Introduction: The Chariot as a Vision of the Direction of History
We continue explaining the vision of the Chariot (Ma'aseh HaMerkavah) seen by Yechezkel. As the Malbim explained in his introduction, this entire vision was meant to show the prophet the Divine providence that would be revealed throughout the four kingdoms that would rule over Israel, including the destruction and burning of the Beit HaMikdash. In this part, we will address the human hands under the wings, the joining of the wings, the four faces and their significance, and the separation of the faces and wings from above.
Human Hands Under Their Wings - Two Modes of Providence
וִידֵי אָדָם מִתַּחַת כַּנְפֵיהֶם עַל אַרְבַּעַת רִבְעֵיהֶם וּפְנֵיהֶם וְכַנְפֵיהֶם לְאַרְבַּעְתָּם׃ (ח) - Human hands were under their wings on their four sides; and the four of them had their faces and their wings.
The Chayot resembled a human being, and a human being has two hands and two legs, unlike an animal which has four legs and no hands at all. Therefore it says, "Human hands were under their wings" - they had the hands of a human. However, an additional detail is noted here: the hands were under the wings, meaning they are completely undetectable until the Chayot lift their wings. As long as the wings lie flat against the body, the hands are covered.
And what does this hint at? We have already seen above that the legs allude to physical movement along the course of nature, whereas flying alludes to spiritual guidance, the Divine providence coming from Hashem. When the Chayot walk on their legs, meaning through the natural order, and do not fly, it is a sign that the guidance of the system follows natural laws, fixed causes, cause and effect. In that state, the hands are covered: human hands are not visible, but only animal legs. An animal has no free will, and the calf's feet symbolize walking without choice - a reality conducted according to the fixed systems of nature and its celestial spheres. Furthermore, the legs tread below upon the world of Asiyah, upon the celestial spheres and wheels (Ofanim), meaning guidance according to the order of the spheres and constellations.
In contrast, when the Chayot lift their wings to fly, this indicates that the system has changed: the guidance is providential, coming from the upper worlds, functioning not through the fixed manner of legs, but through will and choice. The wings signify flying upward, representing guidance according to the will of Hashem, which is willful and free: the Holy One, Blessed be He, chooses at one moment to guide in a certain way, and at another time to guide differently. The actions follow Divine will, which is not bound by necessity and is not confined to the laws of nature.
When is the providence over us manifested in this manner of lifted wings and transcendent providence? When we do the will of Hashem, when we do teshuvah. Then the Holy One, Blessed be He, leads us through a transcendent, supernatural guidance. But when we do not do the will of Hashem and do not do teshuvah, the guidance operates not through wings but through legs - calf feet, animal legs, a natural order without personal choice.
The Malbim notes how wondrous this is: this is precisely what Chazal taught regarding "human hands were under their wings" - that they are there to receive penitents (ba'alei teshuvah). For when the wings are raised, when there is drawing close to Hashem and providential guidance, the hands become revealed. And when do the Chayot ascend upward? When the hands receive those who repent. When we do teshuvah and perform the will of Hashem, the hands are open to receive us. Yet they are revealed only when the wings are raised; otherwise, "human hands were under their wings," and the guidance remains natural. But once we do teshuvah, the guidance automatically shifts to a supernatural, providential mode.
On Their Four Sides - Everything According to the Will
The verse continues: "Human hands were under their wings on their four sides." Just as the flying wings were set on all four sides of the Chayah - each face having its own wings - so too were the hands set on all four sides. The Malbim explains that this hints that whichever side the wing is raised - whether toward Chessed (lovingkindness), Din (strict justice), or Rachamim (mercy) - the actions operate through choice and free will. For the wings signify the aspect of supreme providence, which is the Divine will, and everything occurs according to Hashem's will. About this it is said, "and the four of them had their faces and their wings": the wings corresponded to the faces, with each face having its own wings, indicating several distinct modes of Divine guidance. Bear this point in mind, for later we will see in detail how each mode of guidance affects a different kingdom.
According to this, the number of hands would naturally equal the number of wings, since the hands were beneath the wings. However, this is not agreed upon by all. The Malbim cites another opinion, that of the Rambam, that there were only two hands. For each Chayah had only two legs - we do not find that it had 256 legs - whereas there were many wings. And if there were only two legs, the Rambam reasons, there were likewise only two hands. This is the meaning of "human hands were under their wings": multiplicity begins from the wings upward - the multiplicity of faces and wings - whereas from the hands downward there is no multiplicity, only two hands and two legs. The entire portion containing multiplicity is from the wings and above.
"Joined One to Another" - Rashi and the Malbim
חֹבְרֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל אֲחוֹתָהּ כַּנְפֵיהֶם לֹא יִסַּבּוּ בְלֶכְתָּן אִישׁ אֶל עֵבֶר פָּנָיו יֵלֵכוּ׃ (ט) - Their wings were joined one to another; they did not turn when they went, each one went straight forward. (9)
There is a dispute here regarding the understanding of "their wings were joined one to another." Rashi explains that when the *chayos* spread their wings outward to the sides, they joined together: the right wing of one *chayah* met the left wing of its fellow. They would spread their wings to the sides until each joined with the wings of the other, and thereby covered their faces, since the wings were spread above the face, and when spread, the face was concealed.
"They did not turn when they went" - Rashi explains that if they wished to turn toward any direction, they did not need to turn their faces, as they had a face facing each direction. They had faces toward the south, east, north, and west, and toward whichever direction they wished to go, they simply began to move. This is the meaning of "each one went straight forward" - toward the direction of whichever face faced where it wished to go, it immediately proceeded.
The Malbim, on the other hand, interprets "joined one to another" as referring to the wings of a single *chayah* itself. "One to another" does not refer back to the *chayos*, but to the wings: the wings at the back were joined, in the sense that both emerged from the very same point and spread out from there, like the way butterfly wings are depicted. One wing is joined to its counterpart at its base, and thereby they are attached to the body and touch one another.
Two Wings - A Created Being that Conceives of Itself and Its Cause
And what is the deeper allusion here? The Malbim explains that the wings appear in an even number to indicate that the *chayos* are not like their Creator. The Creator is absolute unity, whereas in the *chayos* one finds multiplicity; the wings are two. And what do these two signify? That they are created beings, possessing two levels of comprehension: first, they comprehend themselves, and second, they comprehend their Cause. "Comprehending themselves" means grasping and recognizing their own existence. "Comprehending their Cause" means grasping and recognizing the Cause, the Source that brought them into being, their Creator. In other words, they are an entity distinct from their Creator. This is what the two wings symbolize: one for the comprehension of self, and one for the comprehension of its Cause.
Yet even though they do not possess absolute unity, there is nonetheless an expression of unity here: the wings are joined at a single point. Though they are two, reflecting the duality mentioned, at their root they are joined and both emerge from one point. And what does this convey? That they are in the category of intellects abstracted from matter. The early authorities defined angels as "separate intellects" (*sechalim nivdalim*), a term found throughout the *Moreh Nevuchim* and the writings of early thinkers. We are a physical body endowed with an intellect; when an intellect exists without a body, it is termed a "separate intellect" - separate and distinct from the body and physical matter. They are "intellects" because they are not mindless beasts but possess conscious intellect, and "separate" because they are devoid of physical matter.
The Malbim explains that this connection teaches that their comprehension is instantaneous, unified, and uninterrupted by the time or space of cognition. To explain: when human beings seek to understand something, we are subject to two constraints, time and space. If someone wishes to teach a person tractate *Bava Kamma*, he needs time, as he must study page after page, analyzing and deepening his understanding, until he grasps something of the tractate. There is also a constraint of space: one person lives here and the teacher lives there, and he must go to him to acquire what he wishes to learn. A physical human being comprehends slowly, gradually adding piece by piece of knowledge, understanding, and grasp, and everything depends on time.
With the separate intellects, the angels, comprehension is instantaneous and continuous. For human beings, comprehension is fragmented: a minute passes, an hour, a day, and each time another detail is learned; we learn in installments. An angel, by contrast, comprehends in an instant, knows in an instant, and is unbound by limitations of space. Thus it becomes clear why the wings are joined: to indicate that this is unlike our reality, the physical realm, which is fractured by intervals of time and divisions of space. With the angels, comprehension is instantaneous, as though a person were taught the entire Torah in a single moment. The joining of the wings signifies that these perceptions are united, occurring in a single instant without division. Physical matter always implies separation - one material object is distinct from another, and even within matter itself, it can be divided into parts - unlike spiritual reality, which exists as a unified whole.
"They did not turn when they went, each one went straight forward" - according to the Malbim, since they have wings facing every direction, they do not need to turn about even while in flight. A *chayah* flies in the direction of its wings, and it has wings on every side; whichever way it wishes to fly, it has wings ready to fly in that direction. What this symbolizes will be examined further on.
The Four Faces and Their Positions
וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין לְאַרְבַּעְתָּם וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאול לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן וּפְנֵי נֶשֶׁר לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן׃ (י) - "As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and the four of them had the face of a lion on the right, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left, and the four of them had the face of an eagle."
The Malbim explains: in front was the face of a man, on the right the face of a lion, on the left the face of an ox, and in the back the face of an eagle. Notice the precise wording: regarding the lion it says "to the four of them" (le'arba'tam), regarding the ox "to the four of them" (le'arba'tan), and regarding the eagle "to the four of them" (le'arba'tan), while the only one about which "to the four of them" is not stated is the man. Why? Because it was already stated earlier, "they had the likeness of a man," from which we already understand that there was a human face on each of the sides; therefore, there was no need to state "to the four of them" here.
The Malbim notes that the master craftsmen - referring to the masters of the esoteric wisdom, where the term charashim is an allusion to silence and secrecy, as in "keep silent" (hacharishu) - have already explained that the attribute of Chesed operates on the right, as we have mentioned several times regarding the order of the Sefirot: Chesed is the right arm. The attribute of Pachad, namely Gevurah, is on the left, and this corresponds to the face of the ox on the left.
As is known, this was the reason the Jewish people made the Golden Calf in the wilderness, as the Ramban explains. They had been exposed to the vision of the Merkavah, and in that vision, they saw the face of the ox on the left. From this, they reasoned that since they were in a desolate wilderness where divine guidance operates through the left side, the flow of abundance must therefore be drawn from the left. They consequently fashioned a calf, which embodies the aspect of the ox on the left, believing it to be the fitting channel of governance for the wilderness. And what was their error? That there is no governance through the left. Divine guidance is always through Chesed. The Holy One, blessed be He, always guides you through Chesed and never through the governance of the left.
And Tiferet - that is the man, in the center. Man represents the aspect of Tiferet, "Tiferet is the torso" (Tiferet ihu gufa); it is the middle, associated with Yaakov, harmonizing between strict justice and loving-kindness. Din is Gevurah, Chesed is benevolence, and man stands in the middle. Extreme justice is not good, extreme benevolence is not good; rather, the guidance is in the center, and that is the attribute of Rachamim (compassion). What is the difference? The attribute of Rachamim means mercy tempered with justice. True compassion always operates within justice. There is strict justice, and there is compassion within justice, but there is no concept of mercy that simply exempts a person with nothing; rather, mercy functions within judgment, and this is the balanced middle path, the aspect of Yaakov.
And behind is the eagle. The Malbim explains: "A woman of valor in the recesses of the house," behind the Mishkan. And we already know what the "woman of valor" represents - the aspect of Malchut. The Sefirah of Malchut is positioned at the back, the aspect of Nukva (the feminine). If man represents the masculine aspect (dechura), the Nukva is behind, the aspect of Malchut. And why is it symbolized by an eagle? "As an eagle hovers over its fledglings" - the attribute of Malchut is like a soaring eagle, receiving from above and hovering over its fledglings to bestow downward, which is the aspect of the eagle.
The Lion - The Strengthening of Chesed
The Malbim says that when the Holy One, blessed be He, channels His light to the lower worlds, then from the world of Yetzirah, when there is an outpouring of Chesed, the right side appears in the form of a lion. Why? To express that there is immense Chesed here, prevailing like a lion with tremendous strength - a vast flow of kindness channeled with lion-like might.
The Malbim adds an allusion: we have the Name of AV (72). As is known, the four primary expansions of the Tetragrammaton are divided into AV (72), SaG (63), MaH (45), and BaN (52), which are letter-spellings (miluyim) of the Name of Hashem. It can be spelled out using the letter Yod or using Alef. For example, Yod, Hei (spelled He-Yod), Vav (Vav-Yod-Vav), Hei (He-Yod) - where the He is spelled with a Yod and the Vav with a Yod - equals the numerical value of 72 (AV). A spelling with Alef: Yod, Hei (He-Alef), Vav (Vav-Alef-Vav), Hei (He-Alef) - reaches a lower gematria, the Name of MaH (45). There is also SaG (63), and there is BaN (52), which is like the Cave of Machpelah where everything is doubled: He-He, Vav-Vav, He-He. And as mentioned, there is also the spelling that reaches the gematria of SaG (63).
The Name of AV corresponds to Chesed, for the word Chesed has the numerical value of 72: Chet (8) + Samech (60) = 68, plus Dalet (4) = 72. If we multiply it by three, we get 216 (RYU), a well-known divine Name among the Kabbalists. And if you examine it, 216 is the numerical value of Gevurah, and also the numerical value of Aryeh (lion). What do you see? That the lion represents three times Chesed; and three times Chesed is also the aspect of Gevurah, because it is an aspect of the strengthening and surging power of Chesed.
And the predatory lion, says the Malbim - namely the negative aspect that draws its power downward to cause harm - is subdued by the power of the lion of sanctity. "God made the one corresponding to the other": just as there is an aspect of the lion in holiness that channels Chesed, so too is there a lion of strict judgments seeking to inflict damage. And what weakens it? The lion of holiness.
The Ox - Sweetening the Judgments, and No Venom at Its Root
The left side represents the aspect of the ox, appearing in the form of an ox, which is the aspect of Gevurah. Here too is an allusion: the first name of the 42-letter Name. The 42-letter Name is unrelated to the letter-expansions mentioned earlier; rather, it is what we all know from "Ana Bekoach." As noted previously, some mistakenly assume that "Ana Bekoach" is the holy Name itself, but in truth, "Ana Bekoach" is a liturgical poem composed to express that Name, and the primary objective in reciting it is to focus one's intent on the letters. Notice that in the siddurim, the acronyms are always printed alongside the text. Others have composed different poems with different mnemonic words that form those very same letters: Av'g Yit'tz, Kra Satan, and so on, which are the initial letters of "Ana becho'ach gedulat yeminecha tatir tzerurah." Incidentally, when reciting Ana Bekoach, each line should be divided rhythmically into pairs: "Ana becho'ach, gedulat yeminecha, tatir tzerurah"; "Kabel rinat amecha, sagveinu, tahareinu nora" - two words, two words, two words.
The first name of the 42-letter Name is Av'g Yit'tz (some pronounce it aloud, while others are careful not to utter it). This represents the aspect of Chesed within Gevurah, and its numerical value equals that of "Shor" (ox). We already know that within each attribute, all seven attributes are included, just as we see in Sefirat HaOmer: there is Chesed, and within it Chesed of Chesed, Gevurah of Chesed, Tiferet of Chesed, Netzach of Chesed, Hod, and so on. Then comes Gevurah, which likewise includes all seven: Chesed of Gevurah, Gevurah of Gevurah, Tiferet of Gevurah. Then Tiferet: Chesed of Tiferet, Gevurah of Tiferet. Each one contains all seven components within itself.
One must always look at the base attribute (the "of"), which is decisive. Even when speaking of Chesed of Gevurah - it is still Gevurah; it is an expression of Gevurah, the flow of Chesed on the side of Gevurah. This is entirely different from Gevurah of Chesed, where "of Chesed" is the primary reality: it is a flow of Chesed, except that it operates through Gevurah. The essential point is which sefirah we are in. Chesed of Gevurah, Tiferet of Gevurah, Netzach of Gevurah - we are entirely within Gevurah, and Gevurah is strict judgments; it is harsh. Therefore, there is a tremendous difference between Chesed of Gevurah and Gevurah of Chesed, because the governing core is what matters.
Thus, Av'g Yit'tz is Chesed of Gevurah, and its numerical value equals "Shor." What is the reason for this? So that the attribute of judgment does not strike with overwhelming fury that immediately consumes and destroys, whereby any deviation from the path would bring instant judgment and retribution upon a person. Therefore, Chesed intervenes and sweetens the judgments; and this is Av'g Yit'tz, having the gematria of Shor, whose quality is the sweetening of Gevurot. Conversely: "Abundant crops come through the strength of the ox" - it brings down the mighty rains, for rains descend through Gevurah, and this constitutes an act of Chesed. Furthermore, any destructive force that draws power below through its ministering angel - namely, the ox in its negative manifestation, just as discussed regarding the lion - is unable to inflict ultimate harm. Why? Because the celestial aspect of the ox in the vision of the Chariot is pure holiness, possessing the power to nullify the judgments below; this is the sweetening of the Gevurot at their root. The Malbim adds: there is no venom at its root, meaning that in the root of the attribute of Gevurah there is no venom. The Malbim will explain further what it means that there is no venom at the root of the attribute of fear, and why this is beneficial.
In the center is Yaakov: "Grant truth to Yaakov," whose face is the face of man, and whose attribute is the attribute of mercy (Rachamim). Behind him is the face of an eagle, for an eagle soars high. This attribute receives and soars upward to receive from the sefirot above it - this is the sefirah of Malchut - and channels the flow downward. "Malchut has nothing of its own"; it receives from the upper realms and provides for its fledglings below.
The Four Faces and the Four Kingdoms
The Malbim explains: Now you will understand what was stated earlier, that the entire vision of Yechezkel was intended to reveal the divine providence operating through the four kingdoms that would rise against Israel, including the destruction and burning of the Beit HaMikdash.
Let us begin with Babylon. Babylon derived its power from the face of the lion. Babylon and Assyria are considered a combined empire, and they are likened to a lion: "A lion has gone up from his thicket." Daniel, who saw the beasts rising from the sea, likewise saw that "the first was like a lion." What does this express? That the Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, clothed Himself in the form of a lion in order to nullify the lion-like power of Assyria and Babylon and rescue His children, as it is written: "They shall walk after Hashem; He will roar like a lion" - this is the lion on the side of holiness, which possesses the power to nullify the lion that stems from the kelipot and strict judgments.
After Babylon came Media and Persia, corresponding to the form of man. Why in the form of man? Because they treated the Jewish people well: Cyrus and Darius granted permission to rebuild the Beit HaMikdash, and even in the days of Achashverosh relief was granted at that time. This was an era in which they treated us humanely, and therefore the exile of Media and Persia reflects the beauty of man (Tiferet Adam).
The heavenly prince of Greece, the third kingdom following Media and Persia, drew its strength from the face of the ox; and the face of the ox, as noted, is to the left. This is why the Greeks decreed: "Write for yourselves upon the horn of the ox: You have no portion in the God of Israel." Yet even though their root stems from the harsh attribute of judgment, they did not succeed in burning the Beit HaMikdash. Why? As explained earlier, there is no consuming venom at their root above; an ox possesses no burning venom. Therefore, even though they desperately wished to do so - for this was the Greek era, the era of Chanukah - they defiled the Beit HaMikdash but did not burn it.
Rome, on the other hand, is the fourth beast. First, it possesses long life like an eagle: "Your youth is renewed like an eagle." Daniel, who saw the beast rising from the sea, saw that "it had ten horns" - ten horns, alluding to the fact that they would fall and rise again, fall and rise again, and we still remain in the exile of Edom, that very exile of Rome. The banner of Rome, as is well known, bore the eagle as its emblem. Corresponding to that empire is the aspect of the eagle in holiness: "Like an eagle that rouses its nest, hovers over its young, spreads its wings and takes them" - Hashem shelters us with His pinions so that we do not perish at the hands of the ferocious eagle, which is Rome, the fourth beast.
Why does Yechezkel see that each of the living creatures has four faces? The Malbim explains: To indicate that these four kingdoms are always present, but in each era one kingdom marches in the lead. This is what was noted earlier: "They did not turn as they went." That is, when Babylon, corresponding to the face of the lion, marches at the head, the face of the eagle, the face of man, and the face of the ox are all pulled behind it, while the central, leading force is the face of the lion. When the era of Media and Persia arrives, corresponding to the beauty of man, it takes the lead while the others are drawn behind. This means that the kingdoms are never completely abolished; the only question is which kingdom will be dominant and which will be secondary, following in its train. In each era, that particular creature gained ascendancy in the celestial Chariot, and through that power, that kingdom ruled.
Separated Above, Joined Below
וּפְנֵיהֶם וְכַנְפֵיהֶם פְּרֻדוֹת מִלְמָעְלָה לְאִישׁ שְׁתַּיִם חֹבְרוֹת אִישׁ וּשְׁתַּיִם מְכַסּוֹת אֵת גְּוִיֹּתֵיהֶנָה׃ (יא) - And their faces and their wings were separated from above; each had two joining each other, and two covering their bodies. (11)
Anyone paying close attention will notice that there is a disjunctive accent on the word ufeneihem ("and their faces"). Radak offers a somewhat novel explanation here, yet one that seems precise according to the cantillation notes: the word ufeneihem is separated by the accent, which pauses, and it is not attached to the word following it. That is to say, "and their faces" - there is a stop here, and one must pause: their faces were as we saw earlier. And then, "and their wings were separated from above" - meaning that the wings were separated from the body and spread upward, and with them they would fly.
However, the Malbim does not explain it this way, but rather according to the straightforward meaning. The Malbim explains: although below in the body we saw that each Chayah had one complete body - and according to the Rambam this also includes the hands, while from the part below the hands everyone agrees there was a single body rather than multiple bodies - nonetheless, above, at the level of the faces and the wings that were attached behind each face, they were divided into four heads. Below the wings they joined together and formed a single body, whether the hands were included or not, according to the dispute we saw earlier.
And what is the deeper allegorical meaning of this? The Malbim explains that this hints that while a specific attribute dominates in each Chayah - this is the aspect of the face, the focal point of that Chayah, such as on the right side where the primary feature is the face of a lion leading the way - nonetheless, the other faces were present as well: the face of a man, the face of an ox, and the face of an eagle. Do not think they were nullified; rather, "and their faces and their wings were separated from above": the Gevurah and Rachamim within Chesed follow after it, and everything takes on the aspect of Chesed. For if we are dealing with the face of a lion, which represents Chesed, there is Gevurah within Chesed, Din within Chesed, Rachamim within Chesed, and all are drawn after it, yet each is distinct in its own right. The face of a lion acts out Chesed through the power of Chesed, the face of an ox acts out Chesed through the power of Gevurah, and so on. Each of the faces performs its function according to the primary aspect of its face, according to the direction toward which it moves.
And so it is below: the heavenly ministers above and the kingdoms below. When one king rules over the whole world, the others are not nullified. When Babylon reigned, Persia and Media were not nullified; they existed, but they were subordinate and attached. When Babylon ruled, both Persia and Media were kingdoms in their own right, and Greece was distinct, and Rome was distinct, only Babylon led the leadership.
Two Wings for Flight and Two for Covering - Two Concealments
"Each had two joining each other" - now the Malbim explains why there were four wings. Each of the Chayot had two wings for flight, and they were joined to one another at the place where they were attached to the body, as we saw earlier, "joined one to another," which we explained means they were joined at the root of the wings. And how many wings did they have? Four, but only two of them were joined at the root, while the other two were not joined at the root, each having its own separate root. The two joined wings were designated for flight, and the two separated wings were meant for "and two covering their bodies," to cover the body.
And what is the hint? The two flying wings are joined because their flight serves a single purpose, at the command of their Creator. But the two designated for covering - and covering is an aspect of concealment, hiding one's face and concealing one's essence, as the wings shield the Chayot and cover them - come to hint at two distinct matters. One matter is the concealment and hiding inherent in the very existence of the Chayot, in that anyone tied to physical matter, namely we corporeal humans, is unable to grasp an intellect abstract from matter; therefore, it has wings shielding it and concealing it, for as a creature formed of clay, I cannot comprehend it. That is one concealment. And the second matter is an additional concealment: as the Chayah seeks and receives the light and bounty from above it, from the world of Beriah - for the Chayot are in the world of Yetzirah and receive from the world of Beriah - that reality, as we saw earlier, is hidden, concealed, and veiled, a very lofty realm that even they cannot comprehend. Therefore, there are wings intended to veil even the comprehension that they do attain.
Thus, there are two expressions of wings here, as we have already seen above: one wing alludes to the fact that they do not truly comprehend the influence above them - they receive the divine bounty but cannot grasp its source; and the second wing alludes to the fact that lower beings cannot truly comprehend the nature of the Chayot.
In summary:
In these verses lies the entire doctrine of Divine Providence: the hands of man under the wings - when the wings are at rest, the providence operates naturally like the feet of a calf, following the order of the celestial spheres; and when the wings rise, the hands are revealed to receive penitents, and providence becomes personal, guided by free choice, and supernatural. The joining of the wings at their root teaches of the separate intellects, whose comprehension is instantaneous and devoid of limitations of time and space, and their duality teaches that they are created beings that comprehend themselves and their Cause. The four faces - a lion to the right as prevailing Chesed, an ox to the left as sweetened Gevurah with no venom at its root, a man in the middle as Tiferet and the attribute of mercy within judgment, and an eagle behind as Malchut that receives and bestows - also represent the four empires: Babylon as the lion, Media and Persia as man, Greece as the ox that failed to burn down the Temple, and Rome as the long-lived eagle. And all of them always exist, but one leads while the others are drawn after it. And Hashem always guides the world along the path of Chesed, and this was the error of the worshippers of the Golden Calf, who thought they could draw down bounty from the left side.