The Garden of Eden was the abode of the first man and woman, and the
souls of all men must pass through it after death, before they reach
their final destination. For the souls of the departed must go through
seven portals before they arrive in the heaven 'Arabot. There the souls
of the pious are transformed into angels, and there they remain
forever, praising God and feasting their sight upon the glory of the
Shekinah. The first portal is the Cave of Machpelah, in the vicinity of
Paradise, which is under the care and supervision of Adam. If the soul
that presents herself at the portal is worthy, he calls out, "Make
room! Thou art welcome!" The soul then proceeds until she arrives at
the gate of Paradise guarded by the cherubim and the flaming sword. If
she is not found worthy, she is consumed by the sword; otherwise she
receives a pass-bill, which admits her to the terrestrial Paradise.
Therein is a pillar of smoke and light extending from Paradise to the
gate of heaven, and it depends upon the character of the soul whether
she can climb upward on it and reach heaven. The third portal, Zebul,
is at the entrance of heaven. If the soul is worthy, the guard opens
the portal and admits her 'to the heavenly Temple. Michael presents her
to God, and conducts her to the seventh portal, 'Arabot, within which
the souls of the pious, changed to angels, praise the Lord, and feed on
the glory of the Shekinah.[49]
In Paradise stand the tree of life and the tree of knowledge, the
latter forming a hedge about the former. Only he who has cleared a path
for himself through the tree of knowledge can come close to the tree of
life, which is so huge that it would take a man five hundred years to
traverse a distance equal to the diameter of the trunk, and no less
vast is the space shaded by its crown of branches. From beneath it
flows forth the water that irrigates the whole earth,[50] parting
thence into four streams, the Ganges, the Nile, the Tigris, and the
Euphrates.[51] But it was only during the days of creation that the
realm of plants looked to the waters of the earth for nourishment.
Later on God made the plants dependent upon the rain, the upper waters.
The clouds rise from earth to heaven, where water is poured into them
as from a conduit.[52] The plants began to feel the effect of the water
only after Adam was created. Although they had been brought forth on
the third day, God did not permit them to sprout and appear above the
surface of the earth, until Adam prayed to Him to give food unto them,
for God longs for the prayers of the pious.[53]
Paradise being such as it was, it was, naturally, not necessary for
Adam to work the land. True, the Lord God put the man into the Garden
of Eden to dress it and to keep it, but that only means he is to study
the Torah there and fulfil the commandments of God.[54] There were
especially six commandments which every human being is expected to
heed: man should not worship idols; nor blaspheme God; nor commit
murder, nor incest, nor theft and robbery; and all generations have the
duty of instituting measures of law and order.[55] One more such
command there was, but it was a temporary injunction. Adam was to eat
only the green things of the field. But the prohibition against the use
of animals for food was revoked in Noah's time, after the deluge.
Nevertheless, Adam was not cut off from the enjoyment of meat dishes.
Though he was not permitted to slaughter animals for the appeasing of
his appetite, the angels brought him meat and wine, serving him like
attendants.[56] And as the angels ministered to his wants, so also the
animals. They were wholly under his dominion, and their food they took
out of his hand and out of Eve's.[57] In all respects, the animal world
had a different relation to Adam from their relation to his
descendants. Not only did they know the language of man,[58] but they
respected the image of God, and they feared the first human couple, all
of which changed into the opposite after the fall of man.[59]