AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED. According to our teachers, the word “commanded” here contains a prohibition of idolatry; “the Lord”, of blasphemy; “God”, of the perversion of justice; “the man”, of murder; “saying”, of adultery and incest; “from all the trees of the garden”, of robbery; “thou mayest freely eat”, of eating flesh from a living animal; and so we agree.
OF ALL THE TREES OF THE GARDEN THOU SHALT SURELY EAT. This means that he was permitted to eat them all together, for, as we see, Abraham ate, Isaac and Jacob ate, and all the prophets ate and remained alive. This tree, however, was a tree of death, in so far that he who ate-it by itself was bound to die, since he took poison. Hence it says, IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF THOU SHALT SURELY DIE, because thereby he would be separating the shoots.
R. Judah asked R. Simeon: ‘What is the meaning of the dictum of the teachers, that Adam drew his foreskin? ‘He said: ‘It means that he removed the holy covenant from its place; he abandoned the holy covenant and clung to the orlah and allowed himself to be seduced by the serpent.’
The words OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREE (Gen. 3, 3) signify the woman, of whom it is written, “Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold of the nether world” (Prov. 5, 5). On this tree there was fruit, but not on a certain other.
R. Jose said: ‘That tree which we mentioned was nurtured and fostered from above, and rejoiced thereat, as it says: “A river went forth from Eden to water the garden.” The “garden” designates woman; this river entered it and watered it, and up to this point there was complete unity, for it is from this point onward that there is separation, as it is written, “and from there it parted”.’
וַיְצַו יְיָ אֱלֹהִים. הָא תָּנִינָן לֵית צַו אֶלָּא עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. יְיָ זוֹ בִּרְכַּת הַשֵּׁם. אֱלֹהִים אֵלּוּ הַדַּיָּינִין. עַל הָאָדָם זוֹ שְׁפִיכֻת דָּמִים. לֵאמֹר זוֹ גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת. מִכָּל עֵץ הַגָּן וְלֹא גֶּזֶל. אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל וְלא אֵבָר מִן הַחַי וְשַׁפִּיר.
AND THE LORD GOD COMMANDED. According to our teachers, the word “commanded” here contains a prohibition of idolatry; “the Lord”, of blasphemy; “God”, of the perversion of justice; “the man”, of murder; “saying”, of adultery and incest; “from all the trees of the garden”, of robbery; “thou mayest freely eat”, of eating flesh from a living animal; and so we agree.
מִכָּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל. דְּשַׁרְיָא לֵיהּ כֹּלָּא דְּלֵיכְלִינְהוּ בְּיִחוּדָא. דְהָא חֲזִינָן אַבְרָהָם אָכַל, יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב וְכָל נְּבִיאִים אֲכָלוּ וְחָיוּ. אֲבָל אִילָנָא דָּא אִילָנָא דְמוֹתָא אִיהוּ (כמה דכתיב ומעץ הדעת טוב ורע לא תאכל ממנו) מָאן דְּנָטִיל לֵיהּ בִּלְחוֹדוֹי מַיֵית. דְּהָא סַמָּא דְמוֹתָא נָטִיל (בגין דאיהו מפריש ליה מן חיין). וְעַל דָּא כִּי בְיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת בְּגִין דְּקָא פָּרִישׁ נְטִיעִין.
OF ALL THE TREES OF THE GARDEN THOU SHALT SURELY EAT. This means that he was permitted to eat them all together, for, as we see, Abraham ate, Isaac and Jacob ate, and all the prophets ate and remained alive. This tree, however, was a tree of death, in so far that he who ate-it by itself was bound to die, since he took poison. Hence it says, IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF THOU SHALT SURELY DIE, because thereby he would be separating the shoots.
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה שַׁאִיל לְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הָא דִּתְנִינָן אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מוֹשֵׁךְ בְּעָרְלָתוֹ הֲוָה, מַאי הוּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ דְּפָּרִישׁ בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ מֵאַתְרֵיהּ וּמֵחוּלָקֵיהּ. וַדַּאי מוֹשֵׁךְ בָּעָרְלָה הֲוָה. וְשָׁבַק בְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ וְדָבַק בָּעָרְלָה וְאִתְפַּתֶּה בְּמִלָּה דְנָחָשׁ.
R. Judah asked R. Simeon: ‘What is the meaning of the dictum of the teachers, that Adam drew his foreskin? ‘He said: ‘It means that he removed the holy covenant from its place; he abandoned the holy covenant and clung to the orlah and allowed himself to be seduced by the serpent.’
וּמִפְּרִי הָעֵץ דָּא אִתְּתָא. לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, (משלי ה׳:ה׳) רַגְלֶיהָ יוֹרְדוֹת מָוְת שְׁאוֹל צְעָדֶיהָ יִתְמוֹכוּ. וּבְהַאי הֲוֵי פְּרִי, דְּהָא בְּאָחֳרָא לָא הֲוֵי פְּרִי. כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת. בְּגִין דָּא אִילָנָא דְמוֹתָא הֲוֵי כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן. דִּכְתִיב רַגְלֶיהָ יוֹרְדוֹת מָוֶת:
The words OF THE FRUIT OF THE TREE (Gen. 3, 3) signify the woman, of whom it is written, “Her feet go down to death, her steps take hold of the nether world” (Prov. 5, 5). On this tree there was fruit, but not on a certain other.
(והנחש היה ערום מכל חית השדה) רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר הַאי אִילָנָא דְקָא אֲמָרָן הֲוָה מִתְשָׁקֵי מִלְּעֵילָא וְאִתְרַבֵּי וְהֲוָה חָדֵי כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וְנָהָר יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן. הַגָּן דָּא אִתְּתָא. וְנָהָר דָּא הֲוָה עָיִיל בֵּיהּ וְאַשְׁקֵי לֵיהּ וְהֲוָה כֹּלָּא חָד (וכדין יי אחד ושמו אחד). דְּהָא מִתַּמָּן וּלְתַתָּא אִיהוּ פִּירוּדָא דִּכְתִיב וּמִשָּׁם יִפָּרֵד.
R. Jose said: ‘That tree which we mentioned was nurtured and fostered from above, and rejoiced thereat, as it says: “A river went forth from Eden to water the garden.” The “garden” designates woman; this river entered it and watered it, and up to this point there was complete unity, for it is from this point onward that there is separation, as it is written, “and from there it parted”.’