The Revelation of Moses
The Revelation of Moses, which has been hitherto almost unknown, has nothing in common with those known under that title. We have two recensions of it. A shorter one, and a longer which is more amplified and contains interpolations taken from the Zohar and the Talmud. Whether the biblical passages belonged originally to these visions is still a matter of doubt. They may have been tacked on to the narrative as a kind of scriptural proof, or they may stand as the beginning of a series of details and pictures which have been evolved out of them, by a rather fantastical exegesis, but by no means uncommon in the Oriental literature.
VERSION 1
1 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. This applies to Moses, upon whom be peace. 2 In that hour when God said unto him: "Go and bring out the children of Israel from Egypt, for I have heard their groaning, and I remembered the covenant, and the oath I swore to Abraham my servant." Moses said: "O Lord of the Universe, who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" God said: "Thou hast humbled thyself in saying 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?' but I will honor thee; as it is said: 'He that is of lowly spirit shall obtain honor'; and I will give the whole of Egypt into thy hands, and I will bring thee up even near to my throne of glory; and I will shew thee the angels of the Heaven." Thereupon God commanded Metatron, the angel of his presence, and said unto him: "Go and bring Moses with harps, and pipes, and drums, and dances, with joy, and songs, and praises." 3 And Metatron answered and said: "O Lord of the Universe, Moses is not able to come up and see the angels, for there are angels who are of fire and he is only of flesh and blood." 4 God said: "Go and change his flesh into fire." And Metatron went to Moses. 5 When Moses beheld Metatron he trembled with fear, and said to him: "Who art thou?" 6 And he answered: "I am Enoch the son of Jared, thy father's father. The Almighty hath sent me to bring thee up to his throne of glory." 7 Moses said: "I am only flesh and blood, and cannot look upon the angels." And Metatron changed Moses' tongue into a tongue of fire, and his eyes he made like the wheels of the heavenly chariot, and his power like unto that of the angels, and his tongue like a flame, and brought him up to heaven. 15,000 angels were on the right hand, and 15,000 on the left, Metatron and Moses in the middle. In this way was Moses carried up to heaven. 8 The first heaven to which Moses ascended corresponds to the first day of the week; there he saw the waters standing in lines. This heaven was full of windows, and at each window stood an angel. And Moses asked Metatron: "What are these windows?" and Metatron answered: "These windows are the window of prayer, the window of request, the window of supplication, the window of crying, the window of joy, the window of satiation, the window of famine, the window of poverty, the window of riches, the window of war, the window of peace, the window of pregnancy, the window of birth, the window of the treasures of rain, the window of dew, the window of sin, the window of repentance, the window of smallness, the window of greatness, the window of death, the window of life, the window of disease among men, the window of disease among animals, the window of healing, the window of sickness, the window of health." And Moses saw great things past finding out, "yea marvelous things without number." 9 Moses ascended then the second heaven, which corresponds to the second day of the week. There he saw an angel whose name is X. His length is 300 parasangs and 50 myriads of angels stand before him; they are of fire and water, and their faces are directed towards the Shekina above; and all sing hymns, saying: "Great is the Lord and highly to be praised." 10 And Moses asked Metatron and said: "Who are those?" He answered: "These are the angels who are placed over the clouds, the wind, and the rain; they go and fulfill the will of their Creator and return to their places and praise the Almighty." 11 Moses went up to the third heaven, which corresponds to the third day of the week. There he saw an angel whose name is X. His length is a journey of 500 years. He has 70,000 heads, in each head 70,000 mouths, in each mouth 70,000 tongues, and in each tongue 70,000 dictions; before him stand 70,000 myriads of angels, all of white fire; they all praise and sing to God and say: "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all." 12 Moses asked Metatron: "Who are these? and what is their name?" And he answered: "Their name is Erelim; they are placed over the grass, and over the trees, and over the fruits, and over the corn; and they all go and fulfill the will of their Creator and return to their places." 13 Moses went up to the fourth heaven. There he saw the temple built; the columns of red fire, the sides of green fire, the thresholds of white fire, the hooks and the planks of blazing fire; the portals of carbuncle and the halls of sparkling gems. And he saw angels going therein praising, and saying, as King David, upon whom may peace rest, said: "Bless the Lord, ye angels of His, ye mighty in strength, that fulfill his word." 14 Moses asked Metatron and said: "Who are these angels?" And Metatron answered: "These are the angels, who are placed over the earth, and over the sun, and over the moon, and over the stars, and over the planets, and over the spheres, and ever sing they hymns unto Him." And he saw two big stars, each of them as big as the whole earth; the name of one was Nogah, and the name of the other Maadim, one standing above the sun, and the other above the moon. Moses asked Metatron: "Why do these stand above those others?" And he said: "The one stands above the sun in summer in order to cool the world from the heat of the sun, and that is the star Nogah; whilst the other stands near the moon in order to warm the world from the cold of the moon, and this is the star Maadim." 15 Moses went to the fifth heaven and he saw there troops of angels half of fire and half of snow, and the snow is above the fire without extinguishing it, for God makes peace between them, as it is said: "He maketh peace in his high places", and all praise the Almighty. 16 And Moses asked Metatron: "What are these doing?" He said: "Since the day when God created them are they so." Moses asked: "What is their name?" and he answered: "These are the Erelim who are called Ishim, as it is said: 'Unto you, O Ishim, I call." 17 Moses went up to the sixth heaven, there he saw an angel whose length was 500 years' journey; his name was X, and he was wholly of hail, and by him stood thousands and myriads of angels, without number, and all sung praises to the One who said and the world was created, as it is said: "the heaven proclaim the glory of God." 18 Moses asked Metatron: "Who are these?" and he answered: "These are the Irin Kadishin, the holy watchers." 19 Moses went up to the seventh heaven, and he saw an angel wholly of fire; and two angels, whose names were X. These were fastened with two chains of red and dark fire; and each of them had the length of 500 parasangs. 20 Moses asked Metatron: "Who are these?" And he answered: "These are wrath and anger, and God created them during the six days of creation, that they should fulfill his will." 21 Moses replied: "I am afraid of these angels, and I cannot look on them." Thereupon Metatron embraced Moses, placed him in his bosom and said: "O Moses, beloved of God, be not frightened nor dread thou aught." And Moses was immediately calmed. 22 After this Moses saw another angel, whose countenance was totally different from those of the other angels, for he was ugly and his height of 540 years' journey, and he was girded forty times around his waist. From the sole of the foot unto the head he was full of fiery eyes, and whosoever looked at him, fell down in dread. 23 And Moses asked Metatron: "Who is this?" He answered: "This is the angel of death, who takes the souls of men." And he asked him: "Where is he now going?" And Metatron answered: "He goes to take the soul of Job the pious." 24 And Moses said before God: "May it be thy will, O Lord, my God and God of my fathers, that thou shouldest not deliver me into the hands of this angel!" 25 Then saw he angels standing before God; each of them having six wings. With twain wings they covered their faces, so that they might not look upon the Shekina. With the other twain wings they cover their feet, for they have the feet of a calf, and with the other twain wings they fly and praise God. The length of each wing is 500 years' journey, and the width from one end of the world to the other. And Moses asked: "Who are these?" and Metatron answered: "These are the holy Creatures." 26 Our sages tell that at the time when Nebuchadnezzar the impious said: "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High", the Holy Spirit came forth and said: "O impious man! How many are the days of the years of thy life? Threescore and ten, or even by reason of strength, fourscore years", and the distance from earth to heaven alone is 500 years, the thickness of the heaven again 500 years, and from the heaven Rakia to the heaven Shehakim 500 years, and its thickness 500 years, and from Shehakim to Zebul again 500 years, and its thickness 500 years, and from Zebul to Meon 500 years, and its thickness 500 years, and from Meon to Araboth 500 years, and its thickness 500 years, and the feet of the holy Creatures are equal to the whole; and their ankles are equal to the whole; and the wings of the creatures are like the whole, and their necks are like the whole, and their heads like the whole, and their horns like unto the whole, and upon them is the throne of glory which is equal to the whole. It is like the terrible ice. And there sits the King of Kings, the Holy, blessed be He exalted and high, and thou sayest: "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High! Woe unto thee, O impious man and woe unto thy soul, for thou shalt be brought down to the uttermost parts of the pit to the seven regions of hell to be punished for ever and ever." 27 And after that Moses saw an angel in the heaven called Araboth, that is, the seventh heaven, and this angel was teaching the souls which were created by God at the time of the Creation and have been placed in paradise. The name of the angel was X. He teaches them in seventy languages in the college on high, and they answer: "Thus is the law of Moses given by tradition from Mount Sinai, as it is said: "Dina was set and the books were opened", and Dina is none other than this angel, who is the guardian angel of the Law and of wisdom." He has also another name, they call him Jefefiyah, for the name of the guardian angel of the Law is Iofiel. 28 From the Zohar: R. Simeon, son of Johai, said: "At that time when Moses went up to heaven an angel sat before him and taught him 370 mysteries of the Law, Moses then said to God, 'I will not depart from here unless Thou wilt give me good gifts.'" God answered: "Moses, my servant, faithful in my house, I will give thee my Law wherein are good gifts, as it is written: 'For I gave thee a good gift.' Therein are also the commandments, positive and negative, and not only this I grant thee but also that the Law shall be recorded in thy name, as it is written: 'Remember ye the Law of Moses, my servant.' Whence do we know that Moses did actually ascend seven heavens? We learn it from the verse, "And Moses ascended to God." It is further written, "God went up amidst the sounds of trumpets." Moses is therefore called Elohim like unto his Master, for it is said: "See I have made thee as Elohim unto Pharaoh," therefore it is written: "Like an apple-tree in the wood is my beloved among the sons." This is Moses, master of the Prophets and servant of God; he is like an apple in odor and taste. 29 At that time a Bath-Kol came forth from underneath the throne of glory and said: "Moses, my servant! Art thou afraid of them?" It is written: "A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty and bringeth down the strength of the confidence thereof." Strength means the Law as it is said: "God will give strength to his people." 30 God said then to Moses: "Moses, my servant! Thou camest up here and hast been worthy of the privilege of seeing all with thy earthly power; and I have made thee ascend seven heavens, and have shown thee my treasures and I have given thee my law. Now thou shalt be worthy of seeing the two parks I have created in this world, one for the righteous and one for the sinners, that is, Paradise and Hell." 31 At that hour God sent Gabriel and said unto him: "Go with my beloved servant Moses and show him Hell!" 32 And Moses said to him: "I cannot enter Hell, that blazing fire." He said to him: "Moses, there is a fire which burns more than all the seven Hells, and yet when thou wilt tread it with thy feet, it shall not burn thee." 33 At an hour when Moses entered Hell, the fire of Hell withdrew for 500 parasangs. The master of Hell said to him: "Who art thou?" He answered: "I am the son of Amram." The Lord of Hell answered: "Not here is thy place." And Moses said: "I came to see the powerful works of God, blessed be He." And God said to the Lord of Hell: "Go and show him how men are in Hell." 34 Immediately he went with Moses, like a pupil before his master, and entered Hell together with him. 35 Moses saw there men tortured by the angels of destruction. Some of the sinners were hanged by their eyelids, some by their ears, some by their hands, and others by their tongues, and they cried bitterly. And he saw women hanging by their hair and by their breasts and in such like ways, all were hanging by chains of fire. 36 And Moses asked the Lord of Hell, and said "Why are these hanged by their eyes and by their tongues and are so fearfully tortured and so sorely punished?" And the master of Hell answered: "Because they looked with an evil eye at fair women, and at married women, and at the money of their friends and neighbors, and gave false witness against their neighbors." 37 Also saw he in Hell men hanging by their sexual organs and their hands were tied, and he asked: "Why do these hang?" The Lord answered: "Because they committed adultery, and stole, and killed, and murdered." 38 He saw other men hanging by their ears and their tongues, and he asked: "Why are these hanging by their ears and tongues?" And he answered: "Because they neglected the study of the law, and talked slander and vain words and empty words. The women are hanging by their hair and breasts, because they used to uncover their breasts and their hair before the young men and desired them, and came thus to sin." 39 Hell cried then with a bitter and loud voice, and said to the Master of Hell: "Give me the sinners, that I may destroy them." For Hell is always hungry and never satisfied, and crieth always for the sinners to devour them, but hath no power over the righteous. 40 Moses went further and saw two sinners hanged by their feet with their heads downwards, and they cried by reason of the torture of Hell, and their bodies were covered with black worms, each worm 500 parasangs long. And these sinners cry and lament, saying: "Woe unto us, for the terrible punishment of Hell; would we could die." But they cannot die, as it is said: "They long for death but it cometh not." 41 Moses asked the master of Hell: "What acts have these committed?" And he answered: "These are those who swore falsely, and profaned the Sabbath, and despised the learned, and persecuted the orphans; and gave bad names to their neighbors, and bare false witness. Therefore hath God delivered them to these worms to take vengeance on these sinners." And Moses asked: "What is the name of this place?" And he answered: "Aluka, as it is said: "Aluka hath two daughters." 42 Moses went then to another place. There the sinners were lying on their faces; and he saw two thousand scorpions swarming over them and stinging them and torturing them, and the sinners cried bitterly. Each scorpion has 70,000 mouths, and each mouth 70,000 stings, and each sting has 70,000 vesicles filled with poison and venom, and with these are the sinners imbued and thus are they tortured; and their eyes are sunk in their sockets for fear and dread, and their cry: "Woe unto us, for our sins, and for the day of judgment." 43 And Moses asked: "What have these committed?" And he answered: "These have wasted the money of others; they have taken bribery, and elevated themselves above others; they have put their neighbors publicly to shame; they have delivered up their brother Israelite to the gentile; they denied the oral Law and maintained that God did not create the world. Therefore God has handed them over to the scorpions to be avenged on them." 44 He saw there another place where the sinners stood up to their knees; the name of that place is Tit Hayaven. Angels of destruction tie them up with chains of iron and lash them with fiery whips, and they take fiery stones and break with them the teeth of the sinners, from morning until evening, and during the night they prolong their teeth again to the length of a parasang in order to break them anew next morning, as it is said: "Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked." And the sinners cry: "Woe unto us, woe unto us!" but nobody takes pity on them. 45 Moses asked the master of Hell: "What have these committed?" He answered: "They ate all kinds of forbidden fruit and gave them to Israelites to eat; they were usurers, and apostates and blasphemers; they wrote the ineffable name of God for Gentiles; they had false weights; they stole money, and ate on the fast day of Kippur, for whosoever eats blood, or reptiles, or worms, and does not keep away from them is punished by being cut off, these are for ever punished in Hell, and therefore God hath delivered them to the angels of destruction to chastise them. 46 He saw there further how they punish the wicked with fire and snow; and torture them terribly. The Lord of Hell said then to Moses: "Come and see how the wicked are punished in Hell with fire." Moses answered: "I dread to go." But the Lord of Hell answered: "Go and dread naught", as it is said: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil." 47 And Moses stood up to go, and he saw the Shekina moving before him, so that he should not be in dread of the angels of destruction. Each of these is full of eyes, and hath fiery chains in his hands, and his length is 500 years' journey. 48 Moses went and saw how the wicked were punished by fire, being half in fire and half in snow, with worms crawling up and down their bodies and a fiery collar round their necks, and having no rest, except on Sabbath days and Festival days. All the other days they are tortured in Hell. Of these speaks the verse: "And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me, for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched." 49 And Moses asked the angel of Hell: "What have these committed?" And the angel answered: "This is the punishment for those who have committed adultery, sodomy, idolatry, and murder, and who have cursed their parents. Therefore hath God delivered them to the angels of destruction to be avenged on them." And Moses asked: "What is the name of this place?" And he answered: "The name of it is Abadon." 50 Thereupon Moses went up to heaven and said: "May it be Thy will, O Lord, my God, and God of my fathers, that Thou mayest save me and Thy people Israel from those places which I have seen in Hell." 51 God said to Moses: "Moses, my servant? I have created two parks: Paradise and Hell. Whosoever committeth evil deeds goeth down to Hell, and whosoever doth good deeds cometh into Paradise", as it is said: "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." 52 Then Moses lifted up his eyes and beheld the angel Gabriel; and he fell down and bowed himself before him. And the angel said: "Hast thou seen Hell?" He answered: "Yea." And the angel said: "Come then, I will show thee Paradise, by the will of God." So Moses went with him to Paradise. 53 When they came there, the angels said: "Thy time is not yet arrived to leave the world." Moses answered: "I came to see the mighty deeds of God, and the reward of the pious in Paradise, what is their condition there." 54 The angels began then to praise Moses and they said: "Hail, O Moses, servant of the Lord; Hail, O Moses, born of woman, who hast been found worthy to ascend seven heavens, hail the nation to whom such belongs." 55 When Moses went into Paradise he saw an angel sitting under the tree of life. Moses asked the angel Gabriel: "Who is this angel?" He answered: "This is the guardian of Paradise and his name is X." 56 This angel then asked Moses: "Who art thou?" He answered: "I am the son of Amram." He said to him: "Why didst thou come hither?" And Moses answered: "To see the reward of the pious in Paradise have I come hither." 57 The angel took Moses by the hand, and they went both together. Moses looked up and saw seventy thrones fixed, one next to another; all made of precious stones, of emerald, sapphire and diamond and precious pearls, and the foot of each was of gold and fine gold. Around each throne stood seventy angels. Amongst the thrones was one greater than the others, and twenty of the ministering angels kept ward there-over. 58 Moses inquired of the angel and said: "Whose is that throne?" He answered: "It is the throne of Abraham the Patriarch." 59 Thereupon Moses went immediately up to Abraham. Abraham asked him: "Who art thou?" He answered: "I am the son of Amram." And Abraham asked: "Is perchance already thy time come to leave the world?" Moses answered: "My time is not yet come, but with the permission of God I came to see the reward of the pious." Abraham then said: "Praise ye the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever." 60 Then went Moses to the throne of Isaac, and he spake with him in a similar manner, and Moses answered in like wise. 61 Then asked Moses, the guardian angel of Paradise: "What is the length and width of Paradise?" The angel answered: "There is none who could measure it; no angel or Seraph can ever know the length and width of Paradise, for it is unlimited and boundless and immeasurable. The angels guard only the thrones and these are unlike to one another, for some of them are of silver, others of gold, others of bdellium, others of ruby, topaz, and carbuncle, others of emerald, sapphire and diamond, others of precious stones and pearls, others of rubies and carbuncles." 62 Moses asked the angel: "For whom is the throne of pearls?" He answered: "It is for the scholars who study the Law day and night for the sake of heaven." "And those of precious stones?" "For the pious men." "And those of rubies?" "For the just." "And those of gold?" "For the men who repent;" "but the greatest throne is for thy forefather Abraham, the other thrones are for Isaac and Jacob, and for the prophets and righteous, and the holy and wise pious men, each after his worth and position and the good works he hath performed in the world." 63 Moses then said to the angel: "For whom is that throne of copper?" He answered: "For the wicked man, whose son is pious; because through the merits of his son he obtains a portion of heavenly bliss; as thou seest in the case of Terah, who had worshiped all the idols in the world, but who through the merits of his son Abraham obtained that throne of copper, as it is said: "Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace", thus announcing to Abraham that God would give his father also a place in Paradise." 64 Afterwards Moses looked and beheld a spring of living water welling forth from underneath the tree of life and dividing itself into four streams, and it comes from under the throne of glory, and they encompass the Paradise from one end to the other. And under each throne there flow four rivers, one of honey, the second of milk, the third of wine, and the fourth of pure balsam. These all pass beneath the feet of the just, who are seated upon thrones. 65 It is said in the Zohar: King Messias said to R. Simeon, son of Johai: "Worthy art thou of thy portion in heaven, for thy teaching is divided through 670 heavens, each heaven is divided into 670 lights, each light is divided in 670 arguments, each argument is divided in 670 worlds, each world is divided in 670 streams of pure balsam. 66 And all these streams flow round Paradise and beneath all the thrones. All these were created by God for the just, and whoso becometh equal to them in merit, sees and enjoys, as they enjoy, the splendor of the Shekina. 67 When Moses saw all these godly and pleasant things he felt great joy, and exclaimed: "Oh! how great is Thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that put their trust in Thee, before the sons of men." 68 And Moses retired from there and went away. At that same moment a voice from Heaven was heard saying: "Moses, servant of the Lord, faithful in His house; even as thou hast seen the reward which is preserved for the just in the future world, so also in the days to come shalt thou see the rebuilding of the Temple and the advent of the Messiah, and behold the beauty of the Lord, and meditate in His Temple." May it now be Thy will, O Lord, my God and the God of my fathers, that I and the whole nation of Israel may be deemed worthy of sharing in good and the great consolation, and the days of the Messiah, and the rebuilding of the Temple, and the everlasting life. Amen. |
VERSION 2 1 Moses, our teacher, upon whom may rest peace, said to Israel: "Hear, O Israel, you the whole nation! I went up on high, and I saw all the Heavenly rulers. I saw the angel Kemuel, the Janitor, who is placed over 12,000 angels of destruction, and who stands at the gates of heaven. 2 I saw further the angel Hadarniel, who is higher by 60 myriads of parasangs than Kemuel, and with every diction that comes out of his mouth go forth 12,000 flashes of lightning. 3 I saw further Sandalfon, the prince, greater than Hadarniel by 500 years' journey. Of him said Ezekiel: "One wheel upon the earth besides the living Creatures, for each of the four faces thereof." 4 This is the Sandalfon who weaves crowns for his master. When this crown appears before the heavenly hosts, they all shake and tremble and the holy Creatures are struck dumb, and the holy Seraphim roar like lions, and they say: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory." And when the crown approaches the throne the wheels of the throne of glory move, and the thresholds of brilliancy quake, and all the heavens are seized with terror. And when the crown passes on to the throne of glory to its right place all the heavenly hosts open their mouths, turn to the Seraphim and say: "Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place." They say: "From his place", because they do not know His actual place. When the crown comes near to God's head He accepts it graciously from His servants. And the heavenly Creatures and the Seraphim, and the wheels of the throne of glory, and the heavenly hosts, and the Hashmalim and Cherubim praise the Creator, acknowledge him as their king, and exclaim unanimously: "The Lord reigneth, the Lord reigned, the Lord will reign for evermore." 5 I saw further the fiery river Rigyon, which comes out before God, from under the throne of glory, and is formed from the perspiration of the holy Creatures who support the throne of glory; and out of dread of God's majesty perspire fire. This river is meant by the saying "a fiery stream issued and came forth before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the judgment was set and the books were opened." For the Almighty sits and judges the ministering angels, and after the judgment they bathe in that river of fire and are renewed. Afterwards the river flows on and carries with it fiery coals, and falls on the heads of the sinners in Hell, as it is said: "Behold the tempest of the Lord, even His fury is gone forth, yea, a whirling tempest; it shall burst on the head of the wicked." 6 I saw further the angel Galitzur, surnamed also Raziel, who stands behind the curtain and listens to all that is decreed in heaven and proclaims it. This proclamation is then handed over to the prophet Elijah and he proclaims it to the world from the Mount Horeb. 7 The wings of Galitzur are spread and keep off the breath of the holy Creatures, for otherwise all the ministering angels would be burned by the breath of the holy Creatures. 8 I saw further Michael, the great prince, standing at the right side of the throne, and Gabriel at the left; and Iefefiyah, the guardian of the law, standing before it; and Metatron, the angel of the presence, standing at the door of the palace of God. And he sits and judges all the heavenly hosts before his master. And God pronounces judgment and he executes it. 9 I saw then a troop of the terrible angels who surround the throne of glory, they were more powerful and mightier than all the other angels. All these whom I saw wished to scorch me with the breath of their mouths, but out of dread of the presence of the Almighty, the king of kings, they had no power to injure me, for they all were full of fear and agony and dread before Him. |