"On eagles' wings"

Synopsis

"You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I bore you on eagles' wings." This section tells us by way of analogy with the eagle that God is merciful to His own children, but uses severe judgment with the heathen nations. In the vision of Ezekiel the face of man includes the face of a lion and the face of an ox, with the face of the eagle - mercy - between them and combining them.

Air Eagle Egypt Heaven Judges Mercy Nest Zeir Anpin

279. "You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I bore you on eagles' wings" (Shemot 19:4). What does "eagles' wings" mean? Rabbi Yehuda said that "eagles' wings" means Mercy, as it is written in the verse, "As an eagle stirs up her nest" (Devarim 32:11), MEANING THAT "AN EAGLE" SIGNIFIES MERCY. And this is the secret in Rabbi Shimon's words, "The way of the vultures in the air" (Mishlei 30:19). "In the air" means with Mercy, FOR ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED 'HEAVEN' AND HAS MERCY, FOR CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET ARE JUDGMENT AND MERCY. As the eagle watches mercifully over its own young but is cruel toward others, so is the Holy One, blessed be He, merciful towards Yisrael but judges the heathen nations severely.

279. אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְמִצְרָיִם וְאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים. מַאי כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים. א"ר יְהוּדָה בְּרַחֲמֵי. דִּכְתִּיב כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ וְגוֹ'. וְהַיְינוּ רָזָא דְּאָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן, דֶּרֶךְ הַנֶּשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם. מַאי בַּשָּׁמַיִם. בְּרַחֲמֵי. מַה נֶשֶׁר אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּרַחֲמֵי עַל בְּנוֹי, וְדִינָא לְגַבֵּי אַחֲרָנִין. כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּרַחֲמֵי לְגַבֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְדִינָא לְגַבֵּי עַמִּין עעכו"ם.

Eagle Ezekiel Face Light Lion Ox

280. Rabbi Elazar was once going from Cappadocia to Lod accompanied by Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Chiya. They had risen at sunrise and as the light appeared they started to walk. Rabbi Chiya said, I see the vision which is described in the verse, "And they four had the face of a lion, on the right side and they four had the face of an ox, on the left side, they four also had the face of an eagle" (Yechezkel 1:10), AND I WONDER, If the lion is on the right side and the ox is on the left one, where is the place of the eagle?

280. ר' אֶלְעָזָר, הֲוָה אָזִיל מִקַּפּוּטְקִיָּא לְלוּד, וַהֲוָה אָזִיל ר' יוֹסֵי וְר' חִיָּיא עִמֵּיהּ, קָמוּ בִּנְהוֹרָא, כַּד נָהִיר יְמָמָא, וַהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי. אָמַר ר' חִיָּיא, חֲמֵינָא הַאי קְרָא דִּכְתִּיב, וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאל לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן וּפְנֵי נֶשֶׁר לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן הָא אַרְיֵה בִּימִינָא, שׁוֹר מִשְּׂמָאלָא, נֶשֶׁר בְּאָן אֲתָר דּוּכְתֵּיהּ.

Eagle Jacob Judgment Love Mercy Nest

281. אָמַר לֵיהּ ר' אֶלְעָזָר, בְּאַתְרָא דְּיַעֲקֹב שַׁרְיָא. מ"ט. מִשּׁוּם דְּנֶשֶׁר בְּכֹלָּא אִשְׁתְּכַח, רַחֲמֵי לִבְנוֹי, דִּינָא לְגַבֵּי אַחֲרָנִין. כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אוֹבִיל לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרַחֲמֵי. וּבְדִינָא לְגַבֵּי אַחֲרָנִין, דִּכְתִּיב וְאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים. וּכְתִיב כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ.

Air Eagle Face Heaven Likenesses Lion Mercy Ox Throne Zeir Anpin

282. We can learn that an eagle signifies Mercy, for it is written, "The way of the vultures (lit. 'eagle') in the air (lit. 'heaven')," actually 'in heaven,' WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, THE PROPRIETOR OF MERCY. Therefore, the lion is on the right and the ox on the left, and the eagle is between them and combines both of them. "THE FACE OF a man" includes all of them and in it they are all comprised, FOR HE IS THE ASPECT OF MALCHUT WHICH RECEIVES FROM ALL OF THEM, as it is written, "Upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it" (Ibid. 26).

282. מְנָלָן דְּנֶשֶׁר רַחֲמֵי אִקְרֵי. דִּכְתִּיב דֶּרֶךְ הַנֶּשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם. בַּשָּׁמַיִם מַמָּשׁ. וּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ אַרְיֵה לִימִינָא. שׁוֹר לִשְׂמָאלָא. נֶשֶׁר בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאָחִיד לוֹן. אָדָם כָּלִיל כֻּלְּהוּ, וְכֹלָּא אִתְּכְּלִילָן בֵּיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם עָלָיו מִלְּמַעְלָה.