"And Abraham was old, advanced in age" (Gen. 24:1). We learned in the Mishnah, Rabbi Elazar said, In any case, this Mishnah well explains, "Behold one ofan (wheel) upon the earth by the living creatures, with its four faces" (Ezekiel 1:15). It becomes a Neshamah as said in the earlier Mishnah.
Rabbi Abba responded, Tell us, Master, about this Mishnah. What is it? He replied, this was also explained in another section the one about the thirteen divine attributes of mercy. But here we have to explain this portion. He began with the verse, "My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother" (Shir Hashirim 6:9). Rabbi Elazar asks, Why do we refer to it here in Shir Hashirim as a female but in the Torah we refer to it as male, namely Abraham?
Rather, Rabbi Elazar said, In Torah, the soul is male in relation to the body because the body to the soul is like a woman to a man. In relation to a higher grade, the soul is as a female to a male. Each receives its grade according to the context.
It was taught in the Mishnah that four times an hour every day, Eden drips upon the garden. The result of these drops is a river which separates into four branches. Each day, 48 drops fall on the seventy trees in the garden, as it is written, "The trees of Hashem have their fill" (Tehilim 104:15). Rabbi Tanchum said, It is written, "He waters the hills from His upper chambers" (Ibid. 13). What is his upper chamber? It is Eden. And where is Eden? Rabbi Yehuda said, It is above Aravot (sweet firmament). Rabbi Yosi said that it is in Aravot, where are treasures of good life, blessing and peace, and the souls of the righteous, as was taught. This is the upper chamber, while the Garden of Eden is lower, and an earthly garden is in apposition and draws from it daily.
Rabbi Abahu said that 48 prophets stood for Yisrael. Each one took his share, which was the essence of one drop from the drops of Eden. If every prophet who took one drop had the grade of the holy spirit, this was more true for Adam, who received the 48 drops. From this, you learn the scope of his wisdom.
Rabbi Ba said that Rabbi Kahana asks, Where did the prophets get these drops? We learned each drop that comes out of Eden includes the spirit of wisdom. Therefore, it was decreed that there is water that raises wise men and water that raises fools. This water that drops from Eden raises wise ones.
As Rabbi Yosi said, So the water containing the drops comes from the most ancient of four rivers, as it is written, "The name of the first is Pishon" (Gen. 2:11). Why is it written, "the name of the first is Pishon?" Pishon is different from the rest because it flows into the land of Egypt. Therefore, the wisdom of Egypt is greater than that of the rest of the world.
When it was decreed that the wisdom of Egypt was lost, the Holy One, blessed be He, took the drops and threw them across the garden into the river of the Garden of Eden, as it is written, "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden" (Gen. 2:10). And when the drops, which remain in the garden, were taken from Egypt, wisdom was gone from Egypt. It separated into four other rivers, of which the most special was Pishon. Wisdom was thus lost in Egypt when the drops were taken from Egypt and left in the garden.
Every prophet was sucking from that spirit that came out of Eden. This is the meaning of "walking in the garden in the breeze of the day" (Gen. 3:8). It is stored in the Garden of Eden for the future. This is the river that Ezekiel saw in his prophecy. Therefore the scripture reads, "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Hashem" (Isaiah 11:9), as this water always causes the knowledge in the world to increase.
מדרש הנעלם וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וגו'. מַתְנִיתִין. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר עַל כָּל פָּנִים כָּךְ הוּא דְּהַאי מַתְנִיתִין שַׁפִּיר, דְּאִתְעֲבִיד נִשְׁמָתָא הַהוּא דִכְתִיב בֵּיהּ (יחזקאל א׳:ט״ו) והִנֵּה אוֹפַן אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ אֵצֶּל הַחַיּוֹת לְאַרְבַּעַת פָּנָיו. כִּדְאָמוּר בְּהַהִיא מַתְנִיתָא קַמַּיְיתָא.
"And Abraham was old, advanced in age" (Gen. 24:1). We learned in the Mishnah, Rabbi Elazar said, In any case, this Mishnah well explains, "Behold one ofan (wheel) upon the earth by the living creatures, with its four faces" (Ezekiel 1:15). It becomes a Neshamah as said in the earlier Mishnah.
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּא לֵימָא לָן מַר מֵהַהִיא מַתְנִיתִין אָמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי אִתְפְּרַשׁ בִּתְלַת עֶשֶׂר מְכִילָן דְּרַחֲמֵי בְּפָרְשָׁתָא דִּילֵיהּ, אֲבָל הָכָא אִית לָן לְמֵימַר. פָּתַח וְאָמַר (שיר השירים ו׳:ט׳) אַחַת הִיא יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי אַחַת הִיא לְאִמָּהּ וגו'. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מַאי הִיא דְּאֲנַן קָרִינָן הָכָא בְּשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים לִישְׁנָא דְּנוּקְבְתָא, וְהָתָם בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא לִישְׁנָא דִּדְכוּרָא.
Rabbi Abba responded, Tell us, Master, about this Mishnah. What is it? He replied, this was also explained in another section the one about the thirteen divine attributes of mercy. But here we have to explain this portion. He began with the verse, "My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother" (Shir Hashirim 6:9). Rabbi Elazar asks, Why do we refer to it here in Shir Hashirim as a female but in the Torah we refer to it as male, namely Abraham?
אֶלָא אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הָכָא בַּתּוֹרָה נִקְרָא בְּלָשׁוֹן זָכָר אֵצֶּל הַגּוּף מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַגּוּף אֵצֶּל הַנְּשָׁמָה כְּאִשָּׁה אֵצֶּל הַזָּכָר, וְהַנְּשָׁמָה לְגַבֵּי מַעְלָה, כִּנְקֵבָה בִּפְנִי הַזָּכָר וְכָל אֶחָד מַעֲלָתוֹ יוֹרֵשׁ.
Rather, Rabbi Elazar said, In Torah, the soul is male in relation to the body because the body to the soul is like a woman to a man. In relation to a higher grade, the soul is as a female to a male. Each receives its grade according to the context.
תְּנַן הָתָם בְּאַרְבָּעָה פְּעָמִים (נ"א בשנה) בְּשָׁעָה בְּכָל יוֹם, עֵדֶן מְנַטֵף עַל הַגָּן, וְיוֹצֵּא מֵאוֹתָם הַטִפּוֹת נָהָר גָּדוֹל הַמִּתְחַלֵּק לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים, וּשְׁמֹנֶה וְאַרְבָּעִים טִפּוֹת מְנַטֵף בְּכָל יוֹם וּמִשָּׁם שְׂבֵעִים אִילָנֵי הַגַּן הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים ק״ד:ט״ז) יִשְׂבְּעוּ עֲצֵּי יְיָ. רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם אָמַר מֵהָכָא (תהלים קו) מַשְׁקֶה הָרִים מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָיו, אֵיזוֹ הִיא עֲלִיָּה זֶהוּ עֵדֶן. וְעֵדֶן בְּאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם הוּא. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר לְמַעְלָה מֵעֲרָבוֹת הוּא. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר בַּעֲרָבוֹת הוּא, דְּהָא תְּנַן שָׁם גִּנְזֵי חַיִּים טוֹבִים, בְּרָכָה וְשָׁלוֹם וְנִשְׁמָתָן שֶׁל צַּדִּיקִים והַגָּנוּז הָעֶלְיוֹן הוּא עֵדֶן, לְמַטָה מְכוּון כְּנְגְדוֹ גַּן בָּאָרֶץ וְנוֹטֵל מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁפַע בְּכָל יוֹם.
It was taught in the Mishnah that four times an hour every day, Eden drips upon the garden. The result of these drops is a river which separates into four branches. Each day, 48 drops fall on the seventy trees in the garden, as it is written, "The trees of Hashem have their fill" (Tehilim 104:15). Rabbi Tanchum said, It is written, "He waters the hills from His upper chambers" (Ibid. 13). What is his upper chamber? It is Eden. And where is Eden? Rabbi Yehuda said, It is above Aravot (sweet firmament). Rabbi Yosi said that it is in Aravot, where are treasures of good life, blessing and peace, and the souls of the righteous, as was taught. This is the upper chamber, while the Garden of Eden is lower, and an earthly garden is in apposition and draws from it daily.
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ שְׁמֹנָה וְאַרְבָּעִים נְבִיאִים עָמְדוּ לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְכָל אֶחָד נָטַל בְּחֶלְקוֹ תַּמְצִּית טִפָּה אַחַת מֵאוֹתָם טִפּוֹת שֶׁל עֵדֶן שֶׁהֵם שְׁמֹנֶה וְאַרְבָּעִים טִפּוֹת. וּמַה אִם כָּל נָבִיא שֶׁנָּטַל טִפָּה אַחַת מֵהֶן הָיְתָה מַעֲלָתוֹ בְּרוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ עַל כָּל הַשְּׁאָר. אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁהָיָה מְקַבֵּל מִשְּׁמֹנָה וְאַרְבָּעִים לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן, מִכָּאן אַתָּה לָמֵד כַּמָּה הָיְתָה חָכְמָתוֹ.
Rabbi Abahu said that 48 prophets stood for Yisrael. Each one took his share, which was the essence of one drop from the drops of Eden. If every prophet who took one drop had the grade of the holy spirit, this was more true for Adam, who received the 48 drops. From this, you learn the scope of his wisdom.
רַבִּי בָּא אָמַר רַב כַּהֲנָא וכִי מֵאַיִן הָיָה לָהֶם לַנְּבִיאִים מֵאוֹתָם הַטִפּוֹת, אֶלָּא הָכִי תְּנַן, בְּכָל טִפָּה וְטִפָּה הַיּוֹצֵּאת מֵעֵדֶן רוּחַ חָכְמָה יוֹצֵּא עִמּוֹ, וְעַל כֵּן אִתְגְּזַר בְּמַתְנִיתִין, אִית מַיָא מְגַדְּלָן חַכִּימִין, וְאִית מַיָא מְגַדְּלָן טִפְּשִׁין, ואִינוּן מַיָא דִּמְגַדְּלָן חַכִּימִין אִינוּן מַיָא הֲווּ מִטִפִּין דְּעֵדֶן.
Rabbi Ba said that Rabbi Kahana asks, Where did the prophets get these drops? We learned each drop that comes out of Eden includes the spirit of wisdom. Therefore, it was decreed that there is water that raises wise men and water that raises fools. This water that drops from Eden raises wise ones.
דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, מַיָא דְבֵיהּ טִפִּין יָתְבִין (נ"א יתירין) מִכָּל אִינוּן אַרְבַּע נַהֲרֵי קַדְמָאָה הוּא דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:י״א) שֵׁם הָאֶחָד פִּישׁוֹן. מַאי שֵׁם הָאֶחָד פִּישׁוֹן. הַמְיוּחָד מִכּוּלָּם פִּישׁוֹן והוּא הַנּוֹפֵל בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְּרַיִם, וּלְפִיכָךְ הָיְתָה חָכְמַת (לישראל) מִצְּרַיִם יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הָעוֹלָם.
As Rabbi Yosi said, So the water containing the drops comes from the most ancient of four rivers, as it is written, "The name of the first is Pishon" (Gen. 2:11). Why is it written, "the name of the first is Pishon?" Pishon is different from the rest because it flows into the land of Egypt. Therefore, the wisdom of Egypt is greater than that of the rest of the world.
וּמִשֶּׁנִּגְזְרָה גְזִרָה שְׁאָבְדָה חָכְמַת מִצְּרַיִם, נָטַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹתָם טִפִּין וְזָרַק לוֹן בְּהַהוּא גִּנָּא, בְּהַהוּא נַהֲרָא דְּגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ב׳:י׳) ונָהָר יוֹצֵּא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן. וְזְה הָיָה מוֹלִיד אַרְבָּעָה אֲחֵרִים וְהָאֶחָד הַמְיוּחָד הַנּוֹלַד מִמֶּנּוּ פִּישׁוֹן הָיָה. מִשֶּׁנִּטְלוּ אֵלּוּ הַטִפּוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יָצְּאוּ מֵהַגַּן אָבְדָה הַחָכְמָה מִמִּצְּרַיִם.
When it was decreed that the wisdom of Egypt was lost, the Holy One, blessed be He, took the drops and threw them across the garden into the river of the Garden of Eden, as it is written, "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden" (Gen. 2:10). And when the drops, which remain in the garden, were taken from Egypt, wisdom was gone from Egypt. It separated into four other rivers, of which the most special was Pishon. Wisdom was thus lost in Egypt when the drops were taken from Egypt and left in the garden.
וּמֵאוֹתוֹ הָרוּחַ שֶׁהָיָה יוֹצֵּא מֵעֵדֶן, תִּמְצּוּ' (נ"ל ימצו) כָּל נָבִיא ונָבִיא, והַיינוּ דִּכְתִיב מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגַּן לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹם. וגָנוּז זֶה בְּגַּן עֵדֶן לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, וְזֶה הוּא הַנָּהָר שֶׁרָאָה יְחֶזְקֵאל בִּנְבוּאָתוֹ. וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ישעיהו י״א:ט׳) כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה אֶת יְיָ וְגו'. שֶׁאוֹתָם מַיִם תָּמִיד מְגַדְּלִים הַיְדִיעָה בָּעוֹלָם.
Every prophet was sucking from that spirit that came out of Eden. This is the meaning of "walking in the garden in the breeze of the day" (Gen. 3:8). It is stored in the Garden of Eden for the future. This is the river that Ezekiel saw in his prophecy. Therefore the scripture reads, "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Hashem" (Isaiah 11:9), as this water always causes the knowledge in the world to increase.