Steve Petersen
15th April 2008, 01:51 PM
Thought I would put this out for comment. It is from the prologue to Lamentations Rabbah:
Ten journeys were made by the Shechinah (Divine Presence): from cherub to cherub, from the cherub to the threshold of the house (Temple), from the threshold of the house to the cherubim, from the cherubim to the east gate, from the east gate to the Court, from the Court to the roof, from the roof to the altar, from the altar to the wall, from the wall to the city [of Jerusalem], and from the city to the Mount of Olives. From cherub to cherub; for it is written, And the glory of the Lord mounted up from the cherub (Ezek. X, 4). From the cherub to the threshold of the house; for it is written, And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house (ib. IX, 3). From the threshold of the house to the cherubim; for it is written, And the glory of the Lord went forth from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim (ib. X, 18). (The text should not have said 'went forth' but ' came'1; but it says 'went forth', so what means 'went forth'? R. Aha said: The Shechinah may be likened to a king who left his palace in anger. After going out, he came back and embraced and kissed the walls of the palace and its pillars, weeping and exclaiming, `O the peace of my palace, O the peace of my royal residence, O the peace of my beloved house! O peace, from now onward let there be peace! ' Similarly when the Shechinah went forth from the Temple, it returned and embraced and kissed its walls and pillars, and wept and said, `O the peace of the Temple, O the peace of My royal residence, O the peace of My beloved house! O peace, from now onward let there be peace! `)
From the cherubim to the east gate; for it is written, And the cherubim lifted up their wings... and they stood at the door of the east gate (ib. 19). From the east gate to the Court; for it is written, And the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory (ib. 4). From the Court to the roof; for it is written, It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop (Prov. XXI, 9). From the roof to the altar; for it is written, I saw the Lord standing beside the altar (Amos IX, 1). From the altar to the wall; for it is written, Behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumbline (ib. VII, 7). (Another interpretation is: what means `anak (` plumbline')? It alludes to the Sanhedrin of seventy-one members. Whence is this derived? From the numerical value of the letters of 'anak. Then said the Lord, Behold I will set a plumbline (ib. 8): R. Judah b. R. Simon said, etc.2) From the wall to the city; for it is written, Hark! the Lord crieth unto the city (Micah VI, 9). From the city to the Mount of Olives; for it is written, And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city (Ezek. XI, 23).
R. Jonathan said: Three and a half years the Shechinah abode upon the Mount of Olives hoping that Israel would repent, but they did not; while a Bath Kol (voice from Heaven) issued announcing, 'Return, O backsliding children (Jer. III, 14), Return unto Me, and I will return unto you (Mal. III, 7).' When they did not repent, it said, 'I will go and return to My place (Hos. V, 15).'
Ten journeys were made by the Shechinah (Divine Presence): from cherub to cherub, from the cherub to the threshold of the house (Temple), from the threshold of the house to the cherubim, from the cherubim to the east gate, from the east gate to the Court, from the Court to the roof, from the roof to the altar, from the altar to the wall, from the wall to the city [of Jerusalem], and from the city to the Mount of Olives. From cherub to cherub; for it is written, And the glory of the Lord mounted up from the cherub (Ezek. X, 4). From the cherub to the threshold of the house; for it is written, And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house (ib. IX, 3). From the threshold of the house to the cherubim; for it is written, And the glory of the Lord went forth from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim (ib. X, 18). (The text should not have said 'went forth' but ' came'1; but it says 'went forth', so what means 'went forth'? R. Aha said: The Shechinah may be likened to a king who left his palace in anger. After going out, he came back and embraced and kissed the walls of the palace and its pillars, weeping and exclaiming, `O the peace of my palace, O the peace of my royal residence, O the peace of my beloved house! O peace, from now onward let there be peace! ' Similarly when the Shechinah went forth from the Temple, it returned and embraced and kissed its walls and pillars, and wept and said, `O the peace of the Temple, O the peace of My royal residence, O the peace of My beloved house! O peace, from now onward let there be peace! `)
From the cherubim to the east gate; for it is written, And the cherubim lifted up their wings... and they stood at the door of the east gate (ib. 19). From the east gate to the Court; for it is written, And the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory (ib. 4). From the Court to the roof; for it is written, It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop (Prov. XXI, 9). From the roof to the altar; for it is written, I saw the Lord standing beside the altar (Amos IX, 1). From the altar to the wall; for it is written, Behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumbline (ib. VII, 7). (Another interpretation is: what means `anak (` plumbline')? It alludes to the Sanhedrin of seventy-one members. Whence is this derived? From the numerical value of the letters of 'anak. Then said the Lord, Behold I will set a plumbline (ib. 8): R. Judah b. R. Simon said, etc.2) From the wall to the city; for it is written, Hark! the Lord crieth unto the city (Micah VI, 9). From the city to the Mount of Olives; for it is written, And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city (Ezek. XI, 23).
R. Jonathan said: Three and a half years the Shechinah abode upon the Mount of Olives hoping that Israel would repent, but they did not; while a Bath Kol (voice from Heaven) issued announcing, 'Return, O backsliding children (Jer. III, 14), Return unto Me, and I will return unto you (Mal. III, 7).' When they did not repent, it said, 'I will go and return to My place (Hos. V, 15).'