Page:Ginzburg - The Legends of the Jews - Volume 5.djvu/40

66–70] $undefined$ , 247, which is indeed the oldest rabbinic source on the names of the archangels and their relation to the planets; Raziel 38a, 61a, where various sources are made use of) naturally supposes seven classes of angels.Along with the sevenfold and fourfold divisions of angels, found in pseudepigraphic and rabbinic literatures, we meet with the conception of twelve archangels, which is connected with the signs of the Zodiac; comp. Raziel 52a, 61a (which is based on another source than the two other passages referred to above).As to this view in pseudepigraphic literature, comp. Bousset, Religion, 374–376.  $undefined$ Hullin 91a; 2 ARN 27, 55; 44, 124; Midrash Tannaim 71; Sifre D., 306 (end); BHM VI, 37; Mishle 9.75; BR 65.21; Tan. B. III, 74; Tan. Kedoshim 6; Nispahim 56.The last-named passage states that when the angels had complained of the fact that man was preferred to them, God replied: “What, ye wish to precede Is¬ rael in chanting songs of praise to Me? They, though ‘born of woman ' and subject to the evil inclination, conquer their evil inclination and daily proclaim Me as the one God and King, and wait for the coming of My Kingdom and the establishment of My house.”&mdash;Although man, who is a terrestrial being, is inferior to the angels, he surpasses them by overcoming the evil inclination, which the angels do not possess at all (BR 48.11).The pious are therefore greater than the angels (Sanhedrin 39a; BR 88.1; Tehillim 91, 398, and 103, 438).In the world to come the angels will try to find out from Israel the things taught to them by God; Yerushalmi Shabbat 3, 8d, and BR 1.12.Comp. Schechter, Aspects, 49; Singer, Das Buch d. Jubilden 98, note 6; vol. I, p. 334; vol. III, p. 32.  $undefined$ The windows of heaven are frequently mentioned in Enoch (comp. Charles’ Index, s.v.) and likewise in rabbinic sources; comp. Yerushalmi Rosh ha-Shanah 2, 58a; ShR 15.22; PRE 6; Ginzberg, Unbekannte Sekte, 78.  $undefined$ On the defilement of the celestials by coming into contact with terrestrial beings, comp. note 105.  $undefined$ This stream of fire is very likely the one which springs out of the perspiration of the Hayyot encircling God’s throne, and out of which the daily angels rise to chant songs of praise to God and disappear after their task has been accomplished; BR 78.1; ShR 15.6; Hagigah 14a.Comp. note 62.  $undefined$ Seder Rabba di-Bereshit 28–30; 3 Hekalot 161–163.In other sources it is not Shamiel who appears as the master of heavenly song (probably the correct reading is Shammiel, since it is derived from 