CHAPTER XI
God reveals all mysteries and secrets to Metatron
R. Ishmael said : Metatron, the angel, the Prince of the Presence, said to me:
(1) Henceforth the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to me all the mysteries of Tora and all the secrets of wisdom and all the depths of the Perfect Law; and all living beings' thoughts of heart and all the secrets of the universe and all the secrets of Creation were revealed unto me even as they are revealed unto the Maker of Creation.
(2) And I watched intently to behold the secrets of the depth and the wonderful mystery. Before a man did think in secret, I saw (it) and before a man made a thing I beheld it.
(3) And there was no thing on high nor in the deep hidden from me.
CHAPTER XII
God clothes Metatron in a garment of glory, puts a royal
crown on his head and calls him "the Lesser YHWH"
R. Ishmael said: Metatron, the Prince of the Presence, said to me:
(1) By reason of the love with which the Holy One, blessed be He, loved me more than all the children of heaven, He made me a garment of glory on which were fixed all kinds of lights, and He clad me in it.
(2)And He made me a robe of honour on which were fixed all kinds of beauty, splendour, brilliance and majesty.
(3) And he made me a royal crown in which were fixed forty-nine costly stones like unto the light of the globe of the sun.
(4) For its splendour went forth in the four quarters of the 'Araboth Raqia', and in (through) the seven heavens, and in the four quarters of the world. And he put it on my head.
(5) And He called me THE LESSER YHWH in the presence of all His heavenly household; as it is written (Ex. xxiii. 21): "For my name is in him".
CHAPTER XIII
God writes with a flaming style on Metatron's crown the
cosmic letters by which heaven and earth were created
R. Ishmael said : Metatron, the angel, the Prince of the Presence, the Glory of all heavens, said to me :
(1) Because of the great love and mercy with which the Holy One, blessed be He, loved and cherished me more than all the children of heaven, He wrote with his ringer with a flaming style upon the crown on my head the letters by which were created heaven and earth, the seas and rivers, the mountains and hills, the planets and constellations, the lightnings, winds, earthquakes and voices (thunders), the snow and hail, the stormwind and the tempest ; the letters by which were created all the needs of the world and all the orders of Creation.
(2) And every single letter sent forth time after time as it were lightnings, time after time as it were torches, time after time as it were flames of fire, time after time (rays) like [as] the rising of the sun and the moon and the planets.
CHAPTER XIV
All the highest princes, the elementary angels and the
planetary and sideric angels fear and tremble at the sight of Metatron crowned
R. Ishmael said: Metatron, the Angel, the Prince of the Presence, said to me :
(1) When the Holy One, blessed be He, put this crown on my head, (then) trembled before me all the Princes of Kingdoms who are in the height of 'Araboth Raqiaf and all the hosts of every heaven; and even the princes (of) the 'Elim, the princes (of) the 'Er'ellim and the princes (of) the Tafsarim, who are greater than all the ministering angels who minister before the Throne of Glory, shook, feared and trembled before me
when they beheld me.
(2) Even Sammael, the Prince of the Accusers, who is greater than all the princes of kingdoms on high; feared and trembled before me.
(3) And even the angel of fire, and the angel of hail, and the angel of the wind, and the angel of the lightning, and the angel of anger, and the angel of the thunder, and the angel of the snow, and the angel of the rain; and the angel of the day, and the angel of the night, and the angel of the sun and the angel of the moon, and the angel of the planets and the angel of the constellations
who rule the world under their hands, feared and trembled and were affrighted before me, when they beheld me.
(4) These are the names of the rulers of the world: Gabriel, the angel of the fire, Baradiel, the angel of the hail, Ruchiel who is appointed over the wind, Baraqiel who is appointed over the lightnings, Za'amiel who is appointed over the vehemence, Ziqiel who is appointed over the sparks, Zi'iel who is appointed over the commotion, Zdaphiel who is appointed over the storm-wind, Ra'amiel who is appointed over the thunders, Rctashiel who is appointed over the earthquake, Shalgiel who is appointed over the snow, Matariel who is appointed over the rain, Shimshiel who is appointed over the day, Lailiel who is appointed over the night, Galgalliel who is appointed over the globe of the sun, 'Ophanniel who is appointed over the globe of the moon, Kokbiel who is appointed over the planets, Rahatiel who is appointed over the constellations.
(5) And they all fell prostrate, when they saw me. And they were not able to behold me because of the majestic glory and beauty of the appearance of the shining light of the crown of glory upon my head.
CHAPTER XV
Metatron transformed into fire
R. Ishmael said : Metatron, the angel, the Prince of the Presence, the Glory of all heavens, said to me :
(1) As soon as the Holy One, blessed be He, took me in (His) service to attend the Throne of Glory and the Wheels (Galgallim) of the Merkaba and the needs of Shekina, forthwith my flesh was changed into flames,
my sinews into flaming fire, my bones into coals of burning juniper, the light of my eyelids into splendour of lightnings, my eye-balls into fire-brands, the hair of my head into dot flames, all my limbs into wings of burning fire and the whole of my body into glowing fire.
(2) And on my right were divisions 6 of fiery flames, on my left fire-brands were burning, round about me storm-wind and tempest were blowing and in front of me and behind me was roaring of thunder with earthquake.
FRAGMENT OF ‘ASCENSION OF MOSES’
(1) R. Ishmael said: Said to me Metatron, the Prince of the Presence and the prince over all the princes and he stands before Him who is greater than all the Elohim. And he goes in under the Throne of Glory. And he has a great tabernacle of light on high.
And he brings forth the fire of deafness and puts (it) into the ears of the Holy Chayyoth that they may not hear the voice of the Word (Dibbur) that goes forth from the mouth of the Divine Majesty.
(2) And when Moses ascended on high, he fasted 121 fasts, till the habitations of the chashmal were opened to him; and he saw the heart within the heart of the Lion and he saw the innumerable companies of the hosts Around about him. And they desired to burn him. But Moses prayed for mercy, first for Israel and after that for himself: and He who sitteth on the Merkaba opened the windows that are above the heads of the Kerubim. And a host of 1800 advocates and the Prince of the Presence, Metatron, with them went forth to meet Moses. And they took the prayers of Israel and put them as a crown on
the head of the Holy One, blessed be He.
(3) And they said (Deut. vi. 4): "Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord and their face shone and rejoiced over Shekina and they said to Metatron: "What are these? And to whom do they give all this honour and glory?" And they answered: "To the Glorious Lord of Israel". And they spake: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord, our God, is one Lord. To whom shall be given abundance of honour and majesty but to Thee YHWH, the Divine Majesty, the King, living and eternal".
(4) In that moment spake Akatriel Yah Yehod Sebaoth and said to Metatron, the Prince of the Presence: "Let no prayer that he prayeth before me return (to him) void.
Hear thou his prayer and fulfil his desire whether (it be) great or small".
(5) Forthwith Metatron, the Prince of the Presence, said to Moses: "Son of Amram! Fear not, for now God delights in thee. And ask thou u thy desire of the Glory and Majesty. For thy face shines from one end of the world to the other". But Moses answered him: "(I fear) lest I bring guiltiness upon myself". Metatron said to him: ''Receive the letters of the oath, in (by) which there is no breaking the covenant" (which precludes any breach of the covenant).
