If he said to Dumiel the Prince, “I have one of these two qualifications,” Dumiel the Prince would at once get in connection with Gabhriel the Secretary and write his the paper with red paint and would hang the paper upon the chariot of that same man, saying: “Thus and so is the knowledge of such a one in the Torah, thus and so are his actions, and he desireth to enter in before the throne of His glory.”

And when the door-keepers of the seventh palace would see that Dumiel and Kazpiel and Gabhriel, were before the chariot of that man who deservingly descendeth to the Merkabha, they [would] cover their faces, which had been angry, and they [would] at once unstring the strung bows, and return the drawn swords to their sheaths. And nevertheless it is necessary to show them a great seal and a fearful crown: God of heaven, Master of earth the Lord God of Israel. And they would enter in before the throne of His glory and bring out before that man all sorts of [instruments for] music and song, and they would come making music before him until they bring him up and seat him beside the cherubim, beside the ophanim, beside the holy beasts. And he beholdeth wonders and powers, loftiness and greatness, holiness and purity, fear, humility and justice.

Then said Rabbi Ishmael: “All the companions made a parable of this scheme [for those who descend to the Merkhaba: It is like] unto a man who hath a ladder in his house, [and] who was going up and down on it, and there is no creature that preventeth him.” Blessed be thou, O Lord, who art wise in secrets and master of hidden things. Amen. Amen....

Said Rabbi Ishmael: Rabban Simon ben Gamliel was angry with me. He said to me, “Almost had Zahaphtariai rebuked us and shucked {us} as husks of corn. Why didst thou, by criminal carelessness, sin against us? Dost thou, perhaps, think that Jonathan ben Uzziel is a man of small account in Israel? If he simply descended and came and stood at the entrance of the seventh palace [without any seal, what would happen to him? He could not blink an eye before the door-keepers of the seventh palace had utterly exterminated him. And yet you have said nothing about the necessary seals nor the names of the angels to whom they must be shown.]

Said Rabbi Ishmael: I went and was angry with Rabbi Nehunya ben Hakkanah my master, saying, “The patriarch is angry with me, why do I live?” He said to me, “Scion of nobles, if [you ask for an answer] on this point [then tell me,] what is my distinction among you? I put in your mouths the prophets, the writings, mishna and midrash, halakhoth and agadoth, and the explanation of halakhoth as to what is forbidden and permitted. Were it not for the mysteries of the law [in which] I have initiated some of you, would ye have come and appeared before me at all? I know why thou hast come. Thou hast only come because of the door-keepers of the seventh palace.