Merkabah mysticism

Ezekiel's "chariot vision", by Matthaeus Merian (1593-1650). The Hebrew word Merkabah ( מרכבה " chariot ", derived from the consonantal root r-k-b with general meaning "to ride") is used in Ezekiel (1:4-26) to refer to the throne-chariot of God , the four-wheeled vehicle driven by four " chayot " ( Hebrew : "living creatures"), each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle. [ Merkabah is used 44 times in the Old Testament, but is not used in Ezekiel 1.] Several movements in Jewish mysticism , including the Ma’asei Merkavah of the late Hellenistic period following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, and later, students of the Kabbalah , have focused on these passages from Ezekiel, seeking underlying meaning and the secrets of Creation in what they argued was the metaphoric language of the verses. Due to the concern of some Torah scholars that misunderstanding these passages as literal descriptions of God's image might lead to blasphemy and/or idolatry , there was great opposition to studying this topic without the proper initiation. Jewish biblical commentaries emphasize that the imagery of the Merkaba is not meant to be taken literally; rather the chariot and its accompanying angels are analogies for the various ways that God reveals Himself in this world. Hasidic philosophy and Kabbalah discuss at length what each aspect of this vision represents in this world, and how the vision does not imply that God is made up of these forms. Jews customarily read the Biblical passages concerning the Merkaba in their synagogues every year on the holiday of Shavuot , and the Merkabah is also referenced in several places in traditional Jewish liturgy . Maimonides , in his " Thirteen Principles of Faith ," emphasizes that God is not limited to any particular form, as this prophesy might seem to imply.

"First vision of Ezekiel" and "Early Jewish mysticism" redirect here. Merkabah / Merkavah mysticism (or Chariot mysticism ) is a school of early Jewish mysticism , c. 100 BCE – 1000 CE, centered on visions such as those found in the Book of Ezekiel chapter 1 , or in the hekhalot ("palaces") literature, concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces and the Throne of God . The main corpus of the Merkabah literature was composed in Israel in the period 200–700 CE, although later references to the Chariot tradition can also be found in the literature of the Chassidei Ashkenaz in the Middle Ages. A major text in this tradition is the Maaseh Merkabah ( Works of the Chariot ). Some references to this tradition can be found also in the literature of German Hasidim (twelfth to thirteenth " Neusner on Judaism: Literature – Page 74, Jacob Neusner (2005). Jacob who gave to Abraham a son wise and knowing how to expound the glory of our father in heaven."

School of early Jewish mysticism centred on Ezekiel's visions of the throne-chariot of God "First vision of Ezekiel" and "Early Jewish mysticism" redirect here. Copy of Matthäus Merian 's engraving of Ezekiel 's vision (1670) Merkabah / Merkavah ( ) mysticism (or Chariot mysticism ) is a school of early Jewish mysticism , c. 100 BCE – 1000 CE, centered on visions such as those found in the Book of Ezekiel chapter 1 , or in the heikhalot ("palaces") literature, concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces and the Throne of God . The main corpus of the Merkabah literature was composed in the period 200–700 CE, although later references to the Chariot tradition can also be found in the literature of the Chassidei Ashkenaz in the Middle Ages. A major text in this tradition is the Maaseh Merkavah ( Works of the Chariot ). Jacob who gave to Abraham a son wise and knowing how to expound the glory of our father in heaven."

School of early Jewish mysticism "First vision of Ezekiel" and "Early Jewish mysticism" redirect here. Copy of Matthäus Merian 's engraving of Ezekiel 's vision (1670) Merkabah ( merkāvā , "chariot") or Merkavah mysticism (lit. Chariot mysticism ) is a school of early Jewish mysticism , c. 100 BCE – 1000 CE, centered on visions such as those found in the Book of Ezekiel chapter 1 , or in the hekhalot literature ("palaces" literature), concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces and the Throne of God . The main corpus of the merkabah literature was composed in the period 200–700 CE, although later references to the Chariot tradition can also be found in the literature of the Chassidei Ashkenaz in the Middle Ages. A major text in this tradition is the Maaseh Merkabah ( Hebrew: מַעֲשֵׂה מֶרְכָּבָה maʿăśē merkāvā , "Work of the Chariot"). Judaism for Dummies (2nd ed.). However, as Gruenwald notes, the main corpus of the merkavah literature was composed in Israel in the period 200–700 CE. Some references to this tradition can be found also in the literature of German Hasidim (twelfth to thirteenth century). Jacob who gave to Abraham a son wise and knowing how to expound the glory of our father in heaven."

School of early Jewish mysticism "Merkavah" and "Merkabah" redirect here. Copy of Matthäus Merian 's engraving of Ezekiel 's vision (1670) Merkabah ( Hebrew : מֶרְכָּבָה , romanized : merkāḇā , lit. ' chariot ' ) or Merkavah mysticism (lit. Chariot mysticism ) is a school of early Jewish mysticism ( c. 100 BCE–1000 CE ), centered on visions such as those found in Ezekiel 1 or in the hekhalot literature ("palaces" literature), concerning stories of ascents to the heavenly palaces and the Throne of God . The main corpus of the Merkabah literature was composed in the period 200–700 CE, although later references to the Chariot tradition can also be found in the literature of the Ashkenazi Hasidim in the Middle Ages. A major text in this tradition is the Maaseh Merkabah ( Hebrew : מַעֲשֵׂה מֶרְכָּבָה , romanized : maʿăśē merkāḇā , lit. ' Work of the Chariot ' ). Judaism for Dummies (2nd ed.). Supplements to the Journal for the study of Judaism. However, as [Ithamar] Gruenwald notes, the main corpus of the Merkabah literature was composed in Israel in the period 200–700 CE. Some references to this tradition can be found also in the literature of German Hasidim (12th to 13th centuries CE) and medieval Kabbalistic writings (the Zohar ). Jacob who gave to Abraham a son wise and knowing how to expound the glory of our father in heaven."