358. In the words, "This is the book of the generations of Adam" (Beresheet 5:1), "GENERATIONS" REFERS to images OF THE SOULS, BECAUSE ALL THE SOULS WHO ORIGINATED FROM ADAM ARE LISTED IN THE BOOK. Rabbi Yitzchak said: The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to Adam the images OF THE SOULS of all the generations who will come into the world and of all the sages and kings of the world destined to rule over Yisrael. When he saw David, King of Yisrael, who was born and then died BECAUSE HE HAD NO DAYS IN HIS LIFE, he said TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, 'I will give him seventy years of my life.' Hence seventy years were taken from Adam and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them to David.
359. It was for this that David said the praise, "For You have made me glad, Hashem, by Your actions. I will be joyous in the work of Your hands" (Tehilim 92:5). Who caused me to be happy and live in the world? It was Adam WHO CAUSED ME TO BE HAPPY. He was the handiwork of the Holy One, blessed be He, and not of flesh and blood. HE WAS NOT BORN TO ANY MAN, BECAUSE HE WAS MADE BY THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. THUS, those seventy years were deducted from Adam's thousand-year life expectancy.
360. The Holy One, blessed be He, showed him all the sages of each and every generation until he reached the generation of Rabbi Akiva. He saw his Torah and was happy; he saw his death BY THE HANDS OF THE EVIL KINGDOM and was saddened. ADAM said: "How precious are your thoughts (also: 'companions') to me, El how great is the sum of them" (Tehilim 139:17).
361. IT IS WRITTEN: "This is the book OF THE GENERATIONS OF ADAM," and there literally is a book. We have already explained that when Adam was in the Garden of Eden, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent a book down to him with Raziel, the holy angel who is in charge of the supernal sacred secrets (Heb. razin). In THE BOOK were supernal inscriptions, holy Chochmah and 72 branches of sacred wisdom. SHE IS BESTOWED on 670 inscriptions of the supernal secrets.
362. In the middle of the book, there is an engraving of wisdom. It is prepared to receive the 1,500 keys that were not delivered to the supernal holy beings, FOR THE LAST 6,000 YEARS. All those SECRETS were concealed in the book before it came to the hands of Adam. AND WHEN HE RECEIVED IT, holy angels used to congregate around him, so as to know and hear of them. They used to say: "Be exalted, Elohim, above the heavens. Let Your glory be above the earth" (Tehilim 57:12).
363. At that point, the holy angel Hadarniel hinted to him and said, "Adam, Adam conceal the glory of your Master, AND DO NOT REVEAL IT TO THE ANGELS, for permission was given you alone, AND NOT EVEN TO THE SUPERNAL ANGELS, to know the glory of your Master." Therefore, he concealed it with him until he left the Garden of Eden.
364. At first, he used to study and use the secrets of his Master daily. Supernal secrets that none of the supernal angels knew were revealed to him. When, however, he transgressed the command of his Master BY EATING OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE, the book flew away from him. Adam used to beat upon his head and weep. He went into the waters of the River Gichon up to his neck, BECAUSE HE REPENTED AND MORTIFIED HIMSELF, UNTIL his body became wrinkled and porous and his radiance changed.
365. At that point, the Holy One, blessed be He, signaled to the angel Raphael to return the book TO ADAM. Adam occupied himself with it. He left it to his son Seth and to all the generations after him until Abraham came along. Abraham knew how to use the book to examine his Master's glory. This has already been explained. This book was also given to Enoch, and through it, he perceived the supernal gory.