Introduction
In this part of the chapter, we continue Yechezkel's prophetic vision: the man clothed in linen is commanded to take coals of fire from between the keruvim and scatter them over the city, while the Shechinah moves and departs the Temple in stages. According to Chazal, "the man clothed in linen" is Gavriel, while according to the Malbim's approach, it refers to Yirmiyahu the Prophet, who advocated on Israel's behalf. Precisely through him, the Holy One, Blessed be He, brought the retribution - so that it would come with lovingkindness and mercy. Two central axes run throughout the entire chapter: the juxtaposition of "Chayos" versus "keruvim", and "walking" versus "lifting up and flying", reflecting the distinction between the natural order of celestial influences and supernatural Divine providence.
Standing Beside the Ofan: Holding the Rope at Both Ends
וַיְהִי בְּצַוֺּתוֹ אֶת־הָאִישׁ לְבֻשׁ־הַבַּדִּים לֵאמֹר קַח אֵשׁ מִבֵּינוֹת לַגַּלְגַּל מִבֵּינוֹת לַכְּרוּבִים וַיָּבֹא וַיַּעֲמֹד אֵצֶל הָאוֹפָן׃ - And it came to pass, when He commanded the man clothed in linen, saying: "Take fire from between the wheelwork, from between the keruvim," that he came and stood beside the ofan.
The man clothed in linen has no desire to take fire and burn. On the contrary, he is the one who pleaded Israel's merit, and his nature and attribute are chessed. Therefore, he comes and stands specifically beside the ofan. The Malbim explains: from the perspective of the ofan and the celestial alignment, there is no mandate for the burning of the Beis HaMikdash. The ofanim belong to the lower realm, the world of Asiyah, the heavenly bodies and the natural cosmic order, and from the vantage point of the world of Asiyah, there is no necessity for fire. The entire matter of burning stems solely from the higher realm.
And here he holds both ends of the rope. From the perspective of the world of Asiyah, Israel would be subject to total destruction, whereas from the attribute of mercy in the higher worlds, the Holy One, Blessed be He, brings burning upon the Beis HaMikdash rather than destroying the people themselves. Therefore, he comes and stands beside the ofan, invoking the plea: from the vantage point of the lower celestial spheres, the world of Asiyah, and according to the natural cosmic order, the burning of the Temple is not mandated. He certainly does not ask for destruction, Heaven forbid; rather, his entire intent is to lessen and minimize the decree, awakening mercy so that the Holy One, Blessed be He, might show kindness to Israel and protect the Temple through nature, since in the natural course of events the burning is not inevitable.
Transferring Fire from Vessel to Vessel: Cooling the Attribute of Justice
וַיִּשְׁלַח הַכְּרוּב אֶת־יָדוֹ מִבֵּינוֹת לַכְּרוּבִים אֶל־הָאֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר בֵּינוֹת הַכְּרֻבִים וַיִּשָּׂא וַיִּתֵּן אֶל־חׇפְנֵי לְבֻשׁ הַבַּדִּים וַיִּקַּח וַיֵּצֵא׃ - And the keruv stretched forth his hand from between the keruvim unto the fire that was between the keruvim, and took and placed it into the hollow of the hands of the one clothed in linen, who took it and went out.
According to the plain meaning in the words of Chazal: Gavriel asked the keruv to take the coals and place them into his hands. Why? Because had he taken them himself, the coals would have been blazing hot; he therefore requested that they be transferred from one vessel to another, thereby cooling slightly in the process. Furthermore, the coals remained in his hands for six years, so that they would dim, weaken, and die down. This prophecy occurred in the sixth year, yet the city was not destroyed until the eleventh year. Thus, two factors cooled the decree: transferring the coals from the hand of the keruv to the palms of the one clothed in linen, and holding them in his hands for six years rather than executing the decree immediately.
And the Malbim explains: the keruv reaches out his hand and places the fire into his palms, because this fire comes from the higher decree, from the realm of the world of Yetzirah - as it emerges from the Chayos, since the keruvim belong to the realm of the Chayos. He then places it into the palms of the man clothed in linen, who is Yirmiyahu, so that he may cool the coals through the power of pleading their merit. Yirmiyahu advocated on their behalf, arguing that not everyone was wicked: there were people willing to listen to prophecy, and there were people who saved Yirmiyahu when he was cast into the mire, into the prison courtyard, and throughout everything he endured. This is what Chazal meant when they said that the attribute of strict justice was cooled through the hands of the man clothed in linen - through the power of advocating merit. Pleading their merit is what cooled the consuming fire that was meant to burn unto complete annihilation.
The Form of a Man's Hand: Providence Above Nature
וַיֵּרָא לַכְּרֻבִים תַּבְנִית יַד־אָדָם תַּחַת כַּנְפֵיהֶם׃ - And there appeared to the keruvim the form of a man's hand under their wings.
Radak notes precision in the wording: it says "vayera" ("and there appeared") and "the form of a man's hand" rather than simply "a man's hand," to show that this was entirely within a prophetic vision. "And there appeared to the cherubs" indicates prophetic sight, and "the form of a man's hand" teaches that these were not physical matters, but rather the likeness of a human hand. Since the entire chapter deals with prophecy, and the prophet must explain what he perceived in his vision, he says: I saw something like a human hand in the prophetic vision, so that you would understand that everything took place in a vision.
The Malbim asks: How could the form of a human hand be seen, given that the wings cover and conceal the hands? It must be that the cherubs were now lifting their wings, and consequently the hands beneath the wings were revealed. And if they were lifting their wings, we learn that this concerns a supernatural providence, for providence that is above nature is expressed through flight: the cherubs fly and lift their wings upward, and this is a sign that the governance is not operating according to the natural system.
This itself is expressed in "the hands of a man." Man possesses free will over what he does with his hands, whereas natural governance is deterministic: the sun has no free choice whether to shine or not, and all the celestial bodies are compelled to follow natural laws. Therefore, specifically "the hand of a man" - which represents free choice and will - is the expression of supernatural providence. This is what Chazal meant when they said that the hands revealed beneath the wings of the cherubs are hands outstretched to receive transgressors in repentance: repentance depends on human choice, as a person chooses the good, and there are hands that accept his repentance. This too is supernatural governance, for according to strict nature the sinner ought to die, as it says, "the soul that sins, it shall die," and only through providence that transcends nature does the concept of repentance exist.
Why the Vision of the Chariot Repeats: Chayot Versus Cherubs
וָאֶרְאֶה וְהִנֵּה אַרְבָּעָה אוֹפַנִּים אֵצֶל הַכְּרוּבִים אוֹפַן אֶחָד אֵצֶל הַכְּרוּב אֶחָד וְאוֹפַן אֶחָד אֵצֶל הַכְּרוּב אֶחָד וּמַרְאֵה הָאוֹפַנִּים כְּעֵין אֶבֶן תַּרְשִׁישׁ׃ - And I looked, and behold, there were four wheels beside the cherubs, one wheel beside one cherub, and one wheel beside another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was like the gleam of a beryl stone.
Rashi raises a difficulty: all of this was already described in the first vision, so why repeat it? He answers that because one of the faces had changed here, the text had to reiterate the entire description of the Chayot as at first, lest you say this was a different chariot. Since one of the faces changed, one might have thought he was seeing a completely different chariot; therefore, Scripture repeats the details to tell you: this is the same chariot that I saw by the Chebar River, except that there is a change in one of the living creatures, which we will explain.
The Malbim adds a fundamental difference: in the first vision, the prophet perceived from below upward, from the lower realm to the higher, whereas here he perceives from above downward - first the Chashmal, then the Throne, then the Ofanim (wheels), and finally the Chayot. Furthermore, the first time he called them "Chayot" (living creatures), and here "cherubs." The explanation is that in the first vision, he saw how the Chayot, which correspond to the world of Yetzirah, govern the Ofanim, which correspond to the world of Asiyah, the celestial spheres and heavenly bodies. This represents the mode of governance during the days of exile, like a chariot drawn by beasts: the animals pull and cause the wheels to turn. This signifies that providence operates naturally, according to the standard order, without miraculous intervention that exceeds the bounds of nature. Therefore, it said there that they "went" (walked) - walking represents the natural order, in contrast to flight, which is supernatural. Even though their wings were shown to him there, they did not use them, because there he was shown the aspects of governance in exile, by the Chebar River: the world of Yetzirah directing the world of Asiyah through the course of nature. This is why they were called "Chayot" there, as their nature is to walk.
Not so here. Here he is shown a mode of providence outside the natural system, a governance of lovingkindness, supernatural governance - for he is shown the burning of the Temple through which the Jewish people were saved from total destruction. Therefore, he is shown cherubs. What is the difference between cherubs and Chayot? The way of the Chayot is to walk, whereas cherubs are angels, and as the Malbim expresses it, the primary essence of cherubs is their wings, like the cherubs upon the Ark-cover that sheltered with their wings. Thus, he is shown supernatural providence through cherubs, by way of wings and flight, which represents rising above the governance of the lower natural order - a higher providence of lovingkindness to rescue them from annihilation, so that there would only be the burning of the Temple, exhausting His wrath upon wood and stones.
The Chayot receive this divine influence from the Throne of Glory. The Throne of Glory corresponds to the world of Beriyah; beneath it are the Chayot, which are the world of Yetzirah; and beneath them are the spheres and the Ofanim, which are the world of Asiyah. The Throne is like the rider upon the chariot: it directs everything, including the Chayot that rotate the spheres and the wheels. Therefore, he first sees the Throne, which is primary in this mode of governance. And he is shown that even in this governance, in which the Holy One, blessed be He, overrode the natural order, the Ofanim remain bound together with the cherubs. For this reason, he is once again shown four wheels as explained in chapter 1 - except that here the Ofanim are influenced by the power of the cherubs and the power of the Throne of Glory above them, meaning a supernatural governance rather than the natural governance he saw in the first chapter.
A Wheel Within a Wheel: A Chariot Moving in Four Directions
וּמַרְאֵיהֶם דְּמוּת אֶחָד לְאַרְבַּעְתָּם כַּאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה הָאוֹפַן בְּתוֹךְ הָאוֹפָן׃ - And their appearance, all four of them had one likeness, as if a wheel were within a wheel.
The visual form of the four wheels was uniform, appearing like a wheel constructed within a wheel. The meaning of this is: this chariot is able to move in all four directions, and when it moves in any direction, it does not need to turn around. Consequently, its wheels were not standard, single-plane wheels that merely move forward and backward, but rather a wheel within another wheel, allowing it to move forward and backward as well as right and left.
בְּלֶכְתָּם אֶל־אַרְבַּעַת רִבְעֵיהֶם יֵלֵכוּ לֹא יִסַּבּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּם כִּי הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִפְנֶה הָרֹאשׁ אַחֲרָיו יֵלֵכוּ לֹא יִסַּבּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּם׃ - When they went, they went toward their four directions; they did not turn as they went, for to the place toward which the head faced, after it they followed; they did not turn as they went.
The place toward which the head faces - which is the Keruv - that is where the Ofan follows: if it goes forward, forward; to the right, to the right; to the left, to the left; and backward, backward. There was no need to perform a turning maneuver, because the wheels were configured to face all four directions. The moment the Chariot moved toward one side, the whole Chariot moved in that direction, without needing to turn the entire Chariot around to reach the intended direction.
Full of Eyes: Nothing Is Hidden from His Sight
וְכׇל־בְּשָׂרָם וְגַבֵּהֶם וִידֵיהֶם וְכַנְפֵיהֶם וְהָאוֹפַנִּים מְלֵאִים עֵינַיִם סָבִיב לְאַרְבַּעְתָּם אוֹפַנֵּיהֶם׃ - And their whole body, their backs, their hands, their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes all around, even the wheels that the four of them had.
The Malbim explains that the beginning of this verse is a continuation of the previous verse rather than linked to its own conclusion: "To the place toward which the head faced, after it they followed - and all their flesh, their backs, their hands, and their wings," all move in that same direction. As we have seen in his commentary on similar verses, the beginning of a verse often completes the thought of the verse before it. The meaning is that the Keruvim turn according to the One who guides them, according to the "Head" above them. If the Keruvim are the Chayot, then the "Head" is the Throne of Glory, the One seated upon the Throne, representing the realm of Olam HaBeri'ah (the World of Creation). Thus, both the Ofanim and the Keruvim - their backs, their hands, and their wings - all turn in whichever direction the Head turns.
To this the verse adds: "And the wheels were full of eyes all around" - the Ofanim, too, were full of eyes. We have already seen that eyes represent the eyes of Hashem, which range about in Divine Providence (hashgachah pratit) over everything occurring in reality and throughout the world. The Ofanim are full of eyes, meaning that no aspect of existence is hidden from His scrutiny and sight.
"Called Galgal in My Hearing": An Intellectual Rather than Physical Influence
לָאוֹפַנִּים לָהֶם קוֹרָא הַגַּלְגַּל בְּאׇזְנָי׃ - As for the wheels, they were called "the Galgal" in my hearing.
This is an obscure verse, and we find two primary explanations. Rashi explains: I heard the angel call the Ofan "Galgal" (wheel). In other words, the angel addressed the Ofanim by the name "the Galgal," and this is what I heard with my own ears.
The Malbim, however, explains - and the Radak follows a similar path - that "Ofanim" is related to "galgal." Yet, as we saw earlier in the chapter, the Malbim already explained that the "galgal" here is neither the Ofanim nor Olam HaAsiyah (the World of Action); rather, the galgal refers to the feet of the Chayot - whose feet are like a calf's foot, a round foot - and they are what rotate (megalgelot) the Ofanim, since the movement of the Chayot causes the rotation of the Ofanim. The verse comes to teach: do not imagine that this rolling motion functions like a mechanical gear - or, in the words of the Malbim, "physical contact between physical bodies," where one physical object acts upon and drives another physical object, like one cogwheel turning another. That is not how it works.
Rather, through what power are the Ofanim propelled by the Chayot? The mechanism is purely intellectual and conceptual: the Ofanim rotate through voice and directive. This is the meaning of "As for the Ofanim, they were called by the Galgal in my hearing" - the Galgal, which is the foot of the Chayot that rotates the Ofanim (representing Olam HaYetzirah exerting its influence upon Olam HaAsiyah), does not impart a coarse physical impact. Rather, it "calls to them" by way of a command, a directive, and an intellectual impetus; it commands them, and they move according to its instruction.
There is also an allusion here: the word kora ("called") can also be understood in a passive sense as meaning that it was called to, hinting that the Galgal that calls to the Ofan was itself called upon by another. And by whom? By the realm above it, the Throne. In short: the realm of the Throne, which is Beri'ah, calls to the wheels/galgalim, which are the Chayot that rotate the Ofanim; and the galgalim call to the Ofanim, each higher realm transmitting its influence by calling to the world below it, down to Olam HaAsiyah.
Where Did the Face of the Ox Disappear?
וְאַרְבָּעָה פָנִים לְאֶחָד פְּנֵי הָאֶחָד פְּנֵי הַכְּרוּב וּפְנֵי הַשֵּׁנִי פְּנֵי אָדָם וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי פְּנֵי אַרְיֵה וְהָרְבִיעִי פְּנֵי־נָשֶׁר׃ - And each one had four faces: the first face was the face of the cherub, the second face was the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.
The Malbim explains: Now he is describing his perception of the realm of the Chayot, which is the world of Yetzirah, from the perspective of what they receive from the world of the Throne (Kisei), which is a miraculous, supernatural governance. And we know that Above, everything is pure mercy; even that which descends below as strict judgments (dinim) is, up there, an aspect of mercy. From this you can understand who is missing from the list: the face of the cherub, the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an eagle - and the ox is missing. The ox represents the governance of the Left (strict justice), and this is the reason Israel made the Golden Calf in the desert: they understood that this place was a realm governed by dinim, a place of snakes, fiery serpents, and scorpions, and they thought that the appropriate mode of leadership there was through the path of the ox, which is why they made a calf. Their error was that Hashem's governance of Israel is never through the face of the ox; rather, it is always through loving-kindness (chassadim).
And here, when he sees the aspect of judgments that the Holy One, blessed be He, brings down in the burning of the Beit HaMikdash - had these judgments operated through harsh justice, they would have brought utter destruction. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not execute this through the cosmic system from the Ophanim downward, in the manner of nature, but from Above, from the dimension of the Throne, which is the aspect of supernatural flight. When he perceives these elevated dimensions, there is no ox there and no aspect of strict judgment; therefore, he does not see the face of the ox on the left, but rather the face of the cherub, because Above, even the aspect of the Left evokes mercy. Since the divine flow and the action are now emanating from Above - the burning of the Temple, which is an act of mercy so as not to bring destruction upon Israel - notice that the face of the Left goes first: 'the first face was the face of the cherub.' This is the face of the Left, and it goes first, yet its attribute is mercy. And what is this attribute of mercy? To pour out His wrath on wood and stone. Therefore, he sees the face of the Left first, and sees it in the form of a cherub.
This is how Rashi and the Malbim explain the change. Our Sages also addressed the difference between this Merkavah and the Merkavah in chapter 1, saying: Yechezkel prayed for mercy upon it and transformed it into a cherub. When Yechezkel saw the face of an ox and understood that the ox's face represents harsh judgment, he prayed for mercy and transformed it into a cherub. He said before Him: Master of the Universe, a prosecutor cannot become a defender! And who is the prosecutor? The sin of the Golden Calf, which is the ox; if its face is Above, it could, Heaven forbid, cause the destruction of Israel. And what is a cherub (keruv)? Just as in Babylonia they call a child 'ravya' (ke-ravya, like a child). The Gemara asks: If so, would there not be two faces of man, since it already says 'the face of a man'? And it answers: Yes, large faces and small faces - there is a mature face and a child's face. Their inner nature was not explicitly explained to us. The Radak says: We have explained this matter through esoteric wisdom, and it is possible that this refers to Arich Anpin and Ze'ir Anpin, which correspond to large faces and small faces. And according to the Malbim, as we explained, the cherub's face represents the higher realm. It is very likely that these explanations align with one another, for in higher worlds everything is in the realm of loving-kindness, and it is understandable that one can speak of the level of Arich, which is higher than the level of Ze'ir Anpin, the six lower Sefirot that govern the running of the world.
"And the Cherubim Rose": From Walking to Flying
וַיֵּרֹמּוּ הַכְּרוּבִים הִיא הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי בִּנְהַר־כְּבָר׃ - And the cherubim rose; this is the living creature that I saw by the River Kevar.
The Malbim explains: Their function now was not walking - for walking expresses the natural order - but rather rising and flying. Therefore, they are called cherubim here, as the essence of cherubim is their wings. And he adds, 'this is the living creature that I saw by the River Kevar,' for at that time he perceived them as walking creatures, which signifies governance according to walking, in accordance with nature and its courses. But now, I see 'and the cherubim rose' - as cherubim with wings, rising and flying, both of which express supernatural governance. That is why they changed here from chayot to cherubim.
The Wheels Would Not Turn Aside from Them
וּבְלֶכֶת הַכְּרוּבִים יֵלְכוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים אֶצְלָם וּבִשְׂאֵת הַכְּרוּבִים אֶת־כַּנְפֵיהֶם לָרוּם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ לֹא־יִסַּבּוּ הָאוֹפַנִּים גַּם־הֵם מֵאֶצְלָם׃ - And when the cherubim walked, the wheels went beside them; and when the cherubim lifted their wings to rise above the earth, the wheels also did not turn aside from beside them.
Whether when they walk - walking being governance according to nature and the cosmic order - or when they fly, which is governance above the cosmic order, in every situation the Ophanim would not turn away from them; that is, they would not depart from them. This means: the Ophanim, which represent the realm of Asiyah, must operate according to the higher governance above them. When the governance Above is one of chesed and mercy, so too will the Ophanim behave below, and if it is of judgment, so too will they behave below.
בְּעׇמְדָם יַעֲמֹדוּ וּבְרוֹמָם יֵרוֹמּוּ אוֹתָם כִּי רוּחַ הַחַיָּה בָּהֶם׃ - When they stood, they stood, and when they rose, they rose with them, for the spirit of the living creature was in them.
Here the Malbim explains that he already clarified this matter earlier, regarding the two types of motion - similar to the motions of the sun: one motion from east to west, and a second motion from north to south and south to north, winter and summer, as was explained at length in the first chapter.
The Departure of the Shechinah from the House: A Return to Natural Providence
וַיֵּצֵא כְּבוֹד־יְהֹוָה מֵעַל מִפְתַּן הַבָּיִת וַיַּעֲמֹד עַל־הַכְּרוּבִים׃ - And the glory of Hashem departed from off the threshold of the House, and stood above the cherubim.
וַיִּשְׂאוּ הַכְּרוּבִים אֶת־כַּנְפֵיהֶם וַיֵּרוֹמּוּ מִן־הָאָרֶץ לְעֵינַי בְּצֵאתָם וְהָאוֹפַנִּים לְעֻמָּתָם וַיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח שַׁעַר בֵּית־יְהֹוָה הַקַּדְמוֹנִי וּכְבוֹד אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲלֵיהֶם מִלְמָעְלָה׃ - And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth before my eyes as they departed, with the ofanim alongside them; and it stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the House of Hashem, with the glory of the God of Israel above them.
The Malbim explains: Now the Shechinah embarks on a third journey, from the threshold of the House to the cherub, meaning to fly above the earth, distancing itself further from the Mikdash destined to be destroyed. It then stands at the entrance of the eastern gate of the House of Hashem, as it were exiting the Mikdash. Since the Shechinah, upon departing from the Mikdash, accompanies them into exile, providence there is concealed - a providence of hidden miracles operating through the natural celestial order. Thus, what had until now been a "cherub," representing a supernatural providence characterized by flight and wings, returns to being a "chayah" (living creature); for the motion of the chayah in walking represents natural providence, as walking expresses the course of nature.
הִיא הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּנְהַר־כְּבָר וָאֵדַע כִּי כְרוּבִים הֵמָּה׃ - This is the living creature that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Kevar, and I knew that they were cherubim.
This is the chayah that I saw back then; I perceived them then in the form of chayos and here in the form of cherubim. Now, as the Shechinah departs and returns to conducting affairs through the natural order, this is once again the providence of a chayah. And he emphasizes, "that I saw beneath the God of Israel" - that even then, they were beneath the God of Israel. This means: do not think that now the providence is entirely natural, that Hashem has abandoned them to the celestial forces. That is not the case; even within natural providence, these are miracles, except that they are concealed - miracles clothed in nature. Therefore, he says, "and I knew that they were cherubim" - this is the very same providence I saw as the providence of cherubim, except that there it was supernatural, whereas here it returns to natural providence through hidden miracles.
אַרְבָּעָה אַרְבָּעָה פָנִים לְאֶחָד וְאַרְבַּע כְּנָפַיִם לְאֶחָד וּדְמוּת יְדֵי אָדָם תַּחַת כַּנְפֵיהֶם׃ - Every one had four faces each, and every one four wings; and the likeness of human hands was beneath their wings.
וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם הֵמָּה הַפָּנִים אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָר מַרְאֵיהֶם וְאוֹתָם אִישׁ אֶל־עֵבֶר פָּנָיו יֵלֵכוּ׃ - And as for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces that I had seen by the river Kevar, their appearance and themselves; each one went straight forward.
These were the faces he had initially perceived in the first vision of the Chariot. And just as there was then a providence operating according to nature, so too he now sees that the situation is returning to that same providence - just as I saw back then, so it is now.
In summary: In this part of the chapter, we observed the work of rescue within the decree: the man clothed in linen, Yirmiyahu who advocated merit, stands beside the ofan to awaken the reality that according to the natural celestial order no burning is mandated, and the celestial fire is cooled in his hands through the power of this merit - by transferring it from vessel to vessel and holding it for six years in his cupped hands. The form of the human hand beneath the wings, the lifting up of the cherubim, the disappearance of the face of the ox and its replacement by the face of the cherub, and the calling of the galgal to the ofanim - all teach this single foundation: the Holy One, Blessed is He, overturned the natural celestial order and governed from the realm of the Throne above nature, so that the destruction would consume wood and stone rather than bring about the annihilation of Israel. And finally, as the glory of Hashem departs from the House and descends with Israel into exile, the cherubim revert to walking chayos - natural providence - yet "beneath the God of Israel," for even within the concealment of nature, these are none other than hidden miracles.