A person who has acquired
good health in himself
and is aware in his mind
of what sickness is,
has gained something beneficial,
and he knows something profitable;
but the person who lies
in sickness;
and knows in his mind
what good health is like,
is vexed by his sickness
and tormented in his mind.
Had Adam conquered,
he would have acquired
glory upon his limbs,
and discernment of what suffering is,
so that he might be radiant in his limbs
and grow in discernment.
But the serpent reversed all this
and made him taste
abasement in reality,
and glory in recollection only,
so that he might feel shame at what he had found
and weep at what he had lost.
The tree was to him
like a gate;
its fruit was the veil
covering that hidden Tabernacle.
Adam snached the fruit,
casting aside the commandment.
When he beheld that Glory
within,
shining forth with its rays,
he fled outside;
he ran off and took refuge
amongst the modest fig trees.
In the midst of Paradise God had planted
the Tree of Knowledge
to separate off, above and below,
Sanctuary from Holy of Holies.
Adam made bold to touch,
and he was smitten like Uzziah:
the king became leprous;
Adam was stripped.
Being struck like Uzziah
he hastened to leave:
both kings fled and hid,
in shame at their bodies.
Even though all the trees
of Paradise
are clothed each in its own glory,
yet each veils itself at the Glory:
the Seraphs with their wings,
the trees with their branches,
all cover their faces so as not to behold
their Lord.
They all blushed at Adam
who was suddenly found naked;
the serpent had stolen his garments,
for which it was deprived of its feet.
God did not permit
Adam to enter
that innermost Tabernacle:
this was withheld,
so that he might first prove pleasing
in his service of that outer Tabernacle.
Like a priest
with fragrant incense,
Adam’s keeping of the commandment
was to be his censer;
then he might enter before the Hidden One
into that hidden Tabernacle.
The symbol of Paradise
was depicted by Moses
who made the two sanctuaries,
the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies;
into the outer one,
entrance was permitted
but into the inner,
only once a year.
So too with Paradise,
God closed off the inner part
but He opened up the outer,
wherein Adam might graze.
(Ephrem the Syrian, Treasure-house of Mysteries, pp. 48-50)
SOURCE: Fr Ted’s Blog