Daf 211b (דַּף רי״א ע״ב)

And even though we have said that Eden is below in the land (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאַמָרָן עֵדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא בְּאַרְעָא), so it certainly is (הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי). But all of it is a supernal mystery (אֲבָל כֹּלָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ), as it has been said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר): that this point we mentioned (דְּהַאי נְקוּדָה דְּקָאָמַרָן), just as it has a portion above (כְּמָה דְּאִית לָהּ חוּלָקָא לְעֵילָּא), so too it has a portion below on earth (הָכִי נָמֵי אִית לָהּ חוּלָקָא לְתַתָּא בְּאַרְעָא). And this garden below (וְהַאי גִּנְתָּא לְתַתָּא), it is the portion of that point (אִיהוּ חוּלָקָא דְּהַהִיא נְקוּדָה) to delight in the spirits of the Righteous on earth (לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא בְּרוּחֵי דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא בְּאַרְעָא), and to be pleased in all directions above and below (וְאִתְהֲנֵי בְּכָל סִטְרִין לְעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא).

Above — by the Tzaddik (לְעֵילָּא בְּצַדִּיק), below — in the heart of the Tzaddik (לְתַתָּא בְּהַהוּא אִיבָּא דְּצַדִּיק), and there is no delight above and below except through the Tzaddik (וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח שַׁעְשׁוּעָא עֵילָּא וְתַתָּא אֶלָּא בְּצַדִּיק). And this garden is from that point called Eden (וְהַאי גִּנְתָּא אִיהוּ, מֵהַהִיא נְקוּדָה דְּאִקְרֵי עֵדֶן), the point drawn from the concealed Imma Ila’ah — it is the Garden of Eden on earth (נְקוּדָה דְּנָטְלָא מֵאִמָּא עִילָּאָה טְמִירָא אִיהִי גַּן עֵדֶן דְּאַרְעָא). These are the heads of life — these four heads of faces (אִינּוּן רָאשֵׁי הַחַיָּה, אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע רֵישֵׁי אַנְפִּין). One is a lion, as it is written (חַד אַרְיֵה, דִּכְתִּיב): “And the face of the lion on the right side” (Ezekiel 1) (וּפְנֵי אַרְיֵה אֶל הַיָּמִין).

And one is an ox, as it is written: “And the face of the ox from the left side” (וְחַד שׁוֹר, דִּכְתִּיב: וּפְנֵי שׁוֹר מֵהַשְּׂמֹאל). And one is an eagle, as it is written: “And the face of the eagle for all four” (וְחַד נֶשֶׁר, דִּכְתִּיב: וּפְנֵי נֶשֶׁר לְאַרְבַּעְתָּן). Man is the totality of them all, as it is written: “And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man” (וְאָדָם כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא, דִּכְתִּיב: וּדְמוּת פְּנֵיהֶם פְּנֵי אָדָם). And these four heads shine — their outflow (וְאִלֵּין אַרְבַּע רֵישֵׁי נַהֲרִין דְּמָטוּלֵיהוֹן), Some say: their aspects that draw (נ״א: חִוְיָן דְּנָטְלִין) — to the Throne of Glory (לְכוּרְסְיָיא קַדִּישָׁא), and from their flowing forth there is a trembling (וּמִגּוֹ מָטוּלָא דִּילְהוֹן זָעִין). And from that trembling that flows from them, that river of fire is made (וּמֵהַהוּא זִיעָא דְּמָטוּלָא דִּילְהוֹן, אִתְעָבִיד הַהוּא נָהָר דִּי נוּר), as it is written (Daniel 7): “A river of fire flowed and went forth from before Him” (דִּכְתִּיב: נְהַר דִּי נוּר נָגֵד וְנָפֵק מִן קֳדָמוֹהִי), a thousand thousands shall serve Him (אֶלֶף אַלְפִּין יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵהּ). And when souls ascend, they are bathed in that river of fire (וְנִשְׁמָתִין כַּד סַלְּקִין, אִתְסַחְיָין בְּהַהוּא נָהָר דִּי נוּר), and they ascend for offering and are not burned — rather, they are bathed (וְסַלְּקִין לְקוּרְבָּנָא וְלָא אִתּוֹקְדָן, אֶלָּא אִתְסַחְיָין).

Come and see: from the salamander,, garments are made (תָּא חֲזֵי מִסַּלַּמַנְדְּרָא, דְּעַבְדִּין מִנָּהּ לְבוּשָׁא). And because it is from fire, that garment is not bathed with water — rather, with fire (וּמִגּוֹ דְּאִיהִי מִנּוּרָא, לָא אִתְסַחְיָיא הַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא אֶלָּא בְּנוּרָא), the fire consumes the filth within it, and the garment is purified (אֶשָּׁא אָכִיל זוּהֲמָא דְּבֵיהּ, וְאִתְסַחֵי הַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא). So too the soul — a fire that is cast from the Throne of Glory (הָכִי נָמֵי נִשְׁמְתָא דִּי נוּר דְּאִתְנְטִילַת מִגּוֹ כוּרְסְיָיא קַדִּישָׁא), as it is written regarding it (Daniel 7): “His throne was flames of fire” (דִּכְתִּיב בָּהּ: כָּרְסְיֵהּ שְׁבִיבִין דִּי נוּר).

At the time when it needs to be purified from the filth within it, it is passed through fire and is purified (בְּזִמְנָא דְּבָעְיָא לְאִתְסַחְיָיא מֵהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא דְּבָהּ, אִתְעַבְּרַת בְּנוּרָא וְאִתְסַחְיָיא). And the fire consumes all that filth in the soul (וְנוּרָא אַכְלָא כָּל הַהוּא זוּהֲמָא דִּי בְּנִשְׁמְתָא), and the soul is purified and whitened (וְנִשְׁמְתָא אִתְסַחְיָיא וְאִתְלַבְּנַת). And if you would say: if so, is there no punishment for the soul in this? (וְאִי תֵּימָא אִי הָכִי עוֹנְשָׁא לֵית לָהּ לְנִשְׁמְתָא בְּהַאי), come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), woe to the soul that endures foreign fire (וַוֵי לְנִשְׁמְתָא דְּסַבְלָת אֶשָּׁא נוּכְרָאָה), and even though it becomes whitened (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהִי אִתְלַבְּנָא), but when the filth upon it is great (אֲבָל כַּד זוּהֲמָא אִיהוּ סַגִּי עָלָהּ), woe to the soul that endures that punishment (וַוֵי לְנִשְׁמְתָא דְּסַבְלַת הַהוּא עוֹנְשָׁא), because that filth requires three times to be whitened in fire (בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא בִּתְרֵי זִמְנֵי אִתְלַבְּנַת בְּנוּרָא).

The first time, once it has received punishment in the body (זִמְנָא קַדְמָאָה כֵּיוָן דְּקַבִּילַת עוֹנְשָׁא בְּגוּפָא), the soul goes, and they take it (אַזְלָא נִשְׁמְתָא, וְנַטְלֵי לָהּ), and bring it into a certain place called Ben Hinnom (וְאַעֲלִין לָהּ בְּגוֹ אֲתָר חַד דְּאִקְרֵי בֶּן הִנֹּם). And why is it called Ben Hinnom? (וַאֲמַאי אִקְרֵי בֶּן הִנֹּם), rather, it is a place within Gehinnom (אֶלָּא אֲתָר חַד אִיהוּ בְּגֵיהִנָּם), where souls are refined (דְּתַמָּן אִתְצְרִיפוּ נִשְׁמָתִין), through refining (בְּצִרוּפָא), to be whitened before they enter the Garden of Eden (לְאִתְלַבְּנָא עַד לָא עָאלִין בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן). Some say: if those souls are meritorious when they enter that place (וְאִי זַכָּאִין אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין כַּד אַעֲלִין לוֹן בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר), two appointed messenger angels are prepared in the Garden of Eden (תְּרֵין מַלְאֲכִין שְׁלִיחָן זְמִינִין בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), and they stand at the gate (וְקַיְּימִין לְתַרְעָא), and cry out toward those appointed ones in that place of Gehinnom (וְצַוְחִין לְגַבֵּי אִינוּן מְמָנָן דִּבְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּגֵיהִנָּם), in order to receive that soul (בְּגִין לְקַבְּלָא הַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא).

And that soul, until it is whitened in fire (וְהַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא עַד לָא אִתְלַבְּנַת בְּנוּרָא), those messengers cry out toward them and say: Hinnom (אִינוּן שְׁלִיחָן צַוְחִין לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, וְאָמְרֵי: הִנֹּם). And when it has been whitened (וּבְזִמְנָא דְּהִיא אִתְלַבְּנַת), those appointed ones go out with it from that place (אִינוּן מְמָנָן נָפְקִין עִמָּהּ מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר), and they bring it to the entrance of the Garden of Eden (וּזְמִינִי לָהּ לְגַבֵּי פִּתְחָא דְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן), where those messengers are, and say to them: Hinnom (דְּתַמָּן אִינוּן שְׁלִיחָן וְאָמְרֵי לוֹן: הִנֹּם).

These are the souls that have been whitened (הָא אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּהָא אִתְלַבְּנוּ), and then they bring that soul into the Garden of Eden (כְּדֵין אַעְלִין לְהַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן). And how broken is she from within that breaking of the Gehinnom-whitening (וְכַמָּה אִיהִי תְּבִירָא מִגּוֹ הַהוּא תְּבִירוּ דְּאִתְלַבְּנוּתָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם), Some say: from that (נ״א: דְּהוּא) breaking of the lower fire (דְּהַהוּא תְּבִירוּ דְּאֶשָּׁא תַּתָּאָה). And even though it descends from above (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּנָחִית מִלְעֵילָּא), but once it reaches the earth below (כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא לְאַרְעָא לְתַתָּא), it is a fire that is not refined (אִיהוּ אֶשָּׁא דְּלָא דָּקִיק), and the soul is punished in it and broken (וְנִשְׁמְתָא אִתְעַנְשָׁא בֵּיהּ, וְאִתְבָּרַת).

Then Kudsha Berikh Hu brings forth a sun that shines from those four radiant gates in the firmament above the garden (כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפִּיק שִׁמְשָׁא דְּנָהִיר מֵאִינוּן אַרְבַּע פִּתְחִין דְּנָהֲרִין בִּרְקִיעָא דְּעַל גִּנְתָּא), and it reaches that soul and heals it (וּמָטָא לְהַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא וְאִתְּסִיאַת). This is what is written (Malachi 3): “And the sun of righteousness shall shine for you who fear My Name, with healing in its wings” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב וְזָרְחָה לָכֶם יִרְאֵי שְׁמִי שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה וּמַרְפֵּא בִּכְנָפֶיהָ).