Rabbi Shimon said to him, I certainly am aware that you are dressed there [in the Garden of Eden] with the precious robe of a pure holy [spiritual] body. Was there ever something similar in this physical world, a person who appears here in their physical body that is similar to their spiritual body like in your world?
...[Esther] was robed in the fashion of that world, in malchut...He said to him, this matter was asked by two youths in the presence of the head of the Yeshiva. They were clothed among us, after suffering pain about a sin that is improper to reveal, and they asked this question of the head of the Yeshiva. He replied that there was such an occurrence in the physical world. How do we know? Since it is written: "Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel [malchut]", (Esther 5:1) that she was robed in the same manner as in that spiritual world, in malchut, the source of the Divine Spirit. For the Kingdom of Heaven blows a wind (spirit) from the spirit of the air of that world, and it enclothed Esther. When she entered into the presence of King Ahasuerus and he saw that robe of light, her form seemed to him like an angel of G‑d, and he lost his soul for an instant.
Mordechai too [was likewise clothed] as is written: "And Mordechai went out from the presence of the king dressed in the garment of royalty (malchut)",(Esther 8:15) literally dressed in malchut, in the form of that spiritual world. Therefore, it is written: "Because the fear of Mordechai had fallen upon them" (Esther 9:3), the fear of Mordechai and not the fear of Ahasuerus [who was the source of his temporal power]. Rabbi Shimon said, How sweet are these matters. How worthy is my lot [that I merited to hear such things]. Now I know that the righteous in that spiritual world wear garments that are called the garments of malchut, and this is certainly true.
He said to him in the air of the Garden of Eden blows a Divine Spirit and it enrobes the righteous in a manner similar to the manner in which they were dressed in the physical world. Then, the Divine Spirit dwells upon the head of each individual. He is adorned with it and it becomes a crown to him. The same happened to Mordechai, since it is written: "in the garment of royalty" of malchut, in the form of that world. After that, "and with a great crown of gold"; that is, in the crown that rests on the heads of the righteous in that world. When the children of Israel accepted the Torah, they also had similar to this, until they sinned, as is written: "And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb" (Ex. 33:6).
...during the entire period that the body of this world is in existence...the spirit does not acquire the robe of that world...Similarly, we find written about Joshua, the High Priest, "Take off the filthy garment from him...and clothed him with garments" (Zechariah 3:4-5). These are the robes of that world. From here, our earlier words are derived. From here, we learn that during the entire period that the body of this world is in existence in the grave, the spirit does not acquire the robe of that world, as is written, first: "Take off the filthy garments from him." Then it is written: "And they clothed him with garments." "And the angel of G‑d stood by". (3:5) What is the meaning of "stood"? Only that this is the crown, referred to as the angel of G‑d, that stands upon the heads of the righteous. That is "stood," it stands above the head after they are adorned with this precious spiritual garment.
Two bodies together cannot exist. As long as the physical one exists, the soul cannot receive the other. When this one, gets removed, the other one is instantly ready. Assuredly, this one leaves and that one enters. It is similar to the good inclination and bad inclination in this world, both of which the Holy One, blessed be He, does not wish to exist simultaneously in one person [hence one must battle constantly to fight the bad inclination to enable one to receive this spiritual garment].
Start a Discussion