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."

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.

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.

36. While they were walking they saw robbers following them to rob them. Rabbi Elazar looked at them, and two wild animals came and killed them. Rabbi Elazar said, Blessed is the Merciful who saved us. He recited about them, "When you go, your steps shall not be confined; and when you run, you shall not stumble" (Mishlei 4:12), and, "Because he has set his delight upon Me, therefore will I deliver him" (Tehilim 91:14).