Gan Eden is higher than the worlds

Gan Eden is higher than worlds, for the soil of Gan Eden is the spiritual dimension that is within the physicality of the world.

Chassidic Discourse of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Pinchas 5711

The bodies were [and will be] completely spiritual

In truth, before [Adam and Chava] transgressed the command of the Holy One, their bodies were also completely spiritual, like our physical bodies shall be after complete refinement...when comprehension of G-dliness will give life to the body like physical eating and drinking does [at present]. This is what Adam's body was before the sin...that his heel was brighter than the sun.

Ohr Hatorah, Bereishis vol. VII (page 2326 (1163a))

Where is Gan Eden?

Before the sin of Adam Harishon he was in Gan Eden of the earth, which is on the equator. Gan Eden is made from the spiritual aspect of the four fundemental elements and it is 32 degrees from Yerushalayim, and it is known that its place cannot be found [in the physical world] because it is spiritual.

Mitteler Rebbe, Hanachos, 5577 p.83

More on Gan Eden

To understand the matter of Gan Eden of the earth, where the souls go up to specifically when they are purified: it is known that 4 rivers go out from Gan Eden in a literal sense, that there is a special place on the globe of the physical earth on the equator, 32 degrees distance from Yerushalayim, and there is the dwelling place of the Gan and a river goes out.


The fact that they haven't found it on the face of the earth, and the fiery sword is not seen, is because this Gan has the aspect of Divine spirituality, as is known that the soil of the Gan is also above the spirituality of the four fundemental elements of fire, air, water, and earth which are mixed with good and evil.


But the spirituality of the 4 fundemental elements becomes the soil for this Gan in a way that there is no admixture of evil at all, because this place is separated in spirituality from all admixture of good and evil, like the body of Adam Harishon, which was made from this dust that is in the soil of the Gan, and would make the sun look dark, etc. And so, if he would not have sinned with the tree of knowledge, etc., he would have been at the ultimate level of Divine holiness, except that he sinned with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and couldn't remain in Gan Eden, as it says "the man was expelled..."

Mitteler Rebbe Maamorim, Vayikra II:703

Resurrection: An Intermediary Stage

The elevations of the souls from the lower Gan Eden to the higher Gan Eden is via the [intermediary of] Nahar Dinur (river of fire) which is the pillar in Gan Eden which includes the concept of self nullification (bitul), [that one must have bitul] in order to come from the lower Gan Eden to the higher.

So, too, in the days of Moshiach there will be a resurrection of the dead as an intermediary level until the World to Come in the 7th millenium. The difference between immersing in the Nahar Dinur or becoming nullified in the pillar [on the one hand] and the level of intermediary in the days of Moshiach which refers to the resurrection of the dead, is that the immersion in the Nahar Dinur is nullification for the soul alone and not the physical bodies. But the resurrection that is after the days of Moshiach is the aspect of nullification for the bodies as well, meaning that the physical bodies themselves will grasp the Divine light and they will be on the level of self-nullification of their very existence.

Maamorim of the Alter Rebbe, 5565, I:412

Moshiach: Taking us to Gan Eden and Beyond

Eden itself [as opposed to Gan Eden] "no eye has seen", only in the World to Come it will be for one who waits for it, until all the elevations of the present in Gan Eden are like nothing relative to the essence of Gan Eden, etc. The World to Come is beyond the days of Moshiach and beyond the revival of the dead.

Maamarei Mitteler Rebbe, Vayikra II

We need to understand the subject of Gan Eden...

We need to understand the subject of Gan Eden of the Earth, where the neshomas go up to when they are pure, specifically. It is known that the four rivers that go out from Gan Eden are literal, that there is a special place on the globe of this physical earth on the Equator, 32 degrees distance from Yerushalayim, etc., and there is the place of this Gan and the river goes out from Eden to water the Gan, and from there it divides, etc. The fact that they didn't find it on the face of the earth, and they don't see the flaming sword, etc., is because this Gan is in the dimension of Divine spirituality. As is known, the ground (karka) of this Gan is higher even than the four spiritual fundemental elements of fire, air, water, and dirt which are intermingled with good and evil, etc.

But the spirituality of the four fundamental elements makes the ground of this Gan in a way which has no admixture of evil at all, because this place is separated in spirituality from all admixture of evil, like the body of Adam Harishon, which is made from this dirt in the ground of the Gan, etc., and so if he wouldn't have sinned with the Tree of Knowledge, etc. Because it was all on the level of utmost Divine holiness, only that he sinned with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and he wasn't able to stand in Gan Eden, as it says "He expelled the man".

Maamarim of the Mitteler Rebbe, Vayikra II 502-3

The Spiritual That is Within the Physical

We need to understand the subject of Gan Eden that is on the Earth, for it states "Hashem Elokim planted a Gan in Eden to the East" and according to the simple understanding it means that there is a special place in this physical world which is the place of this Gan, as explained in the Zohar. And this place, even though it is in this physical world, nevertheless it is on the level of Divine spirituality. It can be said that this is the level of spirituality that is in the physicality of the earth. And it is known that in every physical thing there is a dimension of "spirituality that is in physicality", which means besides the spiritual life-force in it, which is the dimension of actual spirituality, we find in the physical itself that there is a dimension of spirituality in it, within which the spiritual life-force is enclothed, etc.

Now Adam Harishon's physical body was refined and purified from all impurity amd waste and, quite the opposite, he was glowing and luminescent, and the midrash says his heel darkened the globe of the sun, etc. And if he didn't sin with the Tree of Knowledge he would remain on the level of ultimate Divine spirituality.

Rebbe Rashab, Maamorim 5662 p.299

Before the sin there was no "secular"

From the Creation, everything was holiness. If it wasn't for the sin of Adam Harishon, there wouldn't be the secular/mundane ("chol"), as it says he was placed in Gan Eden, etc., and only via the sin, just as he made himself chol he also made the days of Creation chol.

Lubavitcher Rebbe, Va'era 5711 p.187