By: J.J. Rosenfeld
In Sefer Yechezkel, the heavenly order surrounding the Throne of HaShem is described — especially in chapters 1 and 10. The four Chayos (heavenly living beings) carry the Throne, each possessing four faces: man, lion, ox, and eagle. Everything is arranged in perfect order סביב הכסא — around the Throne.
Chazal and later mefarshim draw a direct parallel between this heavenly arrangement and the encampment of Bnei Yisrael around the Mishkan in Sefer Bamidbar chapter 2.
The Arrangement of the Tribes
East:
Yehudah
South:
Reuven
West:
Ephraim
North:
Dan
This corresponds to the four faces of the Merkavah described in Yechezkel:
- Man → Reuven
- Lion → Yehudah
- Ox → Ephraim / Yosef
- Eagle → Dan
The Mishkan standing in the center corresponds to the Kise HaKavod — the Throne of Glory — the Divine center itself.
The Midrash teaches that Israel below reflects the very pattern formed by the angels above around the heavenly Throne.
Thus, the earthly camp becomes a mirror of the heavenly camp.
Classical Sources
Especially well known are:
- Bamidbar Rabbah
- Rashi on Bamidbar
- Ramban on the Degalim (banners)
- The Merkavah teachings in Sefer Yechezkel
The Central Concept
The Shechinah dwells within the Mishkan just as the Divine Presence rests above the heavenly Throne. Therefore Israel arranges itself around the Mishkan just as the malachim arrange themselves around the Kise HaKavod.
Some mekubalim further explain that this creates a connection between:
- מחנה ישראל — the earthly order
- מחנה מלאכים — the heavenly order
- and man himself as a “small Mishkan.”
The Degalim are therefore not merely a practical tribal arrangement, but a cosmic and sacred structure.
The Twelve Tribes as a Cosmic Structure
In Kabbalah, not only the four primary camps are explained — the entire structure of the twelve tribes is understood as a reflection of the higher worlds.
The four main camps correspond to the four sides of the Merkavah, but the twelve tribes correspond to a much deeper order:
- The 12 combinations of the Divine Name Havayah
- The 12 months
- The 12 mazalos (zodiac constellations)
- The 12 heavenly gates
- The 12 boundaries/diagonals in Sefer Yetzirah
- The 12 spiritual channels of the Shechinah
The Zohar explains that the Shechinah rests in the center, while the twelve tribes surround it like a living circle of Divine spiritual forces.
The structure was highly precise:
Four Groups of Three Tribes
Each three-tribe group possessed its own spiritual function.
East — Camp of Yehudah
- Yehudah
- Yissachar
- Zevulun
This corresponds to:
- Malchus / Kingship — Yehudah
- Torah and Wisdom — Yissachar
- Parnassah and sanctified commerce — Zevulun
Therefore the sunrise begins there — Or HaShechinah, the light of the Divine Presence.
South — Camp of Reuven
- Reuven
- Shimon
- Gad
The southern side corresponds to Chesed and warmth.
- Reuven represents teshuvah and “seeing” (ראה)
- Shimon represents Din and strength
- Gad represents warfare and protection
West — Camp of Ephraim
- Ephraim
- Menasheh
- Binyamin
In Kabbalah, the west is often associated with the place of the Shechinah.
Binyamin is especially connected to the Mikdash.
Yosef/Ephraim corresponds to Yesod — spiritual connection and purity.
North — Camp of Dan
- Dan
- Asher
- Naftali
The north represents Din and hidden power.
- Dan “judges”
- Naftali symbolizes speed and spirit
- Asher represents shefa and blessing
The Teaching of the ARIzal
The ARIzal explains that every Jewish soul receives its spiritual channel through its tribe.
Therefore the encampments were arranged with absolute precision — each position opened a specific influence from the higher worlds.
Even Deeper
The arrangement also corresponds to the structure of the Divine Cosmic Man — Adam HaElyon:
- East → the face
- South → the right side
- North → the left side
- West → the back / receptivity
And the Mishkan itself was the heart.
This is why changing the tribal order was so serious — it was not merely logistical, but metaphysical.
The Heavenly and Earthly Banners
The Zohar describes the tribes as:
“דגלים של מעלה ושל מטה”
“Banners of the upper and lower worlds.”
The angels themselves are likewise divided into camps:
- Michael — Chesed
- Gavriel — Din
- Uriel
- Raphael
parallel to the four sides surrounding the Kise HaKavod.
Later mekubalim also connect the twelve tribes with:
- The 12 simple letters of the Hebrew alphabet
- The 12 organs within man
- The 12 combinations of the Tetragrammaton
- The 12 gates of the future Yerushalayim in Yechezkel chapter 48
There the tribes reappear as a cosmic city structure — like a perfected Mishkan for the entire world.
Sources in the Zohar
The primary Zoharic discussions concerning the Degalim and the heavenly camp structure are found mainly in:
- Zohar II (Shemos), Parashas Bamidbar
- Especially Zohar II 118b–120b
- Also 154a and onward
- Zohar III 221a
- Tikkunei Zohar, Tikkunim 18 and 21
There the Zohar states:
“כשם דאינון סדורין לעילא סביב כורסייא קדישא כך ישראל סדורין לתת סביב משכנא”
“Just as those above are arranged around the holy Throne, so Israel below is arranged around the Mishkan.”
The Zohar further explains that the four Degalim correspond directly to the four Chayos of the Merkavah in Yechezkel chapter 1:
- Lion → Camp of Yehudah
- Ox → Camp of Ephraim
- Eagle → Camp of Dan
- Man → Camp of Reuven
The Zohar connects this directly with:
- The four directions
- The four elements
- The four letters of Havayah
- The four angelic princes
Israel Desired the Heavenly Pattern
Zohar Bamidbar 118b explains that Israel desired banners after witnessing the heavenly camps of angels at Sinai:
“כיון דחמו ישראל טורין דמלאכין מסודרין בדגלין אתאוו למיעבד דגלין”
“When Israel saw the angelic hosts arranged beneath banners, they too desired banners.”
HaShem then instructed Moshe:
“עשה אותם דגלים כגוונא דלעילא”
“Arrange them in banners like those above.”
This became one of the central sources for the idea that:
מחנה ישראל
is a reflection of
מחנה מלאכים
Both the Ramak — HaRav Moshe Cordovero zt”l — and the ARIzal build their explanations of the Degalim upon these passages in the Zohar.
Explanation of Key Terms
Degalim — דגלים
Degalim literally means “banners” or “flags,” referring to the tribal encampment system of the twelve tribes around the Mishkan in the wilderness.
The basis for this arrangement appears in Sefer Bamidbar chapter 2.
Basic Structure
Israel was divided into four major camps, each containing three tribes:
East — Camp of Yehudah
- Yehudah
- Yissachar
- Zevulun
South — Camp of Reuven
- Reuven
- Shimon
- Gad
West — Camp of Ephraim
- Ephraim
- Menasheh
- Binyamin
North — Camp of Dan
- Dan
- Asher
- Naftali
The Mishkan stood at the center.
Kabbalistic Meaning
The Zohar explains that the Degalim are not simply a logistical system, but a reflection of the higher worlds:
Israel below mirrors the angels above.
- Four camps = four sides of the Merkavah
- Twelve tribes = twelve spiritual channels of Divine order
The Chayos of the Merkavah in Yechezkel chapter 1 correspond to:
- Lion → Yehudah
- Man → Reuven
- Ox → Ephraim
- Eagle → Dan
The Zoharic Vision
The Zohar describes that Israel “desired” the Degalim after seeing the heavenly order of the angels:
“ישראל חמו סידור דמלאכין בדגלין ואתאוו למיעבד הכי”
“Israel saw the arrangement of the angels beneath banners and wished to be arranged likewise.”
They were therefore given this cosmic structure.
Deeper Symbolism
In Kabbalah, the Degalim also correspond to:
- The 12 combinations of the Tetragrammaton
- The 12 months and mazalos
- The 12 spiritual powers within Adam Elyon
- The harmony between the individual soul and cosmic order
The ARIzal explains that each tribe possesses its own spiritual root within the higher sefirot, and that the camp arrangement balances these spiritual forces.
In short:
The Degalim are the visible arrangement of Israel in the wilderness — but in Kabbalah they represent the structure of the entire cosmos in miniature.
Kise HaKavod — כסא הכבוד
Kise HaKavod means “Throne of Glory” — the mystical Throne of HaShem in Jewish tradition.
The central biblical source is Sefer Yechezkel, especially chapters 1 and 10 — the vision of the Merkavah.
1. Biblical Foundation — The Merkavah
In Yechezkel chapter 1, the prophet sees:
- A throne of sapphire stone
- Above it, “a form resembling a man”
- Surrounded by the four Chayos
- Accompanied by fire, wheels (Ofanim), and Divine motion
Jewish mysticism understands this vision as the revelation of the Kise HaKavod.
2. What Is the Kise HaKavod?
In classical and kabbalistic interpretation, it is not merely a “throne,” but:
- The place of Divine Presence (Shechinah)
- The interface between Ein Sof and creation
- The center of the Merkavah structure
The Zohar describes the Throne as a spiritual reality through which Divine forces are revealed.
3. Kabbalistic Structure
Kabbalah — especially according to the ARIzal — explains:
- The Kise HaKavod is associated with the world of Beriah
- It serves as the “carrier” of the Divine sefirot in manifested form
- The four Chayos correspond to the four foundational forces of the Merkavah
- The Throne itself is often identified with Malchus and the Shechinah
4. Connection to the Degalim
Here the relationship becomes especially profound:
The Zohar explains that the camps of Israel below are a reflection of the heavenly order surrounding the Kise HaKavod above.
Thus:
- Kise HaKavod = heavenly center
- Mishkan = earthly reflection
- Degalim = mirror of the heavenly Chayos
This creates a cosmic symmetry:
Heaven:
The Merkavah surrounding the Throne
Earth:
Israel surrounding the Mishkan
5. A Deeper Chassidic Insight
In Chassidic and kabbalistic thought, the Kise HaKavod also represents:
- The visibility of the Infinite within creation
- The point at which Ein Sof becomes perceptible
- The idea that even order, space, and movement are expressions of Divine glory
In short:
The Kise HaKavod is not merely a throne, but the cosmic center of Divine revelation — around which both the angels above and Israel below are arranged in perfect mirrored harmony.
