CHAPTER FOUR

THE HEKHALOT LITERATURE

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In the present chapter we shall discuss some of the general charac­ teristics of the' Hekhalot literature. In the second part of the book, a detailed introduction to each of the Hekhalot books will be given. The first scholar who attempted a serious evaluation of the Hekhalot literature, and also suggested a historical sequence for its composition, was H. Gratz.1 In a series of three articles published in the Monats­ schrift fiir die Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judenthums VIII (1859), Gratz reached the conclusion that the so-called Hekhalot literature was composed in post-talmudic times, and that the first text in the series was 'Otryot de-Rabbi 'Akiva. Gratz's dating of that literature is still considered by some people to be true, though the sequence of the composition of that literature as suggested by him is no more ac­ cepted. Professor G. Scholem in a series of studies of that literature, suggested a different order of composition and a much earlier date of composition.2 Scholem's views on these two issues are here fol­ lowed, and the discussion which follows deals with some aspects of that literature which still deserve attention. In addition, Scholem's suggestion to interpret the Merkavah mysticism as a Jewish con­ comitant to gnosticism will be re-examined. 3 Generally speaking, the three main subjects dealt with in the

1 Gratz dismisses the chapter dealing with Jewish mysticism in L. Zunz, Gottesdienstliche Vortriige, 1832, pp. 165-170, as "so nichtssagend als nur moglich". 2 See mainly his: Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, London, Thames and Hudson, 1955, pp. 40-79: "Merkabah Mysticism and Jewish Gnosticism" ;Jewish Gnosticism Merkabah Mysticism, and Talmudic Tradition, Second, Improved Edition, New York, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1965; Ursprung und Anfiinge der Kabba/ah, Berlin, Walter de Gruyter, 1962, pp. 15-20: "Die vor-kabbalistische jtidische Geheimlehre tiber die Schopfung und die Merkaba-Literatur der Hekhaloth und jtidische Gnosis"; Von der mystischen Gestalt der Gottheit, Zurich, Rhein Verlag, 1962, pp. 7-47: "Schi'ur Koma; die mystische Gestalt der Gottheit"; Kabba/ah, Jerusalem, Keter Publishing House, 1974, pp. 14-22; 373-376. 3 Here the writer will mainly follow his "'knowledge' and 'vision'-Towards a Clarification of two 'Gnostic' Concepts in the Light of their Alleged Origins", Israel Oriental Studies III (1973), especially pp. 88-107; and: "The Jewish Esoteric Literature in the Time of the Mishnah and Talmud", Imman11el 4 (1974), pp. 37-46. THE HEKHALOT LITERATURE 99

Hekhalot literature are: heavenly ascensions, the revelation of cos­ mological and other secrets, and the special secret method of studying and memorizing the Torah. From the point of view of literary genre, the Hekhalot literature falls into two types: the description of heavenly ascensions and the description of the appearance on earth of angels who reveal secrets. A similar distinction with regard to the literary genre can be made concerning apocalyptic literature, but in contra­ distinction to apocalyptic literature, the Hekhalot literature gives detailed descriptions of the various means and practices by which the desired experiences or revelations are gained. In fact, it may be said that the whole of the Hekhalot literature might be defined as technical guides, or manuals, for mystics. A lot of the material con­ tained therein is introduced by technical questions. A short para­ phrase of some of the Hekhalot texts would begin thus: "What is the mystic required to do if he wants to bring about the following mystical experience". These technical details, the "praxis" of the mystical experience, generally consist of special prayers or incantations, of prolonged fasts and special diets, of the utterance of magical names and the use of magical seals, and of the ritual of cleansing the body. Although some of those means are already known from apoc­ alyptic literature, their description in the Hekhalot literature is more detailed. They are also known from non-Jewish mysticism and magic.4 In contrast to Prophecy, which seems to be spontaneous, and some­ times even comes to those least desiring it, the kinds of experience described in apocalyptic and in Merkavah mysticism necessitated certain preparatory practices. 5 Already in Daniel x,2-3, we hear of an extended period of fasting and praying before the visionary re­ ceived a vision: "In those days I Daniel was mourning for three whole weeks, pleasant food I did not eat, nor did flesh and wine come to my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, until the fulfilling of three full weeks". 6 This kind of self-preparation for the apocalyptic

4 See W. Bousset, Die Himmelsreise der Seele, Reprint: Darmstadt, Wissen­ schaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1960; A. Dieterich, Eine Mithrasliturgie, Reprint: Darmstadt, Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1966; E. R. Dodds, The Greeks and the Irrational, University of California Press, 1964, pp. 283-311. 6 For the question to which extent prophecy was spontaneous or not see, for instance, J. Skinner, Prophe€Y and Religion, Cambridge University Press, 1963, pp. 1 ff. For a discussion of some psychological and phenomenological aspects of prophecy see, J. Lindblom, Prophery in Ancient Israel, Oxford, Blackwell, 1965, pp. 6 ff. 6 Compare also ix,3. See J. A. Montgomery, The Book of Daniel (ICC), p. 407.