Thus R. Eleazar and R. Hiya were once walking together, and R. Eleazar said: ‘It is written, “And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife coats of skins” (Gen. 3, 22). Were they then divested of that skin till then? Yes, for they were robes of glory.’ Said R. Hiya: ‘Surely they did not deserve even coats of skin. For you cannot say that this was before they sinned, since it is after they sinned that it is written, “And the Lord God made them coats of skins” ‘.
He replied: ‘At first they were like heavenly creatures, and divested of the earthly type, and heavenly light played around them. After they sinned they became of the type of this world, and the heavenly character was taken away from them, and then God made them coats of skin and clothed them with the character of this world. None the less the beauty of those garments was incomparable.
It is further written, “And the eyes of both of them were opened” (Gen. 3, 7), that is, to see the squalor of this world, which they did not notice before since their eyes were turned aloft. So of the future time it is written, “And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not”, etc. (Isa. 42, 16), which means that God will open eyes that are not wise to contemplate supernal wisdom and to attain to heights which they could not attain in this world, that they may know their Master. Happy are the righteous who are deemed worthy of this wisdom, since there is no wisdom like that wisdom, nor knowledge like that knowledge, nor attachment like that attachment.’
As they were going along they saw some robbers following them with intent to harm them. R. Eleazar looked at them and two serpents came out and killed them, whereupon R. Eleazar said: Blessed be the Merciful One who has saved us.
(כי הא ד)רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר (ס"א חייא) כְּתִיב, (בראשית ג׳:כ״א) וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר. וְכִי עַד הַשְׁתָּא פְּשִׁיטֵי הֲווֹ מֵהַהוּא עוֹר. אִין. אֶלָּא מָאנֵי לְבוּשֵׁי יְקַר הֲווֹ. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי חִיָּיא, אִי הָכִי לָא אִתְחָזוּן לְהוּ אֲפִילּוּ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר. וְכִי תֵּימָא דְּעַד לָא חָאבוּ אַלְבִּישׁוּ לְהוּ, לָא. אֶלָּא לְבָתַר דְּחָבוּ כְּתִיב, וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּישֵׁם וְגוֹ'.
Thus R. Eleazar and R. Hiya were once walking together, and R. Eleazar said: ‘It is written, “And the Lord God made for Adam and his wife coats of skins” (Gen. 3, 22). Were they then divested of that skin till then? Yes, for they were robes of glory.’ Said R. Hiya: ‘Surely they did not deserve even coats of skin. For you cannot say that this was before they sinned, since it is after they sinned that it is written, “And the Lord God made them coats of skins” ‘.
אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, בְּקַדְמִיתָא הֲווֹ כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, וּמִתְפָּשְׁטִן מִן גְּוָונֵי דִּלְתַּתָּא, וַהֲוָה נְהוֹרָא דִּלְעֵילָּא אַסְחַר עָלַיְיהוּ. וּלְבָתַר דְּחָבוּ, אַהְדָּר לוֹן בִּגְוָונֵי דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאַעְבַּר מִנַּיְיהוּ גַּוְונֵי דִּלְעֵילָּא. מַה כְּתִיב. וַיַּעַשׂ יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּישֵׁם מִגַּוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. כְּתִיב (שמות כ״ט:ד׳) וְאֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו תַּקְרִיב וְהִלְבַּשְׁתָּם כָּתְנוֹת, הָתָם כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. הָכָא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְתַּתָּא. הָתָם כָּתְנוֹת שֵׁשׁ, הָכָא כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ הָכִי, שַׁפִּירָא דְּאִינּוּן לְבוּשִׁין סָלִיק עַל כֹּלָּא.
He replied: ‘At first they were like heavenly creatures, and divested of the earthly type, and heavenly light played around them. After they sinned they became of the type of this world, and the heavenly character was taken away from them, and then God made them coats of skin and clothed them with the character of this world. None the less the beauty of those garments was incomparable.
(בראשית ג׳:ז׳) וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם (בטיפסא) (בעפושא) דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה קוֹדֶם, דַּהֲווֹ מַשְׁגִּחִין וּפַקְחִין לְעֵילָּא. לְזִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ב:ט״ז) וְהוֹלַכְתִּי עִוְרִים בְּדֶּרֶךְ לֹא יָדָעוּ וְגוֹ'. זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַפְקְחָא עַיְינִין דְּלָא חַכִּימִין, וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה, וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּמַאי דְּלָא אִתְדָּבָקוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּיִנְדְּעוּן לְמָארֵיהוֹן. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא, דְּיִזְכּוּן לְהַהִיא חָכְמְתָא, דְּלָאו חָכְמְתָא כְּהַהִיא חָכְמְתָא, וְלָאו יְדִיעָה כְּהַהִיא יְדִיעָה, וְלָאו דְּבֵקוּתָא כְּהַהִיא דְּבֵקוּתָא.
It is further written, “And the eyes of both of them were opened” (Gen. 3, 7), that is, to see the squalor of this world, which they did not notice before since their eyes were turned aloft. So of the future time it is written, “And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not”, etc. (Isa. 42, 16), which means that God will open eyes that are not wise to contemplate supernal wisdom and to attain to heights which they could not attain in this world, that they may know their Master. Happy are the righteous who are deemed worthy of this wisdom, since there is no wisdom like that wisdom, nor knowledge like that knowledge, nor attachment like that attachment.’
עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי, חֲזוּ אִינּוּן לִסְטִים אָזְלֵי בַּתְרַיְיהוּ, לְאַקְפְּחָא לוֹן. אִסְתָּכַּל בְּהוּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, אָתוּ תְּרֵין חֵיוָן בָּרָא וְקַטְלֵי לוֹן. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא דְּשֵׁיזְבָן, קָרָא עָלַיְיהוּ, (משלי ד׳:י״ב) בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לֹא יֵצַר צַעֲדֶךָ וְאִם תָּרוּץ לֹא תִכָּשֵׁל, וּכְתִיב (תהילים צ״א:י״ד) כִּי מַלְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה לָּךְ וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִיב (שם) כִּי בִי חָשַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵהוּ.
As they were going along they saw some robbers following them with intent to harm them. R. Eleazar looked at them and two serpents came out and killed them, whereupon R. Eleazar said: Blessed be the Merciful One who has saved us.