The Ten Heavens Part 1
THE TEN HEAVENS Part 1
By James Scott Trimm
THE THIRD HEAVEN
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul makes a rather odd comment:
2 I knew a man in the Messiah fourteen years from before (but whether in a body or
without a body I do not know, Eloah knows) who was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew this son of man (but whether in a body or without a body I do not know,
Eloah knows),
4 Who was caught up to Pardes: and heard unspeakable words that are not permitted
for a son of man to speak.
(2Cor. 12:2-3)
Now you may notice that from out of the blue (literally) Paul throws out the phrase “third heaven”, a phrase which he assumes the reader understands. However nowhere in the Tanak (Old Testament) or even in the so-called “New Testament” do we see the phrase “third heaven” or even references to a “first heaven” or a “second heaven”. Clearly Paul here expects his readers to simply be familiar with a tradition of a “third heaven” which he is aware of, but which is not mentioned in the written Scriptures.
THE HEAVENS
Now the Tanak does use the phrase “heavens of heavens” which it often contrasts with “heaven” (Deut. 10:14; 1Kn. 8:27; Ps. 148:4; Neh. 9:5; 2Chr. 2:4; 6:18) and in the Apocrypha (Sira 16:18 and 3Macc. 2:15). And in fact the Hebrew word for “heaven” is SHAMAYIM which is actually plural and which is always used in the plural form in Hebrew.
There are also hints of plural heavens in other passages of the New Testament, for example:
He who descended, is He who also ascended higher than all the heavens, that He might
fulfill all.
(Eph. 4:10)
and:
And from whom, we have this Cohen which ascended through the heavens by the
foundation--Yahushua the Messiah, the Son of Elohim, behold we must confess this
obligation.
(Heb. 4:14 HRV)
THE SEVEN HEAVENS
The Sefer Yetzirah says that YHWH engraved seven heavens using seven of the Hebrew letters known as “doubles”:
Seven Doubles:
Bet, Gimel, Dalet, Kaf. Peh, Resh, Tav….
with them were engraved … seven heavens…
(Sefer Yetzirah 4:1, 15)
The Talmud expresses a tradition that there are actually seven heavens:
Resh Lakish said: [There are] seven [heavens], namely:
Wilon, Rakia’, Shehakim, Zebul, Ma'on, Makon, ‘Aravot.
(b.Chagigah 12b)
This section of Talmud (b.Chagigah 12b) goes on to give Scriptural proof texts for the existence of each of these seven heavens, along with a brief description of them.
THE FIRST HEAVEN
The First Heaven in called in Hebrew ROK “curtain” (some call it “Wilon” which is a Latin word that means the same thing as ROK). The Scriptures tell us that this is one of the Heavens in the following passage:
“It is He that sits above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as
grasshoppers; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain (ROK), and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in;”
(Is. 40:22 HRV)
The Talmud says of this Heaven:
Wilon serves no purpose except that it enters in the morning and goes forth in the evening and renews every day the work of creation…
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE SECOND HEAVEN
The Second Heaven is called RAKIA “firmament” (Strong’s 7549) and is mentioned in Scripture as a heaven as fllows:
“And Elohim set them in the firmament (RAKIA) of the heaven,
to give light upon the earth,”
(Gen. 1:14 HRV)
According to the Talmud:
Rakia’ is that in which sun and moon, stars
and constellations are set…
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE THIRD HEAVEN
The Third Heaven is called SHEHAKIM “skies, clouds; dust” (Strong’s 7834). It is called a “heaven” in the Scriptures in Psalms:
“And He commanded the skies (SHEHAKIM) above, and opened the doors of heaven,
And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and gave them of the grain of
heaven.”
(Ps. 78:23-24 HRV)
The Talmud says of this heaven:
Shehakim is that in which millstones stand
and grind manna for the righteous…
(b.Chag. 12b)
This also appears to be the “heaven” from which the fallen angels of Genesis 6 fell, as we read in the Zohar:
…after God cast Uzza and Azael down from their holy
place, they went astray after the women folk and seduced
the world also. It may seem strange that being angels they
were able to abide upon the earth. The truth is, however,
that when they were cast down the celestial light which
used to sustain them left them and they were changed to
another grade through the influence of the air of this world.
Similarly the manna which came down for the Israelites in
the wilderness originated in the celestial dew from the most
recondite spot, and at first its light would radiate to all worlds
and the “field of apples”, and the heavenly angels drew
sustenance from it, but when it approached the earth it
became materialized through the influence of the air of
this world and lost its brightness, becoming only like
“coriander seed”. Now when God saw that these fallen
angels were seducing the world, He bound them in chains of
iron to a mountain of darkness. Uzza He bound at the bottom
of the mountain and covered his face with darkness because
he struggled and resisted, but Azael, who did not resist, He
set by the side of a mountain where a little light penetrated.
Men who know where they are located seek them out,
and they teach them enchantments and sorceries and
divinations. These mountains of darkness are called the
“mountains of the East”, and therefore Balaam said:
“From Aram has Balak brought me, from the mountains
of the East”. Because they both learnt their sorceries there.
Now Uzza and Azael used to tell those men who came to
them some of the notable things which they knew in former
times when they were on high, and to speak about the holy
world in which they used to be.
(Zohar 3:208a)
You may recall that this is the heaven of which Paul wrote:
2 I knew a man in the Messiah fourteen years from before (but whether in a body or
without a body I do not know, Eloah knows) who was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew this son of man (but whether in a body or without a body I do not know,
Eloah knows),
4 Who was caught up to Pardes: and heard unspeakable words that are not permitted
for a son of man to speak.
(2Cor. 12:2-3)
THE FOURTH HEAVEN
The Fourth Heaven is called ZEBUL “high dwelling; glorious habitation” (Strong’s 2073). This heaven is referred to in Scripture in Isaiah:
“Look down from heaven, and see, even from Your Set-Apart and glorious habitation (ZEBUL). Where is Your zeal and Your mighty acts; the yearning of Your heart and Your compassions, now restrained toward me?”
(Is. 63:15 HRV)
The Talmud says of this heaven:
Zebul is that in which [the heavenly] Jerusalem and the Temple and the Altar are built, and Michael, the great Prince, stands and offers up thereon an offering,…
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE FIFTH HEAVEN
The Fifth Heaven is called MA’ON “retreat; asylum, dwelling, habitation” (Strong’s 4583). It is mentioned as one of the heavens in the Torah:
Look forth from Your Set-Apart habitation (MA’ON), from heaven, and bless Your people Yisra’el, and the land which You have given us, as You did swear unto our fathers—a land flowing with milk and honey.”
(Deut. 26:15 HRV)
The Talmud says concerning this heaven:
Ma'on is that in which there are companies of ministering angels, who utter [divine] song by night, and are silent by day for the sake of Israel's glory, for it is said: By day, YHWH will command His lovingkindness: and in the night, His song shall be with me--even a prayer unto the El of my life. (Ps. 42:9)
Resh Lakish said: Whoever occupies himself with [the study of] the Torah by night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws over him a chord of lovingkindness by day, for it is said: ‘By day the Lord doth command His lovingkindness’? Because ‘by night His song is with me’. And there are some who say: Resh Lakish said: Whoever occupies himself with the study of the Torah in this world, which is like the night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws over him a chord of lovingkindness in the world to come, which is like the day, for it is said: ‘By day the Lord doth command His lovingkindness, for by night His song is with me’.
R. Levi said: Whoever leaves off the study of the Torah and occupies himself with idle talk, he is made to eat coals of broom, for it is said: They pluck salt-wort through idle talk, and the roots of the broom are their food.
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE SIXTH HEAVEN
The Sixth Heaven is called MAKON “foundation; dwelling” (Strong’s 4349). It is mentioned as one of the heavens as follows:
“Then hear You, in heaven Your dwelling place (MAKON), and forgive, and do, and render unto every man, according to all his ways, whose heart You know: for You, even You only, know the hearts of all the children of men.”
(1Kn. 8:39 HRV)
The Talmud says concerning this heaven:
Makon is that in which there are the stores of snow and stores of hail, and the loft of harmful dews and the loft of raindrops, the chamber of the whirlwind and storm, and the cave of vapour, and their doors are of fire, for it is said: The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure, But are these to be found in the firmament? Surely, they are to be found on the earth, for it is written: Praise the Lord from the earth, ye sea-monsters, and all deeps; fire and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind, fulfilling his word! — Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: David entreated concerning them, and caused them to come down to the earth. He said before Him: Lord of the universe, Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; let not evil sojourn with Thee; righteous art Thou, O Lord, let not evil sojourn in Thy abode.
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE SEVENTH HEAVEN
The Seventh Heaven is called ARAVOT “sterile or empty place; desert, wilderness” (Strong’s 6160). It is described as one of the heavens when we compare a passage from Psalms with one from the Torah below:
Sing unto Elohim; sing praises to His name: extol Him that rides upon the
empty places (ARAVOT); whose Name is Yah, and exult you before Him.
(Psalm 68:5(4) HRV)
“There is none like unto Elohim, O Yeshurun, who rides upon the heaven as your help,
and in His excellency on the skies.”
(Deut. 33:26 HRV)
The Talmud says concerning this heaven:
‘Araboth is that in which there are Right and Judgment and Righteousness, the treasures of life and the treasures of peace and the treasures of blessing, the souls of the righteous and the spirits and the souls which are yet to be born, and dew wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead. Right and Judgment, for it is written: Right and judgment are the foundations of Thy throne. (Ps. 89:15) Righteousness, for it is written: And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail.(Is. 59:17) The treasures of life, for it is written: For with Thee is the fountain of life.(Ps. 36:10) And the treasures of peace, for it is written: And called it, ‘The Lord is peace’.(Jud. 6:24) And the treasures of blessing, for it is written: he shall receive a blessing from the Lord.(Ps. 24:5) The souls of the righteous, for it is written: Yet the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God.(1Sam. 25:29) The spirits and the souls which are yet to be born, for it is written: For the spirit that enwrappeth itself is from Me, and the souls which I have made. (Is. 57:1) And the dew wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead, for it is written: A bounteous rain didst Thou pour down, O God; when Thine inheritance was weary, Thou didst confirm it. There [too] are the Ofanim and the Seraphim, and the Holy Living Creatures, and the Ministering Angels, and the Throne of God; and the King, the Living God, high and exalted, dwells over them in ‘Araboth, for it is said: extol Him that rides upon the empty places (ARAVOT); whose Name is Yah, and exult you before Him. (Psalm 68:5(4) HRV) And whence do we derive that it is called heaven? From the word ‘riding’, which occurs in two Biblical passages. Here it is written: ‘Extol Him that rideth upon Araboth’. And elsewhere it is written: who rides upon the heaven as your help, (Deut. 33:26 HRV) And darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him, for it is said: He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of skies.(Ps. 18:12) But is there any darkness before Heaven? For behold it is written: He revealeth the deep and secret things; He knoweth, what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.(Dan. 2:22) — There is no contradiction: the one [verse] refers to the inner chambers, the other to the outer chambers.
(b.Chag. 12b)
‘It is written: “Extol him that rideth upon araboth” (Ps. LXVIII, 4). Who is it that rides upon ‘araboth, and what is meant by ‘araboth? It is the seventh firmament, and it is called ‘araboth (lit. mixtures) because it is composed of fire and water, from the region of the South and from the region of the North, being “mixed” from both these regions. And as ‘Araboth is intrinsically the synthesis of all the other six firmaments, it forms intrinsically the Supernal Chariot. The Holy One, blessed be He, loves this firmament more than any of the other firmaments and delights in perfecting it with supernal beauty. Therefore does it say: “Extol Him that rideth upon ‘Araboth... and rejoice before Him”, Him that rideth upon that hidden, secret firmament, which is set upon the “Living beings” (Hayyoth). “And rejoice before Him.” The expression “before” suggests, on the one hand, that no one can really have any conception of Him; and, on the other hand, that he who comes before that firmament must do so in joy, and not in sadness, for there all is pure joy with no trace of sadness or gloom. Therefore, when the High Priest was to stand before Him, in the Sanctuary, he had to enter that holy place with joy, and all things about him were to express joy. Therefore is it written: “Serve the Lord with joy, come before him with singing” (Ps. C, 2); for in His service there is no room for sadness. It may be asked, What if a man is deep in sorrow and tribulation, and has no heart to rejoice, and yet his trouble forces him to seek for compassion from the Heavenly King; is he to refrain from prayer because of his sorrow? What can he do? He cannot help being heavy-hearted? The answer is that “all gates have been closed since the destruction of the Temple, but the gates of tears have not been closed”, and tears are the expression of sadness and sorrow. Those celestial beings who are appointed over those gates of tears break down all the iron locks and bars and let the tears pass through; so the prayers of those sorrowful ones penetrate through to the Holy King, and that Place is grieved by the man's sorrow, as it is written: “In all their afflictions he is afflicted”[Tr. note: Translation according to the Keri.] (Isa. LXIII, 9). Thus the prayer of the sorrowing does not return unto him void, but the Holy One takes pity on him. Blessed is the man who in his prayers sheds tears before the Holy One. This is true even on the Sabbath, which must be a day of joy: when a person fasts on Sabbath he manifests sadness on the day when the supernal firmament reigns, that firmament which manifests itself in joy, yes, which is the very essence of joy, communicating joy to all. Yet if he fasts because of a sorrow, it delivers him from that punishment which had been decreed for him, as explained elsewhere. Hence it is written, “Extol Him that rideth upon (lit. in) Araboth”; that is to say, “Honour and glorify Him who rideth upon the Araboth, for there it is that perfect joy and gladness abide”. “His Name is KAH”, for that Name is connected with that realm. “And rejoice before Him”, since one.must not appear before Him in sadness, as we have pointed out.’
The Zohar tells us concerning ARAVOT:
Said R. Eleazar: ‘It ought to have been “who rideth upon (‘al) araboth”, why does it say “in (be) araboth”? Again: it ought to be, “He is in YAH”, why does it say “in YAH is His Name”? It is because this verse refers to the Hidden of hidden ones, the most Ancient of all the ancients, the completely unknown and undisclosed. It may be said that, since He rideth in it, then in this sphere at least He does disclose Himself. Not so. What the verse tells us is that the Ancient of ancients “rideth in the araboth” in the sphere of YAH, which is the primordial mystery emanating from Him, namely the Ineffable Name YAH, which is not identical with Him, but is a kind of veil emanating from Him. This veil is His Name, it is His Chariot, and even that is not manifested. to study the Torah. The innkeeper's daughter also rose and lit the lamp for them, and then, instead of leaving the room, stayed behind, but out of their sight, that she might listen to the words of the Torah. R. Jose began by speaking on the words: For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life (Prov. VI, 23). ‘This means’, he said, ‘that whoever endeavours to keep the commandments in this world will have a lamp lighted for him in the other world through each commandment which he fulfils, and he who studies the Torah will merit the supernal light from which that lamp is lit. For a lamp unlit has no value, and light without a lamp cannot shine, so the one has need of the other. The religious act is necessary to prepare the lamp, and study of the Torah is necessary to light the lamp. Blessed is he who takes it in hand both with light and lamp! “And reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” The way of life by which man enters into the world to come consists in the reproofs and instructions which he receives in order that he may learn to keep away from the evil path and walk in the good way; or, again, we may translate, “reproofs of chastisement”, which the Holy One brings upon man to purify him from his sins. Blessed is he who accepts them with gladness! Another interpretation of this verse is as follows: “The lamp of the commandment” is the lamp of David, that is, the Oral Torah. This is like a lamp which has continually to be trimmed and attended to in order to receive light from the Written Torah. For the Oral Torah (tradition) has no light in itself except that which it receives from the Written Torah, which is an actual source of illumination.’
(Zohar 2:164b-166a)
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2
By James Scott Trimm
THE THIRD HEAVEN
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul makes a rather odd comment:
2 I knew a man in the Messiah fourteen years from before (but whether in a body or
without a body I do not know, Eloah knows) who was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew this son of man (but whether in a body or without a body I do not know,
Eloah knows),
4 Who was caught up to Pardes: and heard unspeakable words that are not permitted
for a son of man to speak.
(2Cor. 12:2-3)
Now you may notice that from out of the blue (literally) Paul throws out the phrase “third heaven”, a phrase which he assumes the reader understands. However nowhere in the Tanak (Old Testament) or even in the so-called “New Testament” do we see the phrase “third heaven” or even references to a “first heaven” or a “second heaven”. Clearly Paul here expects his readers to simply be familiar with a tradition of a “third heaven” which he is aware of, but which is not mentioned in the written Scriptures.
THE HEAVENS
Now the Tanak does use the phrase “heavens of heavens” which it often contrasts with “heaven” (Deut. 10:14; 1Kn. 8:27; Ps. 148:4; Neh. 9:5; 2Chr. 2:4; 6:18) and in the Apocrypha (Sira 16:18 and 3Macc. 2:15). And in fact the Hebrew word for “heaven” is SHAMAYIM which is actually plural and which is always used in the plural form in Hebrew.
There are also hints of plural heavens in other passages of the New Testament, for example:
He who descended, is He who also ascended higher than all the heavens, that He might
fulfill all.
(Eph. 4:10)
and:
And from whom, we have this Cohen which ascended through the heavens by the
foundation--Yahushua the Messiah, the Son of Elohim, behold we must confess this
obligation.
(Heb. 4:14 HRV)
THE SEVEN HEAVENS
The Sefer Yetzirah says that YHWH engraved seven heavens using seven of the Hebrew letters known as “doubles”:
Seven Doubles:
Bet, Gimel, Dalet, Kaf. Peh, Resh, Tav….
with them were engraved … seven heavens…
(Sefer Yetzirah 4:1, 15)
The Talmud expresses a tradition that there are actually seven heavens:
Resh Lakish said: [There are] seven [heavens], namely:
Wilon, Rakia’, Shehakim, Zebul, Ma'on, Makon, ‘Aravot.
(b.Chagigah 12b)
This section of Talmud (b.Chagigah 12b) goes on to give Scriptural proof texts for the existence of each of these seven heavens, along with a brief description of them.
THE FIRST HEAVEN
The First Heaven in called in Hebrew ROK “curtain” (some call it “Wilon” which is a Latin word that means the same thing as ROK). The Scriptures tell us that this is one of the Heavens in the following passage:
“It is He that sits above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as
grasshoppers; that stretches out the heavens as a curtain (ROK), and spreads them out as a tent to dwell in;”
(Is. 40:22 HRV)
The Talmud says of this Heaven:
Wilon serves no purpose except that it enters in the morning and goes forth in the evening and renews every day the work of creation…
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE SECOND HEAVEN
The Second Heaven is called RAKIA “firmament” (Strong’s 7549) and is mentioned in Scripture as a heaven as fllows:
“And Elohim set them in the firmament (RAKIA) of the heaven,
to give light upon the earth,”
(Gen. 1:14 HRV)
According to the Talmud:
Rakia’ is that in which sun and moon, stars
and constellations are set…
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE THIRD HEAVEN
The Third Heaven is called SHEHAKIM “skies, clouds; dust” (Strong’s 7834). It is called a “heaven” in the Scriptures in Psalms:
“And He commanded the skies (SHEHAKIM) above, and opened the doors of heaven,
And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and gave them of the grain of
heaven.”
(Ps. 78:23-24 HRV)
The Talmud says of this heaven:
Shehakim is that in which millstones stand
and grind manna for the righteous…
(b.Chag. 12b)
This also appears to be the “heaven” from which the fallen angels of Genesis 6 fell, as we read in the Zohar:
…after God cast Uzza and Azael down from their holy
place, they went astray after the women folk and seduced
the world also. It may seem strange that being angels they
were able to abide upon the earth. The truth is, however,
that when they were cast down the celestial light which
used to sustain them left them and they were changed to
another grade through the influence of the air of this world.
Similarly the manna which came down for the Israelites in
the wilderness originated in the celestial dew from the most
recondite spot, and at first its light would radiate to all worlds
and the “field of apples”, and the heavenly angels drew
sustenance from it, but when it approached the earth it
became materialized through the influence of the air of
this world and lost its brightness, becoming only like
“coriander seed”. Now when God saw that these fallen
angels were seducing the world, He bound them in chains of
iron to a mountain of darkness. Uzza He bound at the bottom
of the mountain and covered his face with darkness because
he struggled and resisted, but Azael, who did not resist, He
set by the side of a mountain where a little light penetrated.
Men who know where they are located seek them out,
and they teach them enchantments and sorceries and
divinations. These mountains of darkness are called the
“mountains of the East”, and therefore Balaam said:
“From Aram has Balak brought me, from the mountains
of the East”. Because they both learnt their sorceries there.
Now Uzza and Azael used to tell those men who came to
them some of the notable things which they knew in former
times when they were on high, and to speak about the holy
world in which they used to be.
(Zohar 3:208a)
You may recall that this is the heaven of which Paul wrote:
2 I knew a man in the Messiah fourteen years from before (but whether in a body or
without a body I do not know, Eloah knows) who was caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew this son of man (but whether in a body or without a body I do not know,
Eloah knows),
4 Who was caught up to Pardes: and heard unspeakable words that are not permitted
for a son of man to speak.
(2Cor. 12:2-3)
THE FOURTH HEAVEN
The Fourth Heaven is called ZEBUL “high dwelling; glorious habitation” (Strong’s 2073). This heaven is referred to in Scripture in Isaiah:
“Look down from heaven, and see, even from Your Set-Apart and glorious habitation (ZEBUL). Where is Your zeal and Your mighty acts; the yearning of Your heart and Your compassions, now restrained toward me?”
(Is. 63:15 HRV)
The Talmud says of this heaven:
Zebul is that in which [the heavenly] Jerusalem and the Temple and the Altar are built, and Michael, the great Prince, stands and offers up thereon an offering,…
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE FIFTH HEAVEN
The Fifth Heaven is called MA’ON “retreat; asylum, dwelling, habitation” (Strong’s 4583). It is mentioned as one of the heavens in the Torah:
Look forth from Your Set-Apart habitation (MA’ON), from heaven, and bless Your people Yisra’el, and the land which You have given us, as You did swear unto our fathers—a land flowing with milk and honey.”
(Deut. 26:15 HRV)
The Talmud says concerning this heaven:
Ma'on is that in which there are companies of ministering angels, who utter [divine] song by night, and are silent by day for the sake of Israel's glory, for it is said: By day, YHWH will command His lovingkindness: and in the night, His song shall be with me--even a prayer unto the El of my life. (Ps. 42:9)
Resh Lakish said: Whoever occupies himself with [the study of] the Torah by night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws over him a chord of lovingkindness by day, for it is said: ‘By day the Lord doth command His lovingkindness’? Because ‘by night His song is with me’. And there are some who say: Resh Lakish said: Whoever occupies himself with the study of the Torah in this world, which is like the night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws over him a chord of lovingkindness in the world to come, which is like the day, for it is said: ‘By day the Lord doth command His lovingkindness, for by night His song is with me’.
R. Levi said: Whoever leaves off the study of the Torah and occupies himself with idle talk, he is made to eat coals of broom, for it is said: They pluck salt-wort through idle talk, and the roots of the broom are their food.
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE SIXTH HEAVEN
The Sixth Heaven is called MAKON “foundation; dwelling” (Strong’s 4349). It is mentioned as one of the heavens as follows:
“Then hear You, in heaven Your dwelling place (MAKON), and forgive, and do, and render unto every man, according to all his ways, whose heart You know: for You, even You only, know the hearts of all the children of men.”
(1Kn. 8:39 HRV)
The Talmud says concerning this heaven:
Makon is that in which there are the stores of snow and stores of hail, and the loft of harmful dews and the loft of raindrops, the chamber of the whirlwind and storm, and the cave of vapour, and their doors are of fire, for it is said: The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure, But are these to be found in the firmament? Surely, they are to be found on the earth, for it is written: Praise the Lord from the earth, ye sea-monsters, and all deeps; fire and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind, fulfilling his word! — Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: David entreated concerning them, and caused them to come down to the earth. He said before Him: Lord of the universe, Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; let not evil sojourn with Thee; righteous art Thou, O Lord, let not evil sojourn in Thy abode.
(b.Chag. 12b)
THE SEVENTH HEAVEN
The Seventh Heaven is called ARAVOT “sterile or empty place; desert, wilderness” (Strong’s 6160). It is described as one of the heavens when we compare a passage from Psalms with one from the Torah below:
Sing unto Elohim; sing praises to His name: extol Him that rides upon the
empty places (ARAVOT); whose Name is Yah, and exult you before Him.
(Psalm 68:5(4) HRV)
“There is none like unto Elohim, O Yeshurun, who rides upon the heaven as your help,
and in His excellency on the skies.”
(Deut. 33:26 HRV)
The Talmud says concerning this heaven:
‘Araboth is that in which there are Right and Judgment and Righteousness, the treasures of life and the treasures of peace and the treasures of blessing, the souls of the righteous and the spirits and the souls which are yet to be born, and dew wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead. Right and Judgment, for it is written: Right and judgment are the foundations of Thy throne. (Ps. 89:15) Righteousness, for it is written: And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail.(Is. 59:17) The treasures of life, for it is written: For with Thee is the fountain of life.(Ps. 36:10) And the treasures of peace, for it is written: And called it, ‘The Lord is peace’.(Jud. 6:24) And the treasures of blessing, for it is written: he shall receive a blessing from the Lord.(Ps. 24:5) The souls of the righteous, for it is written: Yet the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God.(1Sam. 25:29) The spirits and the souls which are yet to be born, for it is written: For the spirit that enwrappeth itself is from Me, and the souls which I have made. (Is. 57:1) And the dew wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead, for it is written: A bounteous rain didst Thou pour down, O God; when Thine inheritance was weary, Thou didst confirm it. There [too] are the Ofanim and the Seraphim, and the Holy Living Creatures, and the Ministering Angels, and the Throne of God; and the King, the Living God, high and exalted, dwells over them in ‘Araboth, for it is said: extol Him that rides upon the empty places (ARAVOT); whose Name is Yah, and exult you before Him. (Psalm 68:5(4) HRV) And whence do we derive that it is called heaven? From the word ‘riding’, which occurs in two Biblical passages. Here it is written: ‘Extol Him that rideth upon Araboth’. And elsewhere it is written: who rides upon the heaven as your help, (Deut. 33:26 HRV) And darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him, for it is said: He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of skies.(Ps. 18:12) But is there any darkness before Heaven? For behold it is written: He revealeth the deep and secret things; He knoweth, what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.(Dan. 2:22) — There is no contradiction: the one [verse] refers to the inner chambers, the other to the outer chambers.
(b.Chag. 12b)
‘It is written: “Extol him that rideth upon araboth” (Ps. LXVIII, 4). Who is it that rides upon ‘araboth, and what is meant by ‘araboth? It is the seventh firmament, and it is called ‘araboth (lit. mixtures) because it is composed of fire and water, from the region of the South and from the region of the North, being “mixed” from both these regions. And as ‘Araboth is intrinsically the synthesis of all the other six firmaments, it forms intrinsically the Supernal Chariot. The Holy One, blessed be He, loves this firmament more than any of the other firmaments and delights in perfecting it with supernal beauty. Therefore does it say: “Extol Him that rideth upon ‘Araboth... and rejoice before Him”, Him that rideth upon that hidden, secret firmament, which is set upon the “Living beings” (Hayyoth). “And rejoice before Him.” The expression “before” suggests, on the one hand, that no one can really have any conception of Him; and, on the other hand, that he who comes before that firmament must do so in joy, and not in sadness, for there all is pure joy with no trace of sadness or gloom. Therefore, when the High Priest was to stand before Him, in the Sanctuary, he had to enter that holy place with joy, and all things about him were to express joy. Therefore is it written: “Serve the Lord with joy, come before him with singing” (Ps. C, 2); for in His service there is no room for sadness. It may be asked, What if a man is deep in sorrow and tribulation, and has no heart to rejoice, and yet his trouble forces him to seek for compassion from the Heavenly King; is he to refrain from prayer because of his sorrow? What can he do? He cannot help being heavy-hearted? The answer is that “all gates have been closed since the destruction of the Temple, but the gates of tears have not been closed”, and tears are the expression of sadness and sorrow. Those celestial beings who are appointed over those gates of tears break down all the iron locks and bars and let the tears pass through; so the prayers of those sorrowful ones penetrate through to the Holy King, and that Place is grieved by the man's sorrow, as it is written: “In all their afflictions he is afflicted”[Tr. note: Translation according to the Keri.] (Isa. LXIII, 9). Thus the prayer of the sorrowing does not return unto him void, but the Holy One takes pity on him. Blessed is the man who in his prayers sheds tears before the Holy One. This is true even on the Sabbath, which must be a day of joy: when a person fasts on Sabbath he manifests sadness on the day when the supernal firmament reigns, that firmament which manifests itself in joy, yes, which is the very essence of joy, communicating joy to all. Yet if he fasts because of a sorrow, it delivers him from that punishment which had been decreed for him, as explained elsewhere. Hence it is written, “Extol Him that rideth upon (lit. in) Araboth”; that is to say, “Honour and glorify Him who rideth upon the Araboth, for there it is that perfect joy and gladness abide”. “His Name is KAH”, for that Name is connected with that realm. “And rejoice before Him”, since one.must not appear before Him in sadness, as we have pointed out.’
The Zohar tells us concerning ARAVOT:
Said R. Eleazar: ‘It ought to have been “who rideth upon (‘al) araboth”, why does it say “in (be) araboth”? Again: it ought to be, “He is in YAH”, why does it say “in YAH is His Name”? It is because this verse refers to the Hidden of hidden ones, the most Ancient of all the ancients, the completely unknown and undisclosed. It may be said that, since He rideth in it, then in this sphere at least He does disclose Himself. Not so. What the verse tells us is that the Ancient of ancients “rideth in the araboth” in the sphere of YAH, which is the primordial mystery emanating from Him, namely the Ineffable Name YAH, which is not identical with Him, but is a kind of veil emanating from Him. This veil is His Name, it is His Chariot, and even that is not manifested. to study the Torah. The innkeeper's daughter also rose and lit the lamp for them, and then, instead of leaving the room, stayed behind, but out of their sight, that she might listen to the words of the Torah. R. Jose began by speaking on the words: For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life (Prov. VI, 23). ‘This means’, he said, ‘that whoever endeavours to keep the commandments in this world will have a lamp lighted for him in the other world through each commandment which he fulfils, and he who studies the Torah will merit the supernal light from which that lamp is lit. For a lamp unlit has no value, and light without a lamp cannot shine, so the one has need of the other. The religious act is necessary to prepare the lamp, and study of the Torah is necessary to light the lamp. Blessed is he who takes it in hand both with light and lamp! “And reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” The way of life by which man enters into the world to come consists in the reproofs and instructions which he receives in order that he may learn to keep away from the evil path and walk in the good way; or, again, we may translate, “reproofs of chastisement”, which the Holy One brings upon man to purify him from his sins. Blessed is he who accepts them with gladness! Another interpretation of this verse is as follows: “The lamp of the commandment” is the lamp of David, that is, the Oral Torah. This is like a lamp which has continually to be trimmed and attended to in order to receive light from the Written Torah. For the Oral Torah (tradition) has no light in itself except that which it receives from the Written Torah, which is an actual source of illumination.’
(Zohar 2:164b-166a)
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2
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