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Metatron
The angel
Metatron (or Matatron) was accorded a special position in esoteric doctrine
from the tannaitic period on. The angelology of apocalyptic literature mentions
a group of angels who behold the face of their king and are called
"Princes of the Countenance" (Ethiopic Book of Enoch, ch. 40, et al.). Once
Metatron's personality takes a more definitive form in the literature, he is
referred to simply as "the Prince of the Countenance."
In the
Babylonian Talmud Metatron is mentioned in three places only (Hag. 15a; Sanh.
38b; and Av. Zar. 3b). The first two references are important because of their
connection with the polemics conducted against heretics. In Hagigah it is said that
the tanna Elisha b. Avuyah saw Metatron seated and said, "perhaps there are two
powers," as though indicating Metatron himself as a second deity. The
Talmud explains that Metatron was given permission to be seated only because he
was the heavenly scribe recording the good deeds of Israel. Apart from this,
the Talmud states, it was proved to Elisha that Metatron could not be a second
deity by the fact that Metatron received 60 "strokes
with fiery rods" to demonstrate that Metatron was not a god, but an angel,
and could be punished. This image recurs frequently in different contexts in
Gnostic literature and is associated with various figures of the heavenly
realm. It is however thought that the appearance of Metatron to Elisha b.
Avuyah led him to a belief in dualism.
The story in Sanhedrin also confers on
Metatron a supernatural status. He is the angel of the Lord mentioned in Exodus
23:21 of whom it is said "... and hearken unto his voice; be not
rebellious against him... for My name is in him." When one of the heretics
asked R. Idi why it is written in Exodus 24:1 "And unto
Moses He said 'Come up unto the Lord,' " instead of "Come up unto
Me," the amora answered that the verse refers to Metatron "whose name is like that of
his Master." When the heretic argued that, if that were so, Metatron
should be worshiped as a deity, R. ldi explained that the verse "be not
rebellious against ((תמר
Him" should be understood to mean "do not exchange (תמירני) Me for him."
R. ldi added that Metatron was not to be accepted in this sense even in his
capacity as the heavenly messenger. Underlying these disputations is the fear
that speculations about Metatron might lead to dangerous ground. The Karaite
Kirkisani read in his text of the Talmud an even more extreme version:
"This is Metatron, who is the lesser YHWH." It is quite probable that
this version was purposely removed from the manuscripts.
The epithet
"lesser YHWH" is undoubtedly puzzling, and it is hardly surprising
that the Karaites found ample grounds for attacking the Rabbanites over its
frequent appearance in the literature they had inherited. The Karaites viewed
it as a sign of heresy and deviation from monotheism. The use of such an
epithet was almost certainly current before the figure of Metatron
crystallized.
The
explanations of this epithet given in the latter phases of the Heikhalot literature
(Hebrew Book of Enoch, ch. 1 2) are far from
satisfactory, and it is obvious that they are an attempt to clarify an earlier
tradition, then no longer properly understood. This tradition was connected
with the angel Jahoel, mentioned i n the Apocalypse of Abraham (dating from
the beginning of the second century), where it is stated (ch.10) that the
Divine Name (Tetragram) of the deity is to be found in him. All the attributes
relating to Jahoel here were afterward transferred to Metatron.
Of Jahoel it is indeed appropriate to say, without contrived explanations, that
his name is like that of his Master: the name Jahoel contains the letters of
the Divine Name, and this therefore signifies that Jahoel possesses a power
exceeding that of all other similar beings. Apparently, the designation
"the lesser YHWH" (יהוה הקטן) or "the lesser Lord" (אדני הקטן) was first applied to Jahoel. Even before Jahoel was identified with
Metatron, designations such as "the greater Jaho" or "the lesser
Jaho" passed into Gnostic use and are mentioned in various contexts in
Gnostic, Coptic, and also in Mandean literature, none of which mentions
Metatron. The name Yorba (יורבא) in Mandean in fact means "the greater Jaho" but he
has there been given
an inferior status as is characteristic of this literature in its treatment
of Jewish traditional concepts.
Two different
traditions have been combined in the figure of Metatron. One relates to a
heavenly angel who was created with the creation of the world, or even before,
and makes him responsible for performing the most exalted tasks in the heavenly
kingdom. This tradition continued to apply after Jahoel was identified with
Metatron. According to this tradition, the new figure took over many of the
specific duties of the angel Michael, an idea retained in certain sections of
the Heikhalot literature up to and including the Kabbalah in the literature of which the
primordial Metatron is sometimes referred to as Metatron Rabba.
A different
tradition associates Metatron with Enoch, who "walked with God" (Gen.
5:22) and who ascended to heaven and was changed from a human being into an angel
- in addition he also became the great scribe who recorded men's deed. This
role was already delegated to Enoch in lhe Book of Jubilees (4:23). His
transmutation and ascent to heaven were discussed by the circles who followed
this tradition and elaborated it. The association with Enoch can be seen particularly
in the Book of Heikhalot, sometimes also called the Book of Enoch, of R. Ishmael Kohen
ha-Gadol, or the Hebrew Book of Enoch (H. Odeberg's
edition (see bibl.) includes an English translation and a detailed
introduction). The author links the two traditions and attempts to reconcile
them. But it is clear that chapters 9-13 allude to the primordial Metatron, as
Odeberg points out.
The absence of
the second tradition in the Talmud or the most important Midrashim is evidently
connected with the reluctance of the talmudists to regard Enoch in a favorable
light in general, and in particular the story of his ascent to heaven, a
reluctance still given prominence in the Midrash Genesis Rabbah.
The Palestinian Targum (Gen. 5:24) and other Midrashim have retained
allusions to Metatron in this tradition. Instead of his role of heavenly
scribe, he sometimes appears as the heavenly advocate defending Israel in the
celestial court. This transposition of his functions is very characteristic
(Lam. R. 24; Tanh. Va-Ethannan; Num. R. 12,15). A number of sayings of the sages, in particular in Sifrei, portion Ha'azinu, 338, and Gen. R. 5, 2, were
explained by medieval commentators as referring to Metatron on the grounds of a
corrupt reading "Metatron " instead of meta tor ("guide").
In certain
places in Merkabah literature. Metatron completely disappears and is mentioned
only in the addenda that do not form part of the original exposition, such as
in Heikhalot Rabbati. The descriptions of the heavenly hierarchy in Massekhet
Heikhalot and Sefer ha-Razim also make no mention of Metatron. On the other hand,
Metatron is a conspicuous figure in the Book of the Visions of Ezekiel (fourth
century) although he is mentioned without any reference to the Enoch tradition.
This source mentions a number of the other secret names of Metatron, lists of
which later appear in special commentaries or were added to the Hebrew Book of Enoch (ch. 48).
Explanations of these names in accordance with the tradition of the Hasidei
Ashkenaz are given in the book Beit Din of Abraham
Hammawi (1885), 196ff, and in another version in the Sefer ha-Heshek
(1865). According to the traditions of certain Merkabah mystics, Metatron
takes the place of Michael as the high priest who serves in the heavenly
Temple, as emphasized particularly in the second part of Shiur Komah (in Merkavah
Shelemah (1921), 39 ff.).
One can thus
detect different aspects of Metatron's functions. In one place he is described
as serving before the heavenly throne and ministering to its needs, while in
another he appears as the servitor (na'ar, "youth")
in his own special tabernacle or in the heavenly Temple. (The title na'ar in the sense of
servant is based on biblical usage.) In the amoraic period the duty of the
"prince of the world" formerly held by Michael was transferred to him
(Yevamot 16b). This conception of Metatron's role as the prince of the world since its
creation contradicts the concept of Metatron as Enoch who was taken up to
heaven only after the creation of the world.
It is already
observed in Shi'ur Komah that the name Metatron has two forms, "written with six letters and
with seven letters", ie. מטטרוך and מיטטרון.. The original
reason for this distinction is not known. In the early manuscripts the name is almost
always written with the letter yod. The kabbalists
regarded the different forms as signifying two prototypes for Metatron. They
reintroduced the distinction between the various components that had been
combined in the Hebrew Book of Enoch in their possession. They identified
the seven-lettered Metatron with the Supreme emanation from the Shekhinah, dwelling since
then in the heavenly world, while the six-lettered Metatron was Enoch, who
ascended later to heaven and possesses only some of the splendor and power of
the primordial Metatron. This distinction already underlies the explanation
given by R. Abraham b. David to Berakhot (see G.
Scholem, Reshit ha-Kabbalah (1948), 74-77).
The origin of
the name Metatron is obscure, and it is doubtful whether an etymological
explanation can be given. It is possible that the name was intended to be a
secret and has no real meaning, perhaps stemming from subconscious meditations,
or as a result of glossolalia. To support the latter supposition are a number
of similar examples of names with the suffix on: Sandalfon (סנדלפון), Adiriron (אדירירון), etc. while the
doubling of the letter t (טט)
is characteristic of names found in the Merkabah literature, e.g., in an
addition to Heikhalot Rabbati, 26:8. Among numerous etymological
derivations given (see Odeberg, 125-42) three should be
mentioned: from matara מטרא)),
keeper of the watch; from meta tor (מיטטור), a guide or messenger
(mentioned in Sefer he-Arnkh and the writings of many kabbalists); from the combination
of the two Greek words meta and thronos, such as metathronios, in the sense of
"one who serves behind the throne". However, the duty to serve the
heavenly throne was associated with Metatron only at a later stage and does not
agree with the earlier traditions. It is highly doubtful whether the
"angel of the Countenance" entering "to exalt and arrange the
throne in a befitting manner" mentioned in Heikhalot
Rabbati (ch.12) can in fact be Metatron, who is not mentioned at all in this context. The
Greek word thronos does not appear in talmudic literature. The origin of the word, therefore,
remains unknown.
In contrast to
the lengthy description of Metatron found in the Hebrew Book of Enoch, in later
literature the material relating to him is scattered, while there is hardly a
duty in the heavenly realm and within the dominion of one angel among the other
angels that is not associated with Metatron. This applies particularly to
kabbalistic literature (Odeberg, 111-25). Extensive material from the Zohar and
kabbalistic literature has been collected by R. Margalioth in his angelological
work Malakhei Elyon (1945, 73-108). In books dealing with
practical Kabbalah there are almost no incantations of Metatron, although his
name is frequently mentioned in other incantations. Only the Shabbatean
emissary Nehemiah Hayon reportedly boasted of having conjured Metatron
(REJ 36 (1898), 274).
- Chapter 17, "Kabbalah", by Gershom Scholem
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