The River of Eden and the Gold Created for the Temple

"And a river went out from Eden" (Genesis 2:10). When the world was made whole for its Creator, it would pour out four rivers from a single channel. "The name of the first is Pishon" (Genesis 2:11): it grows flax (pishtan), and its waters flow gently. "It is the one that surrounds the whole land of Havilah" (Genesis 2:11): there was as yet no Havilah, but "He declares the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). "Where there is gold" (Genesis 2:11), gold for certain. "And the gold of that land is good" (Genesis 2:12): good for one at home, good for one on a journey. A great good did the Holy One, blessed be He, allot to His world. A person breaks a single gold coin and meets many expenses with it. The world was not worthy to make use of gold; and why was it created? For the sake of the Temple, as it says, "And the gold of that land is good," like that which you say, "this good mountain and Lebanon" (Deuteronomy 3:25). "There is the bdellium and the onyx stone" (Genesis 2:12). Do you suppose it is like the bdellium of the perfumers? Its companion declares concerning it: just as that is a precious stone, so is this a precious stone. "It is the one that surrounds the whole land of Cush" (Genesis 2:13): Cush did not yet stand, but "He declares the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). "Perat" (Genesis 2:14): the source-channel of the four rivers, as it is written, "to the great river, the river Perat" (Genesis 15:18). But is it not written, "I was beside the great river, which is the Tigris" (Daniel 10:4)? Because Daniel saw two dreams, one at the Tigris [and one at the Ulai], and the Tigris appeared greater than the Ulai, therefore he calls it great.