יחזקאל, פרק י׳, פסוק י״ג

In the midst of the heavenly chariot vision, a sudden auditory experience shifts how its moving parts are understood. A heavenly voice rings out, giving a new name to the components that drive the chariot, revealing both their true nature and the force behind their movement. The primary approach among commentators is that the prophet heard a voice renaming these components from "Ophanim" to "Galgal" [רש״י, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. While these two terms are essentially synonyms [רד״ק], the change in terminology is highly descriptive. Initially, they were called Ophanim because they function like standard wagon wheels in relation to the chariot and the living creatures that carry it. The new name, Galgal, is introduced to highlight their perfectly spherical shape [אברבנאל].

The identity of the voice reveals a complex spiritual chain of command. Some suggest that an angel called out this new name [רש״י], while others maintain that God Himself spoke it [אברבנאל]. Another perspective focuses on how the instruction flows downward, suggesting that the Galgal passively receives a command from the Throne of Glory above and then transmits that call to the Ophanim [מלבי״ם]. Similarly, the command is sometimes identified as coming from a Cherub directing the wheel beneath it [רד״ק].

Regardless of the source, this call is not a physical sound produced by vocal cords, nor is it a physical push moving the wheels, as the upper realms exist entirely without physical form. Instead, it is a purely spiritual and intellectual directive. The voice God allowed the prophet to hear carries a clear message: every single movement and action of these heavenly wheels is driven exclusively by His will. It is as if the divine command itself calls out to them, guiding their path and instructing them exactly how to act and where to go [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].