R. Yesa asked the meaning of the words THIS IS THE BOOK OF THE GENERATIONS OF ADAM (Gen. 5, 1). Said R. Abba to him: ‘There is here a very recondite allusion. According to the Rabbinical dictum, “three books are opened on New Year, one of the wholly righteous, etc.” One is the supernal book from which issued the Whole, and from which issues also writing. The middle book unites the higher and the lower; it embraces all sides and is called the Written Torah of the first man. The third book is called that of the generations of man, and this is the book of the completely righteous. IN THE DAY THAT GOD CREATED MAN IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD: for thereby indeed the whole was completed above and below, and both were established after one pattern. MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM: the one included in the other.
R. Abba said: ‘God did indeed send down a book to Adam, from which he became acquainted with the supernal wisdom. It came later into the hands of the “sons of God”, the wise of their generation, and whoever was privileged to peruse it could learn from it supernal wisdom. This book was brought down to Adam by the “master of mysteries”, preceded by three messengers.
When Adam was expelled from the Garden of Eden, he tried to keep hold of this book, but it flew out of his hands. He thereupon supplicated God with tears for its return, and it was given back to him, in order that wisdom might not be forgotten of men, and that they might strive to obtain knowledge of their Master.
Tradition further tells us that Enoch also had a book, which came from the same place as the book of the generations of Adam….1Here follows a highly allusive passage identifying Enoch with “the lad” (v. Prov. 22, 6), i.e. Metatron.
This is the source of the book known as “the book of Enoch”. When God took him, He showed him all supernal mysteries, and the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden and its leaves and branches, all of which can be found in his book. Happy are those of exalted piety to whom the supernal wisdom has been revealed, and from whom it will not be forgotten for ever, as it says, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and his secret to make them know it.”
רַבִּי יֵיסָא שָׁאַל מַאי דִכְתִיב זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם בְּיוֹם בְּרוֹא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אוֹתָם זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אַבָּא רָזָא עִלָּאָה הוּא. תָּנִינָן תְּלַת סִפְרִין פְּתִיחָן בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָׁנָה חַד דְּצַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים וְכוּ' סֵפֶר עִלָּאָה דְּהָא מִנֵּיהּ נָפַק כֹּלָּא. נָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ כְּתִיבָה. סֵפֶר אֶמְצָעִיתָא כְּלָלָא דְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא (ס"א ספר דאיהו כללא דלעילא ותתא ואחיד לכל סטרין רזא וכו) (כפי זה התקון נמצא בשני ספרי היד) (ואחיד לכל סטרין רזא דאדם קדמאה, ספר תליתאה דאקרי (נ"א ואקרי) תורה) דְּתוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב אָדָם קַדְמָאָה. סֵפֶר (ס"א תליתאה) דְּאִקְרֵי תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם וְדָא אִיהוּ דְּצַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם דָּא צַדִּיק וַדַּאי דְּעֲבִיד תּוֹלְדוֹת. בְּיוֹם בְּרֹא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים. דְּהָא וַדַּאי כְּדֵין אִתְתַּקַּן כֹּלָא לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא וְאִתְקַיָּימוּ בְּדוּגְמָא חָדָא. זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם סְתָם חָד אִתְכְּלִיל בְּחָד.
R. Yesa asked the meaning of the words THIS IS THE BOOK OF THE GENERATIONS OF ADAM (Gen. 5, 1). Said R. Abba to him: ‘There is here a very recondite allusion. According to the Rabbinical dictum, “three books are opened on New Year, one of the wholly righteous, etc.” One is the supernal book from which issued the Whole, and from which issues also writing. The middle book unites the higher and the lower; it embraces all sides and is called the Written Torah of the first man. The third book is called that of the generations of man, and this is the book of the completely righteous. IN THE DAY THAT GOD CREATED MAN IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD: for thereby indeed the whole was completed above and below, and both were established after one pattern. MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM: the one included in the other.
מַתְנִיתִין (ד"א וכו) כְּתִיב, (משלי י״ח:י׳) מִגְדַּל עוֹז שֵׁם יְיָ בּוֹ יָרוּץ צַדִּיק וְנִשְׂגָּב. דָּא הוּא סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם דְּרָהִיט בְּהַהוּא מִגְּדַל (צו ב). הַאי מִגְדַּל מַאי עֲבִידְתֵּיהּ. אֶלָּא דָא הוּא מִגְדַּל דָּוִד. וְדָא הוּא מִגְדַּל עֹז שֵׁם יְיָ. וְכֹלָּא חָד. הָכָא יְדִיעָא לִבְנֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא דָּא הוּא ודַּאי סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת. (אית דלא גרסי) (אדם לבני מהימנותא סודו מגדל עוז שם יי בו ירוץ צדיק ונשגב יהו"ה צדיק) (אדם לבני מהימנותא).
וְאָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא (לקמן נה ב) סֵפֶר ודַּאי (נחתו) (נחית) לֵיהּ לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן. וּבֵיהּ הֲוָה יָדַע חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה. וְסִפְרָא דָא מָטָא לִבְנִי אֱלָהִין חַכִּימֵי דָרָא. וּמָאן דְּזָכֵי לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בֵּיהּ יָדַע בֵּיהּ חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה. וּמַשְׁגִּיחִין בֵּיהּ וְיָדְעִין בֵּיהּ. וְסִפְרָא דָא נָחִית לֵיהּ מָארֵי דְרָזִין. וּתְלַת שְׁלִיחָן מְמַנָּן קַמֵּיהּ.
R. Abba said: ‘God did indeed send down a book to Adam, from which he became acquainted with the supernal wisdom. It came later into the hands of the “sons of God”, the wise of their generation, and whoever was privileged to peruse it could learn from it supernal wisdom. This book was brought down to Adam by the “master of mysteries”, preceded by three messengers.
וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָפַק אָדָם מִגִּנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן אָחִיד בְּהַהוּא סִפְרָא. כַּד נָפִיק (מיניה) טָאס מִנֵּיהּ (לתרעא) צַלֵּי וּבָכֵי קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ וְאֲתִיבוּ לֵיהּ כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין. בְּגִין דְּלָא תִתְנְשֵׁי חָכְמְתָא מִבְּנִי נְשָׁא וְיִשְׁתַּדְּלוּן לְמִנְדַע לְמָארֵיהוֹן.
When Adam was expelled from the Garden of Eden, he tried to keep hold of this book, but it flew out of his hands. He thereupon supplicated God with tears for its return, and it was given back to him, in order that wisdom might not be forgotten of men, and that they might strive to obtain knowledge of their Master.
וְכֵן תָּנִינָן סֵפֶר הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְחָנוֹךְ. וְדָא סֵפֶר מֵאֲתַר דְּסִפְרָא דְתוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם הֲוָה. וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דְחָכְמְתָא. דְּהָא מֵאַרְעָא אִתְנְטִיל הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי לָקַח אוֹתוֹ אֱלהִים. וְהוּא הַנַּעַר. כְּדִכְתִיב, (משלי כ״ב:ו׳) חֲנוֹךְ לַנַּעַר עַל פִּי דַרְכּוֹ.
Tradition further tells us that Enoch also had a book, which came from the same place as the book of the generations of Adam….1Here follows a highly allusive passage identifying Enoch with “the lad” (v. Prov. 22, 6), i.e. Metatron.
וְכָל גִּנְזֵי עִלָּאֵי אִתְמַסְרָן בִּידֵיהּ. וְדָא מְסִיר וְיָהִיב וְעֲבִיד שְׁלִיחוּתָא. וְאֶלֶף (לקמן נו) מַפְתְּחָן אִתְמַסְרָן בִּידֵיהּ. וּמְאָה בִּרְכָאן נָטִיל בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְקָשִׁיר קְשִׁירִין לְמָארֵיהּ. מֵעָלְמָא נָטִיל לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְשִׁמּוּשֵׁיהּ הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי לָקַח אוֹתוֹ אֱלהִים.
וּמִן דָּא אִתְמָסַר סִפְרָא דְּאִקְרֵי סִפְרָא דְּחֲנוֹךְ. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דַּאֲחִיד לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַחֲמֵי לֵיהּ כָּל גִּנְזֵי עִלָּאֵי. אַחֲמֵי לֵיהּ אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי בְּגוֹ מְצִיעוּת גִּנְתָּא וְטַרְפּוֹי וְעַנְפּוֹי. וְכֹלָא חָמֵינָן בְּסִפְרֵיהּ. זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן חֲסִידֵי עִלָּאִין דְּחָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה אִתְגְּלִי לְהוּ וְלָא אִתְנְשֵׁי מִנַּיְיהוּ לְעָלְמִין כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים כ״ה:י״ד) סוֹד ה' לִירֵאָיו וּבְרִיתוֹ לְהוֹדִיעָם:
This is the source of the book known as “the book of Enoch”. When God took him, He showed him all supernal mysteries, and the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden and its leaves and branches, all of which can be found in his book. Happy are those of exalted piety to whom the supernal wisdom has been revealed, and from whom it will not be forgotten for ever, as it says, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and his secret to make them know it.”