Eden Dripping on the Garden

140) It is written, “I behold, one wheel on the earth beside the animals, to its four faces.” One wheel became a Neshama. Even though a wheel is the name of the Nefesh everywhere, the name “wheel” in this verse became a Neshama once more.

141) It is written in Song of Songs, “My dove, my undefiled, is but one; she is the only one,” the Neshama [soul]. Why is it that in Song of Songs we call the soul in feminine form, “My dove, my undefiled,” and in the Torah we call it in masculine form, Abraham?

142) In the Torah, the soul is called by masculine form, relating to the body. This is so because with respect to the body, the soul is as a woman toward a man. Also, toward a higher degree than itself, the soul is as a female before a male. And each inherits his merit according to the matter at hand. This is why in Song of Songs, when the king that peace is his speaks of the soul, which is a higher degree than hers, it is considered a female, and he refers to it as a female, “My dove, my undefiled.” But the Torah speaks of the soul in and of itself; hence, it refers to it as masculine form, Abraham.

143) Four times an hour, each day, Eden drips on the garden. A great river comes out of those drops of the great river, which divides into four heads, and drips forty-eight drops each day. From there, the trees of the garden are satiated, as it is written, “The trees of the Lord are satiated.”

It is written, “He waters mountains from His chambers.” The chamber is the Garden of Eden, and Eden above is from willows. It is in willows, as we learn, there, there are the secrets of life, the secrets of peace, the secrets of blessings, and the souls of the righteous. And the upper, hidden one, Eden below, a garden corresponds to it in the earth, and it takes abundance from it each day.

144) Forty-eight prophets stood for Israel, and each one took in his share one drop of extract from those drops of Eden, which are forty-eight drops. If every prophet who took one drop from them were more virtuous than all the others, it is especially so with Adam HaRishon, who received from the forty-eight. From this we learn how much was his wisdom.

145) From where did the prophets have those drops? In each drop that comes out of Eden, the spirit of Hochma [wisdom] comes out with it. Hence, there is water that brings up wise ones, and water that brings up fools. The water that brings up wise ones is water from the drops of Eden.

146) The water in which the drops sit, the first among all four rivers, is as it is written, “Pishon.” The most special among them is Pishon, and it falls in the land of Egypt. This is why the wisdom of the Egyptians was more than the whole world.

147) And when the decree was decided, that the wisdom of Egypt be lost, it was because the Creator had taken those drops. And when those drops were taken, meaning that they did not come out of the garden, wisdom was lost from Egypt.

148) From that spirit, which came out of Eden, each and every prophet will suckle, as it is written, “walking in the garden in the Ruach [breeze/spirit] of the day.” This is concealed in the Garden of Eden for the future, and this is the river that Ezekiel saw in his prophecy. This is why it is written, “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Those waters always increase knowledge in the world.

149) All the souls of the righteous above are in Eden. As what comes down from Eden increases wisdom in the world, it is much more so for those who stand in it and enjoy its joys and yearnings.

150) When the soul is rewarded with entering the gates of Jerusalem of above, Michael, the great minister, walks with her and greets her. The ministering angels are perplexed about it and ask about her, “Who is this who rises from the desert?” Who is this who rises among the upper ones from the destroyed body, who is akin to Hevel [breath vapor/nonsense], as it is written, “Man is like a breath”? He replies and says, “My dove, my perfect one, is one,” unique, “the only one for her mother.” “Her mother” is the throne, which is the mother of the soul and delivers her, and from which she is derived.

151) “Maidens saw her and confirmed her.” These are the rest of the souls, whose virtues are sublime, and who are called “the daughters of Jerusalem.” These are called “the daughters of Jerusalem,” and the others are called “the daughters of Lot.” “Maidens saw her and confirmed her,” the rest of the souls praise her and say, “Welcome!”

“Queens and concubines will praise her.” Queens are the patriarchs, and concubines are righteous proselytes. They all praise and glorify her until she enters above. At that time, the soul is in her merit, and her existence is prolonged, as it is written, “And Abraham was old, and of many days.” He entered into a long life, to the next world.

152) When the soul is in her completeness in the upper place, she no longer searches for the body. Rather, other souls are created and emerge from her, while she remains in her state. If, in this world, which is nonsense, the soul enters the body, which is a foul drop, in the future, when they are all purified and the body is praiseworthy with additional existence and complementation, that soul will certainly enter it, with all the completeness and excellence in her.

153) That very soul and that same body, the Creator is destined to establish them in their existence in the future, but both of them will be complete in completion of the knowledge, to attain what they did not attain in this world.