish, since the eagle is a remembrance in the Merkavah, since the eagle was created out of the water like a fish. For Ezekiel this meant that the Holy One rode and guided the world according to His will. The human, even when he is the king over all of creation, the Holy One is still over the human and He does what he wants with him.
There was also on the Merkavah how the person should behave. There are many people who boast about their strength. Therefore, he was shown a lion that is very strong, but is in the hands of the Holy One. That is to say, no mighty warrior should boast, since it is all with the help of the Holy One. There are also some people who boast about their wealth. Therefore, an ox is shown in the Merkavah. That is to say, the ox plows and causes much grain to come in to the world and this brings wealth. Therefore, the person should not boast about wealth, since it is all in the hands of God. There are some people who desire to steal, just like the birds, one steals from other. Therefore, the eagle was among the creatures. The person should see that everything is in the hands of the Holy One. The thief will not have luck, since the Holy One hates thievery. One should behave properly with money and give charity. The Messiah will come as the verse says, “and those who repent by righteousness” [Isaiah, 1:27]. Amen.