Until he sinned, man was gifted with the wisdom of celestial illumination, and he did not for an instant quit the Tree of Life. But when he was seduced by his desire to know what was below, he weakly followed it until he became separated from the Tree of Life, and knew evil and forsook good: hence the Scripture says ‘for thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, evil shall not sojourn with thee’ (Ps. 5, 5). He who is drawn after evil may not abide with the Tree of Life.
Before they sinned, the human pair used to hear a voice from above, and were endowed with the higher wisdom; they stood erect with heavenly radiance, and knew no fear. When they sinned, they were not able to stand up even before an earthly voice.
A similar thing happened later with the Israelites. When Israel stood before Mount Sinai, the impurity of the serpent was removed from them, so that carnal passion was suppressed among them, and in consequence they were able to attach themselves to the Tree of Life, and their thoughts were turned to higher things and not to lower.
Hence they were vouchsafed heavenly illuminations and knowledge which filled them with joy and gladness. Further, God girt them with cinctures of the letters of the Holy Name, which prevented the serpent from gaining power over them or defiling them as before.
When they sinned by worshipping the calf, they were degraded from their high estate and lost their illumination, they were deprived of the protective girdle of the Holy Name and became exposed to the attacks of the evil serpent as before, and so brought death into the world. After their sin, it is related that ‘Aaron and the children of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come nigh him’ (Ex. 34, 30).
Before that, however, we are told that ‘Israel saw the great hand’ (Ibid. 14, 31) on the Red Sea, and that at Mount Sinai they all saw celestial lights and were illumined with the vision of clear prophecy, as it is written, ‘And all the people saw the voices’ (Ibid. 20, 18), and by the Red Sea they saw God and did not fear, as it is written, ‘This is my God and I will praise him’ (Ibid. 15, 2). But after they sinned, they were not able to look even on the face of the deputy (Moses).
תָּא חֲזֵי, עַד לָא חָטָא אָדָם, הֲוָה סָלִיק וְקָאִים בְּחָכְמָה דִנְהִירוּ עִלָּאָה. וְלָא הֲוָה מִתְפָּרֵשׁ מֵאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי. כֵּיוָן דְּאַסְגֵי תִּיאוּבְתָּא לְמִנְדַע וּלְנַחֲתָא לְתַתָּא, אִתְמְשַׁךְ אֲבַּתְרַיְיהוּ, עַד דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מֵאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי. וְיָדַע רָע וְשָׁבַק טוֹב. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב (תהילים ה׳:ה׳) כִּי לא אֵל חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע אַתָּה לא יְגוּרְךָ רָע. מַאן דְּאִתְמְשַׁךְ בָּתַר רָע, לֵית לֵיהּ דִּירָה עִם אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי.
Until he sinned, man was gifted with the wisdom of celestial illumination, and he did not for an instant quit the Tree of Life. But when he was seduced by his desire to know what was below, he weakly followed it until he became separated from the Tree of Life, and knew evil and forsook good: hence the Scripture says ‘for thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, evil shall not sojourn with thee’ (Ps. 5, 5). He who is drawn after evil may not abide with the Tree of Life.
וְעַד לָא חָטְאוּ הֲווּ שָׁמְעִין קָלָא מִלְּעֵילָא וְהֲווּ יָדְעֵי חָכְמְתָא עִלָּאָה וְקָיְימֵי בְּקִיּוּמָא דְזִיהֲרָא עִלָּאָה וְלָא דָחֲלֵי. כֵּיוָן דְּחָטְאוּ אֲפִילּוּ קָלָא דִּלְתַתָּא לָא הֲוֵי יָכְלִין לְמֵיקַם בֵּיהּ.
Before they sinned, the human pair used to hear a voice from above, and were endowed with the higher wisdom; they stood erect with heavenly radiance, and knew no fear. When they sinned, they were not able to stand up even before an earthly voice.
כְּגַוְונָא דָא עַד לָא חָבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקָיְימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל טוּרָא דְסִינַי אִתְעֲבַר מִנַּיְיהוּ זוּהֲמָא דְּהַאי חִיוְיָא. דְּהָא כְּדֵין בִּטּוּל יֵצֶר הָרָע הֲוָה מֵעָלְמָא וְדָחוּ לֵיהּ מִנַּיְיהוּ. וּכְדֵין אִתְאֲחִידוּ בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי וְסָלְקוּ לְעֵילָא וְלָא נָחֲתוּ לְתַתָּא.
A similar thing happened later with the Israelites. When Israel stood before Mount Sinai, the impurity of the serpent was removed from them, so that carnal passion was suppressed among them, and in consequence they were able to attach themselves to the Tree of Life, and their thoughts were turned to higher things and not to lower.
כְּדֵין הֲווּ יָדְעִין וְחָמָאן אִסְפַּקְלַרְיָאן עִלָּאִין וְאִתְנָהֲרִין עֵינַיְיהוּ וְחָדָאן לְמִנְדַע וּלְמִשְׁמַע. וּכְדֵין חָגַר לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חֲגוֹרִין דְאַתְוָון דִּשְׁמֵיהּ קַדִּישָׁא דְּלָא יֵיכוּל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלַיְיהוּ הַאי חִוְיָא וְלָא יְסָאַב לוֹן כְּקַדְמִיתָא.
Hence they were vouchsafed heavenly illuminations and knowledge which filled them with joy and gladness. Further, God girt them with cinctures of the letters of the Holy Name, which prevented the serpent from gaining power over them or defiling them as before.
כֵּיוָן דְּחָטְאוּ בָּעֵגֶל אִתְעֲבַר מִנַּיְיהוּ כָּל אִנּוּן דַּרְגִּין וּנְהוֹרִין עִלָּאִין. וְאִתְעַבְּרוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ אִנּוּן חֲגִירוּ מְזַיְינִין דְּאִתְעַטְּרוּ מִשְׁמָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא. וְאַמְשִׁיכוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ חִוְיָא בִישָׁא כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין וְגָרְמוּ מוֹתָא לְכָל עַלְמָא. וּלְבָתַר מַה כְּתִיב (שמות לג) וַיַּרְא אַהֲרֹן וְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת משֶׁה וְהִנֵּה קָרַן עוֹר פָּנָיו וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו.
When they sinned by worshipping the calf, they were degraded from their high estate and lost their illumination, they were deprived of the protective girdle of the Holy Name and became exposed to the attacks of the evil serpent as before, and so brought death into the world. After their sin, it is related that ‘Aaron and the children of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come nigh him’ (Ex. 34, 30).
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב בְּקַדְמִיתָא (שמות י״ד:ל״א) וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדוֹלָה וְכֻלְהוּ חָמָאן זָהֲרִין עִלָּאִין וּמִתְנַהֲרִין בְּאִסְפַּקְלַרְיָא דְּנָהֲרָא דִּכְתִיב, (שמות כ׳:ט״ו) וְכָל הָעָם רוֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלוֹת. וְעַל יַמָּא הֲווּ חָמָאן וְלָא דָחֲלִין דִּכְתִיב, (שמות ט״ו:ב׳) זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ. לְבָתַר דְּחָטוּ, פְּנֵי הַסַּרְסוּר לָא הֲווּ יָכְלִין לְמֶחֱמֵי דִּכְתִיב (שמות לה) וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו.
Before that, however, we are told that ‘Israel saw the great hand’ (Ibid. 14, 31) on the Red Sea, and that at Mount Sinai they all saw celestial lights and were illumined with the vision of clear prophecy, as it is written, ‘And all the people saw the voices’ (Ibid. 20, 18), and by the Red Sea they saw God and did not fear, as it is written, ‘This is my God and I will praise him’ (Ibid. 15, 2). But after they sinned, they were not able to look even on the face of the deputy (Moses).