6357 —שיטת הרמב"ם על גן עדן ועל עולם הבא

B"H, 4th of Tammuz, 5718.

Brooklyn.

Havavac"h iy"a nu"n etc. Avraham Moshe Greenberg

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letter from the 29th of Sivan, in which you question what I wrote regarding the Rambam's view on Gan Eden based on what the Rambam writes in his commentary on the Mishnah to Sanhedrin—that Gan Eden is a choice land, rich and fertile, etc.—and you cite other places where he discusses matters of Gan Eden.

Although these matters are explained in several books, I will at least present here the main point: There are several levels in Gan Eden. The lowest level is that which is spoken of in the plain meaning of verses at the beginning of Torah—it exists in our world, for "no verse departs from its simple meaning," and there it speaks about fruits that are fit for bodily consumption. This is what the Rambam refers to in his commentary mentioned above. This Gan Eden was created together with all of creation, as those verses indicate; however, according to the Rambam it became hidden afterward and will be revealed in the future.

Above this is a level of Gan Eden without physicality or materiality—intended for souls without bodies. Generally, these types of Gan Eden are divided into two: lower and upper Gan Eden. Both are discussed at length in various places, including Zohar II p. 210b and onward; see there that it is clear this refers to souls without bodies. Yet within both upper and lower Gan Eden there are many levels, as also explained in Likkutei Torah from which you quoted in your previous letter.

There is another matter: Olam HaBa (the World to Come). Here there is a dispute between the Rambam and Ramban as brought in Likkutei Torah by Rabbeinu HaZaken (Parshas Tzav 15c): According to the Rambam it too is a world for souls without bodies; but according to what is written at the beginning of Perek Chelek (Sanhedrin), Olam HaBa is a separate concept (for there it must refer to souls with bodies—see there). According to the Ramban, Olam HaBa is for souls with bodies; this is identical with Techiyas HaMeisim (resurrection of the dead). Based on this explanation it is understood that there is no contradiction between sources you cited from one place or another.

Incidentally, I have already written about this before and it was printed in Kovetz Lubavitch IX-X. It can certainly be found by someone in Eretz HaKodesh.

Summary

The letter explains that according to the Rambam there are multiple levels of Gan Eden—some physical and some spiritual—and clarifies how these differ from Olam HaBa (the World to Come), noting key differences between Rambam's and Ramban's views regarding souls with or without bodies.