R. Simeon discoursed in this connection on the verse: “When those went these went, and when those stood these stood” (Ezek. 1, 21). ‘That means’, he said, ‘that when the Hayoth (living creatures) went the Ofanim (Wheels) also went, as we read, “and when the Hayoth went the Ofanim went hard by them” (Ibid. 19). For the movements of the Ofanim are only induced by the movements of the Hayoth, nor can they pause independently of the Hayoth, for the two move together as one.
There are at the entrance of the gate twenty-four sockets supporting twenty-four pillars. These pillars remain in their place and do not soar into space; they are thus designated “standing ones”, in the verse: “I will give thee a place to walk among these standing ones” (Zech. 3, 7).
And as long as those pillars remain immobile those that are above them go to and fro through the world, survey things, and whatever they overhear they carry up on high. So Scripture says: “For a bird of the air shall carry the voice” (Eccles. 10, 20).
Now observe that the Ofanim (Wheels) are carried by the Hayoth (living creatures). For that which is of a higher grade, though it seems to be carried by that which is of a lower grade, really carries it. It was the same with the Ark, which also carried its carriers.1T. B. Sotah, 35a.
We must distinguish between the Hayah the spirit of which was in the Of anim, and the Hayoth with which the Ofanim went. This one turned towards all four quarters of the globe.
In regard to this it says: “This is the Hayah that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar” (Ibid. 10, 20); it is the same which forms a throne to the likeness of Man, and is below the superior holy Hayoth.
For they are in grades, one above the other. The Throne immediately underneath the God of Israel is in the form of Jacob, and the Throne below in that of David; this is the one that turns to the four corners of the world. It follows that the spirit of the highest diffuses through the lower, and directs and guides the whole.
There was similar direction in the lower world. Just as in connection with the upper world we read that “the spirit of the Hayah is in the Ofanim“, so of the lower world it is written, “And Moses reared up the tabernacle”, he being the guiding spirit below; wherefore it is written: “And he reared up, fixed, put.”
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (יחזקאל א׳:כ״א) בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ וְגוֹ'. בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ וּבְעָמְדָם יַעֲמֹדוּ. הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ. בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ, וְכִי לָא יְדַעְנָא דְּהָא בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ, וּבְעָמְדָם יַעֲמֹדוּ. אֶלָּא בְּלֶכְתָּם דְּמַאן. בְּלֶכְתָּם דְּחַיּוֹת. דְּכַד אִינּוּן אַזְלִין, אִינּוּן אוֹפַנִּים יֵלֵכוּ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וּבְלֶכֶת הַחַיּוֹת יֵלְכוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים אֶצְלָם. וְעַל דָּא בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ וּבְעָמְדָם יַעֲמֹדוּ, בְּגִין דְּכָל מַטַלְנֵיהוֹן דְּאִינּוּן אוֹפַנִּים, לָאו אִינּוּן אֶלָּא בְּמַטְלָנִין דְּחַיּוֹת, וְקִיּוּמָא דִּילְהוֹן לָא קַיְימֵי בְּאַתְרַיְיהוּ, אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא תַּלְיָא בַּחַיוֹת. וְכֵן כְּתִיב וּבְהִנָּשֵׂא הַחַיּוֹת מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ יִנָּשְׂאוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים לְעֻמָּתָם בְּגִין דְּחַיּוֹת וְאוֹפַנִּים כַּחֲדָא אַזְלִין.
R. Simeon discoursed in this connection on the verse: “When those went these went, and when those stood these stood” (Ezek. 1, 21). ‘That means’, he said, ‘that when the Hayoth (living creatures) went the Ofanim (Wheels) also went, as we read, “and when the Hayoth went the Ofanim went hard by them” (Ibid. 19). For the movements of the Ofanim are only induced by the movements of the Hayoth, nor can they pause independently of the Hayoth, for the two move together as one.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, עֶשְׂרִין וְאַרְבַּע מַשְׁקּוֹפִין, דְּמַטְרָנִין עִלָּאִין קַיְימִין גּוֹ מַשְׁקוֹפָא חֲדָא דְּבִסְטַר מִזְרָח. לְהַאי פִּתְחָא, נַטְרִין אַרְבַּע וְעֶשְׂרִין מִשְׁמָרוֹת, טְמִירִין גּוֹ תּוּקְפָּא דְּשַׁלְהוֹבָא, דְּעַטָרָא וְסָחֲרָא לְגוֹ הַהוּא מַשְׁקוֹפָא מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּמִזְרָח.
Now the celestial gate of the east is provided with twenty-four openings guarded by twentyfour sentinels who are surrounded by a flaming fire.
וְאַרְבַּע וְעֶשְׂרִין סַמְכִין תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ, וְעַל אִלֵּין סַמְכִין קַיְימִין עֶשְׂרִין וְאַרְבַּע עַמּוּדִין, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּקַיְימִין תָּדִיר, וְלָא פַּרְחִין גּוֹ אֲוֵירָא כְּאִינּוּן אַחֲרָנִין, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן דְּאִקְרוּן עוֹמְדִים, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (זכריה ג׳:ז׳) וְנָתַתִּי לָךְ מַהְלְכִים בֵּין הָעוֹמְדִים הָאֵלֶּה. וְאִלֵּין עַמּוּדִים, קַיְימִין עַל אִינּוּן סַמְכִין, בְּהוּ סָחֲרָן לְאִתְקַיְּימָא בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ.
There are at the entrance of the gate twenty-four sockets supporting twenty-four pillars. These pillars remain in their place and do not soar into space; they are thus designated “standing ones”, in the verse: “I will give thee a place to walk among these standing ones” (Zech. 3, 7).
כַּד אִלֵּין עַמּוּדִים קַיְימִין עַל קִיוּמַיְיהוּ, כֻּלְּהוּ שַׁלִּיטִין דְּקַיְימִין עָלַיְיהוּ, מְעַפְפֵי וְטָסִין כָּל עָלְמָא, וְאַשְׁגְּחָן עַיְינִין. וְאִינּוּן דְּצַיְיתִי קַלִין, סַלְּקִין מִלִּין לְעֵילָּא, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר (קהלת י׳:כ׳) כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת הַקּוֹל. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, אִינּוּן סַמְכִין קַיְימִין בְּקִיּוּמָא תָּדִיר.
And as long as those pillars remain immobile those that are above them go to and fro through the world, survey things, and whatever they overhear they carry up on high. So Scripture says: “For a bird of the air shall carry the voice” (Eccles. 10, 20).
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּלֶכְתָּם יֵלֵכוּ כִּדְקַאמְרָן. וּבְהִנָּשְּׂאָם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ יִנָּשְׂאוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים לְעוּמָּתָם. דְּהָא כְּמָה דְּאִלֵּין חַיוֹת נַטְלִין וְסַלְּקִין, הָכִי אִינּוּן. מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין, כִּי רוּחַ הַחַיָּה בָּאוֹפַנִּים. רוּחַ הַחַיָּה, רוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, דְּנָשִׁיב וּבָטַשׁ בְּכֻלְּהוּ אוֹפַנִּים, לְמֵהַךְ. אִשְׁתְּכַח, דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִיהוּ בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה, אִיהוּ נָטִיל לְמַאן דְּנָטִיל לֵיהּ. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּאָרוֹן אִיהוּ הֲוָה נָטִיל לְמַאן דְּנָטִיל לֵיהּ. אוּף הָכָא, חַיוֹת, אִינּוּן נַטְלִין לָאוֹפַנִּים.
Now observe that the Ofanim (Wheels) are carried by the Hayoth (living creatures). For that which is of a higher grade, though it seems to be carried by that which is of a lower grade, really carries it. It was the same with the Ark, which also carried its carriers.1T. B. Sotah, 35a.
וְאִי תֵּימָא כִּי רוּחַ הַחַיָּה בָּאוֹפַנִּים כְּתִיב. הָכִי נָמֵי, דָּא חַיָּה, דְּאִיהוּ לִסְטַר יְמִינָא, לִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא, וְלִסְטָר קָמָא, וְלִסְטָר אֲחוֹרָא, וְדָא אִיהִי חַיָּה, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן חַיוֹת.
We must distinguish between the Hayah the spirit of which was in the Of anim, and the Hayoth with which the Ofanim went. This one turned towards all four quarters of the globe.
כְּתִיב (יחזקאל י׳:כ׳) הִיא הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת אֱלהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּנְהָר כְּבָר, דָּא הִיא חַיָּה דִּמְרַבָּע לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא. וְדָא אִיהִי דְּקַיְּימָא כּוּרְסְיָיא, לְדִיּוּקְנָא דְּאָדָם. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה. וְכֹלָּא לְהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא סְתִימָאָה, דְּאִקְרֵי אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
In regard to this it says: “This is the Hayah that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar” (Ibid. 10, 20); it is the same which forms a throne to the likeness of Man, and is below the superior holy Hayoth.
וְדָא חַיָּה דִּלְתַתָּא, דְּקַיְּימָא תְּחוֹת כֻּלְּהוּ חֵיוָון עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין. בְּגִין דְּאִית חֵיוָון עִלָּאִין אִלֵּין עַל אִלֵּין. כּוּרְסְיָיא דִּתְחוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דָּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּיַעֲקֹב. וְכוּרְסְיָיא דִּלְתַתָּא, דָּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּדָוִד. אִיהִי דִּמְרַבְּעָא לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעָלְמָא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ רוּחָא נָפִיק מִלְּעֵילָּא, וְנָגִיד וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא, עַד דְּבָטַשׁ בְּכֻלְּהוּ תַּתָּאֵי דִּלְתַתָּא, וְהַהוּא רוּחָא אַנְהִיג לְכֹלָּא, וְאַתְקִין תִּקּוּנָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ לְאַתְקְנָא.
For they are in grades, one above the other. The Throne immediately underneath the God of Israel is in the form of Jacob, and the Throne below in that of David; this is the one that turns to the four corners of the world. It follows that the spirit of the highest diffuses through the lower, and directs and guides the whole.
(ס"א בההוא גוונא ממש דאית תקונא לעילא בההוא וכו') וּבְהַהוּא גַּוְונָא מַמָּשׁ, אִתְתָּקַּן לְתַתָּא. מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא, כִּי רוּחַ הַחַיָּה בָּאוֹפַנִּים. וּכְתִיב אֶל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה שָּׁמָּה הָרוּחַ לָלֶכֶת יֵלְכוּ. לְתַתָּא מַה כְּתִיב, וַיָּקֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן. בְּמָּה. (ס"א למאי) לְמֶהֱוֵי רוּחַ דְּהַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דִּלְתַתָּא, בְּהַהוּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דְּהַהוּא רוּחַ עִלָּאָה, הִיא הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמֵהַאי חַיָּה נָפְקָא רוּחָא לְאַתְקְנָא כֹּלָּא. הָכִי נָמֵי מֹשֶׁה. הִיא הַחַיָּה דְּיָהַב רוּחָא לְתַתָּא, לְאַתְקְנָא כֹּלָּא. בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב, וַיָּקֶם, וַיִתֵּן, וַיָּשֶׂם. וּבְכֹלָּא שַׁוִּי רוּחָא, לְאַתְקְנָא כֹּלָּא.
There was similar direction in the lower world. Just as in connection with the upper world we read that “the spirit of the Hayah is in the Ofanim“, so of the lower world it is written, “And Moses reared up the tabernacle”, he being the guiding spirit below; wherefore it is written: “And he reared up, fixed, put.”