## Chagigah Daf 13a

###### Chagigah 13a:1
[Chagigah 13a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:1)

בְּבָתֵּי גַוָּאֵי, הָא בְּבָתֵּי בָרָאֵי. וְאָמַר רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב: עוֹד רָקִיעַ אֶחָד יֵשׁ לְמַעְלָה מֵרָאשֵׁי הַחַיּוֹת, דִּכְתִיב: ״וּדְמוּת עַל רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּה רָקִיעַ כְּעֵין הַקֶּרַח הַנּוֹרָא״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**to** the **inner houses,** where there is only light; **that** source, according to which He is surrounded by darkness, is referring **to** the **outer houses. And Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: There is one more firmament** above these, which is **above the heads of the divine creatures, as it is written: “And over the heads of the divine creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, like the color of the terrible ice”** (Ezekiel 1:22).


###### Chagigah 13a:2
[Chagigah 13a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:2)

עַד כָּאן יֵשׁ לְךָ רְשׁוּת לְדַבֵּר, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ — אֵין לְךָ רְשׁוּת לְדַבֵּר, שֶׁכֵּן כָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר בֶּן סִירָא: ״בַּמּוּפְלָא מִמְּךָ אַל תִּדְרוֹשׁ, וּבַמְכוּסֶּה מִמְּךָ אַל תַּחְקוֹר. בַּמֶּה שֶׁהוֹרְשֵׁיתָ הִתְבּוֹנֵן, אֵין לְךָ עֵסֶק בַּנִּסְתָּרוֹת״. תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי: מָה תְּשׁוּבָה הֱשִׁיבַתּוּ בַּת קוֹל לְאוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר ״אֶעֱלֶה עַל בָּמֳתֵי עָב אֶדַּמֶּה לְעֶלְיוֹן״ — יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה לוֹ: רָשָׁע בֶּן רָשָׁע, בֶּן בְּנוֹ שֶׁל נִמְרוֹד הָרָשָׁע, שֶׁהִמְרִיד כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ עָלָיו בְּמַלְכוּתוֹ —

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara comments: **Until here, you have permission to speak; from this** point **forward you do not have permission to speak, as it is written in the book of Ben Sira: Seek not things concealed from you, nor search those hidden from you. Reflect on that which is permitted to you; you have no business with secret matters. It is taught** in a *baraita*: **Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai said: What response did the Divine Voice provide to that wicked man,** Nebuchadnezzar, **when he said: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High”** (Isaiah 14:14), thereby intending to rise to heaven? **A Divine Voice came and said to him: Wicked man, son of a wicked man, descendant,** i.e., follower of the ways, **of Nimrod the wicked, who caused the entire world to rebel against Him during** the time of **his reign.**


###### Chagigah 13a:3
[Chagigah 13a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:3)

כַּמָּה שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם — שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״יְמֵי שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרוֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה״. וַהֲלֹא מִן הָאָרֶץ עַד לָרָקִיעַ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְעוֹבְיוֹ שֶׁל רָקִיעַ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְכֵן בֵּין כׇּל רָקִיעַ וְרָקִיעַ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**How many are the years of man? Seventy years, as it is stated: “The span of our life is seventy years, or if we are strong, eighty years”** (Psalms 90:10). **Now is** there **not from the earth to the firmament a walking** distance **of five hundred years, and the thickness of the firmament** itself is **a walking** distance **of five hundred years, and a similar** distance exists **between each and every one of the firmaments?**


###### Chagigah 13a:4
[Chagigah 13a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:4)

לְמַעְלָה מֵהֶן — חַיּוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ. רַגְלֵי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּם, קַרְסוּלֵי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן, שׁוֹקֵי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן, רְכוּבֵּי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן, יַרְכֵי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן, גּוּפֵי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן, צַוְּארֵי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן, רָאשֵׁי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן, קַרְנֵי הַחַיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן. לְמַעְלָה מֵהֶן — כִּסֵּא כָּבוֹד. רַגְלֵי כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן, כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד כְּנֶגֶד כּוּלָּן, מֶלֶךְ אֵל חַי וְקַיָּם רָם וְנִשָּׂא שׁוֹכֵן עֲלֵיהֶם, וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ: ״אֶעֱלֶה עַל בָּמֳתֵי עָב אֶדַּמֶּה לְעֶלְיוֹן״ — ״אַךְ אֶל שְׁאוֹל תּוּרָד אֶל יַרְכְּתֵי בוֹר״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
And **above them,** above all the firmaments, **are the divine creatures. The feet of the divine creatures correspond** in distance **to all** the firmaments; **the ankles of the animals correspond to all of them, the shins of the animals correspond to all of them, the knees of the animals correspond to all of them, the thighs of the animals correspond to all of them, the bodies of the animals correspond to all of them, the necks of the animals correspond to all of them, the heads of the animals correspond to all of them,** and **the horns of the animals correspond to all of them. Above them** is the **Throne of Glory: The feet of the Throne of Glory correspond to all of them, the Throne of Glory corresponds to all of them,** and the **living, almighty, lofty, exalted King dwells above them. And you,** Nebuchadnezzar, **say: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High”** (Isaiah 14:15), but the next verse states: **“Yet you shall be brought down to the netherworld, to the uttermost parts of the pit”** (Isaiah 14:15).


###### Chagigah 13a:5
[Chagigah 13a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:5)

וְלֹא בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה בְּיָחִיד. תָּנֵי רַבִּי חִיָּיא: אֲבָל מוֹסְרִין לוֹ רָאשֵׁי פְרָקִים. אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא: אֵין מוֹסְרִין רָאשֵׁי פְרָקִים אֶלָּא לְאַב בֵּית דִּין, וּלְכׇל מִי שֶׁלִּבּוֹ דּוֹאֵג בְּקִרְבּוֹ. אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי, וְהוּא שֶׁלִּבּוֹ דּוֹאֵג בְּקִרְבּוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It is taught in the mishna, according to the Gemara’s explanation: **Nor** may one expound **the** Design of the Divine **Chariot to an individual. Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: But one may transmit to him,** an individual, **the outlines** of this topic, leaving him to comprehend the rest on his own. **Rabbi Zeira said: One may transmit the outlines** of the Design of the Divine Chariot **only to the president of the court,** who needs to know them due to his wisdom and meritorious deeds, **and to anyone whose heart inside him is concerned,** i.e., one who is concerned about his sins and desires to achieve full repentance. **There are** those **who say** that this does not refer to two separate individuals, but to the president of the court, **whose heart inside him is concerned.**


###### Chagigah 13a:6
[Chagigah 13a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:6)

אָמַר רַבִּי אַמֵּי: אֵין מוֹסְרִין סִתְרֵי תוֹרָה אֶלָּא לְמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה דְבָרִים: ״שַׂר חֲמִשִּׁים, וּנְשׂוּא פָנִים, וְיוֹעֵץ, וַחֲכַם חֲרָשִׁים, וּנְבוֹן לָחַשׁ״. וְאָמַר רַבִּי אַמֵּי: אֵין מוֹסְרִין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה לְגוֹי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן לְכׇל גּוֹי וּמִשְׁפָּטִים בַּל יְדָעוּם״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Ami said: The secrets of the Torah may be transmitted only to one who possesses** the following **five characteristics: “The captain of fifty, and the man of favor, and the counselor, and the cunning charmer, and the skillful enchanter”** (Isaiah 3:3). **And Rabbi Ami said** further: **The words of Torah may not be transmitted to a gentile, as it is stated: “He has not dealt so with any nation, and as for His ordinances, they have not known them”** (Psalms 147:20).


###### Chagigah 13a:7
[Chagigah 13a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:7)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: תָּא אַגְמְרָךְ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַמֶּרְכָּבָה, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא קַשַּׁאי. כִּי קַשׁ — נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אַסִּי: תָּא וְאַגְמְרָךְ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה מֶרְכָּבָה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִי זְכַאי גְּמִירְתַּהּ מֵרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן רַבָּךְ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The Gemara relates: **Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Rabbi Elazar: Come and I will teach you the Design of the** Divine **Chariot.** Rabbi Elazar **said to him:** I have **not** yet **aged** sufficiently, as one must be very settled in one’s mind for these studies. **When he grew old, Rabbi Yoḥanan had** already **passed away. Rabbi Asi said to him: Come and I will teach you the Design of the** Divine **Chariot. He said to him: Had I merited, I would have learned** it **from Rabbi Yoḥanan, your teacher.** It therefore appears that I am unworthy of studying it.


###### Chagigah 13a:8
[Chagigah 13a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:8)

רַב יוֹסֵף הֲוָה גְּמִיר מַעֲשֵׂה הַמֶּרְכָּבָה. סָבֵי דְפוּמְבְּדִיתָא הֲווֹ תָּנוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: (לִיגְמוֹר לַן) [לַיגְמְרַן] מָר מַעֲשֵׂה מֶרְכָּבָה. אֲמַר לְהוּ: אַגְמְרוּן לִי מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. בָּתַר דְּאַגְמְרוּהּ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: לַיגְמְרַון מָר בְּמַעֲשֵׂה מֶרְכָּבָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ: תְּנֵינָא בְּהוּ ״דְּבַשׁ וְחָלָב תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ״, דְּבָרִים הַמְּתוּקִין מִדְּבַשׁ וְחָלָב — יְהוּ תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara relates: **Rav Yosef would study the Design of the** Divine **Chariot** and was familiar with the subject, whereas **the Elders of Pumbedita would study the act of Creation. They said to** Rav Yosef: **Let the Master teach us the Design of the** Divine **Chariot. He said to them:** You **teach me the act of Creation. After they taught him** that subject, **they said to him: Let the Master teach us the Design of the** Divine **Chariot. He said to them: We learned with regard to them** the secrets of the Torah: **“Honey and milk are under your tongue”** (Song of Songs 4:11), meaning that **matters that are sweeter than honey and milk should remain under your tongue.** In other words, one should not speak of such matters, and anyone who is familiar with them may not reveal them to others.


###### Chagigah 13a:9
[Chagigah 13a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:9)

רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ אָמַר מֵהָכָא: ״כְּבָשִׁים לִלְבוּשֶׁךָ״, דְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵן כִּבְשׁוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם — יִהְיוּ תַּחַת לְבוּשֶׁךָ. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: תְּנֵינַן בְּהוּ עַד ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי בֶּן אָדָם״. אֲמַר לְהוּ: הֵן הֵן מַעֲשֵׂה הַמֶּרְכָּבָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Abbahu said:** It is derived from **here,** from the following verse: **“The lambs** [***kevasim***] **will be for your clothing”** (Proverbs 27:26), which he expounds as though it were written with the letter *shin*, *kevashim*, meaning concealed matters: **Things that constitute the concealed matters of the world should be under your clothing;** you should not reveal them. When the Elders of Pumbedita saw that Rav Yosef was not going to teach them, **they said to him: We have learned them,** the verses concerning the Design of the Divine Chariot written in the book of Ezekiel, **up to** the verse **“And He said to me, son of man”** (Ezekiel 2:1). **He said to them:** If so, **these** verses **are** the very essence of the **Design of the** Divine **Chariot,** as they provide the main details of the topic.


###### Chagigah 13a:10
[Chagigah 13a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:10)

מֵיתִיבִי: עַד הֵיכָן מַעֲשֵׂה הַמֶּרְכָּבָה? רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: עַד ״וָאֵרֶא״ בָּתְרָא, רַבִּי יִצְחָק אוֹמֵר: עַד ״הַחַשְׁמַל״. עַד ״וָאֵרֶא״ מַגְמְרִינַן, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ מָסְרִינַן רָאשֵׁי פְרָקִים. אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: עַד ״וָאֵרֶא״ מָסְרִינַן רָאשֵׁי פְרָקִים, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ, אִם הוּא חָכָם מֵבִין מִדַּעְתּוֹ — אִין, אִי לָא — לָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara **raises an objection** to this from a *baraita*: **Until where is the Design of the** Divine **Chariot** related? **Rabbi** Yehuda HaNasi **says: Until the latter “And I saw”** (Ezekiel 1:27), not including the last verse. **Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Until** the word **“the electrum”** (Ezekiel 1:27). Neither of these opinions accord with Rav Yosef’s opinion that the Design of the Divine Chariot continues until the end of the chapter. The Gemara answers: **Until “And I saw,” we teach** those worthy of it; **from this** point **forward,** we **transmit** only the **outlines. There are** those **who say: Until “And I saw,” we transmit the outlines; from this** point **forward, if he is wise** and **can understand of his own accord, yes,** we teach him. **If not,** we do **not** teach him even the outlines.


###### Chagigah 13a:11
[Chagigah 13a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:11)

וּמִי דָּרְשִׁינַן בְּחַשְׁמַל? וְהָא הָהוּא יָנוֹקָא דִּדְרַשׁ בְּחַשְׁמַל, וּנְפַקָא נוּרָא וַאֲכַלְתֵּיהּ! שָׁאנֵי יָנוֹקָא, דְּלָאו מָטֵי זִימְנֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara poses a question: **And may one teach about the electrum** of the Design of the Divine Chariot at all? **But wasn’t there a certain youth** who **expounded the electrum, and fire came out and consumed him,** showing that such study is highly dangerous? The Gemara answers: That **youth was different, for his time** to study such matters **had not** yet **arrived.** Therefore, he was punished.


###### Chagigah 13a:12
[Chagigah 13a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:12)

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: בְּרַם זָכוּר אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ לַטּוֹב, וַחֲנַנְיָה בֶּן חִזְקִיָּה שְׁמוֹ. אִלְמָלֵא הוּא — נִגְנַז סֵפֶר יְחֶזְקֵאל, שֶׁהָיוּ דְּבָרָיו סוֹתְרִין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה. מֶה עָשָׂה? הֶעֱלוּ לוֹ שְׁלוֹשׁ מֵאוֹת גַּרְבֵי שֶׁמֶן, וְיָשַׁב בַּעֲלִיָּיה וּדְרָשׁוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yehuda said: Indeed, that man is remembered for good, and Ḥananya ben Ḥizkiya was his name,** because **were it not for him, the book of Ezekiel would have been suppressed.** Why did they wish to suppress it? Because they found **that its words contradicted the words of Torah,** as its later chapters contain many *halakhot* that appear not to accord with those of the Torah. **What did he do? They brought up to him three hundred barrels of oil,** for light and sustenance, **and he sat in an upper chamber and expounded it,** to reconcile its teachings with those of the Torah.


###### Chagigah 13a:13
[Chagigah 13a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:13)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּתִינוֹק אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה קוֹרֵא בְּבֵית רַבּוֹ בְּסֵפֶר יְחֶזְקֵאל וְהָיָה מֵבִין בְּחַשְׁמַל, וְיָצְאָה אֵשׁ מֵחַשְׁמַל וּשְׂרָפַתּוּ, וּבִיקְשׁוּ לִגְנוֹז סֵפֶר יְחֶזְקֵאל. אָמַר לָהֶם חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן חִזְקִיָּה: אִם זֶה חָכָם — הַכֹּל חֲכָמִים הֵן?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The Sages taught: An incident** occurred **involving a youth who was reading the book of Ezekiel in the house of his teacher, and** he **was** able to **comprehend the electrum, and fire came out of the electrum and burned him. And they sought to suppress the book of Ezekiel** due to the danger it posed. **Ḥananya ben Ḥizkiya said to them: If this** youth happened to be **wise,** are **all** people **wise** enough to understand this book?


###### Chagigah 13a:14
[Chagigah 13a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/13a:14)

מַאי חַשְׁמַל? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **What is** the **electrum? Rav Yehuda said:**