become less ferocious than their nature is. Again, in Tishri, at
the time of the autumnal equinox, the great bird ziz[7] flaps his
wings and utters his cry, so that the birds of prey, the eagles
and the vultures, blench, and they fear to swoop down upon the
others and annihilate them in their greed. And, again, were it
not for the goodness of God, the vast number of big fish had
quickly put an end to the little ones. But at the time of the
winter solstice, in the month of Tebet, the sea grows restless,
for then leviathan spouts up water, and the big fish become
uneasy. They restrain their appetite, and the little ones escape
their rapacity.

Finally, the goodness of God manifests itself in the preservation
of His people Israel. It could not have survived the enmity of
the Gentiles, if God had not appointed protectors for it, the
archangels Michael and Gabriel.[8] Whenever Israel disobeys God,
and is accused of misdemeanors by the angels of the other
nations, he is defended by his designated guardians, with such
good result that the other angels conceive fear of them. Once the
angels of the other nations are terrified, the nations themselves
venture not to carry out their wicked designs against Israel.

That the goodness of God may rule on earth as in heaven, the
Angels of Destruction are assigned a place at the far end of the
heavens, from which they may never stir, while the Angels of
Mercy encircle the Throne of God, at His behest.[9]


THE ALPHABET