"Coats of skin"

Synopsis

Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Chiya discuss whether Adam and Eve had coats of skin before they sinned, and we learn that at first the man and woman were clothed in the likeness of above, surrounded by celestial light. Only after their sin were they reduced to the clothing of skin that comes from the lower world. In the future God will open the eyes of those who were unwise so that they will have supernal wisdom. Next the rabbis are followed by two robbers, who are suddenly killed by two wild animals.

Evil Garments Skin Tree

33. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Chiya were walking on the way. Rabbi Elazar said, It is written, "For the man and for his wife did Hashem Elohim make coats of skin" (Beresheet 3:21). Were they divested of that skin until then? HE ANSWERS, Yes, SINCE UNTIL THAT TIME THEY DID NOT HAVE THESE COATS OF SKIN, which were precious garments. Rabbi Chiya said to him, In that case, they were not even worthy of coats of skin, SINCE THEY SINNED BY THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. You may say that before they sinned, He clothed them WITH COATS OF SKIN, yet it is not so. Only after they sinned, it is written, "For the man and for his wife did Hashem Elohim make coats of skin, and clothed them."

33. ר' אֶלְעָזָר וְר' חִיָּיא הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, א"ר אֶלְעָזָר כְּתִיב, וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר. וְכִי עַד הַשְׁתָּא פְּשִׁיטֵי הֲווֹ מֵהַהוּא עוֹר. אִין. אֶלָּא מָאנֵי לְבוּשֵׁי יְקַר הֲווֹ. א"ל ר' חִיָּיא, אִי הָכִי לָא אִתְחָזוּן לְהוּ אֲפִילּוּ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר. וְכִי תֵּימָא דְּעַד לָא חָאבוּ אַלְבִּישׁוּ לְהוּ, לָא. אֶלָּא לְבָתַר דְּחָבוּ כְּתִיב, וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּישֵׁם וְגוֹ.'

Adam Colors Garments Light Likenesses Linen Sin Skin Zeir Anpin

34. He said to him, It is surely so THAT IT OCCURRED AFTER THE SIN, only at first THEY WERE CLOTHED in the likeness of above, NAMELY WITH THE SUPERNAL SPLENDOR OF ZEIR ANPIN and were divested of the lower hues OF THIS WORLD, and the celestial light surrounded them. After they sinned, He returned them to the colors of this world, and removed from them the supernal colors THEY HAD FROM ZEIR ANPIN. It is written, "For the man also and for his wife did Hashem Elohim make coats of skin, and clothed them" as in this world. It is written, "And you shall bring his sons, and put coats upon them" (Shemot 29:9). In the latter verse, it bore resemblance to the supernal, NAMELY THE LIGHT OF ZEIR ANPIN, while here, REGARDING THE COATS OF SKIN OF ADAM, they bore resemblance to the lower. FOR THAT REASON they are called linen (Heb. shesh) coats THAT ALLUDES TO ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED SIX (HEB. SHESH), AFTER THE SIX EXTREMITIES. In this verse there are coats of skin, WHICH PERTAIN TO MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED SKIN, WHICH BEARS THE ASPECT OF THIS WORLD. Even though it is so, the beauty of these garments surpassed everything.

34. א"ל, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא הֲווֹ כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וּמִתְפָּשְׁטִן מִן גְּוָונֵי דִּלְתַּתָּא, וַהֲוָה נְהוֹרָא דִּלְעֵילָּא אַסְחַר עָלַיְיהוּ. וּלְבָתַר דְּחָבוּ, אַהְדָּר לוֹן בִּגְוָונֵי דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאַעְבַּר מִנַּיְיהוּ גַּוְונֵי דִּלְעֵילָּא. מַה כְּתִיב. וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּישֵׁם מִגַּוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. כְּתִיב וְאֶת אַהֲרֺן וְאֶת בָּנָיו תַּקְרִיב וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּם כָּתְנוֹת, הָתָם כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. הָכָא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְתַּתָּא. הָתָם כָּתְנוֹת שֵׁשׁ, הָכָא כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר. וְאע"ג דְּאִיהוּ הָכִי, שַׁפִּירָא דְּאִינּוּן לְבוּשִׁין סָלִיק עַל כֺּלָּא.

Blind Eyes Righteous Wisdom

35. "And the eyes of them both were opened" (Beresheet 3:7), which means THEIR EYES OPENED to the mold of this world, NAMELY TO THE REGULAR MODEL OF THIS WORLD, which was not the case before when they were above, observing with open eyes, in the supernal world. In the future to come, it is written, "And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not..." (Yeshayah 42:16). For the Holy One, blessed be He, will open eyes that were unwise so they will behold supernal wisdom and attain what they did not attain in this world so as to recognize their Master. Happy are the righteous that will attain this wisdom, since there is no wisdom as that wisdom, nor is there knowing such as that knowing.

35. וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם בְטִיפְסָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה קוֹדֶם, דַּהֲווֹ מַשְׁגִּחִין וּפַקְחִין לְעֵילָּא. לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי כְּתִיב, וְהוֹלַכְתִּי עִוְרִים בְּדֶּרֶךְ לֺֹא יָדָעוּ וְגוֹ.' זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַפְקְחָא עַיְינִין דְּלָא חַכִּימִין, וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה, וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּמַאי דְּלָא אִתְדָּבָקוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּיִנְדְּעוּן לְמָארֵיהוֹן. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא, דְּיִזְכּוּן לְהַהִיא חָכְמְתָא, דְּלָאו חָכְמְתָא כְּהַהִיא חָכְמְתָא, וְלָאו יְדִיעָה כְּהַהִיא יְדִיעָה, וְלָאו דְּבֵקוּתָא כְּהַהִיא דְּבֵקוּתָא.

Animals Robbers

36. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי, חֲזוּ אִינּוּן לִסְטִים אָזְלֵי בַּתְרַיְיהוּ, לְאַקְפְּחָא לוֹן. אִסְתָּכַּל בְּהוּ ר' אֶלְעָזָר, אָתוּ תְּרֵין חֵיוָן בָּרָא וְקַטְלֵי לוֹן. אָמַר ר' אֶלְעָזָר, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּשֵׁיזְבָן, קָרָא עָלַיְיהוּ, בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לֺֹא יֵצַר צַעֲדֶךָ וְאִם תָּרוּץ לֺֹא תִכָּשֵׁל, וּכְתִיב כִּי מַלְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה לָּךְ וְגוֹ.' וּכְתִיב כִּי בִי חָשַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵהוּ.