Saturday, March 28, 2009

The Hasidim of Medieval Germany





Jewish life in the Medieval Middle Ages of Christendom was exremely difficult. Crusade fever, although directed to the so-called infidel Muslims, could easily be directed to Jewish communities that stood apart from Christendom. Torah observance in Germany was therefore perilous in the century from 1150 -1250 C.E. Within those difficult circumstances A form of mysticism developed connected to Merkabah mysticism developed that emphasized deep personal piety, messianic speculation and a deep altruistic love as an expression of obedience to God by all, not just the elite Torah scholar.
The roots of German Hasidism were less speculative than earlier Jewish esoteric thought. In contrast to the small groups of skilled scholars following a perilous secretive ascent to the heavens, the Hasidim of Medieval Germany was a tradition of the common life and was hence quieter.


Social Background

Feudalist Europe was controlled by Christendom, where Church permeated European political and social life. Catholic Canon law ensured Jews remained visibly separate to society. This visibility was a risk in difficult times.

Christendoms society was based on Feudalism, the aristocratic ownership of land. However, Jews were legally barred from land ownership. As land ownership was the measure of social recognition, Jewish people were forced to develop skills in trade and finance. Christendom forbade Clergy charging interest on loans in the 5th century and forbade the laity from doing so in the 6th century. In the eighth century Emprerer Charlemagne, declared usury a general criminal offence until 1311 when Pope Clement V made the ban on usury absolute. The Quran of Islam condemned Usury (Surah 2:188, 274-280; 3:130; 4;29, 161; 9: 34-35, 43; 30:39) and by the time of Caliph Ulmar (ruled 634–644), the prohibition of interest was a well established working principle of Islamic economic system.

However, Jewish law allowed interest in some circumstances. In the TaNaK, the charging of interest is either forbidden or discouraged in the agricultural Jewish community(Exod. 22:24-25; Lev 25:35-3; Deut 23:19-21; Ezek 18: 20; Prov. 28:8; Ps 15:5; Neh. 5:7) The Mishah (Baba Metzia 68b; 5:6) identified a number of ways around the usuary laws and since the Bible allowed non Israelites to be charged interest, the Rabbi’s regulated the practice of a Jew being charged interest when a Gentile intermediary was involved in the transaction. The resultant Jewish financiers were a necessary but often resented part of the Feudal economy.


Although anti Jewish hostility was common. Periods of cooperation existed, such as between the Torah scholar Rashi (1040-1105), whose TaNaK commentary is now included in the Talmud, and the theologian Hugh of St Victor (1096 – 1141). However, during times of distress, fed both by Christian preaching and by those who feared loss in times of trouble, Jews were often made scapegoats for the perceived punishment of God. The supposed curse on the Jewish people, derived from the book of Matthew 27:24-25 and slanderous allegations of Jews sacrificing children or poisoning wells Also the first Crusade (1096–1099). although officially directed against Muslims, resulted in marauding groups attacking Jewish communities.
States could expel Jews from within their borders, as did France in 1182 and Spain in 1492. Also, the Church issued controlling laws, as did the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215, and sponsored the burning of the Talmud on many occasions. Rulers could organize debates between Christian missionaries and appointed Rabbis, with a claimed view of conversion, which forced the Jewish Community to remain conspicuous and therefore easily threatened.


Vibrant Jewish life

Despite such external pressures, life in the Jewish community remained faithful to its religious roots. Within the Jewish schools (the yeshivah) held in local synagogues, generations of scholars continued the reading of Torah in Hebrew and the Talmud in Aramaic. This vibrant education and social framework allowed the spread of the mystical traditions.

The social vibrancy and the extent of devotion and widespread piety of the average Jew is exhibited in the Last Will and Testament of Eleazar of Mayance (Mainz), (Abrahams, I, Hebrew Ethical Wills, 2 vols.) an ordinary Jewish businessman who died c1357.

Eleazar’s will provides a window to the concerns of the 14th century pious Ashkenazic German Jew. His main concerns are that his daughters observe the laws of modesty, ritual purity, and that all his children pray regularly, conduct their business honestly, avoid Lashon Hora (lit. evil tongue, or gossip), keep the Sabbath and honour their spouse.

“These are the things which my sons and daughters shall do at my request. They shall go to the house of prayer morning and evening, and shall pay special regard to the tefillah (the Eighteen Benedictions) and the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4). So soon as the service is over, they shall occupy themselves a little with the Torah, the Psalms, or with works of charity. Their business must be conducted honestly, in their dealings both with Jew and Gentile. They must be gentle in their manners, and prompt to accede to every honorable request. They must not talk more than is necessary, by this will they be saved from slander, falsehood, and frivolity. They shall give an exact tithe of all their possessions; they shall never turn away a poor man empty-handed, but must give him what they can, be it much or little. If he beg a lodging overnight, and they know him not, let them provide him with the wherewithal to pay an inn-keeper. Thus shall they satisfy the needs of the poor in every way. My daughters must obey scrupulously the rules applying to women; modesty, sanctity, reverence, should mark their married lives. They should carefully watch for the signs of the beginning of their periods and keep separate from their husbands at such times. Marital intercourse must be modest and holy, with a spirit of restraint and delicacy, in reverence and silence. They shall be very punctilious and careful with their ritual bathing, taking with them women friends of worthy character. They shall cover their eyes until they reach their home, on returning from the bath, in order not to behold anything of an unclean nature. They must respect their husbands, and must be invariably amiable to them. Husbands, on their part, must honor their wives more than themselves, and treat them with tender consideration.” He advises his sons to show great discretion, and continence with women and to “avoid mixed dancing”.


Following a Jewish Tradition of Ethical Wills Eleazar of Mayance stresses anger management, not quarrelling; cleanliness with the ideal that if one studies Torah, good qualities become habitual, for Torah study is the “best of all works a man can do”.

I earnestly beg my children to be tolerant and humble to all, as I was throughout my life. Should cause for dissension present itself, be slow to accept the quarrel; seek peace and pursue it with all the vigor at your command. Even if you suffer loss thereby, forbear and forgive, for God has many ways of feeding and sustaining His creatures. To the slanderer do not retaliate with counterattack; and though it be proper to rebut false accusations, yet is it most desirable to set an example of reticence. You yourselves must avoid uttering any slander, for so will you win affection. In trade be true, never grasping at what belongs to another. For by avoiding these wrongs-scandal, falsehood, money­grubbing-men will surely find tranquillity and affection. And against all evils, silence is the best safeguard.


Cleanliness, which is linked to holiness, is also emphasized: “Be very particular to keep your houses clean and tidy” wrote Eleazar who lived through the Black Death of 1349 “I was always scrupulous on this point, for every injurious condition and sickness and poverty are to be found in foul dwellings.

Eleazar stresses the importance of charity: "On holidays and festivals and Sabbaths seek to make happy the poor, the unfortunate, widows and orphans, who should always be guests at your tables; their joyous entertainment is a religious duty.

However, his primary concern is their spiritual and obligations to the and advice of marriage within the Jewish community:
If they can by any means contrive it, my sons and daughters should live in communities, and not isolated from other Jews, so that their sons and daughters may learn the ways of Judaism. Even if compelled to solicit from others the money to pay a teacher, they must not let the young of both sexes go without instruction in the Torah.”


His emphasis on the importance of worship includes the admonition to arrive early to synagogue (“Be of the first 10 to the synagogue”) and to “Be careful over the benedictions; accept no divine gift without paying back the Giver's part; and His part is man's grateful acknowledgment. [Pay God for His blessings by blessing Him.].. Pray steady with the congregation giving due value to every letter and word seeing that there are 248 words in the Schema corresponding to the 248 limbs in the human body.”

This reference to the number of words in the Shema links to the writings of the Torah scholar and medical physician Maimonides’(1135 – 1204) who catalogued 248 male limbs 251 female limbs. There are 613 commandments (mitzvot) of which there are 248 positive commands and 365 prohobitions. The 248 positive commands correspond to the 248 limbs of the male body[1], while the 365 prohobitions correspond to 365 sinews and ligaments. The connection between the proactive commands and the active limbs, and the connection between the prohibitions and the restrictive nature of the ligaments correlate to the relationship between the opposing forces that make mobility possible. Just as seeming opposites are needed for productive movement, so is true regarding both commands and prohibitions for spiritual growth.
Actually, the Shema has only 245 words. “In order to make up the missing three words, the prayer leader should repeat the last three words of Shema, Hashem Elokeichem Emes (Hashem your G-d is Truth)” (Shulchan Aruch 61,3). This is based on the halachic principle of shome’a k’oneh that when one listens to words it is as if one said them personally. Although there are some variations within Jewish traditions on how the 3 extra words are applied, the total number of words comes to 248 words. For example, the Ashkenazim who say Shema without a minyan do not repeat these three words, wheras the Sephardim do. An Ashkenazi should preface the Shema with the words “Eil Melech Ne’eman” (G-d, Faithful King).

There are 248 limbs in the body, and each word of Shema serves to protect one of them” (Zohar Chadash, Rus 97b). This fascination in the number of word in the Shema is linked to the development of gematria, the interpreting both the numerical value of letter in languages where the alphabet is also used for the number system, was used by the Jewish people to gain leverage to the text.

The Hasidei Ashkenazi

In medieval Germany a distinctive mystical tradition developed from 1150–1250 called the Hasidei Ashkenazi (the “Devout” or “Pious of Germany”). This mystical tradition was shaped by three generations of teachers from the Kalonymides family. The first was Samuel the Hasid, the son of Kalonymus of Speyer who lived in the middle of the 12th century, of whose writing little remains. His son was Yehudah the Hasid of Worms(1150 -1217), who died in Regensburg , wrote Sefer Hasidim and possibly Sefer HaChochmah. His many writings are now known only through his disciples who regarded him virtually as a prophet. He was the prominemt figure in founding the Hassidim Ashkenaz movement of the medieval period, he was prominent in ethics and theology. The third generation, Eleazar ben Jehudah of Worms (1160?/1176?–1238) was a Talmudist and kabbalist born probably at Mayence and died at Worms in 1238 left the greatest body of literature and is the main source of information about our knowledge about Hasidei Ashkenazi Mysticism. The most influential book is Sefer Hasidim (the Book of the Devout, or the Book of the Pious). As in earlier esoteric Judaism, the mystics life is not just one of esoteric fancy but one of strict pity as thise book title suggests. The Sefer Hasidim shows lines of continuity with earlier Jewish traditions, including Merkabah speculation and the writings of the 10th-century Muslim Rationalist scholar Saadia Gaon (Saadia the Great, 892 -942 C.E.) who stressed the analogy between divine and human erotic love. It should be observed however, that Eleazar ben Jehudah’s writings quote a mistranslated rewriting of the original Arabic Rationalist text, The book of Philosophic Doctrines and Religious Beliefs, into a reworked Hebrew mystical text. It is this mistranslation that is quoted by Eleazar ben Jehudah of Worms. It is also possible that Eleazar ben Jehudah was influenced by the Christian mysticism influence of penitence, that is an ongoing remorse, not just the turning away from sin found in earlier Jewish thought. For piety is described as an elaborate ritualized transition from non-piety to piety.

This German Mysticism was more popular and less speculative than Merkabah mysticism, focusing on the shaping of individual piety. Rather than being the focus of a small group of elite Torah scholars of towering intellect, the Hasid is the ordinary pious Jew who humbly seeks holiness. Nevertheless, Hasid can, nevertheless, become a guide to piety for others and even claim direct inspiration enabling him to answer legal questions that confounded scholars. Hence, speculation about the divine realm (theosophy) is at times inconsistent and emphasizes the human relationship to an immanent, yet transendent, God. God’s attributes are developed as aspects of divine immanence, as ways of bringing God closer to the individual. The pious may in fact perform miraculous deeds. Heavenly archetypes exist for all created things, including humans, who can work to realize their heavenly ideal. Mystical literature describe a fine line between mysticism and a type of magic or theurgy particularly with the creation of the Golem, a type of mindless humanoid servant shaped to life from inanimate embryonic substance. Having a Golem servant was seen as a symbol of wisdom and holiness, and many tales connect Golems to prominent Rabbis throughout the Middle Ages.

Consider this example of a question seeking a divine answer from God:“I ask another ? …“Is it permitted to make theurgic use of the Holy Name of 42 letters to conjure the holy angels appointed over Torah to make a man wise in all that he studies and never forget his learning?” In other words, can I miraculously become a great scholar?" “ … and is it permitted to conjure by means a name appointed by the angels over wealth and victory over enemies to in order to find grace in the eyes of princes?” Or is it forbidden to use theurgic use of the name for any of these purposes?’
The answer: “Holy holy Holy is the Lord of hosts, he alone will satisfy all your needs” In other words, Torah study is to enable one to approach God and give Him honour.

To the Hasidei Askenaz prayer is like Jacobs ladder extending from heaven to earth, it is a process of mystical ascent. In the famous Hymn of Glory we read of longig for intimacy with the unkowable divine:

Sweet hymns and songs will I recite,
To sing in Thee by day and night,
of Thee who art my souls delight.

How doth my soul within me yearn
Beneath thy shadow to return
The Secret Mysteries to learn.

Thy glory shall my discourse be,
In images I picture Thee,
Although myself I cannot see.

In mystic utterances alone,
By prophet and by seer made known,
Hast thou thy radiant glory shown.

My meditation day and night,
May it be pleasant in Thy sight,
for Thou art my souls delight.



There is great concern for the modus of the commandments, the motives behind the Commandments and the precise words used. Just as Philo of Alexandria sort a deeper meaning of the text through Greek Philosophy, the Hasidei Askenazi used Gematria.

Used by the Babylonians (the oldest example being an inscription of Sargon II (727–707 B.C.E.) ) and the ancient Greeks, and the Gnostics, this technique uses the numerical equivalent of letters in alphabets where letters are also used as numbers.
"Gematria has little significance in halakhah. Where it does occur, it is only as a hint or a mnemonic" writes David Derovan in the Encyclopedia Judaica. It is used as a tool to link or elaborate on themes already derived upon halachically. However, in some forms of later Jewish mysticism thse connections take on a life of their own.
The earliest Rabbinic reference is in 2nd century statements by tannaim used as supporting evidence by R. Nathan. It is claimed that the phrase Elleh ha-devarim ("These are the words") in Exodus 35:1 hints at the 39 categories of work forbidden on the Sabbath, since the plural devarim indicates two, the additional article a third, while the numerical equivalent of elleh is 36, making a total of 39 (Shab. 70a). However, there were apponents to the use of gematria. Abraham *Ibn Ezra (1092/1093–1167)(in his commentary on Gen. 14:14) and later opponents of the Kabbalah (Ari Nohem, ch. 10) and even several kabbalists (e.g. Naḥmanides (1194 - 1270)) warned against exaggerated use of gematria.

Among the "Ḥasidei Ashkenaz books devoted to the gematria'ot found in the Bible are known, as is the case with R. *Judah he-Ḥasid, and his descendant R. *Eleazar ha-Darshan (Ms. Munchen 221). An interesting example of wide-ranging gematria in most of its varieties is found in the manuscript writings of a contemporary of Eleazar of Worms, R. Nehemiah ben Solomon the Prophet, which reflect the centrality of this technique outside the circle of Kalonymide esotericism in Worms. One of the most famous gematriot, Elohim = teva = 86, may have an influence on Spinoza's philosophy" (M. Idel, 2002, Absorbing Perfections: Kabbalah and Interpretation).

We have already seen the mystical importance in Hasidei Ashkenazi.

"These prayers could include Eleazar discovered through gematria the mystical
meditations on prayers which can be evoked during the actual repetition of the words. His commentaries on books of the Bible are based for the most part on this system, including
some which connect the midrashic legends with words of the biblical verses via gematria, and some which reveal the mysteries of the world of the *Merkabah (“fiery chariot”) and the
angels, in this way. In this interpretation the gematria of entire biblical verses or parts of verses occupies a more outstanding place than the gematria based on a count of single words. For
example, the numerical value of the sum of the letters of the entire verse “I have gone down into the nut garden” (Songs 6:11), in gematria is equivalent to the verse: “This is the depth
of the chariot” (merkavah)" writes the Encyclopedia Judaica.

As previopusly explained, Mysticism focuses on the inner life of the devout individual and not the outer world of history. Hence things that distract from this inner transformation is discouraged. The emphasis is not on cosmic eshatology, but on ones own personal future reward, that is a personal eschatology. Notably, Messianic speculation is discouraged if not forbidden; The claim the Bar Kochba was Messiah by Rabbi Akiva had been associated with the destruction of Jerusalem. Yet driven by despair at their persecuted condition, Jewish false messiahs appeared thoughout the Middle Ages and Rennaissance : David Alroi (1160), David HaReuveni (1542), Shlomo Molcho (1500-1532), Shabbtai Zvi (1626-1676), Jacob Frank (1726-1791). Among the Ḥasidei Ashkenaz,Messianic speculation is described as demonic. Yehudah the Hasid wrote “If you see one making prophecies about the Messiah you should know that he deals with witchcraft and has intercourse with demons. He is one of those who seeks to conjure with the names of God. Now since they conjure the angels or spirits these tell them about the Messiah in order to tempt him to reveal his speculations and in the end he is shamed and instead a misfortune occurs at that place ..because he has called up the angels and demons.. No one knows anything about the coming of the Messiah."


Personal piety as described in the Book of the Devout demonstrates three characteristics found in other esoteric traditions. The hasid practices physical asceticism, by renuncing worldly pleasures. However, in contrast with Chrisitian mysticism, sexual relations are positively analogy of the love between humans and God. Rather, love is seen as more important knowledge. He practices serenity and peace of mind in all circumstances, including when he is persecuted and demonstrates altruistic justice toward all humanity beyond the demands of Torah.


[1] There are examples of speculation of the spiritual significance of differences between the male and female body. In the 17th century, Tkhines, or prayers that were primarily developed for Jewish women, by Jewish women, developed . An example from 1648, Amsterdam, can be found here.


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Saturday, March 7, 2009

Merkavah Mysticism

Classical Judaism appears at first to be supremely legal and intellectual, yet at the heart of the rabbinic circles was a powerful form of mysticism centered in the spiritual “ascent” to the heavenly throne-chariot (merkabah). This form of mysticism had its dangers and was, therefore, restricted to the holiest and most learned among the Rabbis.
Classical Judaism, (or Rabbinic, Talmudic Judaism) emerged from a formative period of 500 years as a minority community challenged by Hellenism and Roman rule. Rabbinic Judaism developed from the Mishnah of Judah the Prince and crystallized in the Babylonian Talmud and the Talmud of the Land of Israel centered on a commitment to Torah observance.
Three important factors influenced this development: 1) Commitment of the Pharisees, 2) expertise of the Sadducees and 3) the Jewish Diaspora.
Following destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. and the destruction of the city of Jerusalem in 135 C.E. following the bar Kochba rebellion Judaism lost any link to the land of Judah. The commitment of the Pharisees to Torah observance was cenral and transcended concerns over the land of Israel and even the temple. The problem faced by this commitment to Torah observance was that the laws were ancient and written for an agricultural nation, rather than an increasingly urban diasporic community. This is where the expertise of the Sopherim, the scribes, interpreted scripture (the TaNaK) through a process of midrash (lit. Interpretation). Torah showed adherents how to walk (Halakah) and every letter and syllable of the text is analysed, extended and contemporised to gain interpretive leverage from the text applied to the legal text (Halakah) and non-legal stories, psalms and wisdom literature (Haggadah). This developed the interpretive tradition of the Oral (or Second) Torah that enabled a highly flexible form of life for the Jewish diaspora forced to live among those of different beliefs. For example, the Torah commanded that the land owner leave an unharvested corner (Heb. Peah) of his land, any gleanings (Heb. Leket, ears of grain that fell from the reaper's hand or the sickle while harvesting) and forgotten sheaves (Heb shich'chah) left n in the field for the use of poor and strangers to supply their needs (Lev. 19:9–10., Lev. 23:22, Deut. 14:28-29,) . In an urban, dispersed community, this law was developed into an extensive Jewish welfare system. With the destruction of the temple, the laws of sacrifice could not be literally applied, however midrashic tradition placed equal emphasis on carrying out the Commandments and studying them. An attempt to understand the laws of sacrifice was in itself a spiritual sacrifice regarded as the equivalent of actually carrying out sacrifices in the temple that once stood in Jerusalem.

Some modern Jewish traditions stem from similar challenges to Jewish Law. For example, Torah requires that a Jew give a portion of dough to the Levites, who had no land inheritance and depended on Jewish society to perform theirreligious duties. A Levite could only eat of this food if he were ritually pure, a purity partly dependent on the sanctuary. Without the temple, no Levite can now legally eat this offering, whereas the the obligation to give it is not legally removed. So to this day a portion of challah, or Jewish Sabbath bread, is left to burn in the ovens of Jewish households preparing for sabbath as a reminder of the lost temple and of the Manna that fed the Jews in the desert after the Exodus.


Historically, the tradition developed incrementally over centuries as a body of literature expounding on the TaNaK. Around 200 C.E. Judah ha-Nasi, Judah the Prince, codified in Classical Hebrew the Oral traditions in the Mishnah, meaning to
repeat or study since it was originally memorized and recapitulated. The Mishnah, the epitome of ‘repetition’’ has six orders, each divided into a variable number of tractates. The conversations that fed into the Mishnah, expanded into the basis for the The Talmud of the Land of Israel (4th century C.E.) and The Babylonian Talmud (5th/6th century C.E.) which added commentary to the Mishnah in Aramaic (Gemara). The Babylonian Jewish community was highly regarded and Babylonian Talmud became the normative text for Jews for the next centuries. The conversation among scholars continued and commentaries on the Talmud itself were expounded and added. The collective and individuals responsibilities of God’s word were reapplied in response to changing social conditions. The Talmud is described by the Rabbi’s as an ocean (suf) to depict the almost net like webbing of competing thoughts, unified within it.
While, Judaism at first appears legalistic and intellectual, each believer is to recreate the temple within his heart. The Sabbath, both an individual and communal obligation involved a freedom from profane work and the delving into the playful work of Torah study, singing and worship. Among those studying the Torah, the divine presence, the shekinah, is felt. “When two sit and there are between them the words of Torah the Shekinah rests between them” (Pirke Aboth, 3:3) and Rabbi Hillel stated ‘if there is only one study the Torah there is Shekinah’. The Aramaic Targum of the Song of songs depicts God and his bride as torn apart in times of sin, describes the Assembly of Israel to a “chaste bride”(TCa 5:1) that ‘longed to dwell under the shadow of His Presence, and the commands of His Law were like spice to my palate–and the reward for my observances was stored up on my behalf for the world to come.” (TCa 2:30).

Rabbi Gershom Scholem, (Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, pp. 40–79) claimed that mysticism, particularly, merkabah mysticism, was at the heart of early Rabbinic Judaism. David J Halperin (The faces of the Chariot) demonstrates from the Tosefta that ‘many expounded on the chariot. However, the Babylonian tractate Hagigah 11b, under the rubric of forbidden relations (Lev. 18:6), shifts to esoteric teaching and leads on to discuss forbidden topics of discussion “The subject of . .. the work of the chariot [may not be expounded] . . . unless [one] is a sage and understanding of his own knowledge.. Whoever speculates on [the work of the chariot], it would have been better if he had not come come into the world." (Mishnah Hagigah 2:1). Theosophic speculation on hidden gnosis of “four things … what is above, what is beneath, what before, what after” is strictly forbidden "as well as the throne chariot, the merkabah.
However, the Gemara demonstrates a variant opinion. Where the Mishna is cautious, the Gemara is positive to the presence of mystical speculation. The Gemara discusses the meaning of the seventh heaven, the creatures around the throne, and the chambers, that is the hekal, or palaces, in heaven. It also speculates on the size of the bodies of the heavenly creatures that appeared to Ezekiel. However, the Gemara also warns that speculation on the merkabah can be only undertaken by the most learned and most Torah observant. Therefore, we see that the most highly qualified exoteric Rabbi’s were linked to mysticism. For the initiate, this mysticism was ‘honey under the tongue’ but for the uninitiated it could be fatal. “A youth who studied the 'Ḥashmal' (Ezek. 1:27) was consumed by the fire which sprang forth from it" (Ḥag. 13a;). Clearly, It was considered dangerous to study these mysteries and Merkabah speculation was for the sages, Only the ages dare be initiated in the mysteries. "I am not old enough," said R. Eleazar when R. Johanan b. Nappaḥa wished to instruct him in them. They were to be imparted in suggestions rather than in complete chapters (Ḥag. 13a). "The bird that flew over the head of Jonathan b. Uzziel as he studied them was consumed by the fire surrounding him" (Suk. 28a; cp. Meg. 3a). "Ben 'Azzai was seated meditating on the Torah, when, behold, a flame encircled him; the people told R. Aḳiba, and he went to Ben 'Azzai, saying, 'Art thou studying the mysteries of the Merkabah?'" (Cant. R. i. 10; Lev. R. xvi.). "In the future Ezekiel will come again and unlock for Israel the chambers of the Merkabah" (Cant. R. i. 4).

As can be seen in the above and following examples, mystical speculation is associated with miracles:

"They seated themselves under a tree. A fire descended from heaven and encompassed them; the ministering angels danced before them as the attendants of a wedding canopy do to bring rejoicing to a groom. One angel called out of the fire: 'The work of the chariot is indeed in accord with your exposition, Eleazar b. Arakh.' At once the trees opened in song: 'Then shall all the trees sing before the Lord' (Pa 96:13). When R. Eleazar completed his discourse on the work of the chariot, R. Johanan ben Zakkai stood up and kissed him on the head and said: 'Praised be the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who has given Abraham our father a wise son who knows to expound the work of the chariot. (TJ Hagigah 2:1).
Tosefta Hagigah 2:3-4 tells the ‘Story of four Who Entered the Garden’.
PaRDeS (orchard, or garden) is an anagram for four level of scriptural interpretation or exegesis.

  • Peshat (פְּשָׁט) (plain or simple), the direct meaning..
  • Remez (רֶמֶז) (hints) referring to deeper allegoric interpretation..
  • Derash (דְּרַשׁ) from the Hebrew darash,"inquire or seek, which refers to the comparative examination of similar occurrences of words.
  • Sod (סוֹד) (secret, mystery) or the mystical meaning


The story begins with the phrase “Our rabbis taught” which usually indicates the story us traced to the earliest teachers of the Talmud, the Talmudim.

“Our rabbis taught: Four entered the 'Garden' (pardes), namely, Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher [a famous heretic], and Rabbi Akiva (the most learned Rabbi and hero Martyred by the Romans in 135 C.E.)” states the Talmud ( Hagigah 14b, (Song of Songs 1:4)).
Alluding to the symbol of the shiny sapphire floor of the TaNaK the account continues:
"Rabbi Akiva said to them, When you arrive at the stones of pure marble, do not say 'Water, water!' For it is said, 'Whoever speaks falsely shall not be established before My eyes' (Psalm 101:7). Ben Azzai took a look and died. Of him Scripture says 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His righteous ones' (Psalm 116:15). Ben Zoma looked and was stricken [mad]. Of him Scripture says 'Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you be filled with it and vomit it out' (Proverbs 25:16). Acher mutilated the shoots. Rabbi Akiva departed unharmed. Concerning him Scripture says: "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it [was] an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" (Ecclesiastes 5:5).And Rabbi Akiva went up safely and came down safely. Concerning him Scripture says: "Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee."
Rabbi Akiva is held in such esteem that it is said that Moses saw of a vision of Akiva’s future martyrdom when he received the Talmud. We thus observe that the most orthodox of men is associated with a mystical experience.
"R. Eleazar ben 'Arak was riding on a mule behind R. Johanan b. Zakkai, when he asked for the privilege of being initiated into the secrets of the Merkabah. The great master demanded proof of his initiation into the gnosis, and when Eleazar began to tell what he had learned thereof, R. Johanan immediately descended from the mule and sat upon the rock. 'Why, O master, dost thou descend from the mule?' asked the disciple. 'Can I remain mounted upon the mule when the telling of the secrets of the Merkabah causes the Shekinah to dwell with us and the angels to accompany us?' was the answer. Eleazar continued, and, behold, fire descended from heaven and lit up the trees of the field, causing them to sing anthems, and an angel cried out, 'Truly these are the secrets of the Merkabah.' Whereupon R. Johanan kissed Eleazar upon the forehead, saying, 'Blessed be thou, O father Abraham, that hast a descendant like Eleazar b. 'Arak!' Subsequently two other disciples of R. Johanan b. Zakkai walking together said to each other: 'Let us also talk together about the Ma'aseh Merkabah'; and no sooner did R. Joshua begin speaking than a rainbow-like appearance [Ezek. 1:288] was seen upon the thick clouds which covered the sky, and angels came to listen as men do to hear wedding-music. On hearing the things related by R. Jose, R. Johanan b. Zakkai blessed his disciples and said: 'Blessed the eyes that beheld these things! Indeed I saw myself in a dream together with you, seated like the select ones [comp. Ex. xxiv. 11] upon Mount Sinai; and I heard a heavenly voice saying: "Enter the banquet-hall and take your seats with your disciples and disciples' disciples, among the elect, the highest ('third') class"'
The theme of the spiritual ascent to the merkabah was powerfully developed by the Rabbis in Hekaloth literature which was edited in the 5th to 6th centuries). In the literature, such as in the books III Enoch, The Lesser Hekaloth, The Greater Hekaloth the heavenly halls or palaces through which the visionary passes are described and in the seventh heaven is the throne-chariot resides, on which God sits.
Consider the Jewish Hebrew book 3 Enoch purporting to be written in the 3rd century B.C.E. but possibly written in the 5th century C.E.
Beginning with the words, “And Enoch walked with the with God and he was not for God took him’ from Genesis 5:25 we read of Rabbi Ishmael ascending to the Throne chariot. “Rabbi Ishmael (who died 132 C.E.) said “When I ascended on high to behold the vision of the Merkaba and had entered the six Palaces, one within the other: as soon as I reached the door of the seventh Hall I stood still in prayer before the Holy One, blessed be He, and, lifting up my eyes on high, I said Lord of the Universe, I pray thee, that the merit of Aaron, the son of and pursuer of peace, who received the the lover of peace crown of priesthood from of Sinai, be valid for me in this hour, so and the angels with him may not get power over me nor throw me down from the heavens." Thus he requests that opposing angels not hinder his progress.

To which “the Holy One.. sent to me Metatron, his Servant the angel, the Prince of the Presence … [who] spreading his wings … save(d) me from their hand” “saying to me: "Enter in peace before the high and exalted King 3 and behold the picture of the Merkaba". Then I entered the seventh Palace, and he led me to the camp(s) of Shekhina and placed me before the Holy One, blessed be He to behold the Merkaba” When the piercing eyes of the princes of the Merkaba and the flaming Seraphim.
And Ishmael “was benumbed by the radiant image of their eyes and the splendid appearance of their faces” until God rebukes them and Metatron restored his spirit.
(1:6-8).

Exhausted, an hour passes before God “opened to me the gates of Shekhina, the gates of Peace, the gates of Wisdom, the gates of Strength, the gates of Power, the gates of Speech, the gates of Song, the gates of Qedushsha, the gates of Chant.” And he enlightened my eyes and my heart by words of psalm, song, praise, exaltation, thanksgiving, extolment, glorification, hymn and eulogy And as I opened mouth, uttering a song before the Holy Chayyoth beneath and Holy One, blessed be He" above the Throne of Glory answered and said "HOLY and "BLESSED " BE THE GLORY OF YHWH FROM HIS PLACE (that is they chanted the Qedushsha, traditionally the third section of all Amidah recitations).” These hymns give a mystical glow to the vision while the wording is of limited content.

These mystical ascents follow a period of ascetic living of 12 to 40 days, and the sexual abstinence immediately before the esoteric experience. The ascent is an internal one, described experientially, that becomes increasingly hazardous. Angelic guards bar the path that require the utterance of prayers, the use of seals, the uttering of passwords such as the correct verses of Torah. The dangers include gazing on the waters, passing through fire, and experiencing suspension in bottomless space. Hekaloth literature developed and expanded images from TaNaK symbolism.
In the Visions of Ezekiel, the son of Buzi “It would have been proper for the text to say, ‘The heaven was opened’(niftah hashshamayim). What does it mean by saying, The Heavens were opened (niftehu hashshamaayin, [Ezekiel 1:1]) . This teaches us that seven firmaments (heavens) were opened to Ezekiel: shamayim, sheme shamayim, Zebul, cAraful, shehaqim, cArabot, and kisse’ kabod” The Vison of Ezekiel, claims there is a uniquely named merkavah in each of the seven heavens. These seven heavens protect Ezekiel from the assumption that access to God is immediate or quick. Astronomical times are given to cross these heavens. ‘Rabbi Isaac said ‘From earth to the firmament (raqia) is a journey of five hundred years … the thickness of the water that is on the firmament is a journey of five hundred years … It is a journey of five hundred years from the sea to the sheme shamayim is five hundred years”(Visions of Ezekiel ii:A1-C). Leading to a journey of 3,500 years total. The jouney protects the trranscendance of God from man and the journey is in itself arduous. More than desire is required to reach god. God really is other and beyond. This transcendence is characteristic of hekalot mysticism.
This transcendeance is perhaps mitigated by Shiur Koma (measure of the body), speculation on the body of God. Specualed measuerements of extravagant proportions are given for the the body of God. This fascination of the holy Ones body is suggested by Professor Luke Timothy Johnson to have derive from the Song of Songs descriptions of the beloveds body and is an attempt to give the transcendant God a sennce of immediacy in the initiates mind. God is depicted in a ‘garment of light’ that reveals god presence yet it also conceals him.
We see that within the detailed, exoteric strictness of Judaic Torah observance there is an esoteric teaching, a sod, a secret, practiced by the most orthodox experts and adherents of the exoteric tradition. As manuscripts were difficult to obtain, it is likely thatinitiates met together, and this common society suggests a school tradition.of esoteric mysticism. The spiritual ascent of the internal mind and heart, combined with ascetic preparation, reveals that the point of Torah is the individual’s relationship with the divine. Nevertheless, the mystic scholarship is highly mental, rather than of the heart, and highly speculative. Perhaps, as Professor Johnson suggests the point of this literature was that it could be used to induce a mystical experience in initiates. This may in itself be a reason why the literature is rhetorically rich but lacking in specific details.