55. When the priest heard their voices in the Temple, he placed the incense in its right place and meditated on something, in order that the blessing should flow to all. The wings of the Cherubs were moving up and down, singing and covering the ark. Then they would raise them. This is the meaning of "overspreading." "Overspreading" is exact. Where do we derive that their voices were heard? NAMELY from the verse, "I heard the noise of their wings" (Yechezkel 1:24).
56. Rabbi Yosi said, "And the people with equity (Heb. meisharim)" (Tehilim 98:9): What is meant by Meisharim? HE ANSWERS: As the verse says, "sincerely (Heb. meisharim) they love you" (Shir Hashirim 1:4). THE SHECHINAH includes BY THIS the two Cherubs, METATRON AND SANDALPHON, who are assuredly called "meisharim," and IT SAYS about this, "And the people with equity (Heb. meisharim)." BEFORE THIS, IT IS WRITTEN, "WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL HE JUDGE THE WORLD" (Tehilim 98:9) AND "JUDGE" REFERS TO ZEIR ANPIN, WHILE "RIGHTEOUSNESS" DENOTES MALCHUT. LATER, THE VERSE INCLUDES ALSO THE CHERUBS AND THUS SAYS, "AND THE PEOPLE WITH EQUITY."
57. It is written, "Then he heard the voice speaking to him from off the covering that was upon the ark of Testimony, from between the two Cherubs: and it spoke to him" (Bemidbar 7:89). Rabbi Yitzchak said: From here, we learned that whenever there are not both male and female present, one is not worthy to behold the presence of the Shechinah. THEREFORE, HE HEARD THE VOICE SPEAKING ONLY FROM BETWEEN THE TWO CHERUBS. This is the intent of the verse, "The upright (Heb. yesharim) shall dwell in Your presence" (Tehilim 140:14), MEANING THE CHERUBS REFERRED TO AS MEISHARIM. We have learned that there is a verse, "Just and right is He" (Devarim 32:4), DENOTING male and female. "JUST" REFERS TO THE MALE, MEANING YESOD, AND "RIGHT" REFERS TO THE FEMALE, MEANING MALCHUT. Here also, the Cherubs are male and female, as it is written of them, "You have established equity (Heb. meisharim in the plural)" (Tehilim 99:4) AND ALSO "the people with equity (Heb. meisharim)," AS MENTIONED ABOVE. For this reason, "And their faces shall look one to another" (Shemot 25:20), THE SECRET OF FACE TO FACE UNION, as we have established.