זוהר שמות — דף פב ע”א

This extended folio deepens the mystery of the Hashmal: the Hashmal is the heart of the inner fire, as the verse states "from within the fire, like the aspect of Hashmal." Four degrees precede it: stormy wind, great cloud, flaming fire, and brightness. The Hashmal functions as the heart in which all the sacred order is maintained. The Chayyot ha-Qodesh (holy living creatures), the wheels of the Chariot and the secret of the wheels, all derive from the secret of the Hashmal. The distinction between the vision of Isaiah and that of Ezekiel highlights the deep kabbalistic revelation of the Divine Chariot.