By April 13, 2008 Read More →

13th Century Ashkenazic text, “Sha‘are ha-Sod,” 154-155

Jewish Mysticism
When the Temple stood He would show the place of His glory in His holy palace corresponding to the Temple…there is the assembly of angels who ascend and descend within it. And this is the gate of heaven. Thus the cherubim spread their wings above…facing the eyes of the king, for there He shows His glory to the angels. Similarly, the Temple in a state of our destruction is built to hold weapons and prayers. “My eyes and My heart shall ever be there” (1 Kings 9-3), for the angels who are appointed need a holy place, for according to them He decrees what is to be done. In the place that He discloses His glory, there He desires the will of the worshiper to be. Therefore, one must fix a place for one’s prayer. When a person bows down in the place where His glory is, the Creator is in His glory and He governs it according to His will to instruct the prophet about the will of the Creator….Within the image is the Creator who governs it….. In the place where David knew that He was occupied with hearing prayers, he said that the Temple should be built.

Translated by Elliot Wolfson in “Sacred Space and Mental Iconography- Imago Templi and Contemplation in Rhineland Jewish Pietism,” in Ki Baruch Hu- Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Judaic Studies in Honor of Baruch A. Levine, 593-634. Edited by R. Chazan, W. Hallo, and L. H. Schiffman. Winona Lake- Eisenbrauns, 1999. This passage of Eleazar parallels the text attributed to Judah the Pious published in Dan, Studies in Ashkenazi-Hasidic Literature, 83.

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