(א) אֵין דּוֹרְשִׁין ... בַמֶּרְכָּבָה בְּיָחִיד, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיָה חָכָם וּמֵבִין מִדַּעְתּוֹ. כָּל הַמִּסְתַּכֵּל בְּאַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים, רָאוּי לוֹ כְּאִלּוּ לֹא בָּא לָעוֹלָם, מַה לְּמַעְלָה, מַה לְּמַטָּה, מַה לְּפָנִים, וּמַה לְּאָחוֹר. וְכָל שֶׁלֹּא חָס עַל כְּבוֹד קוֹנוֹ, רָאוּי לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בָּא לָעוֹלָם:
(1) One may not expound... by oneself the Design of the Divine Chariot, a mystical teaching with regard to the ways God conducts the world, unless he is wise and understands most matters on his own. The mishna continues in the same vein: Whoever looks at four matters, it would have been better for him had he never entered the world: Anyone who reflects upon what is above the firmament and what is below the earth, what was before Creation, and what will be after the end of the world. And anyone who has no concern for the honor of his Maker, who inquires into and deals with matters not permitted to him, deserves to have never come to the world.
(ג) ארבעה נכנסו לפרדס,
בן עזיי ובן זומא אחר ור' עקיבא.
אחד הציץ ומת,
אחד הציץ ונפגע,
אחד הציץ וקיצץ בנטיעות,
ואחד עלה בשלום וירד בשלום.
בן עזיי הציץ ומת, עליו הכת' או' יקר בעיני ה' המותה לחסידיו,
בן זומא הציץ ונפגע, עליו הכת' או' דבש מצאת אכול דייך וגו',
אלישע הציץ וקיצץ בנטיעות, עליו הכתו' אומ' אל תתן את פיך לחטיא את בשריך וגו'.
(ד) ר' עקיבה עלה בשלום וירד בשלום, עליו הכתו' או' משכני אחריך נרוצה וגו'
TOSEFTA
Four entered into pardes:
Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Aher and R. Akiba.
One looked and died;
one looked and suffered harm;
one looked and cut down the shoots;
one ascended in peace and descended in peace.
Ben Azzai looked and died. Of him Scripture says, Precious in the eyes of the
Lord is the death of his pious (Ps. 116:15).
Ben Zoma looked and suffered harm. Of him Scripture says, If you have
found honey, eat only that which does you good lest you grow tired of it and
vomit it out (Prov. 25:16).
Aher looked and cut down the shoots. Of him Scripture says, Let not your
mouth lead your flesh into sin and say not before the angel that it was an
oversight. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of
your hands? (Eccl. 5:5-6).
(4) Rabbi Akiba entered in peace and came out in peace.
Of him Scripture says, Draw me after you, we desire to run, etc. The king
brought me into his chambers (Song 1:4).
(Tosefta Hagigah 2.3-4)
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אַרְבָּעָה נִכְנְסוּ בַּפַּרְדֵּס וְאֵלּוּ הֵן
בֶּן עַזַּאי וּבֶן זוֹמָא אַחֵר וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא
אֲמַר לָהֶם רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: כְּשֶׁאַתֶּם מַגִּיעִין אֵצֶל אַבְנֵי שַׁיִשׁ טָהוֹר אַל תֹּאמְרוּ מַיִם מַיִם מִשּׁוּם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר דּוֹבֵר שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִכּוֹן לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי.
בּן עַזַּאי הֵצִיץ וָמֵת עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר יָקָר בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ הַמָּוְתָה לַחֲסִידָיו.
בֶּן זוֹמָא הֵצִיץ וְנִפְגַּע וְעָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר דְּבַשׁ מָצָאתָ אֱכוֹל דַּיֶּיךָּ פֶּן תִּשְׂבָּעֶנּוּ וַהֲקֵאתוֹ. אַחֵר קִיצֵּץ בִּנְטִיעוֹת.
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא יָצָא בְּשָׁלוֹם.
BABYLONIAN TALMUD
The Sages taught: Four entered the orchard [pardes], i.e., dealt with the loftiest secrets of Torah, and they are as follows: Ben Azzai; and ben Zoma; Aḥer, the other, a name for Elisha ben Avuya; and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva, the senior among them, said to them: When, upon your arrival in the upper worlds, you reach pure marble stones, do not say: Water, water, although they appear to be water, because it is stated: “He who speaks falsehood shall not be established before My eyes” (Psalms 101:7).
The Gemara proceeds to relate what happened to each of them: Ben Azzai glimpsed at the Divine Presence and died. And with regard to him the verse states: “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones” (Psalms 116:15). Ben Zoma glimpsed at the Divine Presence and was harmed, i.e., he lost his mind. And with regard to him the verse states: “Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you become full from it and vomit it” (Proverbs 25:16). Aḥer chopped down the shoots of saplings. In other words, he became a heretic. Rabbi Akiva came out safely.