ראיה שמיעה ריחא דבורThe Senses as a Chariot

re'iyah, shemi'ah, reicha, dibburIn Gamatria ↗

Your eyes, ears, breath and words carry a Name.

Following the Ra'aya Mehemna (Pinchas 234a), the mind has four 'living creatures' that form a throne of mercy: sight, hearing, smell and speech. They match the four letters of the Name and the faces of Ezekiel's chariot — sight the lion, hearing the ox, smell the eagle, speech the human face that joins above and below. To guard the senses is to keep holy the bearers of the Name. Of the eye, the Tikkunim say the two lids are the cherubim's wings, and the pupil is the Shekhinah.

Hover the image to look closer.Tap the image to look closer.