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It is thus clear that this revelation will transcend by far the degree of revelation that can be attained in the Higher Gan Eden so that it is worthwhile for souls which are so loftily situated to descend and enclothe themselves in physical bodies in order to be able to receive it.
This revelation is purely an act of tzedakah and gratuitous kindness on G‑d’s part, for man’s arousal from below is in no way intense enough to draw down such an immense degree of revelation; his spiritual service serves only as a vessel which enables him to receive it.
The Alter Rebbe now goes on to explain what exactly it is about the revelation attainable in the World to Come that makes the revelation attainable even in the Higher Gan Eden pale in comparison.
For the manifestation and the radiance in Gan Eden are of the level called memalei kol almin14—the light which “permeates all worlds”; i.e., the muted Divine life-force that contracts, descends, and diminishes according to the receptive capacity of the particular created being which it is to permeate.
לְפִי שֶׁהַהֶאָרָה וְהַגִּילּוּי שֶׁבְּגַן עֵדֶן הִיא בְּחִינַת "מְמַלֵּא כָּל עָלְמִין",
This [diminishment of the Divine life-force] is an evolving progression from one rung to another by means of immense contractions.
שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת מִמַּדְרֵגָה לְמַדְרֵגָה עַל־יְדֵי צִמְצוּמִים עֲצוּמִים,
As was taught by our Sages, of blessed memory, “The World to Come—which here means Gan Eden—was created by the letter yud,”15 a letter limited and contracted to a single point.
וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: "בְּיוּ"ד נִבְרָא עוֹלָם־הַבָּא",
This [letter] signifies the level of supernal chochmah (the first of the ten sefirot of the World of Atzilut),
וְהִיא בְּחִינַת חָכְמָה עִילָּאָה,
which is referred to as the Higher Eden, that surpasses the level of Gan Eden, inasmuch as gan implies only a garden derived from Eden, and not Eden itself,
הַנִּקְרֵאת "עֵדֶן הָעֶלְיוֹן",
and which evolves and becomes vested in all the worlds,
הַמִּשְׁתַּלְשֶׁלֶת וּמִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת,
I.e., chochmah descends and vests itself in all the worlds in order to continuously create and animate them,
as it is written, “You have made them all with chochmah…”16; i.e., all created beings derive from the sefirah of chochmah.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "כּוּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ כוּ'",
[It is likewise written], “And chochmah animates…,”17 again indicating that the sefirah of chochmah animates all the worlds.
וְ"הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה כוּ'",
In Gan Eden, it is manifestly comprehensible to each according to his measure.
וּבְגַן עֵדֶן, הִיא בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי הַהַשָּׂגָה לְכָל חַד לְפוּם שִׁיעוּרָא דִילֵיהּ,
While the life-force that emanates from chochmah is concealed from all other worlds, it is manifest in Gan Eden so that the souls there are able to apprehend the Essence of Divinity.
For, as is known, the delight of the souls in Gan Eden derives from [their] apprehension of the secrets of the Torah in whose revealed dimensions [they were] engaged in this world so that what was secret in this world is revealed in Gan Eden,
כַּנּוֹדָע, שֶׁעוֹנֶג הַנְּשָׁמוֹת בְּגַן עֵדֶן הוּא מֵהַשָּׂגַת סוֹדוֹת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁעָסַק בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בַּנִּגְלֶה,
as is discussed in the sacred Zohar, Parashat Shelach,18
כִּדְאִיתָא בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ פָּרָשַׁת שְׁלַח,
The Zohar speaks there about the various heavenly “academies,” such as “Moses’ Academy” and the “Heavenly Academy,” and so, too, an academy in which Miriam teaches righteous women.
and in the Gemara,19 with reference to the incident involving Rabbah bar Nachmani.
וּבַגְּמָרָא, בְּעוּבְדָא דְרַבָּה בַּר נַחְמָנִי.
The Gemara describes a legal debate between G‑d and the Heavenly Academy regarding ritual purity in a situation where it is doubtful whether “the baheret preceded the appearance of a white hair or whether the white hair preceded the baheret.” It was agreed that Rabbah bar Nachmani would render the decisive opinion because of his singular knowledge in the field of Nega’im and Ohalot. In Likkutei Torah, Parashat Tazria,20 the Alter Rebbe explains this specific dispute as well as the concept of the Heavenly Academy in general.
At any rate, the revelation attainable in Gan Eden is that of memalei kol almin, in which only a limited degree of light filters through.
The manifestation of the radiance at the time of the Resurrection, however, will be from the level of sovev kol almin,
אֲבָל גִּילּוּי הַהֶאָרָה שֶׁבִּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, יִהְיֶה מִבְּחִינַת "סוֹבֵב כָּל עָלְמִין",
which is not in a state of contraction, measure, and limit but is limitless and endless.
שֶׁאֵינָהּ בִּבְחִינַת צִמְצוּם וְשִׁיעוּר וּגְבוּל, אֶלָא בְּלִי גְבוּל וְתַכְלִית,
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FOOTNOTES
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15. Menachot 29b.
18. 163a.
19. Bava Metzia 86a.
20. See the maamar that begins Ka Mifligei Bimetivta Derakia.