Yeshaya Perokim 4 - 8

Yeshaya Perokim 4 - 8

Both Yeshaya (Chap. 6) and Yechezkel (chap. 1) include the Ma’aseh HaMerkavah – a description of Hashem sitting on His throne, surrounded by myriads of angels, seraphim, chayos hakodesh – a very complicated image (which cannot, and must not be taken as the literal image of Hashem – as we well know one of the Rambam’s Ikkarim to be “Ein Lo Demus HaGuf VeEino Guf” – Hashem doesn’t have a body, nor does he have an image of a body.) The main difference between the descriptions of the Nevuos of Yeshaya and Yechezkel, is the fact that Yeshaya’s description is very short and not very elaborate, while Yechezkel’s description takes the entire first chapter (28 pesukim) to describe precisely the placing of each spiritual energy, of each different type of light, and what the actual kisei hakavod looks like – the different images on the different sides of the kisei hakavod, etc. (When you understand it, please send me an e-mail explaining it!!!).

At first glance it seems that if we were to compare Yeshaya to Yechezkel, Yechezkel seems to be the greater navi, the one with the clearer vision of the ‘devar hashem’ – however, chazal tell us otherwise; Chazal relay to us, that of all the nevi’im (besides Moshe Rabeinu), the one who had the least clear vision was Ovadia, and the one who had the clearest vision was Yeshaya. So why is it that Yeshaya has only such a brief description of the Ma’aseh Hamerkava? The Gemara (Chagiga 13b) answers – “Yechezkel is compared to a villager who sees the king, while Yeshaya is like a city inhabitant who sees the king” – someone who is so used to seeing the king (a city inhabitant) is not so shocked or overwhelmed, but a villager who never sees the king (Yechezkel) is overwhelmed, and therefore goes into great detail to describe the vision.

I enjoy Yeshaya Hanavi very much – the depth, the images, the content of his Nevuos are astounding. I am very honoured to be part your group (in yeshiva we would call it a ‘chabura’), looking at Yeshaya. Nach Yomi is a very special endeavor and I wish I had done it when I was in Hasmo.

SHORT THOUGHT ON CHAPTER 6

The truth is, that although the Ma’aseh HaMerkava comes only now in chapter 6, it was in fact the first Nevuah that Yeshaya had (Seder Olam, chap 19, Mechilta Beshalach, Rashi and Radak chap. 6, Malbim chap. 1) – and we see his appointment as a navi , chap. 6 ver. 8. Yeshaya describes to us the image of Hashem sitting on His Kisei HaKavod, and the six winged angels surrounding him, saying to each other: “Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh Hashem Tzevakos, Melo Chol Ha’aretz Kevodo” - colloquially, we translate it to mean “Holy, Holy, Holy is Hashem The Lord of Hosts, the entire earth is filled with His glory”. OK. But what does ‘holy’ mean? What does ‘glory’ mean? What are the angels saying? Why is this the praise that we repeat daily at least 3 times? This formula is repeated by us every Shmona Esrei in the third bracha – Ata Kadosh – what does it actually mean?

The truth is that this statement is actually quite problematic – Kadosh means holy, but we don’t really have a true perception of what that means. In Lashon HaKodesh we have two words which mean “separation”; Kiddush and havdallah. Kiddush means to set something specific apart (to be makadesh a wife, or to be mekadesh the shabbos), Havdallah means to make a distinction (between yisrael and the other nations, or between shabbos and the other 6 days). Kadosh means ‘apart’ or ‘beyond’. The angels say “Hashem is way, way, way beyond anything conceivable by the human, who is stuck in a world of time, space, and even the human’s spirituality (I’m paraphrasing the targum which we say daily in U’va Letzion.)

It turns out, that Hashem is beyond anything we can imagine. However, at the same time, “Melo Chol Ha’aretz Kevodo”, His Glory is everywhere!!!!! He is completely beyond us, but He is perceived everywhere.

In fact this paradox is continued in our Shabbos morning “Kedusha”, where we say “Kevodo Malei Olam, mesharsav shoalim zeh lazeh Ayei Mekom Kevodo”; “His glory fills the world, His servants (angels) ask each other where is the Place of His Glory” – again, His Glory is everywhere, but is totally hidden.

We believe “Mi KaHashem Elokeinu HaMagbihi LaShaves” – who is Like Hashem our G-d who sits so high (meaning, he is so beyond us), and who shouldn’t really care about us, we are so insignificant in comparison, still “HaMashpili Liros BaShamayim Uva’aretz” – He lowers Himself to see and provide for us human beings. He is beyond us, but His love for each of us makes us significant. Although He is Malkeinu, our exalted King, He is still our father.

I have not really answered all the questions. Maybe this is not necessarily a forum to answer all the questions. I certainly think that this paradox of Hashem being so far, yet being so near, is one of the most central ideas in Judaism. Please let me know your thoughts.