Daf 150a (דַּף ק״נ ע״א)

And if you say, behold it is written: “And behold, it was very good; this is the Angel of Death” (וְאִי תֵּימָא, וְהָא כְּתִיב וְהִנִּה טוֹב מְאֹד דָּא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת) (Bereshit 1), and here you said that concerning him it is not said “that it was good” (וְהָכָא אַמָרְתְּ דְּלָא אִתְּמַר בְּגִינִיהּ כִּי טוֹב). Rather, this is the secret of secrets, that indeed the Angel of Death is very good (אֶלָּא רָזָא דְּרָזִין הָכָא, דְּהָא וַדַּאי מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אִיהוּ טוֹב מְאֹד). What is the reason? Because all the people of the world know that they will die and return to dust (מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּהָא כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא יַדְעֵי דִּימוּתוּן וְיִתְהַדְרוּן לְעַפְרָא), and many are those who return in repentance to their Master because of this fear (וְסַגִּיאִין אִינּוּן דִּמְהַדְּרֵי בְּתִיּוּבְתָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן, בְּגִין דְּחִילוּ דָּא), and they fear to sin before Him (וְדַחֲלֵי לְמֶחטֵי קַמֵּיהּ). Many fear the King because the strap is held before them (סַגִּיאִין דַּחֲלֵי מִן מַלְכָּא, מִגּוֹ דְּתַלְיָא רְצוּעָה לְקָמַיְיהוּ). How good is that strap for man, that it causes them to do good and upright deeds, and to correct their ways as is proper (כַּמָה טָבָא הַהִיא רְצוּעָה לְגַבֵּי בַּר נָשׁ, דְּעַבְדַּת לוֹן טָבִין וְקָשִׁיטִין, וּמְתַקְּנִין בְּאָרְחַיְיהוּ כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת). And about this it is written: “And behold, it was very good” (וְעַל דָּא וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד) - Very indeed (מְאֹד וַדַּאי).

The Secret of secrets that I learned from the Holy Luminary (רָזָא דְּרָזִין, דְּאוֹלִיפְנָא מִגּוֹ בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא): “And behold, it was good” - this is the Angel of Life (וְהִנֵּה טוֹב, דָּא מַלְאָךְ חַיִּים). “Very” - this is the Angel of Death, who is greater (מְאֹד, דָּא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוְת, דְּאִיהוּ יַתִּיר). Why is the Angel of Death “very good”? (אֲמַאי מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אִיהוּ טוֹב מְאֹד) Because when Kudsha Berikh Hu created the world, all was arranged and rectified before man came, who is the king of this world (אֶלָּא כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, כֹּלָּא הֲוָה מִתְתָּקַּן עַד לָא יֵיתֵי אָדָם, דְּאִיהוּ מַלְכָּא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא). When man was created, He made him upright and properly corrected (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אָדָם, עֲבַד לֵיהּ מִתְתַּקָּן בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט), as it is written: “Which God has made man upright, but they sought many schemes” (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם יָשָׁר וְהֵמָה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבוֹנוֹת רַבִּים) (Ecclesiastes 7). He made him upright, but afterward he sinned and was driven from the Garden of Eden (עֲבַד לֵיהּ יָשָׁר, וּלְבָתַר סָרַח, וְאִטְרִיד מִגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן).

The Garden of Eden is on earth, planted with those plantings that Kudsha Berikh Hu planted, as it is said: “And Hashem God planted a garden in Eden, from the east” (גַּן עֵדֶן אִיהוּ בְּאַרְעָא, נָטִיעַ בְּאִינּוּן נְטִיעָן דְּנָטַע לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיִּטַּע יְיָ' אֱלהִים גַּן בְּעֵדֶן מִקֶּדֶם) (Bereshit 2). He planted it in the complete Name, corresponding to the supernal above (אִיהוּ נָטַע לֵיהּ בִּשְׁמָא שְׁלִים, כְּגַוְונָא עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא). And all the supernal forms are embroidered and engraved in this lower Garden of Eden (וְכָל דִּיוּקְנִין עִלָּאִין כֻּלְּהוּ, מְרֻקְּמָן וּמִתְצַיְירָן בְּהַאי גַּן עֵדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא), and there are the Keruvim (וְתַמָּן אִינּוּן כְּרוּבִים).

They are not carvings made by the carvings of men from gold or other materials (לָאו אִינּוּן גְּלִיפִין בִּגְלִיפוֹי דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא מִדַּהֲבָא אוֹ מִמִּלָּה אַחֲרָא), but all are lights from above, engraved and depicted in woven design, the work of the craftsman of the complete Name of Kudsha Berikh Hu (אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ נְהוֹרִין דִּלְעֵילָּא, גְּלִיפִין וּמִתְצַיְּירִין בְּצִיּוּרָא מְרֻקְּמָא, עוֹבָדֵי יְדֵי אוּמָנָא דִּשְׁמָא שְׁלִים דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), and all are inscribed there (וְכֻלְּהוּ מְחֻקְּקָן תַּמָּן). And all the forms and images of this world are depicted there, engraved and inscribed there, all corresponding to this world (וְכָל דִּיוּקְנִין וְצִיּוּרִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְצַיְּירָן תַּמָּן, וּגְּלִיפָן וּמִתְחַקְקָן תַּמָּן, כֻּלְּהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And this place is the dwelling of holy spirits (וַאֲתָר דָּא אִיהוּ מָדוֹרָא לְרוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין), both those who have come into this world and those who have not come into this world (בֵּין אִינּוּן דְּאָתוּ לְהַאי עָלְמָא, בֵּין אִינּוּן דְּלָא אָתוּ לְהַאי עָלְמָא), and those who are destined to come into this world (וְאִינּוּן דִּזְמִינִין לְמֵיתֵי לְהַאי עָלְמָא).

All these spirits are clothed in garments and bodies and faces in the likeness of this world (כֻּלְּהוּ רוּחִין מִתְלַבְּשָׁן בִּלְבוּשִׁין וְגּוּפִין וּפַרְצוּפִין כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and they behold there the radiance of the glory of their Master until they come into this world (וּמִסְתַּכְּלָן תַּמָּן בְּזִיו יְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, עַד דְּאַתְיָין לְהַאי עָלְמָא). At the time when they go forth from there to come into this world (בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַפְקֵי מִתַּמָּן, לְמֵיתֵי לְהַאי עָלְמָא), those spirits strip off that body and garment of there (מִתְפַּשְּׁטִין אִינּוּן רוּחִין, מֵהַהוּא גּוּפָא וּלְבוּשָׁא דְּתַמָּן), and clothe themselves in a body and garment of this world (וּמִתְלַבְּשִׁין בְּגוּפָא וּבִלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and make their dwelling in this world in this garment and body, which is from a putrid drop (וְעַבְדִין דִּיּוּרֵיהוֹן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בִּלְבוּשָׁא וְגוּפָא דָּא, דְּאִיהוּ מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה).

And when his time arrives to go and to depart from this world (וְכַד מָטֵי זִמְנֵיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ וּלְנָפְקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא), he does not depart until the Angel of Death strips off from him the garment of this body (לָא נָפִיק עַד דְּהַאי מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אַפְשִׁיט לֵיהּ לְבוּשָׁא דְּגוּפָא דָּא). When this body is stripped from that spirit by the hand of the Angel of Death (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְפָּשַּׁט הַאי גּוּפָא מֵהַהוּא רוּחָא, עַל יְדֵי דְּהַהוּא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת), it goes and is clothed in that other body of the Garden of Eden (אַזְלָא וּמִתְלַּבְּשָׁא בְּהַהוּא גּוּפָא אַחֲרָא דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), which it had stripped off when it came into this world (דְּאִתְפְּשִׁיט כַּד אָתֵי לְהַאי עָלְמָא). And there is no joy for the spirit except in that body there (וְלֵית חִדוּ לְרוּחָא, בַּר בְּהַהוּא גּוּפָא דְּתַמָּן), and it rejoices that it has been stripped from this body of this world and clothed in another complete garment in the likeness of that world (וְחַדֵּי עַל דְּאִתְפָּשַּׁט מֵהַאי גּוּפָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאִתְלָבַּשׁ בִּלְבוּשָׁא אַחֲרָא שְׁלִים, כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And in it he sits, and goes, and looks to know supernal secrets, what he could not know nor behold in this world in this body (וּבֵיהּ יָתִיב וְאָזִיל וְאִסְתָּכַּל לְמִנְדַּע בְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין, מַה דְּלָא יָכִיל לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא בְּגוּפָא דָּא).

And when the Neshma is clothed in that garment of that world (וְכַד אִתְלַבְּשַׁת נִשְׁמְתָא בְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), how many delights, how many longings belong to it there (כַמָה עִדוּנִין, כַּמָה כִּסוּפִין דִּילָהּ תַּמָּן). What causes this body to be clothed with the Ruach (מַה גָּרִים לְגוּפָא דָּא, לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בֵּיהּ רוּחָא)? It is fitting to say, that which stripped off these garments (הֲוֵי אֵימָא הַהוּא דְּאַפְשִׁיט לֵיהּ לְבוּשִׁין אִלֵּין). And the Kudsha Berikh Hu does kindness with His creatures (וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד טִיבוּ עִם בִּרְיָין), that He does not strip a person of these garments until He has prepared for him other garments, more precious and better than these (דְּלָא אַפְשִׁיט לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְבוּשִׁין אִלֵּין, עַד דְּאַתְקִין לֵיהּ לְבוּשִׁין אַחֲרָנִין יַקִּירִין וְטָבִין מֵאִלֵּין). Except for those guilty ones of the world (בַּר לְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא), who did not return in complete Teshuvah to their Master (דְּלָא אָהַדְרוּ בְּתִיּוּבְתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן). They came naked into this world (דְּעַרְטִילָאִין אָתוּ לְהַאי עָלְמָא), and naked they shall return there (וְעַרְטִילָאִין יְתוּבוּן תַּמָּן). And the Neshma goes in shame before the others, for it has no garments at all (וְנִשְׁמְתָא אַזְלָא בְּכִסּוּפָא לְגַבֵּי אַחֲרָנִין, דְּלֵית לָהּ לְבוּשִׁין כְּלַל), and it is judged in that Gehinnom which is on earth, from that fire above (וְאִתְּדָנַת בְּהַהוּא גֵּיהִנָּם דִּבְאַרְעָא, מִגּוֹ הַהוּא אֶשָּׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא). And there are some of them who chirp and ascend (וְאִית מִנְּהוֹן דִּמְצַפְצְפֵי וְסַלְקֵי), and these are the guilty ones of the world, who thought in their hearts of Teshuva but died and were not able to perform it (וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא, דְחַשְׁבִי בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, וּמִיתוּ, וְלָא יָכִילוּ לְמֶעְבַּד לָהּ). These are judged there in Gehinnom, and afterwards they chirp and ascend (אִלֵּין אִתְדָּנוּ תַּמָּן בְּגֵיהִנָּם, וּלְבָתַר מְצַפְצְפֵי וְסַלְּקִין).