292. Upon the lower, EARTHLY, Garden of Eden there stands a firmament, in which are contained high mysteries. When the Holy One, blessed be He, made the firmament, He brought fire and water from the Throne of Glory, WHICH IS THE WORLD OF BRIYAH, and put them together to form the lower firmament, OF OUR EARTH. They expanded until they reached that place, the Garden of Eden, and settled, THAT IS, EXPANDED NO MORE. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took from the holy high heaven, CHOCHMAH AND BINAH OF ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED HEAVEN OF ATZILUT, other fire and water, that both exist and do not exist, both disclosed and not disclosed. From these fire and water taken from the high heaven, He caused the firmament to expand, and stretched them over the lower Garden of Eden. That firmament, WHICH IS DA'AT, is united with the other firmament, OF OUR EARTH, WHICH IS TIFERET.

293. In the expansion of that firmament upon the garden, four colors are displayed: white, red, green and black. THEY ARE THE THREE COLUMNS, RIGHT, LEFT AND CENTRAL, WHITE, RED AND GREEN; AND BLACK WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT RECEIVES FROM THESE THREE COLUMNS. In these colors there are four openings underneath the expansion of the firmament. They open to the four sides of the firmament above the garden. FOR SOUTH AND NORTH ARE CHESED AND GVURAH, AND EAST AND WEST ARE TIFERET AND MALCHUT. From the fire and water from which the firmament was made, THE MENTIONED CHOCHMAH AND BINAH OF ZEIR ANPIN, four lights come through these four doors.

294. On the opening to the right from the expansion of the water aspect OF THE FIRMAMENT, THAT IS MADE OF FIRE AND WATER, NAMELY FROM THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, two lights shine through the two doors: through the right opening, IN THE SOUTH WHICH IS CHESED, and through the frontal opening, THAT IS, IN THE EAST WHICH IS TIFERET. BECAUSE EAST AND WEST ARE CALLED FRONT AND BACK. AND THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM ALSO ILLUMINES IN TIFERET AS WE ALREADY KNOW.

295. Within the light that illumines to the right, one letter engraved, stands out and glitters from inside the light. It is the letter Mem, THE FIRST LETTER OF 'MICHAEL', which stands in the middle of that light at that opening. This letter goes up and down, and does not stand still. That light ON THE RIGHT SIDE takes that letter out, therefore it does not stand still. THIS IS THE MYSTERY OF "AND THE LIVING CREATURES RAN AND RETURNED" (YECHEZKEL 1:14), FOR THEY DO NOT STAND STILL.

296. Within the light that illumines the side opposite the front, THAT IS EAST WHICH IS TIFERET, one letter is engraved, shining and standing out and glitters from inside the light. It is the letter Resh, WHICH IS THE FIRST LETTER OF THE ANGEL RAPHAEL. Sometimes the letter Bet is seen, THE FIRST LETTER THE ANGEL BOEL. It stands in the center of that light in the opening, going up and down. Sometimes it is seen and sometimes not. And it does not stand still, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MYSTERY OF "AND THE LIVING CREATURES RAN AND RETURNED." These two letters stand IN THE CENTER OF THE LIGHT IN THE TWO OPENINGS, and when the souls of the righteous come to Garden of Eden, these two letters step out of the light, and stand by that soul, and go up and down, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MYSTERY OF "AND THE LIVING CREATURES RAN AND RETURNED." AND WHAT IS SAID HERE THAT THE EAST IS CALLED RAPHAEL IS IN OPPOSITION TO SOME EXPLANATIONS IN WHICH URIEL IS THE EAST.

297. From the two doors, two Chariots then hasten to come down. One supernal Chariot is the Chariot of Michael, the great prince, and the second Chariot is of the superior chief Boel, who is the important minister called Raphael. They go down and stand by the soul and tell it, 'come in peace, it "shall enter in peace" (Yeshayah 57:2), enter in peace'. The two letters then mount, stand in their places and are concealed within the light of the doors.

298. Through the other two openings shine two other lights, glowing from the light of the fire in the openings, one to the left side and one to the rear. Two other letters burn within the lights and glitter therein. One is the letter Gimel and one letter is Nun, WHICH ARE THE FIRST LETTERS OF THE ANGEL GABRIEL AND THE ANGEL NURIEL. And when the first two letters return to their place, these two letters glitter and go up and down, leave the lights IN THE OPENINGS and stand by the soul.

299. Two Chariots then descend from the two openings. One is the Chariot of Gabriel, a high delegate and honorable chief. The second is another holy Chariot of the high superior Nuriel. They descend from the doors and stand by the soul. And the letters Gimel and Nun go back to their places.

300. The two Chariots then ascend into a hidden chamber called 'Ohalot' (lit. 'tents'), where there are twelve kinds of concealed sweet spices, as is written: "Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense..." (Shir Hashirim 4:14). These are ALSO the twelve kinds of spices of the lower GARDEN OF EDEN.

301. There you may also find the garments, the souls are worthy of wearing, each according to the soul's worth. In that garment, the good deeds are recorded, which he did in this world. All are written and proclaim, 'this is the garment of so-and-so'. AND THE ANGELS take the garments and clothe the souls of the righteous in the garden, in the likeness of the form of this world.