Pt3 Talmudic Cosmology (Ma'aseh Bereshit): Earth's Foundations, the Seven Heavens, and Cosmic Dimensions (Chagigah 12b-13a)

This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here; Part 2 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

Heaven 7 - Aravot (Psalms 68:5)

Part 1: Righteousness, Justice, Charity; Treasuries of Life, Peace and Blessing; Souls of the Righteous; Spirits and Souls of Future Beings; and the Dew of Resurrection

Aravot (ערבות):¹

Contains righteousness (צדק), justice (משפט), and charity (צדקה); the treasuries² of life, peace, and blessing; the souls of the righteous;³ spirits (רוחות) and souls (נשמות) [of beings] to be created,⁴ and the dew (טל) destined to revive the dead (in the messianic era).⁵

Each of these is proven from verses (in the next section).

ערבות —

שבו

1. צדק משפט

2. וצדקה,

3. גנזי חיים

4. וגנזי שלום

5. וגנזי ברכה,

6. ונשמתן של צדיקים,

7. ורוחות ונשמות שעתיד[ות] להיבראות,

8. וטל שעתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא להחיות בו מתים.

Aravot, skies,

is the firmament that contains

1. righteousness; justice;

2. righteousness, i.e., charity;

3. the treasuries of life;

4. the treasuries of peace;

5. the treasuries of blessing;

6. the souls of the righteous;

7. the spirits and souls that are to be created;

8. and the dew that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will use to revive the dead.

Part 2: Prooftexts for the The Spiritual Treasures of Aravot: Divine Justice, Life, and Resurrection in the Highest Firmament

The Talmud describes Aravot, the highest firmament, as containing various treasures and spiritual elements close to God:

1. Righteousness (צדק) and Justice (משפט): As indicated in Psalms 89:15, these are foundational (מכון) to God's throne (כסאך).

2. Righteousness (צדקה): Referenced in Isaiah 59:17, metaphorically compared to the wearing of armor (שרין).

3. Treasuries of Life: Supported by Psalms 36:10, where God is the source (מקור) of life.

4. Treasuries of Peace: Peace, as one of God's names, resides with Him (Judges 6:24).

5. Treasuries of Blessing: Implied by Psalms 24:5, blessings come from God.

6. Souls of the Righteous: The soul (נפש) is found with (את) God, as noted in I Samuel 25:29.⁶

7. Future Spirits and Souls: Those yet to be created are stored near God (Isaiah 57:16).

8. Dew for Resurrection: The divine dew to revive the dead is in heaven (Psalms 68:10).

These elements illustrate the spiritual treasures housed in Aravot, reflecting its sanctity and connection to divine life, justice, and resurrection.

1. צדק ומשפט — דכתיב: ״צדק ומשפט מכון כסאך״.

2. צדקה — דכתיב: ״וילבש צדקה כשרין״.

3. גנזי חיים — דכתיב: ״כי עמך מקור חיים״.

4. וגנזי שלום — דכתיב: ״ויקרא לו ה׳ שלום״.

5. וגנזי ברכה — דכתיב: ״ישא ברכה מאת ה׳״.

6. נשמתן של צדיקים — דכתיב: ״והיתה נפש אדוני צרורה בצרור החיים, את ה׳ אלהיך״.

7. רוחות ונשמות שעתיד[ות] להיבראות — דכתיב: ״כי רוח מלפני יעטוף, ונשמות אני עשיתי״.

8. וטל שעתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא להחיות בו מתים — דכתיב: ״גשם נדבות תניף אלהים, נחלתך ונלאה, אתה כוננתה״.

The Gemara proves this statement:

1. Righteousness and justice are found in heaven, as it is written: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne” (Psalms 89:15);

2. righteousness, as it is written: “And He donned righteousness as armor” (Isaiah 59:17);

3. the treasuries of life, as it is written: “For with You is the source of life” (Psalms 36:10).

4. And the treasuries of peace are found in heaven, as it is written: “And he called Him the Lord of peace” (Judges 6:24), implying that peace is God’s name and is therefore found close to Him.

5. And the treasuries of blessing, as it is written: “He shall receive a blessing from the Lord” (Psalms 24:5).

6. The souls of the righteous are found in heaven, as it is written: “And the soul of my master shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord, your God” (I Samuel 25:29).

7. Spirits and souls that are to be created are found there, as it is written: “For the spirit that enwraps itself is from Me, and the souls that I have made” (Isaiah 57:16), which indicates that the spirit to be released into the world, wrapped around a body, is located close to God.

8. The dew that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will use to revive the dead is found in heaven, as it is written: “A bountiful rain You will pour down, God; when Your inheritance was weary, You confirmed it” (Psalms 68:10).

Part 3: the Ophanim, Seraphim, Holy Living Creatures (Ḥayyot), ministering angels, and the Throne of Glory

In the firmament of Aravot, the highest heaven, dwell the ophanim (אופנים), seraphim (שרפים), holy living creatures (ḥayyot - חיות),⁷ ministering angels,⁸ and the Throne of Glory (כסא הכבוד).

שם

1. אופנים

2. ושרפים

3. וחיות הקדש,

4. ומלאכי השרת,

5. וכסא הכבוד,

There, in the firmaments, are

1. the ofanim,

2. the seraphim,

3. the holy divine creatures,

4. and the ministering angels,

5. and the Throne of Glory.

Part 4: God

Above them, God (אל), the living and exalted (רם ונשא)⁹ King, resides (שוכן).

This is supported by Psalms 68:5, which describes God (יה) riding upon the skies (Aravot).

1. מלך

2. אל

3. חי

4. רם ונשא,

שוכן עליהם בערבות,

שנאמר:

״סולו לרוכב בערבות,

ביה שמו״

1. King,

2. God,

3. living,

4. lofty and exalted

dwells above them in Aravot,

as it is stated:

“Extol Him Who rides upon the skies [Aravot],

Whose name is God” (Psalms 68:5).

Part 5: The designation of Aravot as "heaven"

The designation of Aravot as "heaven" is derived from a verbal analogy between the terms "rides" in Psalms 68:5 and Deuteronomy 33:26, which refers to God riding upon the heavens to assist His people.

ומנלן דאיקרי ״שמים״?

אתיא ״רכיבה״ ״רכיבה״,

כתיב הכא: ״סולו לרוכב בערבות״

וכתיב התם: ״רוכב שמים בעזרך״.

And from where do we derive that Aravot is called “heaven”?

This is learned by using a verbal analogy between two instances of “rides” and “rides”:

Here, it is written: “Extol Him Who rides upon the skies [Aravot],”

and there, it is written: “Who rides upon the heaven as your help” (Deuteronomy 33:26).

Cosmic Dimensions: Measurements of the Firmaments, The Holy Living Creatures (Ḥayyot), and the Throne of Glory (Chagigah 13a, sections #3-4)

Chagigah.13a.3-4

Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai recounts how a Divine Voice (bat kol) rebuked Nebuchadnezzar (the major antagonist in the Book of Daniel) for his arrogance in declaring his intent to ascend to heaven and be like God, labeling him a wicked man and a descendant of Nimrod, who led humanity in rebellion against God.

The bat kol’s rebuke stresses the vastness of creation, emphasizing that humans, with lifespans of only 70-80 years, are insignificant compared to the immense distances between the earth, the firmaments, and the divine realms (as described next).

Measurements: Earth to the Firmament, Firmament Thickness, and Distances Between Firmaments

1. Earth to Firmament (רקיע): The distance from the earth to the firmament is a walking distance of 500 years.¹⁰

2. Thickness of the Firmament: The thickness of the firmament itself is also a walking distance of 500 years.

3. Distance Between Firmaments: A similar walking distance of 500 years exists between each firmament.

4. The Holy Living Creatures (ḥayyot, mentioned already earlier) reside above all the firmaments.

1. מן הארץ עד לרקיע -- מהלך חמש מאות שנה,

2. ועוביו של רקיע -- מהלך חמש מאות שנה,

3. וכן בין כל רקיע ורקיע.

4. למעלה מהן — חיות הקדש.

1. from the earth to the firmament a walking distance of five hundred years,

2. and the thickness of the firmament itself is a walking distance of five hundred years,

3. and a similar distance exists between each and every one of the firmaments

1. And above them, above all the firmaments, are the divine creatures.

The Holy Living Creatures (Ḥayyot) and Their Measurements: The Nine Body Parts

Each part of the Holy Living Creatures corresponds in distance to all the firmaments:

Feet, ankles (קרסולי), shins (שוקי), knees (רכובי), thighs (ירכי), bodies, necks, heads, and horns.¹¹

1. רגלי החיות כנגד כולם,

2. קרסולי החיות כנגד כולן,

3. שוקי החיות כנגד כולן,

4. רכובי החיות כנגד כולן,

5. ירכי החיות כנגד כולן,

6. גופי החיות כנגד כולן,

7. צוארי החיות כנגד כולן,

8. ראשי החיות כנגד כולן,

9. קרני החיות כנגד כולן.

1. The feet of the divine creatures correspond in distance to all the firmaments;

2. the ankles of the animals correspond to all of them,

3. the shins of the animals correspond to all of them,

4. the knees of the animals correspond to all of them,

5. the thighs of the animals correspond to all of them,

6. the bodies of the animals correspond to all of them,

7. the necks of the animals correspond to all of them,

8. the heads of the animals correspond to all of them,

9. and the horns of the animals correspond to all of them.

The Throne of Glory and Its Measurements

למעלה מהן — כסא כבוד.

1. רגלי כסא הכבוד כנגד כולן,

2. כסא הכבוד כנגד כולן,

1. מלך

2. אל

3. חי וקים

4. רם ונשא

שוכן עליהם

Above them is the Throne of Glory:

1. The feet of the Throne of Glory correspond to all of them,

2. the Throne of Glory corresponds to all of them,

and the

1. King

2. God

3. living,

4. lofty and exalted

dwells above them.

1. From a critical scholarly perspective the word aravot (plural) here means “clouds”. Notably, in many languages, the words for “clouds” and “sky” are related. For example, the English word sky itself originally meant “cloud”.

Compare also the typical senses of the word arava (singular) in biblical Hebrew here and here: “desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness“ or “willow”.

2. גנזי - from Persian.

3. See also Shabbat.152b.7:

תניא:

רבי אליעזר אומר:

נשמתן של צדיקים גנוזות תחת כסא הכבוד,

שנאמר: ״והיתה נפש אדני צרורה בצרור החיים״.

It was taught in a baraita that

R' Eliezer says:

The souls of the righteous are stored beneath the Throne of Glory (כסא הכבוד),

as it is stated: “And the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life” (I Samuel 25:29).

4. Compare Yevamot.63b.16:

אמר רבי אסי:

אין בן דוד בא עד שיכלו כל הנשמות שבגוף,

שנאמר:

״כי רוח מלפני יעטוף

ונשמות אני עשיתי״.

R' Asi said:

The Messiah, son of David, will not come until all the souls of the body have been finished, i.e., until all souls that are destined to inhabit physical bodies will do so.

As it is stated:

“For the spirit that enwraps itself is from Me,

and the souls that I have made” (Isaiah 57:16).

5. This dew is mentioned also in Shabbat.88b.6, in the context of the biblical Revelation on Mount Sinai (I made slight adjustments to Steinsaltz’s translation and interpretation here, as needed):

ואמר רבי יהושע בן לוי:

כל דיבור ודיבור שיצא מפי הקדוש ברוך הוא

יצתה נשמתן של ישראל,

שנאמר: ״נפשי יצאה בדברו״.

ומאחר שמדיבור ראשון יצתה נשמתן, דיבור שני היאך קיבלו? —

הוריד טל שעתיד להחיות בו מתים, והחיה אותם,

שנאמר:

״גשם נדבות תניף אלהים

נחלתך ונלאה, אתה כוננתה״.

And R' Yehoshua ben Levi said:

From each and every utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He,

the souls of the Jewish people left their bodies,

as it is stated: “My soul departed when he spoke” (Song of Songs 5:6).

And since their souls left their bodies from the first Commandment (דיבור), how did they receive the second Commandment?

God rained the dew upon them that, in the future, will revive the dead, and He revived them,

as it is stated:

“You, God, poured down a bountiful rain;

when Your inheritance (נחלתך - referring to the Jews, in this interpretation, not to the Land of Israel) was weary, You sustained it” (Psalms 68:10).

6. This verse is part of Abigail’s speech to David, see Wikipedia, “1 Samuel 25“, section “David, Nabal, and Abigail (25:2–44)“.

This same verse is used as a prooftext in Shabbat.152b.7 that “The souls of the righteous are stored beneath the Throne of Glory“, see my previous footnote.

A paraphrase of this verse later became a standard phrase used after the mention of a deceased person, see Hebrew Wikipedia, “תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים“.

7. See Wikipedia, “Living creatures (Bible)“:

The living creatures, living beings, or hayyot (Hebrew: חַיּוֹת, romanized: ḥayyōṯ) are a class of heavenly beings in Jewish mythology. They are described in the prophet Ezekiel's vision of the heavenly chariot in the first and tenth chapters of the Book of Ezekiel.

References to the sacred creatures recur in texts of Second Temple Judaism, in rabbinical merkabah ("chariot") literature, in the Book of Revelation in the Christian New Testament, and in the Zohar […]

Ezekiel's vision of the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1 are identified as cherubim in Ezekiel 10, who are God's throne bearers. Cherubim as minor guardian deities of temple or palace thresholds are known throughout the Ancient East. Each of Ezekiel's cherubim have four faces, that of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle.

In other words, the term "creatures" (ḥayyot) in Ezekiel refers to cherubim with four faces—those of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. However, in post-biblical literature, it evolves into a technical term designating a distinct class of angels.

8. מלאכי השרת.

See also earlier, for the ministering angels that sing only at night.

9. This description of God is biblical, appearing twice in the Books of Isaiah (I made slight adjustments to the translations, as needed):

1) Isaiah.6.1:

בשנת מות המלך עזיהו

ואראה את אדני ישב על כסא רם ונשא

ושוליו מלאים את ההיכל

In the year that king Uzziah died

I saw the Lord (אדני) sitting upon a throne high and lofty (רם ונשא)

and His hems (שוליו) [of his robe] filled the Temple (היכל)

2) Isaiah.57.15:

כי כה אמר רם ונשא

שכן עד, וקדוש שמו

מרום וקדוש אשכון

[…]

For thus says the High and Lofty One (רם ונשא)

Who inhabits eternity (שכן עד), whose name is holy:

I dwell (אשכון) in the high (מרום) and holy [place],

[…]

10. Approximately 2 million miles; for comparison, in modern scientific calculation, the Moon is around 200,000 miles from Earth.

11. קרני - compare Wikipedia, Horned deity.

See especially ibid., section “Carthage“:

Baal-Hamon was especially associated with the ram and was worshiped also as Baʿal Qarnaim ("Lord of Two Horns") […]