3 Enoch

Odeberg1928 source English page 212

4 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [CH. I thee, that the merit of Aaron, the son of Amram, the lover of peace and pursuer of peace, who received the crown of priesthood from Thy Glory on the mount of Sinai, be valid for me in this hour, so that Oafsiel?, the prince, and the angels with him may not get power over me nor throw me down from the heavens”’. (4) Forthwith the Holy One, blessed be He, sent to me Metatron, his Servant (‘Ebed) the angel, the Prince of the Presence, and he, spreading his wings, with great joy came to meet me so as to Save me from their hand. (s) And he took me by his hand in their sight, saying to me: “Enter in peace before the high and exalted לקתנ‎ and behold the picture of the Merkaba”. (6) Then I entered the seventh? Hall, and he led me to the camp(s)* of Shekina and placed me before *the Holy One, blessed be 116% to behold the Merkaba. (7) As soon as the princes of the Merkaba and the flaming Seraphim | perceived me, they fixed their eyes upon me. Instantly trembling and shuddering seized me and I fell down 7 and was benumbed by the radiant image of their eyes and the splendid appearance of their faces; until the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked them, saying: (8) ‘““My servants, my Seraphim, my Kerubim and my ’Ophannim! Cover ye your eyes before Ishmael, 'my son,* my friend, my beloved one and my glory, that he tremble not nor shudder!” (9) Forthwith Metatron the Prince of the Presence, came and restored my spirit 2 DE: ‘Qaspiel’ 3 so with DE. A om. 4 ₪: ‘fourth’ 5 DE: ‘sight’ ‘appearance’ 6-6 DE: ‘the Throne of Glory’ 7 A ins. ‘from standing’ DE ins. ‘from my standing place’ 8-8 DE om. | (3) that the merit of Aaron...be valid for me, ‘be valid’, lit. ‘complete, complement my measure’. so that Qafsiel...and the angels with him may not get power over me. Qafsiel is here evidently the guardian of the seventh Hall. The forms Qafsiel and Qaspiel interchange. Qaspiel is one of the guardians of the seventh Hall acc. to Hek. R. xx. Cf. ib. xv and xix. Zohar, ii. 248 b. The form Qafsiel is attested in Zohar, iii.3 band S. Raziel,4b. For the guardians of the Halls, see ch. xvili.3. (4) sent to me Metatron etc. also acc. to Legend of the Ten Martyrs, BH. vi. 19 seqq. Metatron is sent to take care of R. Ishmael. Cf. Rev. of Moses Yalqut Re’ubeni, ii. 67 ab. (6) camp(s) of Shekina. Cf. note on ch. xviii. 4 and chh. xxxii. 4, .טאאא‎ (7) princes of the Merkaba. Cf. ch. xxii.10. Seraphim. Cf. ch. xxvi. (8) The Seraphim, Kerubim and ’Ophannim. Cf. chh. XXVi, Xxii and xxv. They are here indicated as angels of the seventh Hall by the Merkaba: Merkaba- angels. The highest class of the Merkaba-angels is possibly, acc. to the present representation, the Chayyoth ‘beneath and above the Throne’ of vs.12. Cover ye your eyes. Cf. ch. xxii B 5 seq. (9) Cf. Ap. Abrah. x (ed. Box): “Go, Jaoel, and by means of my ineffable Name raise me yonder man and strengthen him from his trembling’”’. ודיי .