Daf 210b (דַּף ר״י ע״ב)

Fortunate is the portion of one who merits these garments we mentioned (זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ מַאן דְּזָכֵי לְהָנֵי לְבוּשֵׁי דְּקָאָמַרָן) which the Tzaddikim are clothed in within the Garden of Eden below (דְּמִתְלַבְּשָׁן בְּהוּ צַדִּיקַיָּא בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן לְתַתָּא). These come from the good deeds that a person performs in this world (אִלֵּין מֵעוֹבָדִין טָבִין דְּעָבִיד בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא) through the commandments of the Orayta (בְּפִקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא). And by them the soul stands in the lower Garden of Eden (וּבְהוֹן קַיְּימָא נִשְׁמְתָא בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן לְתַתָּא) and is clothed in these precious garments (וְאִתְלַבְּשַׁת בְּהָנֵי לְבוּשִׁין יַקִּירִין) When the soul ascends through that opening of the upper firmament (כַּד סַלְּקָא נִשְׁמְתָא בְּהַהוּא פִּתְחָא דִּרְקִיעָא לְעֵילָּא) other precious and supernal garments are prepared for it (אִזְדַּמְּנָן לָהּ לְבוּשִׁין אַחֲרָנִין יַקִּירִין עִלָּאִין) which come from the will and intention of the heart in Orayta and prayer (דְּאִינּוּן מֵרְעוּתָא וְכַוָּנָה דְּלִבָּא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וּבִצְלוֹתָא).

When that Re‘uta [will] ascends above (דְּכַד סַלְּקָא הַהוּא רְעוּתָא לְעֵילָּא), whoever is crowned with it is crowned (מִתְעַטָּר בָּהּ מַאן דְּמִתְעַטְּרָא), and a portion remains for that person (וְאִשְׁתְּאַר חוּלָקָא לְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ). And from it, garments of light are made (וְאִתְעָבֵד מִנֵּיהּ לְבוּשִׁין דִּנְהוֹרָא), for the Neshamta [soul] to be clothed in them (לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בְּהוּ נִשְׁמְתָא), so that it may ascend above (לְסַלְּקָא לְעֵילָּא). And even though it has been established that those garments depend on deeds (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאוּקְמוּהָ דְּאִינּוּן לְבוּשִׁין בְּעוֹבָדִין תַּלְיָין), these depend only upon the will of the spirit (אִלֵּין לָא תַּלְיָין אֶלָּא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּרוּחָא), as has been stated concerning their existence among the holy angelic spirits (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר לְקַיְּימָא גּוֹ מַלְאֲכִין רוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין). And this is the clarification of the matter (וְדָא אִיהוּ בְּרִירוּ דְּמִלָּה). And Butzina Kadisha [Holy Luminary] learned thus from Eliyahu (וּבוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא אוֹלִיף הָכִי מֵאֵלִיָּהוּ): the lower garments in the earthly Garden are from deeds (לְבוּשִׁין דִּלְתַתָּא בְּגִנְתָּא דְּאַרְעָא בְּעוֹבָדִין); the upper garments are from the will and intention of the spirit in the heart (לְבוּשִׁין דִּלְעֵילָּא בִּרְעוּתָא וְכַוָּנָא דְּרוּחָא בְּלִבָּא). “And a river goes out of Eden to water the Garden,” etc. (וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן וְגוֹ׳) (Bereshit 2:10)—this has been established (הָא אוּקְמוּהָ). But in this lower Garden, a river surely goes out from Eden (אֲבָל בְּהַאי גִּנְתָּא דִּלְתַתָּא נָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן וַדַּאי). And it is necessary to know concerning this river that goes forth in the lower Garden: where are its root and source? (וְאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִנְדַּע הַאי נָהָר דְּנָפִיק בְּגִנְתָּא דִּלְתַתָּא בְּאָן אֲתַר עִקָּרָא וְשָׁרְשָׁא דִּילֵיהּ). In what place is Eden? (בְּאָן אֲתָר בְּעֵדֶן). Eden is a supernal mystery (עֵדֶן דָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ), and permission was not given for the eye of understanding to rule over it (וְלָא אִתְיְיהִיב רְשׁוּ לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בֵּיהּ עֵינָא דְּסֻכְלְתָנוּ).

And the secret of the matter is this (וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה): were this place given below to be revealed (אִלְמָלֵי אֲתָר דָּא אִתְמְסַר לְתַתָּא לְאִתְגַלָאָה), then the place of the holy supernal Eden would likewise be given to be known (אֲתָר דְּעֵדֶן עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא אִתְמְסַר אוּף הָכִי לְמִנְדַּע). But because of the concealment of the glory of the holy supernal Eden (אֶלָּא בְּגִין טְמִירוּ דִּיְקָרָא דְּעֵדֶן עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא), the lower Eden was hidden and concealed (אִתְטָמַר וְאִתְגְּנִיז עֵדֶן תַּתָּאָה), from which that river flows and goes forth (דְּהַהוּא נָהָר נָגִיד וְנָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ). Therefore, it was not given to be revealed (וְעַל דָּא לָא אִתְמְסַר לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה), not even to those souls in the Garden of Eden (אֲפִילּוּ לְאִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן). Just as this river spreads out and goes forth from within Eden to water the supernal Garden (כְּמָה דְּהַאי נָהָר אִתְפְּרַשׁ וְנָפִיק מִגּוֹ עֵדֶן לְאַשְׁקָאָה לְגִנְתָּא דִּלְעֵילָּא), so too, from within that central opening one light goes forth (הָכִי נָמֵי מִגּוֹ הַהוּא פִּתְחָא דְּאֶמְצָעִיתָא נָפִיק חַד נְהוֹרָא), which spreads out to four directions (דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ לְד׳ סִטְרִין), through the four openings which we have mentioned (בְּד׳ פִּתְחִין דְּקָאָמַרָן): a place in which those inscribed letters stand (אֲתָר דְּקַיְימִין אִינּוּן אַתְוָון רְשִׁימָן). And that light, which separates into four lights through four letters of sparks (וְהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ לְאַרְבַּע נְהוֹרִין בְּד׳ אַתְוָון דְּנִיצוֹצִין)—[Some say: “and they go forth”] (נ״א וְנָפְקִין)—goes forth from Eden (נָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן): a place that shines, a point above (אֲתָר דְּזָהֲרָא נְקוּדָה לְעֵילָּא). And that point is illuminated (וְהַהוּא נְקוּדָה אִתְנְהִיר), and becomes Eden, in order to give light (וְאִתְעָבִיד עֵדֶן לְאַנְהָרָא). And no one has authority to see or know that point (וְלָא אִית מַאן דְּשַׁלִּיט לְמֵחֱמֵי וּלְמִנְדַּע לְהַאי נְקוּדָה), except for that radiance which spreads forth from it (בַּר הַהוּא נְהִירוּ דְּאִתְפָּשַּׁט מִנֵּיהּ), before which the Tzaddikaya [Righteous] of the Garden of Eden bow (דְּסַגְדִּין לְקַמֵּיהּ אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), as has been said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). And this lower point (וְהַאי נְקוּדָה תַּתָּאָה) is the Garden in relation to the supernal Eden (אִיהִי גִּנְתָּא לְגַבֵּי עֵדֶן עִלָּאָה), a place which was not given to be known or contemplated (אֲתָר דְּלָא אִתְיְיהִיב לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא).

Regarding all this, it is written (עַל כָּל דָּא כְּתִיב): “No eye has seen, O Elohim, besides You” (עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ) (Yeshayahu 64:3). This Name has been explained (שְׁמָא דָּא אִתְפְּרַשׁ). “Elohim besides You” refers to this lower holy point (אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ דָּא נְקוּדָה תַּתָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא), which knows this lower Eden that is hidden in the Garden (דְּאִיהוּ יָדַע הַאי עֵדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא דְּטָמִיר בְּגִנְתָּא), and no other knows it (וְלֵית אַחֲרָא מַאן דְּיָדַע לֵיהּ). “Elohim besides You”—this is the supernal Eden above all (אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ דָּא עֵדֶן עִלָּאָה עַל כֹּלָּא), which is the mystery of the World to Come (דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי), which knows the lower point through one Tzaddik [Righteous One] who goes forth from it (דְּאִיהוּ יָדַע לִנְקוּדָה תַּתָּאָה בְּחַד צַדִּיק דְּנָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ), a river that satiates him (נָהָר דְּרַוֵּי לֵיהּ). And none knows it except him (וְלֵית מַאן דְּיָדַע לֵיהּ בַּר אִיהוּ), as it is written: “Elohim besides You” (דִּכְתִּיב אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ), for He is attached above, above, until Ein Sof [Without End] (דְּאִיהוּ אָחִיד לְעֵילָּא לְעֵילָּא עַד אֵין סוֹף). And this river that goes forth from Eden below (וְהַאי נָהָר דְּנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן לְתַתָּא) is a mystery for the wise (רָזָא אִיהוּ לְחַכִּימִין), in the mystery of that which is written (בְּרָזָא דִּכְתִּיב): “And He shall satisfy your soul in shining places” (וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ) (Yeshayahu 58:11). And this matter has been explained above and below (וּמִלָּה דָּא אִתְפְּרַשׁ לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא). The Neshamta [soul] that goes forth from this dark world (נִשְׁמְתָא דְּנַפְקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא דְּחַשׁוֹכָא) longs to behold the radiance of the supernal world (אִיהִי תָּאִיבַת לְמֵחֱמֵי בִּנְהִירוּ דְּעָלְמָא עִלָּאָה), like a person who longs to drink out of thirst for water (כְּהַאי בַּר נָשׁ דְּתָאִיב לְמִשְׁתֵּי בִּתְאִיבוּ לְמַיָּא). So too, each and every one is a “shining place” (הָכִי כָּל חַד וְחַד אִיהוּ צַחְצָחוֹת), as you say (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר): “Parched with thirst” (צִחֵה צָמָא) (Yeshayahu 5:13). The thirst is for those bright lights of the Garden, the firmament, and the chambers of the Garden (צָמָא מֵאִינּוּן צָחוֹת דִּנְהוֹרִין דְּגִּנְתָּא וּרְקִיעָא וְהֵיכָלִין דְּגִּנְתָּא). And that river which goes forth from Eden (וְהַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָפִיק מֵעֵדֶן)—all those souls, in garments of glory, sit beside that river (כָּל אִינּוּן נִשְׁמָתִין בִּלְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר יַתְבִין עַל הַהוּא נָהָר), and were it not for that garment, they could not bear it (וְאִלְמָלֵא הַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא לָא יַכְלִין לְמִסְבַּל). Then they are calmed and satiated by those bright lights (וּכְדֵין מִתְיַישְּׁבָן וְרַוָּון בְּאִינּוּן צָחוֹת), and are able to bear it (וְיַכְלֵי לְמִסְבַּל). And that river is the Tikkun [Rectification] of the souls (וְהַהוּא נָהָר אִיהוּ תִּקּוּנָא דְּנִשְׁמָתִין), to calm, sustain, and delight them (לְאִתְיַישְּׁבָא וּלְאִתְּזְנָא וּלְאִתְהֲנָאָה) from those bright lights (מֵאִינּוּן צָחוֹת). And the souls are repaired upon that river (וְנִשְׁמָתִין אִתְהַקְּנָן עַל הַהוּא נָהָר). [Some say: “are rectified.”] (נ״א אִתְתַּקְּנָן). And they are calmed within it (וּמִתְיַישְּׁבָן בֵּיהּ).