Having problems with message search?
==============================
AND GOD SAID TO NOAH... THIS IS THE TOKEN OF THE COVENANT WHICH I MAKE BETWEEN ME AND YOU... I HAVE SET MY RAINBOW IN THE CLOUD.
In connection with this passage R. Simeon discoursed on the verse: And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone (Ezek. I, 26).
'Before this verse,' he said, 'we find the words, "And when they went I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty" (Ibid. 24).
These are the four sacred and mighty beings called Hayyoth (animals), by whom the firmament is upheld, and whose wings are usually joined together to cover their bodies. When, however, they spread out their wings, a volume of sound swells forth, and they break out into songs of praise, "as the voice of the Almighty", which never becomes silent as it is written, "so that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent" (PS. XXX, 13).
The tenour of their praises is, "The Lord hath made known his salvation, his righteousness hath he revealed in the sight of the nations" (PS. XCVIII, 2). It says further: "A noise of tumult like the noise of a host" (Ezek. I, 24), i.e. like the sound of the holy camps when all the supernal armies assemble on high.
What is it they declaim? "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory" (Is. VI, 3). They turn to the south and say "holy", they turn to the north and say "holy" they turn to the east and say "holy", they turn to the west and say "blessed".
And that firmament rests upon their heads, and in whatever direction it turns, their faces turn also. They turn their faces to the four cardinal points, and all revolve in a circle.
The firmament is imprinted, at the four corners of a square, with four figures, of a lion, an eagle, an ox, and a man; and the face of a man is traced in all of them, so that the face of Lion is of Man, the face of Eagle is of Man, and the face of Ox is of Man, all being comprehended in him. Hence it is written: "As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man" (Ezek. I, 1O).
Further, the firmament with its enclosed square contains the gamut of all the colours. Outstanding are four colours, each engraved with four translucent signs, both higher and lower. These when decomposed become twelve. They are green, red, white, and sapphire, which is made up of all these colours. Hence it is written, "As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord" (Ibid. I, 28): containing, that is to say, all shades of all colours.
[Soncino Zohar, Noah, 71b, v1, pp. 240-241.]
==============================
My comments...
Rabbi Simeon is here describing the organisation of the Tree of Life diagram from the sefirah Da'at (i.e. the "firmament")to the sefirah Yesod.
The "firmament" of Da'at surrounds and contains the six lower sefirot. Da'at represents the outer limit of the 'firmament, beyond which exist the supernal divine forces of the three highest sefirot.
The 'firmament' is upheld by the four "Hayyoth" ("living creatures")--i.e. a Lion (Leo), an Eagle (Scorpio), an Ox (Taurus), and a Man (Aquarius). They symbolise the four 'fixed' signs of the zodiac and are associated with the four directional sefirot: Hesed, Geburah, Netzah, and Hod. The "Man" comprehends them all because he is Adam (as represented by the Tree of Life diagram).
The four directional sefirot form a square, at the four corners of which the firmament is "imprinted". In other words, the twelve Simple letter signs of the zodiac are attached to the four corners of the square as pathways--i.e. three to each corner. They "all revolve in a circle" because this entire square configuration of sefirot and pathways represents the 'circle of the zodiac'.
There are four colours associated with each of the four directional sefirot, that "when decomposed become twelve"...
========================================
Four Green = Four Mutable Signs (pathways)
Four Red = Four Fixed Signs (pathways)
Four White = Four Cardinal Signs (pathways)
----------------------------------------
Four Sapphire = Four Hayyoth (sefirot)
========================================
The four Hayyoth represent the four directional sefirot and therefore each one of them comprehends three pathways--i.e. a green pathway, a red pathway, and a white pathway. Because of this they are said to be coloured "sapphire, which is made up of all these colours"--note that the Hebrew word for 'sapphire' is sap-peer' (SPYR) which is very close to the word 'sefirah' (SPRH).
In the same way the four 'Holy Camps' (representing the four directional sefirot) are said to comprehend the twelve 'tribes of Israel'--i.e. three tribes (or 'pathways') each. The symbolism is the same.
---------------
East
[Camp of Judah] = Lion (Sapphire) = sefirah 'Hesed'
Judah = Leo (Fixed = Red)
Issachar = Cancer (Cardinal = White)
Zebulun = Gemini (Mutable = Green)
South
[Camp of Reuben] = Ox (Sapphire) = sefirah 'Netzah'
Reuben = Taurus (Fixed = Red)
Simeon = Aries (Cardinal = White)
Gad = Pisces (Mutable = Green)
West
[Camp of Ephraim] = Man (Sapphire) = sefirah 'Hod'
Ephraim = Aquarius (Fixed = Red)
Manasseh = Capricorn (Cardinal = White)
Benjamin = Sagittarius (Mutable = Green)
North
[Camp of Dan] = Eagle (Sapphire) = sefirah 'Geburah'
Dan = Scorpio (Fixed = Red)
Asher = Libra (Cardinal = White)
Naphtali = Virgo (Mutable = Green)
---------------
Blessings,
Patrick.
Virgo-Pluto [2/7]
============================================
Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today!
Offline 
Send Email