Bereshit A
Adam Atzilut Eden Garden of Eden Streams

259. After THE OLD MAN FINISHED SPEAKING, RABBI SHIMON explained the verse: "And Hashem Elohim took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden" (Beresheet 2:15). HE ASKS: From where did he take him? WHERE WAS HE BEFORE THE GARDEN OF EDEN? HE REPLIES: He took him from the four elements OF SEPARATION, as it is written: "And from thence it was parted, and branched into four streams" (Ibid. 10), WHICH IS AN ALLUSION TO THE FOUR ELEMENTS. SO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, detached ADAM from THE FOUR ELEMENTS and "put him into the Garden of Eden" IN ATZILUT.

259. פְּתַח קְרָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, וַיִּקַּח ה' אֱלֹקִים אֶת הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּיחֵהוּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן וגו', וַיִּקַּח מֵאָן נְטֵיל לֵיהּ, אֶלָּא נְטֵיל לֵיהּ מֵד' יְסוֹדִין, דְּאִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים, אַפְרֵישׁ לֵיהּ מִנְּהוֹן, וְשַׁוֵּי לֵיהּ בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן.

Adam Asiyah Body Briyah Creation Garden of Eden Merit Other Side Precepts Repentance Rivers Shechinah Torah Worlds Yetzirah

260. JUST AS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, ELEVATED ADAM FROM THE WORLDS OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH OF SEPARATION TO THE GARDEN OF EDEN, so the Holy One, blessed be He, shall do to a man created from these four elements when he repents and studies the Torah. THEN the Holy One, blessed be He, shall take THE REPENTANT from BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH OF SEPARATION. About THE ELEMENTS OF SEPARATION, it is written: "And from thence it was parted," as he detached him from their lusts and put him in his own garden, which is the Shechinah, NAMELY MALCHUT, "to till it," TO SERVE THE SHECHINAH, by means of the positive precepts and "to keep it" (Ibid. 16) by means of negative precepts. If A PERSON has the merit "to keep" the Shechinah, he shall become master of the four elements OF HIS BODY. And he becomes a river from which they are watered, and not watered by any other (REFERRING TO THE OTHER SIDE). And they recognize him as their master and ruler.

260. כְּגַוְונָא דָא, יַעֲבֵד קָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְב"נ דְּאִתְבְּרֵי מֵד' יְסוֹדִין, בְּזִמְנָא דְתָב בִּתְיוּבְתָּא, וּמִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, קָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נָטֵיל לֵיהּ מִתַּמָּן, וַעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמָר, וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֶד, אַפְרֵישׁ נַפְשֵׁיהּ מִתַּאֲוָה דִּילְהוֹן, וְשַׁוֵּי לֵיהּ בְּגִנְתָּא דִילֵיהּ, דְּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא. לְעָבְדָהּ בְּפִקּוּדִין דַּעֲשֵׂה, וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ בְּפִקּוּדִין דְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, אִי זָכָה לְנַטְרָא לָהּ, אִיהוּ יְהֵא רֵישָׁא, עַל ד' יְסוֹדִין, וְאִתְעֲבֵיד נָהָר דְּאִתְשַׁקְיָין עַל יָדֵיהּ, וְלָא עַל יְדָא אַחֲרָא, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעִין בֵּיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ רִבּוֹן וְשַׁלִּיט עֲלַיְיהוּ.

Body Evil Evil Inclination Field Marah Mishnah Other Side Poison Precepts Sin Torah Tree Waters

261. If he transgresses THE PRECEPTS OF the Torah, THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF HIS BODY shall be watered by the bitterness of the Tree of Evil, which is the Evil Inclination. It is written about all the parts of the body that are made of the four elements in him, "And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage..." (Shemot 1:14). They made them bitter by the bitterness of the gallbladder (Heb. marah). Of the sacred parts of the body, which are from the side of good, it is written: "And when they came to Marah (lit. 'bitter'), they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter..." (Shemot 15:23). Similarly, the sages of the Mishnah said that the verse, "And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage..." refers to hard questions, "in mortar (Heb. chomer) refers to inferences from minor to major," and "in brick (Heb. levenah)" in clarifying (Heb. libun), the Halachah, "And in all manner of bondage in the field," allude to the Barayta, "All their bondage" is the Mishnah. BECAUSE OF THEIR SINS AND TRANSGRESSION, THE OTHER SIDE CLEAVED TO ALL THE PARTS OF THEIR STUDY OF THE TORAH. AS OUR SAGES OF BLESSED MEMORY SAID, 'IF A MAN IS NOT WORTHY, THE TORAH BECOMES TO HIM A DEADLY POISON'.

261. וְאִי עָבַר עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא, אִתְשַׁקְיָין מִמְּרִירוּ דְאִילָנָא דְּרַע, דְּאִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע, וְכָל אֵבָרִין דְּאִנוּן מֵד' יְסוֹדִין, אִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן, וַיְמָרֲרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם וגו' וַיְמָרֲרוּ בִּמְרִירוּ דְּמָרָה, וּלְגַבֵּי אֵבָרִין קַדִּישִׁין דְּגוּפָא, דְּאִנוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְטוֹב, עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמָר וַיָּבוֹאוּ מָרָתָה וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִמָּרָה וגו'. כְּגַוְונָא דָא, אָמְרוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, וַיְמָרֲרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה, בְּקוּשְׁיָא. בְּחוֹמֶר, בְּקַל וָחוֹמֶר. וּבִלְבֵנִים, בְּלִבּוּן הִלְכְתָא. וּבְכָל עֲבוֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה, דָּא בָּרַיְיתָא. אֶת כָּל עֲבוֹדָתָם וגו' דָּא מִשְׁנָה.

Death Death and the Afterlife Hands Messiah, The Metatron Moses Poison Repentance Rod Serpent Soul, The Torah Tree Tree of Life Waters

262. If they repent, it is said of them: "And Hashem showed him a tree" (Ibid. 25), the Tree of Life by which "the waters were made sweet." AS THE BITTERNESS AND THE DEADLY POISON WERE REMOVED FROM THE TORAH, THE SWEETNESS OF IT, WHICH IS THE ELIXIR OF LIFE, WAS REVEALED TO THEM. And this TREE OF LIFE is Moses the Messiah. THE SOUL OF MOSES SHALL BE REVEALED AT THE COMING OF MESSIAH, as it is written of him BEFORE THE COMING OF MESSIAH: "The rod of Elohim is in my hand" (Shemot 17:9); "the rod of Elohim" is Metatron, who has life on one side and death on the other, AS HE CHANGES FROM A SERPENT TO A ROD AND FROM A ROD TO A SERPENT. When he changed into a rod, he was helpful TO MOSES from the side of good, AND LIFE ISSUED FROM HIM. But when he changed into a serpent, he worked against him, BECAUSE DEATH WAS ON HIS SIDE. So immediately, "Moses fled from it" (Shemot 4:3).

262. אִם תַּיְיבִין בִּתְיוּבְתָּא, אִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן, וַיּוֹרֵהוּ ה' עֵץ, וְדָא עֵץ חַיִּים, וּבֵיהּ וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם, וְדָא מֹשֶׁה מָשִׁיחַ, דְּאִתְּמָר בֵּיהּ, וּמַטֵּה הָאֱלֹקִים בְּיָדִי, מַטֶּה, דָּא מטטרו"ן, מִסִּטְרֵיהּ חַיִּים, וּמִסִּטְרֵיהּ מִיתָה. כַּד אִתְהַפַּךְ לְמַטֶּה אִיהוּ עֵזֶר, מִסִּטְרָא דְטוֹב, כַּד אִתְהַפַּךְ לְחִיוְיָא, אִיהוּ כְּנֶגְדוֹ, מִיָּד וַיָּנָס מֹשֶׁה מִפָּנָיו.

Atzilut Briyah Evil Evil Inclination Exile Hands Holy Name Metatron Moses Rock Rod Samuel Serpent Staff Suffering Torah Worlds

263. The Holy One, blessed be He, delivered Metatron into the hands of Moses, SO THAT HE MIGHT USE HIM BY THE SECRET OF THE "ROD OF ELOHIM." AS LONG AS IT IS IN THE HANDS OF MOSES, IT BECOMES A ROD AND NOT A SERPENT. METATRON is the secret of the Oral Torah, which prescribes what is forbidden and what is permitted, NAMELY THE SIDES OF GOOD AND EVIL. THIS IS SIMILAR TO METATRON, WHO IS THE SECRET OF THE TORAH OF BRIYAH. BUT IN ATZILUT, IT IS WRITTEN: "NOR SHALL EVIL DWELL WITH YOU" (TEHILIM 5:5). AND THE ENTIRE TORAH CONSISTS OF THE HOLY NAMES OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. As soon as Moses smote the rock with the rod, the Holy One, blessed be He, removed it from Moses's hand, as it is written: "Went down to him with a staff" (II Shmuel 23:21) to smite him with it. The staff is the Evil Inclination, the serpent THAT IS THE CAUSE OF ALL THE SUFFERING AND PUNISHMENTS OF EXILE.

263. וְקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְסָר לֵיהּ בִּידָא דְמֹשֶׁה, וְאִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּבְּעַל פֶּה, דְּבֵיהּ אִסּוּר וְהֶתֵּר, מִיָּד דְּמָחָא בֵּיהּ בְּטִינָרָא, נְטַל לֵיהּ קָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּידֵיהּ, וְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ וַיֵּרֶד אֵלָיו בַּשָּׁבֶט, לִמְחָאָה לֵיהּ בֵּיהּ, וְשֵׁבֶט אִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע, חִוְיָא, וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא מֵחֲמַת דִּילֵיהּ.

Body Chariot Hands Head Living Creatures Stone Torah

264. More MAY BE SAID ABOUT THE VERSE: "And from thence it was parted." Happy is the man who is occupied in the study of the Torah. When the Holy One, blessed be He, takes him away from this body - from its four elements OF SEPARATION - he is detached from them and becomes head of the four living creatures OF THE CHARIOT. It is written about them: "They shall bear you up in their hands" (Tehilim 91:12). BY DELVING INTO THE STUDY OF THE TORAH, INSTEAD OF BEING RULED OVER BY THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF SEPARATION, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, DETACHES HIM FROM THE LUSTS OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE BODY AND ELEVATES HIM TO BECOME HEAD OF THE FOUR HOLY LIVING CREATURES OF THE CHARIOT. AND THEY SHALL BEAR HIM UP AND CARRY HIM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SECRET OF THE VERSE: "THEY SHALL BEAR YOU UP IN THEIR HANDS, LEST YOU DASH YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE."

264. וְעוֹד וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד, זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ, דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דִּבְזִמְנָא דְּנָטֵיל לֵיהּ קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מֵהַאי גוּפָא, מֵד' יְסוֹדִין, אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִתַּמָּן, וְאָזֵיל לְמֶהֱוֵי רֵישָׁא בְּד' חֵיוָון, וְאִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן עַל כַּפַּיִם יִשָּׂאוּנְךָ וגו'.