TORAH/תורה

בְּרֵאשִׁית/Bereshit 3

7

וַתִּפָּקַ֙חְנָה֙ עֵינֵ֣י שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֥י עֵֽירֻמִּ֖ם הֵ֑ם וַֽיִּתְפְּרוּ֙ עֲלֵ֣ה תְאֵנָ֔ה וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם חֲגֹרֹֽת׃

And the eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked [bereft of their one mitzvah], and they put together fig leaves and made themselves girdles. [(The tree of knowledge was a fig tree. "Wherein they offended, they were amended.")]

[עלה תאנה FIG LEAVES — This was the tree of which they had eaten; by the very thing through which their ruin had been caused was some improvement effected in their condition (Sanhedrin 70b). Why is not the name of the tree clearly mentioned? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, never wishes to grieve anything He has created: hence its name is not mentioned in order that it might not be put to shame by people saying, "This is the tree through which the world suffered" (Midrash R. Tanchuma 1:4:14).]

8

וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת־ק֨וֹל יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן לְר֣וּחַ הַיּ֑וֹם וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם וְאִשְׁתּ֗וֹ מִפְּנֵי֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים בְּת֖וֹךְ עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן׃

And they heard the voice of the L-rd G-d sounding in the garden in the direction of (the descent of) the sun, [i.e., the west], and the man and his wife hid before the L-rd G-d in the midst of the trees of the garden.

9

וַיִּקְרָ֛א יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ אַיֶּֽכָּה׃

And the L-rd G-d called to the man, and He said to him: "Where are You?"

[AND THE LORD GOD CALLED. Where art thou was a means of starting a conversation. Similarly, Where is Abel thy brother? (Bereshit 4:9).33 Behold, Cain denied his brother's whereabouts, but the Holy One, blessed be He, responded, the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground (Bereshit 4:10).]

10

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֶת־קֹלְךָ֥ שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי בַּגָּ֑ן וָאִירָ֛א כִּֽי־עֵירֹ֥ם אָנֹ֖כִי וָאֵחָבֵֽא׃

And he said: I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid.

11

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מִ֚י הִגִּ֣יד לְךָ֔ כִּ֥י עֵירֹ֖ם אָ֑תָּה הֲמִן־הָעֵ֗ץ אֲשֶׁ֧ר צִוִּיתִ֛יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֥י אֲכׇל־מִמֶּ֖נּוּ אָכָֽלְתָּ׃

And He said: Who told you that you were naked? [i.e., Where did you learn to be ashamed of your nakedness?] Did you eat of the tree from which I bade you not to eat?

12

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הָֽאָדָ֑ם הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תָּה עִמָּדִ֔י הִ֛וא נָֽתְנָה־לִּ֥י מִן־הָעֵ֖ץ וָאֹכֵֽל׃

And the man said: The woman that You gave with me, [(Adam here denies G-d's boon)] — she gave me of the tree and I ate.

[אשר נתת עמדי WHOM THOU GAVEST TO BE WITH ME — Here he showed his ingratitude (Avodah Zarah 5b).]

[נתנה לי מן העץ, and has become a hindrance instead of a help. By saying these words, Adam tried to blame his Creator for having committed a sin. Adam, instead of being defensive by repenting, apologizing, admitting his guilt, as did David when the prophet Natan had called him to order over his conduct with Bat Sheva, (Samuel II 12,13)]