The Shekhinah Withdraws Through Seven Heavens

"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden" (Genesis 3:8). We have heard that there is a walking for a voice; that there is a walking for fire we have not heard. Where have we heard it? Further on: "And fire walked along the ground" (Exodus 9:23). It does not say here "walking" but "walking itself about" - leaping up and ascending. The essence of the Divine Presence was in the lower realms. When the first man sinned, it withdrew to the first heaven. Cain arose and sinned, and it withdrew to the second heaven. The generation of Enosh arose, and it withdrew to the third heaven. The generation of the Flood, and it withdrew to the fourth. The generation of the Dispersion, and it withdrew to the fifth. The men of Sodom, and it withdrew to the sixth. Egypt, and it withdrew to the seventh. And seven righteous men arose and brought it back down to the earth: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses, as it is written, "The righteous shall inherit the land" (Psalms 37:29). And what do the wicked do? They drive away the Divine Presence; but the righteous cause the Divine Presence to dwell on the earth. "And they heard" - the voice of the trees saying, "Here is the thief who stole the mind of his Creator." He heard the voice of the ministering angels saying, "He who walked is dead; the one in the garden has gone." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the wind of the day: Make the day spacious for him. Thus I told him, "For on the day you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:17); you do not know whether one day of Mine or one day of yours. Behold, I give him one day of Mine, which is a thousand years, and he lives nine hundred and thirty years, and leaves seventy for his descendants. This is what is written, "The days of our years are seventy years" (Psalms 90:10). "To the wind of the day" - He judged him from the eastern direction, the direction that rises with the day. Zavdi ben Levi said: He judged him from the western direction, the direction that sets with the day. According to Rav's view it presses hard upon him: all the while the day rises he is hot with anger. According to Zavdi's view it cools upon him: all the while the day sets, he cools. "And the man hid himself" - his stature was diminished, and he became a hundred cubits. "Among the trees of the garden" - a hint to his descendants, that they would be placed in coffins of wood. (Genesis 3:9-11) A person should not enter his fellow's house suddenly, and let everyone learn proper conduct from the Omnipresent, who stood at the entrance of the garden and called to Adam, as it is said, "And the LORD God called to the man and said to him, Where are you?" When Rabbi Yochanan went up to inquire after the welfare of Rabbi Chanina, he would make a sound, on account of "And its sound shall be heard" (Exodus 28:35). Rabbi Shimon said: Four things the Holy One, blessed be He, hates, and I too do not love them: one who holds his organ and urinates, one who has marital relations naked, one who speaks of matters between himself and his wife in public, and one who enters his house suddenly, and all the more so the house of his fellow. Rabbi Abahu in the name of Rabbi Yosi son of Rabbi Chanina: "But they like Adam transgressed the covenant." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Adam I brought into the Garden of Eden and commanded him, and he transgressed My command, and I judged him with banishment and expulsion, and I lamented over him "Alas." I brought him into the Garden of Eden, "And the LORD God took the man" (Genesis 2:15); and I commanded him, "And the LORD God commanded concerning the man" (2:16); and he transgressed My command, "Have you eaten from the tree about which I commanded you?"; and I judged him with expulsion, "And the LORD God sent him out"; and with banishment, "And He drove out the man" (verse 24); and I lamented over him "Alas" - for "And He said to him, Where are you" is written ayekah [which can be read eikhah, Alas]. So too His children: I brought them into the Land of Israel, as it is written, "And I brought you into a fruitful land" (Jeremiah 2:7); and I commanded them, "Command the children of Israel" (Leviticus 24:2); and they transgressed My command, "And all Israel transgressed Your Torah"; and I judged them with banishment, "From My house I will drive them out" (Hosea 9:15); and with expulsion, "Send them away from My presence"; and they went out, and I lamented over them, "Alas, she sits alone" (Lamentations 1:1).