גן עדן, lit. the Garden of Eden. It broadly refers to the spiritual realm of souls in the afterlife. Garden of Eden is the place where the Eibershter placed Adam HaRishon after his creation.
The spiritual Gan Eden is the dwelling place of the neshamah before its descent into this world, and after its departure from Olam HaZeh. There, the neshamah is immersed in Torah as it exists in its original, spiritual form—according to the soul’s unique capacity and level of comprehension shaped by its avodah in the physical world.
Before the chet, the physical location of Gan Eden was a place of G-dliness, with the same Elokus that is revealed in the spiritual Gan Eden.
“Gan” means a place of ta’anug (delight); “Eden” refers to a revelation of Elokus that can be grasped through hasagah (comprehension). “Gan Eden” is thus the ta’anug of the neshamah in comprehending Elokus—like the deep pleasure one feels when grasping a new insight.
Creation and Nature[edit]
Gan Eden was created through the letter Yud (י), the first letter of the Divine Name Yud–Hey (י–ה), which denotes contraction (Tzimtzum – צמצום) and sublime concealment. The Yud signifies supernal Chochmah (חכמה עילאה), the highest of the ten Sefirot (ספירות) in the world of Atzilut (אצילות, Emanation).
The essence of Gan Eden is the delight (Oneg – עונג) that souls experience from the Ziv HaShechinah (זיו השכינה, radiance of the Divine Presence). This is the pleasure of grasping—even faintly—the Divine vitality (Chayut Elokit – חיות אלוקית) that flows from the Ein Sof (אין סוף, Infinite One). The degree of apprehension is tailored to each soul's unique spiritual accomplishments. In this realm, the light of Chochmah becomes accessible to each soul in proportion to its inner readiness.
The Zohar (זוהר הקדוש) identifies Gan Eden with the quality of Binah (בינה, Understanding), calling the World to Come “alma d’atei l’istakala b’razin d’Oraysa”—“a world that comes to contemplate the secrets of the Torah.”
Levels of Gan Eden[edit]
Gan Eden is not a uniform domain but consists of many levels (Madregot – מדרגות). The soul’s journey is one of perpetual ascent, particularly for scholars of Torah (Talmidei Chachamim – תלמידי חכמים), who rise from level to level, deepening their understanding of Divine wisdom.
The two primary divisions are:
- Gan Eden HaTachton (גן עדן התחתון) – the Lower Garden of Eden, situated in the spiritual world of Asiyah (עשיה, Action).
- Gan Eden HaElyon (גן עדן העליון) – the Upper Garden of Eden, located within the world of Beriah (בריאה, Creation).
The souls of the righteous, which originate from Malchut (מלכות) of Atzilut, reside in these two gardens. Every Shabbos (שבת) and Rosh Chodesh (ראש חודש, new month), they ascend to higher levels to bask in the Ziv HaShechinah (זיו השכינה).
Distinction from "Eden"[edit]
A key distinction is drawn between Gan Eden (גן עדן) and Eden (עדן) itself. Eden refers to a higher spiritual source—Chochmah Ila’ah (חכמה עליונה)—sometimes called Eden HaElyon (עדן העליון). Gan Eden is the "garden" that flows from Eden: "נהר יוצא מעדן להשקות את הגן"—“a river flows from Eden to water the garden” (Bereishit 2:10). In Kabbalah, this indicates that Gan Eden is a manifest radiance or extension of the higher realm of Eden, not Eden itself.
Spiritual Significance[edit]
In Gan Eden, souls experience Klot HaNefesh (כלות הנפש)—a deep yearning and sublimation of the soul toward God. However, this occurs within the boundaries of Gvul (גבול, limitation) and Tzimtzum (צמצום). To attain higher spiritual ranks—such as the designation Kadosh (קדוש, holy), which transcends even the grasp of Chochmah—a soul must first pass through the stages of Gan Eden and internalize its light.
Relationship to "This World"[edit]
Despite its sublime joys, Gan Eden is considered secondary to the opportunity afforded in Olam Hazeh. As the sages teach, “Yafah sha’ah achat b’teshuvah u’maasim tovim ba’olam hazeh mikol chayei ha’olam haba”—“One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is better than all the life of the World to Come.” This is because in this world, the soul can attach directly to the Atzmut Ein Sof (עצמות אין סוף, the Divine Essence), not just its radiance.
See Also[edit]