Raziel- Hebrew/Jewish AngelAngel"Keeper of Secrets"

Keeper of Secrets

Raziel's name means "Secret of God" (raz + El). In Jewish mystical tradition, he stands near the divine throne, hearing all that is spoken and knowing all that is decreed. The tradition centers on a book: the Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, "Book of Raziel the Angel," a medieval compilation of magical and mystical material that claims to preserve the original book Raziel gave to Adam after the expulsion from Eden.

The Book Given to Adam

When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, they wept inconsolably. They had lost paradise and the direct communion with God they had enjoyed there. The angel Raziel, moved by compassion, descended to Adam and gave him a book inscribed on sapphire stone. It contained the knowledge needed to call upon divine names for protection and blessing.

The book passed through generations. From Adam it descended to Enoch, who used its wisdom to compose his own celestial writings before his translation to heaven. Noah received the book and used it to build the ark, understanding from its pages the dimensions required and the nature of the coming Flood.

The Jealousy of the Angels

When Raziel gave Adam the book, the other angels were jealous. They stole it and cast it into the sea, unwilling to let humans possess such knowledge. But God commanded the angel Rahab to retrieve it from the depths and return it to Adam.

The Sefer Raziel

The medieval Sefer Raziel HaMalakh draws on the Sefer Yetzirah and other ancient texts alongside clearly medieval material. Simply possessing the Sefer Raziel was believed to protect a house from fire. The book was placed in the rooms of women in childbirth to ensure safe delivery. Even those who could not read its contents found protection in its presence. In Kabbalistic tradition, Raziel presides over the Sefirah of Chokhmah, Wisdom.