Kabbalah Library

57) It is written, “I will go down with you to Egypt.” When Jacob went down to Egypt, as it is written, “These are the names of the children of Israel who come to Egypt,” they all went down to Egypt with Jacob. This means that all the Merkavot [assemblies/chariots] and armies went down to Egypt with Jacob, and not only the Creator, as is implied in the words, “I will go down to Egypt with you.”

58) Was he alone? It is written, “The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans.” There are three issues here: 1. There is no Shechina abroad, yet Ezekiel’s prophecy was in the land of the Chaldeans. 2. There was none so loyal as Moses, as it is written, “He is trusted in all My house,” and Ezekiel revealed all the treasures of the King, more than Moses. 3. It seems as though he was not sure of himself, for if he were sure of himself, he would not reveal so much.

59) However, he did not reveal more than he had to, since Ezekiel was a complete prophet in his mind and revealed all that he revealed with the Creator’s permission, and it was necessary that he would reveal twice what he revealed.

The Creator never left Israel in exile, before He came to place His Shechina with them. It is even more so with Jacob, that when he went down to exile, the Creator and His Shechina and the upper holy ones and the Merkavot, all came down with Jacob, as it is written, “Who came to Egypt with Jacob.” This settles the question that even though He said, “I will go down to Egypt with you,” it does not mean He alone, but rather with His Shechina and armies and Merkavot. This is the conduct of the Creator in all the exiles, as Ezekiel revealed in the exile in Babylon.