יחזקאל, פרק י׳, פסוק ה׳

Echoes of a heavenly event fill the Temple, signaling a dramatic shift and the execution of divine judgment. The movement of God's presence is not silent; it is accompanied by a powerful sound that reflects the magnitude of the moment and its impact on the world.

The primary approach among commentators is that this sound comes from the beating of the cherubim's wings as they take flight, carrying the divine chariot [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, this noise is more than just the physical sound of flight. It represents a divine command going out into the world, marking a shift in the natural order as God's decree is set into motion [מלבי״ם].

The sheer force of this sound reached the outer areas of the Temple, identified as the Temple Mount or the Women's Courtyard. Reaching only this boundary does not mean the noise was weak. On the contrary, the sound was incredibly powerful but was abruptly cut off at the edge of the outer courtyard, not traveling any further [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Within the areas where it could be heard, the noise was deafening, echoing with the same intensity as the voice of God when He gave the Torah at Mount Sinai [מצודת דוד].

In contrast to the physical interpretation of the wings, another perspective views this sound in a deeply spiritual and tragic light. Instead of the noise of flight, the sound is understood as the cries, prayers, and pleas of angels weeping over the impending destruction of the Temple and the departure of God's presence [אברבנאל]. According to this approach, the comparison to the voice of God does not describe the volume of the noise, but rather its timing. The heartbreaking cry of the angels rang out at the exact moment God spoke, giving the command to the man dressed in linen to set the city on fire [אברבנאל].