Prior to Its Birth a Malach Transports the Neshamah to the Tzaddikim in Gan Eden
It appears that we can corroborate the assertion of the esteemed Rabbi Moshe of Kobrin, zy”a, based on a fascinating passage in the Midrash Tanchuma (Pekudei 3):
Rabbi Yochanan said: Why is it written (Iyov 9, 10): “Who performs great deeds that are beyond comprehension, and wonders beyond number”? You should know that all of the neshamos that were from Adam HaRishon and will be until the end of the world, were created during the six days of creation; they were all in Gan Eden, and they were all at Matan Torah, as it says (Devarim 29, 14): “But with whoever is here, standing with us today before Hashem, our G-d, and with whoever is not here with us today.” And the statement: “Who performs great deeds that are beyond comprehension”—refers to the great deeds HKB”H performs in the formation of the fetus.
Further on, the Midrash details the wonders HKB”H performs related to the formation of the fetus. When it is time for the neshamah to descend and be born into Olam HaZeh:
Without delay, HKB”H would summon the malach in charge of the spirits and say to him: Bring Me a particular spirit which is in Gan Eden, whose name is so-and-so, and whose form is such-and-such . . . Immediately, the malach would go and bring the soul to HKB”H. When the soul arrived, it immediately prostrated and bowed before the King of Kings, HKB”H . . . Thereupon HKB”H responded to the neshamah, “The world I am placing you in will be better for you than the one in which you have dwelt” . . .
The malach took him from there and led him to Gan Eden; he showed him the tzaddikim sitting honorably with crowns on their heads. Then the malach would say to that spirit, “Do you know who these are?” And the spirit would reply, “No, my master.” Whereupon the malach would tell him, “These that you see were initially formed like you in the wombs of their mothers; then they went out into the world and observed the Torah and the mitzvos. Therefore, they were deserving and were selected for this beautiful place that you see. Know that you will ultimately leave this world, and if you are deemed worthy and observe HKB”H’s Torah, you will merit this and sitting like these.
Now, the Sefas Emes (Bereishis 5644) teaches us that HKB”H sends the neshamah to Gan Eden before it is born into this world to receive tremendous powers of kedushah to help it fulfill its task in Olam HaZeh. It appears that we can spice this notion up based on a teaching in the Gemara (ibid. 17a): "העולם הבא אין בו לא אכילה ולא שתיה... אלא צדיקים יושבין ועטרותיהם בראשיהם ונהנים מזיו השכינה שנאמר ויחזו את האלקים ויאכלו וישתו". In Olam HaBa, there is no
eating, no drinking . . . Rather, tzaddikim sit with their crowns on their heads and delight in the radiance of the Shechinah, as it states (Shemos 24, 11): “They gazed at G-d, and they ate and drank.” What does it mean to delight in the radiance of the Shechinah? I believe that we can explain this based on a teaching in the Zohar hakadosh (Chayei Sarah 132b): Every night at midnight, HKB”H descends and delights in the Torah with the tzaddikim in Gan Eden. Thus, when the neshamah enters Gan Eden and witness the incredible joy the tzaddikim experience from the study of Torah, it is inspired to delight in the study of Torah in Olam HaZeh. The yetzer hara, however, tries to substitute the pleasures of Olam HaZeh for the pleasure associated with Torah-study. So, it is necessary for Jews to reinstate the true pleasure of Torah-study.
Thus, we have achieved a better understanding of the fantastic allusion presented by the Bris Kehunas Olam interpreting the passuk: "וראה הכהן אחרי הוכבס את הנגע והנה לא הפך הנגע את עינו". We have learned that the source of skin lesions and afflictions is related to the failure to transform the term נג"ע into its favorable anagram ענ"ג. In other words, the Jew failed to switch the location of the letter “ayin,” which alludes to the seventy faces of the Torah. This should be a Jew’s primary focus and, as such, it should be the first letter of the anagram. The tikun is for a Jew to have his every action aimed at fulfilling the will of HKB”H, Who created the world for the sake of the Torah. If we delight in Hashem by enjoying the pleasure of Torah-study, we will transform the ominous term נג"ע into its auspicious anagram ענ"ג.
