220. We have learned that from the day the world was created, THE SOULS OF THE GREAT PIOUS ONES have stood before the Holy One, blessed be He, held back IN HIS PRESENCE. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WATCHES THEM until the time arrives to send them below, MEANING TO BECOME CLOTHED WITH A BODY, and they rule above and below. Thus the verse, "As Hashem the Elohim of Yisrael lives, before whom I stood." It doesn't say, 'I stand,' but "I stood," MEANING BEFORE DESCENDING TO THIS WORLD. Afterwards, he returned to his place IN HEAVEN and entered his chamber. Other SOULS do not ASCEND TO THEIR PLACE until they die. This is because they never stood earlier BEFORE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, ON THAT LEVEL of the others, NAMELY ENOCH AND ELIJAH THAT MERITED TO ASCEND TO THEIR PLACE WHEN STILL ALIVE. For this reason, Elijah became a messenger and angel above, AND ENOCH TOO. And these were those that clung most to the King, MEANING MORE THAN AN ANGEL.
220. וְתָאנָא, מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא, קַיְימֵי קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאִתְעַכָּבוּ עַד דְּמָטָא זִמְנָא לְאַחֲתָא לוֹן בְּאַרְעָא, וְאִלֵּין שְׁלִיטוּ לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, הה"ד חַי יְיָ' אֲשֶׁר עָמַדְתִּי לְפָנָיו, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עוֹמֵד לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא אֲשֶׁר עָמַדְתִּי. לְבָתַר אַהְדָר לְאַתְרֵיהּ, וְסָלִיק לְאִדָּרֵיהּ, וְאִינּוּן אָחֳרָנִין לָא סַלְּקִין עַד דִּימוּתוּן. בְּגִין דְּלָא קַיְימוּ קוֹדֶם לָכֵן כְּאִינּוּן אָחֳרָנִין. וּבְגִין כַּךְ אֵלִיָּהוּ אִתְעָבֵיד שְׁלִיחָא, מַלְאָכָא לְעֵילָּא, וְאִלֵּין דְּמִתְדַּבְּקָן יַתִיר לְמַלְכָּא.
221. I found in the book of Adam that all Holy Spirits above, MEANING ANGELS, do the mission OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, and all come from one place. The souls of the righteous COME from two levels joined into one. Therefore, they ascend higher THAN ANGELS and their levels are greater THAN ANGELS. This is so. All those that were hidden there went down and up during their lifetime, such as Enoch, who did not die. We have already established this matter regarding Enoch and Elijah.
221. אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרָא דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה דְּכָל רוּחִין קַדִישִׁין דִּלְעֵילָּא, עָבְדִין שְׁלִיחוּתָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אַתְיָין מֵאֲתַר חַד. דְּנִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּצַדִיקַיָּיא מִתְּרֵי דַּרְגִּין דִּכְלִילָן בְּחַד, וּבְגִין כַּךְ סַלְּקִין יַתִיר, וְדַרְגֵּיהוֹן יַתִיר, וְהָכִי הוּא. וְכָל אִינּוּן דַּהֲווֹ טְמִירִין תַּמָּן, נַחְתּוּ וּסְלִיקוּ בְּחַיֵּיהוֹן, כְּגוֹן חֲנוֹךְ דְּלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ מִיתָה. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה דָּא, בַּחֲנוֹךְ וְאֵלִיָּהוּ.