'צבאות — אות בצבאות שלו': למקורותיה של דרשה לשונית בספר יצירה וגלגולה בקבלת ימי הביניים

This article discusses a linguistic homily in Sefer Yeṣirah that interprets one of God’s names, Sabaoth “Armies,” as an abbreviation for “A sign in his armies” (שלו בצבאות אותThe article traces the development of this linguistic homily from its earliest ( appearance in rabbinic sources to its interpretation in medieval Kabbalah.This article serves as a continuation of Tzahi Weiss’s article: “God ofIsrael – a Prince before God” (אל בפני שר — ישראל אלהי)by discussing another short commentary that has entered the Sefer Yeṣirah version of R.Saadia Gaon – as it appears both in his commentary to Sefer Yeṣirah andin the Genizah version published by Nehemiah Allony.By comparing the interpretation of the gloss on the divine name Sabaothto midrashic literature on the one hand, and to the literature from the schoolof the ‘Unique Cherub’ and Kabbalistic sources from the Middle Ages on the other, the article seeks to show that the intention of the interpretation of God’s name Sabaoth, as “a sign in his armies” in Sefer Yeṣirah refersto Metatron who was appointed over the entourage of above and below.The article dedicates a large discussion on the appearance of this homily inseveral sources of medieval Kabbalah that explicitly interpret the homilyas referring to the archangel Metatron. According to this interpretation, “Asign in his armies” (שלו בצבאות אות (refers to Metatron’s role as the leade rof the heavenly hosts.