Metatron

Metatron is a title for an angel mentioned in the Zohar Hakadosh as a holiness that dwells in the World of Yetzirah (and sometimes in the World of Briah). In Tractate Chagigah, he is described as one who counts the merits of Israel.

His Nature

Metat is the accepted abbreviation for Metatron, which is the name of an angel whose "name is like the name of his master" and is not pronounced. Metatron's place during weekdays is in the six directions of Yetzirah, and in this status he is called "Naar" (youth). On Shabbat, during the ascent of the worlds, Metatron rises from the aspect of smallness to the aspect of greatness and is called "His servant, the elder of His house," and his place is in the six directions of Briah.

Metatron and Sandal are two angels who are distinguished by their names. It is explained that Metatron represents the six directions of the World of Yetzirah, and Sandal represents the six directions of the World of Asiyah. It is also explained that they correspond to the Cherubim, whose dwelling place is in the World of Briah, and Metatron and Sandal are Zeir Anpin and Nukva of the World of Briah.

Metatron's influence is lower compared to the influences of the World of Atzilut, and therefore he is called "Naar" (youth). However, Metatron's influence is higher than all other influences, since the other influences in the world come from the 70 ministers, whereas Metatron's influence is the influence for Israel and is higher than the 70 ministers. Therefore, Metatron is called the "Minister of the World" who includes all ministers.

Our Sages said that Metatron (or Sandal) ties crowns for his Creator from the prayers of Israel. The explanation of this matter is that in order for the prayers of Israel, who are physical beings, to become crowns for the Creator, it is through the angels who refine the letters, because their speech is comparable to the subtlety of thought for us, and higher and higher until the dwelling of the angel Metatron, who ties crowns for his Creator from the prayers of Israel.

In Tractate Chagigah, Metatron is mentioned as counting the merits of Israel, and upon seeing him, Elisha ben Avuyah went astray.

In the Gemara, there is a dispute between Rav and Rav Yosef bar Kahana regarding the halachic significance of Eliyahu Hanavi's ruling on the validity of chalitzah with a shoe and a sandal. The Megaleh Amukot explains the inner dimension common to both opinions, that shoe and sandal correspond to the angels Metatron and Sandal. Chalitzah corresponds to the World of Asiyah where good and evil are mixed together and one must engage in refining the evil. The shoe corresponds to the World of Yetzirah where good and evil are equal.

In the Zohar Hakadosh

"Metatron is the horse of Tiferet, in which all sefirot are clothed, and he is like a body for the soul, and when the Holy One, Blessed be He, departs from him, he remains mute without voice or speech. Thus, the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His Shekhinah are the voice and speech of every angel." — Zohar, Part 3, 228b

The Alter Rebbe explains his significance: The significance of the name M"H (which is the root of man), whose filling is with Alefs, and Alef is Yud Vav Yud, meaning the Vav that connects the upper Yud with the lower Yud, as in "He makes peace in His heights," which is through the aspect of nullification drawn to them. This is the aspect of "large faces" of the Cherubim (which were in the form of human faces), drawn from a higher level of intellect, for the difference between an adult and a child is that "a man is praised according to his wisdom" as is known. And the intellect is the aspect of nullification drawn to him. Therefore, an elder's mind is settled because he has a greater aspect of nullification. This is not the case with a young man who has the fervor of youth because the aspect of nullification is not drawn to him as much. This is the matter of the "small faces" of the Cherubim, in the aspect of Metatron who is called a youth, and through this aspect of the Cherub, an influence is drawn to the 18,000 worlds.

From Metatron is drawn an additional level of Divine manifestation in the physical aspect of the Torah at Mount Sinai. This manifestation is in the aspect of horses, where "horse" (sus) in gematria equals 2 times 63, which is from the name S"G, which is higher than the name M"H. Because in order to draw light into physical action, there must be illumination from the highest levels, which is the aspect of the horse's strength to run to a place where the rider cannot reach, and the running of the horse is greater than the running of a man—this is the aspect of the Cherub drawn into the angels, which does not run as much as the horses.

This aspect of garment and horse is accomplished through Haman, whose root is mentioned in Kabbalah from the words "Hamin Ha'etz" (from the tree?) mentioned in the sin of Adam, an aspect of coarseness that was refined in holiness, as mentioned in the Gemara that the descendants of Haman studied Torah in Bnei Brak, meaning the elevation of the heart and "his heart was lifted up in the ways of Hashem," the aspect of a baal teshuvah whose intentional sins become merits, and he uses the power of coarseness and running for holiness.