AND THE LORD GOD TOOK THE MAN AND PUT HIM IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, ETC. From whence did he take him? He took him from the four elements which are hinted at in the verse “and from there it parted and became four heads”. God detached him from these and placed him in the Garden of Eden.
So does God do now to any man created from the four elements when he repents of his sins and occupies himself with the Torah; God takes him from his original elements, as it is said, “and from there he parts”, i.e. he separates himself from the desires which they inspire, and God places him in his garden, which is the Shekinah, “to dress it”, by means of positive precepts, “and to keep it”, by means of negative precepts. If he keeps the law, he makes himself master of the four elements, and becomes a river from which they are watered, and they obey him and he is their ruler.
But if he transgresses the law, they are watered from the bitterness of the tree of evil, which is the evil inclination, and all his limbs are full of bitterness; but when the members of the body are kept holy from the side of good, it may be said of them that “they came to Marah and were not able to drink waters from Marah, for they were bitter” (Ex. 15, 23). Similarly, the study of the Talmud is bitter compared with that of the esoteric wisdom, of which it is said, “And God showed him a tree” (Ibid.); this is a tree of life, and through it “the waters were sweetened”.
Similarly of Moses it is written, “And the staff of God was in his hand.” This rod is Metatron, from one side of whom comes life and from the other death. When the rod remains a rod, it is a help from the side of good, and when it is turned into a serpent it is hostile, so that “Moses fled from it”, and God delivered it into his hand. This rod typifies the Oral Law which prescribes what is permitted and what is forbidden.
When Moses struck the rock God took it back from him, and “he went down to him with a rod” (II Sam. 23, 21), to smite him with it, the “rod” being the evil inclination, which is a serpent, the cause of the captivity.
A further lesson can be derived from the words “and from there it parted”: happy is the man who devotes himself to the Torah, for when God takes him from this body, from the four elements, he is detached from them and ascends to become the head of the four Hayyoth, as it is written, “and they shall bear thee on their hands” (Ps. 91, 12).
פָּתַח קְרָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ: וַיִּקַּח יְיָ אֱלהִים אֶת הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּיחֵהוּ בְּגַן עֵדֶן וְגו'. וַיִּקַּח מֵאָן נָטִיל לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא נָטִיל לֵיהּ מֵד' יְסוֹדִין דְּאִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד וְהָיָה לְאַרְבָּעָה רָאשִׁים. אַפְרִישׁ לֵיהּ מִנְּהוֹן וְשַׁוֵּי לֵיהּ בְּגִנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן.
AND THE LORD GOD TOOK THE MAN AND PUT HIM IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, ETC. From whence did he take him? He took him from the four elements which are hinted at in the verse “and from there it parted and became four heads”. God detached him from these and placed him in the Garden of Eden.
כְּגַוְונָא דָא יַעֲבֵד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְבַּר נָשׁ דְּאִתְבְּרֵי מֵד' יְסוֹדִין. בְּזִמְנָא דְתָב בִּתְיוּבְתָּא וּמִתְעַסֵּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטִיל לֵיהּ מִתַּמָּן. וְעֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמָר וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד. אַפְרִישׁ נַפְשֵׁיהּ מִתַּאֲוָה דִּילְהוֹן וְשַׁוֵּי לֵיהּ בְּגִנְתָּא דִילֵיהּ דְּאִיהִי שְׁכִינְתָּא. לְעָבְדָהּ בְּפִקּוּדִין דְּעֲשֵׂה. וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ בְּפִקּוּדִין דְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. אִי זָכָה לְנַטְרָא לָהּ אִיהוּ יְהֵא רֵישָׁא עַל ד' יְסוֹדִין. וְאִתְעֲבִיד נָהָר דְּאִתְשַׁקְיָין עַל יָדֵיהּ וְלָא עַל יְדָא אַחֲרָא וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעִין בֵּיהּ דְּאִיהוּ רִבּוֹן וְשַׁלִּיט עֲלַיְיהוּ.
So does God do now to any man created from the four elements when he repents of his sins and occupies himself with the Torah; God takes him from his original elements, as it is said, “and from there he parts”, i.e. he separates himself from the desires which they inspire, and God places him in his garden, which is the Shekinah, “to dress it”, by means of positive precepts, “and to keep it”, by means of negative precepts. If he keeps the law, he makes himself master of the four elements, and becomes a river from which they are watered, and they obey him and he is their ruler.
וְאִי עָבַר עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְשַׁקְיָין מִמְּרִירוּ דְאִילָנָא דְּרַע דְּאִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע. וְכָל אֵבָרִין דְּאִנּוּן מֵד' יְסוֹדִין אִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן (שמות א׳:י״ד) וַיְמָרַרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם וְגו' וַיְמָרַרוּ בִּמְרִירוּ דְּמָרָה. וּלְגַבֵּי אֵבָרִין קַדִּישִׁין דְּגוּפָא דְּאִנּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְטוֹב עֲלַיְיהוּ אִתְּמָר (שמות ט״ו:כ״ג) וַיָּבוֹאוּ מָרָתָה וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִמָּרָה וְגו'. כְּגַוְונָא דָא אָמְרוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין וַיְמָרַרוּ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּקוּשְׁיָא. בְּחוֹמֶר בְּקַל וָחוֹמֶר. וּבִלְבֵנִים בְּלִבּוּן הִלְכְתָא. וּבְכָל עֲבוֹדָה בַּשָּׂדֶה דָּא בָּרַיְיתָא. אֶת כָּל עֲבוֹדָתָם וְגו' דָּא מִשְׁנָה.
But if he transgresses the law, they are watered from the bitterness of the tree of evil, which is the evil inclination, and all his limbs are full of bitterness; but when the members of the body are kept holy from the side of good, it may be said of them that “they came to Marah and were not able to drink waters from Marah, for they were bitter” (Ex. 15, 23). Similarly, the study of the Talmud is bitter compared with that of the esoteric wisdom, of which it is said, “And God showed him a tree” (Ibid.); this is a tree of life, and through it “the waters were sweetened”.
אִם תַּיְיבִין בִּתְיוּבְתָּא אִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן (שמות ט״ו:כ״ה) וַיּוֹרֵהוּ ה' עֵץ. וְדָא עֵץ חַיִּים וּבֵיהּ וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמָּיִם. וְדָא משֶׁה מָשִׁיחַ דְּאִתְּמָר בֵּיהּ (שמות י״ז:ט׳) וּמַטֵּה הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיָדוֹ. מַטֶּ"ה דָּא מטטרון מִסִּטְרֵיהּ חַיִּים וּמִסִּטְרֵיהּ מִיתָה. כַּד אִתְהַפַּךְ לְמַטֶּה אִיהוּ עֵזֶר מִסִּטְרָא דְטוֹב. כַּד אִתְהַפַּךְ לְחִוְיָא אִיהוּ כְּנֶגְדוֹ. מִיָּד (שמות ד׳:ג׳) וַיָּנָס משֶׁה מִפָּנָיו.
Similarly of Moses it is written, “And the staff of God was in his hand.” This rod is Metatron, from one side of whom comes life and from the other death. When the rod remains a rod, it is a help from the side of good, and when it is turned into a serpent it is hostile, so that “Moses fled from it”, and God delivered it into his hand. This rod typifies the Oral Law which prescribes what is permitted and what is forbidden.
וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מְסָר לֵיהּ בִּידָא דְמשֶׁה וְאִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּבְעַל פֶּה דְּבֵיהּ אִסּוּר וְהֶתֵּר. מִיָּד (לעיל ו ע"ב) דְּמָחָא בֵּיהּ בְּטִינָרָא נְטַל לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּידֵיהּ. וְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ (שמואל ב כ״ג:כ״א) וַיֵּרֶד אֵלָיו בַּשָּׁבֶט לִמְחָאָה לֵיהּ בֵּיהּ. וְשֵׁבֶ"ט אִיהוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע חִוְיָא. וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ בְּגָלוּתָא מֵחֲמַת דִּילֵיהּ.
When Moses struck the rock God took it back from him, and “he went down to him with a rod” (II Sam. 23, 21), to smite him with it, the “rod” being the evil inclination, which is a serpent, the cause of the captivity.
וְעוֹד וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד. זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. דְּבְּזִמְנָא דְּנָטִיל לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מֵהַאי גוּפָא מֵד' יְסוֹדִין, אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִתַּמָּן וְאָזִיל לְמֶהֱוֵי רֵישָׁא בְּד' חֵיוָון וְאִתְּמָר בְּהוֹן עַל כַּפַּיִם יִשָּׂאוּנְךָ וְגו':
A further lesson can be derived from the words “and from there it parted”: happy is the man who devotes himself to the Torah, for when God takes him from this body, from the four elements, he is detached from them and ascends to become the head of the four Hayyoth, as it is written, “and they shall bear thee on their hands” (Ps. 91, 12).