Chapter 3

אוהנחש היה ערום. מָה עִנְיָן זֶה לְכָאן? הָיָה לוֹ לִסְמֹךְ וַיַּעַשׂ לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם, אֶלָּא לִמֶּדְךָ מֵאֵיזוֹ עֵצָה קָפַץ הַנָּחַשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם, רָאָה אוֹתָם עֲרֻמִּים וְעוֹסְקִים בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ לְעֵין כֹּל וְנִתְאַוָּה לָהּ:

1והנחש היה ערום AND THE SERPENT WAS MORE SUBTLE — What connection is there between the following narrative and the statement just made? The latter should have been followed by: “and He [the Lord God] made for Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them” (3:21), but Scripture informs you with what plan the serpent assailed them: he saw them naked and unashamed and he coveted her (Eve) (Genesis Rabbah 18:6).

בערום מכל. לְפִי עָרְמָתוֹ וּגְדֻלָּתוֹ הָיְתָה מַפָּלָתוֹ, עָרוּם מִכֹּל, אָרוּר מִכֹּל (בראשית רבה):

2ערום מכל MORE SUBTLE THAN ALL — Corresponding with his subtleness and his greatness was his downfall; “more subtle than all” — “more cursed than all” (see 3:14). (Genesis Rabbah 19:1).

גאף כי אמר וגו'. שֶׁמָּא אָמַר לָכֶם לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִכֹּל וְגוֹ', וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁרָאָה אוֹתָם אוֹכְלִים מִשְּׁאָר פֵּרוֹת, הִרְבָּה עָלֶיהָ דְבָרִים כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ וְיָבֹא לְדַבֵּר בְּאוֹתוֹ הָעֵץ:

3‘אף כי אמר וגו ALTHOUGH GOD HATH SAID — The meaning is, “Perhaps He has said unto you” ‘לא תאכלו מכל וגו YE SHALL NOT EAT OF EVERY TREE OF THE GARDEN — And although he saw them eating of the other fruits yet he entered into a long conversation with her so that she should answer him, and so that he might then have an opportunity to talk about that particular tree.

אולא תגעו בו. הוֹסִיפָה עַל הַצִּוּוּי, לְפִיכָךְ בָּאָה לִידֵי גֵרָעוֹן, הוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אַל תּוֹסְףְּ עַל דְּבָרָיו (משלי ל'):

1ולא תגעו בו NEITHER SHALL YE TOUCH IT — She added to God’s command (which did not forbid touching the tree, but only eating of its fruit) therefore she was led to diminish from it. It is to this that the text refers (Proverbs 30:6): “Add thou not unto His words” (Genesis Rabbah 19:3).

אלא מות תמותון. דְּחָפָהּ עַד שֶׁנָּגְעָה בוֹ, אָמַר לָהּ כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין מִיתָה בִנְגִיעָה, כָּךְ אֵין מִיתָה בַאֲכִילָה (בראשית רבה):

1לא מות תמתון YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE — He pushed her until she touched it. He then said to her, “Just as there is no death in touching it, so there is no death in eating it” (Genesis Rabbah 19:3).

אכי ידע. כָּל אֻמָּן שׂוֹנֵא אֶת בְּנֵי אֻמָּנוּתוֹ, מִן הָעֵץ אָכַל וּבָרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם (בראשית רבה):

1כי ידע FOR [GOD] KNOWS — Every artisan detests his fellow-artisans (“Two of a trade never agree”). The serpent suggested to her: God ate of the tree and created the world (Genesis Rabbah 19:4) so if you eat ...

בוהייתם כאלהים. יוֹצְרֵי עוֹלָמוֹת (בראשית רבה):

2והייתם כאלהים YE WILL BE AS GOD — Creators of worlds.

אותרא האשה. רָאֲתָה דְבָרָיו שֶׁל נָחָשׁ וְהֶנְאוּ לָהּ וְהֶאֱמִינַתּוּ (בראשית רבה):

1ותרא האשה AND THE WOMAN SAW — She approved the words of the serpent — they pleased her and she believed him (Genesis Rabbah 19:3).

בכי טוב העץ. לִהְיוֹת כֵּאלֹהִים:

2כי טוב העץ THAT THE TREE WAS GOOD to make her become like God.

גוכי תאוה הוא לעינים. כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לָהּ וְנִפְקְחוּ עֵינֵיכֶם:

3וכי תאוה היא לעינים AND THAT IT WAS A DELIGHT TO THE EYES — even as he had said to her: “then your eyes shall be opened”.

דונחמד להשכיל. כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לָהּ יוֹדְעֵי טוֹב וָרָע:

4ונחמד להשכיל AND IT WAS TO BE DESIRED TO MAKE ONE WISE — even as he had said to her: “knowing good and evil”.

הותתן גם לאישה. שֶׁלֹּא תָמוּת הִיא וְיִחְיֶה הוּא, וְיִשָּׂא אַחֶרֶת:

5ותתן גם לאשה AND SHE GAVE ALSO TO HER HUSBAND so that she should not die and he remain alive to take another wife (Genesis Rabbah 19:5).

וגם. לְרַבּוֹת בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה:

6The word גם, also, may be understood to include cattle and beasts (that is, that she gave to these and also to her husband) (Genesis Rabbah 19:5).

אותפקחנה וגו'. לְעִנְיַן הַחָכְמָה דִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב וְלֹא לְעִנְיַן רְאִיָּה מַמָּשׁ, וְסוֹף הַמִּקְרָא מוֹכִיחַ:

1‘ותפקחנה וגו [AND THE EYES OF BOTH OF THEM] WERE UNCLOSED — Scripture speaks here with reference to intelligence (the mind’s eye) and not with reference to actual seeing; the end of the verse proves this for it states,

בוידעו כי עירמים הם. אַף הַסּוּמָא יוֹדֵעַ כְּשֶׁהוּא עָרוּם, אֶלָּא מַהוּ וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי עֵירֻמִּם הֵם? מִצְוָה אַחַת הָיְתָה בְיָדָם וְנִתְעַרְטְלוּ הֵימֶנָּה (בראשית רבה):

2וידעו כי ערומים הם AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE NAKED — Even a blind person knows when he is naked! What then does “and they knew that they were naked” signify? One charge had been entrusted to them and they now knew they had stripped themselves of it (Genesis Rabbah 19:6).

געלה תאנה. הוּא הָעֵץ שֶׁאָכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, בַּדָּבָר שֶׁנִּתְקַלְקְלוּ בּוֹ נִתַּקְּנוּ (סנהדרין ע'), אֲבָל שְׁאָר הָעֵצִים מְנָעוּם מִלִּטֹּל עַלֵּיהֶם. וּמִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִתְפַּרְסֵם הָעֵץ? שֶׁאֵין הַקָּבָּ"ה חָפֵץ לְהוֹנוֹת בְּרִיָּה, שֶׁלֹּא יַכְלִימוּהָ וְיֹאמְרוּ זֶהוּ שֶׁלָּקָה הָעוֹלָם עַל יָדוֹ, מִדְרַשׁ רַבִּי תַנְחוּמָא:

3עלה 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). The other trees however prevented them from taking of their leaves. And 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).

אוישמעו. יֵשׁ מִדְרְשֵׁי אַגָּדָה רַבִּים וּכְבָר סִדְּרוּם רַבּוֹתֵינוּ עַל מְכוֹנָם בִּבְ"רַ וּבִשְׁאָר מִדְרָשׁוֹת; וַאֲנִי לֹא בָאתִי אֶלָּא לִפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא וּלְאַגָּדָה הַמְיַשֶּׁבֶת דִּבְרֵי הַמִּקְרָא דָבָר דָּבוּר עַל אׇפְנָיו: וישמעו. מַה שָּׁמְעוּ? שָׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל הַקָּבָּ"ה שֶׁהָיָה מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגַּן:

1וישמעו AND THEY HEARD — There are many Midrashic explanations and our Teachers have already collected them in their appropriate places in Genesis Rabbah and in other Midrashim. I, however, am only concerned with the plain sense of Scripture and with such Agadoth that explain the words of Scripture in a manner that fits in with them. וישמעו AND THEY HEARD — What did they hear? They heard the sound of the Holy One, blessed be He, as He walked in the garden (see Genesis Rabbah 19:12).

בלרוח היום. לְאוֹתוֹ רוּחַ שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה לְשָׁם, וְזוֹ הִיא מַעֲרָבִית; שֶׁלִּפְנוֹת עֶרֶב חַמָּה בַּמַּעֲרָב, וְהֵם סָרְחוּ בָּעֲשִׂירִית (סנהדרין ל"ח):

2לרוח היום IN THE WIND OF THE DAY — (רוח is used also in the meaning of direction,— north, east, — etc.) in that direction to which the sun travels (באה לשם) which is the west, for towards evening the sun is in the west, and they committed the sin in the tenth hour (Sanhedrin 38b).

אאיכה. יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה הֵיכָן הוּא אֶלָּא לִכָּנֵס עִמּוֹ בִּדְבָרִים, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא נִבְהָל לְהָשִׁיב אִם יַעֲנִישֵׁהוּ פִּתְאוֹם (בראשית רבה), וְכֵן בְּקַיִן אָמַר לוֹ אֵי הֶבֶל אָחִיךָ (בראשית ד), וְכֵן בְּבִלְעָם מִי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה עִמָּךְ (במדבר כ"ב), לִכָּנֵס עִמָּהֶם בִּדְבָרִים, וְכֵן בְּחִזְקִיָּה בִּשְׁלוּחֵי מְרֹאדַךְ בַּלְאֲדָן:

1איכה WHERE ART THOU — He knew where he was, but He asked this in order to open up a conversation with him that he should not become confused in his reply, if He were to pronounce punishment against him all of a sudden. Similarly in the case of Cain, He said to him, (4:9) “where is Abel thy brother?” Similarly with Balaam, (Numbers 22:9) “what men are these with thee?” — to open up a conversation with them; so, also, in the case of Hezekiah with reference to the messengers of Merodach-baladan (Isaiah 39:3).

אמי הגיד לך. מֵאַיִן לְךָ לָדַעַת מַה בֹּשֶׁת יֵשׁ בְּעוֹמֵד עָרֹם?

1מי הגיד לך WHO TOLD THEE? — Whence has the knowledge come to you what shame there is in standing naked?

בהמן העץ. בִּתְמִיהָ:

2המן העץ HAST THOU EATEN OF THE TREE — The ' ה of the word המן expresses a question.

אאשר נתתה עמדי. כָּאן כָּפַר בַּטּוֹבָה (עבודה זרה ה):

1אשר נתת עמדי WHOM THOU GAVEST TO BE WITH ME — Here he showed his ingratitude (Avodah Zarah 5b).

אהשיאני. הִטְעַנִי, כְּמוֹ אַל יַשִּׁיא אֶתְכֶם חִזְקִיָּהוּ (דברי הימים ב' ל"ב):

1השיאני means HE DECEIVED ME; — we find the word in the same meaning in (2 Chronicles 32:15), “Now therefore let not Hezekiah beguile you” (Genesis Rabbah 19).

אכי עשית זאת. מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין מְהַפְּכִים בִּזְכוּתוֹ שֶׁל מֵסִית, שֶׁאִלּוּ שְׁאָלוֹ לָמָּה עָשִׂיתָ זֹאת? הָיָה לוֹ לְהָשִׁיב דִּבְרֵי הָרַב וְדִבְרֵי הַתַּלְמִיד דִּבְרֵי מִי שׁוֹמְעִין? (סנהדרין כ"ט):

1כי עשית זאת BECAUSE THOU HAST DONE THIS — From here we infer that we should not occupy ourselves with what may be in favour of one who seduces people to idolatry, for had He asked it, “Why hast thou done this?”, it could have answered Him, “When the words of the teacher and those of the pupil are contradictory, whose orders should be obeyed?” (Sanhedrin 29a). (i. e. if You told them one thing and I another, should they not have obeyed You?).

במכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה. אִם מִבְּהֵמָה נִתְקַלֵּל מֵחַיָּה לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן, הֶעֱמִידוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ מִדְרָשׁ זֶה בְמַסֶּכֶת בְּכוֹרוֹת (דף ח') לְלַמֵּד שֶׁיְּמֵי עִבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים:

2מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה FROM AMONG (or, MORE THAN) ALL CATTLE AND ALL THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD — If it was cursed more than the cattle whose period of gestation is longer than that of beasts does it not necessarily follow that it was cursed more than the beasts? Our Rabbis have definitely established the correctness of the following deduction in treatise Bekhorot 8a, that it (viz., the use of these apparently superfluous words “and more than all the beasts of the field”) teaches that the period of gestation of the serpent is seven years.

געל גחונך תלך. רַגְלַיִם הָיוּ לוֹ וְנִקְצְצוּ:

3על גחנך תלך UPON THY BELLY SHALT THOU GO — It had feet but they were cut off (Genesis Rabbah 20:5).

אואיבה אשית. אַתָּה לֹא נִתְכַּוַּנְתָּ אֶלָּא שֶׁיָּמוּת אָדָם כְּשֶׁיּאֹכַל הוּא תְּחִלָּה וְתִשָּׂא אֶת חַוָּה, וְלֹא בָאתָ לְדַבֵּר אֶל חַוָּה תְּחִלָּה אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁהַנָּשִׁים קַלּוֹת לְהִתְפַּתּוֹת וְיוֹדְעוֹת לְפַתּוֹת אֶת בַּעְלֵיהֶן, לְפִיכָךְ וְאֵיבָה אָשִׁית:

1ואיבה אשית AND I WILL SET ENMITY — Your sole intention was that Adam should die by eating it first and that you should then take Eve for yourself (Genesis Rabbah 20:5), and you came to speak to Eve first only because women are easily influenced and know how to influence their husbands; therefore “I shall put enmity [between thee and the woman]”.

בישופך. יְכַתֶּתְךָ (סוטה ט') כְּמוֹ וָאֶכֹּת אֹתוֹ (דברים ט), וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וְשָׁפִית יָתֵי':

2הוא ישופך HE WILL BRUISE (or, POUND) THEE— Like (Deuteronomy 9:21), “And I beat in pieces” which Onkelos translates by ושפית “I pounded it.”

גואתה תשופנו עקב. לֹא יְהֵא לְךָ קוֹמָה וְתִשְּׁכֶנּוּ בַּעֲקֵבוֹ, וְאַף מִשָּׁם תְּמִיתֶנּוּ, וּלְשׁוֹן תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ כְּמוֹ נָשַׁף בָּהֶם (ישעיהו מ') כְּשֶׁהַנָּחָשׁ בָּא לִנְשֹׁך הוּא נוֹשֵׁף כְּמִין שְׁרִיקָה וּלְפִי שֶׁהַלָּשׁוֹן נוֹפֵל עַל הַלָּשָוֹן כְּתִיב לְשׁוֹן נְשִׁיפָה בִשְׁנֵיהֶם:

3ואתה תשופנו עקב AND THOU SHALT BRUISE HIS HEEL — As you will have no height (not stand erect) you will be able to bite him only on the heel, but even at that spot you will kill him. The word תשופנו is of the same import as the verb in (Isaiah 40:24). נשף בהם “It bloweth upon them.” When a serpent comes to bite, it blows with a kind of hissing sound. Although the words ישופך and תשופנו have different meanings, since they constitute “a play upon words” by sounding similar, they are both used here.

אעצבונך. זֶה צַעַר גִּדּוּל בָּנִים (עירובין ק'):

1עצבנך THY PAIN — viz., the trouble of rearing children (Eruvin 100b).

בוהרנך. זֶה צַעַר הָעִבּוּר:

2והרונך AND THY CONCEPTION— viz., the pain of pregnancy.

גבעצב תלדי בנים. זֶה צַעַר הַלֵּדָה:

3בעצב תלדי בנים IN PAIN THOU SHALT BEAR CHILDREN — This refers to the pangs of childbirth (Eruvin 100b).

דואל אישך תשוקתך. לְתַשְׁמִישׁ, וְאַעַפִּ"כֵּ אֵין לָךְ מֵצַח לְתָבְעוֹ בַּפֶּה, אֶלָּא הוּא יִמְשָׁל בָּךְ, הַכֹּל מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא מִמֵּךְ:

4תשוקתך THY DESIRE — Similar to (Isaiah 29:8), ונפשו שוקקה “and his soul hath appetite”, (desires).

התשוקתך. תַּאֲוָתֵךְ, כְּמוֹ נֶפֶשׁ שׁוֹקֵקָה (ישעיהו כ"ט):

אארורה האדמה בעבורך. מַעֲלָה לְךָ דְּבָרִים אֲרוּרִים, כְּגוֹן זְבוּבִים, פַּרְעוֹשִׁים וּנְמָלִים, מָשָׁל לְיוֹצֵא לְתַרְבּוּת רָעָה וְהַבְּרִיּוֹת מְקַלְּלוֹת שָׁדַיִם שֶׁיָּנַק מֵהֶם:

1ארורה האדמה בעבורך CURSED BE THE GROUND FOR THY SAKE — It will produce to you cursed objects such as flies, fleas and ants; it may be compared to the case of one who gets into depraved ways, and people curse the breasts at which he was suckled (Genesis Rabbah 5:9).

אוקוץ ודרדר תצמיח לך. הָאָרֶץ כְּשֶׁתִּזְרָעֶנָּה מִינֵי זְרָעִים, תַּצְמִיחַ קוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר קֻנְדָּס וְעַכָּבִיּוֹת, וְהֵן נֶאֱכָלִין עַל יְדֵי תִקּוּן (ביצה ל"ד):

1וקוץ ודרדר תצמיח לך THORNS ALSO AND THISTLES SHALL IT BRING FORTH TO THEE— תצמיח has for subject the earth; when you sow it with various kinds of grain, it shall bring forth thorns and thistles — artichokes and cardoon — which are fit for food only after special preparation (Genesis Rabbah 20:10).

בואכלת את עשב השדה. וּמַה קְּלָלָה הִיא זוֹ? וַהֲלֹא בַּבְּרָכָה נֶאֱמַר לוֹ הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כָּל עֵשֶׂב זֹרֵעַ זֶרַע וְגוֹ? אֶלָּא מָה אָמוּר כָּאן בְּרֹאשׁ הָעִנְיָן אֲרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ בְּעִצָּבוֹן תֹּאכְלֶנָּה, וְאַחַר הָעִצָּבוֹן וְקוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר תַּצְמִיחַ לָךְ, כְּשֶׁתִּזְרָעֶנָּה קִטְנִית אוֹ יַרְקוֹת גִּנָּה הִיא תַצְמִיחַ לְךָ קוֹצִים וְדַרְדָּרִים וּשְׁאָר עִשְׂבֵי הַשָׂדֶה וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ תֹּאכְלֵם:

2ואכלת את עשב השדה AND THOU SHALT EAT THE HERB OF THE FIELD — What curse is involved here? Was he not told as a blessing, (1:29) “Behold I have given unto you every herb yielding seed”? But what is stated here at the beginning of this passage? “Cursed be the ground etc.… in toil shalt thou eat of it.” And after all your toil “thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee”. This means when you sow it with cereals and vegetables it shall bring forth for you thorns and thistles and other weeds, and you will perforce have to eat them for lack of other food (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 14).

אבזעת אפיך. לְאַחַר שֶׁתִּטְרַח בּוֹ הַרְבֵּה:

1בזעת אפיך IN THE SWEAT OF THY FACE — after you have taken all this great trouble.

אויקרא האדם. חָזַר הַכָּתוּב לְעִנְיָנוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁמוֹת, וְלֹא הִפְסִיק אֶלָּא לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי קְרִיאַת שֵׁמוֹת נִזְדַּוְּגָה לוֹ חַוָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וּלְאָדָם לֹא מָצָא עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ, וַיַּפֵּל תַּרְדֵּמָה, וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁכָּתַב וַיִּהְיוּ עֲרוּמִּים, סָמַךְ לוֹ פָּרָשַׁת הַנָּחָשׁ, לְהוֹדִיעֲךְ שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ שֶׁרָאָה עֶרְוָתָהּ וְרָאָה אוֹתָם עֲסוּקִים בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ נִתְאַוָּה לָהּ וּבָא עֲלֵיהֶם בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה וּבְמִרְמָה:

1ויקרא האדם AND THE MAN CALLED — Scripture now reverts to its previous topic (Genesis 2:20) beginning with “and the man gave names”. It broke it off (that is, interpolated the story of the serpent) only to tell you that through the giving of names Eve became his mate, as it is written (Genesis 2:20) “but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him,” and that therefore “the [Lord God] caused to fall a deep sleep upon him” and formed Eve. But because Scripture writes at the end of the story of creation of Eve (Genesis 2:25), “and they were both naked”, it therefore follows on with the passage dealing with the serpent, to inform you that because he saw her nakedness and that they displayed no feeling of shame in their actions, he desired her, and he came upon them with his evil plan and with deceit.

בחוה. נוֹפֵל עַל לְשׁוֹן חַיָּה, שֶׁמְּחַיָּה אֶת וַלְדוֹתֶיהָ, כַּאֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר מֶה הֹוֶה לָאָדָם (קהלת ב'), בִּלְשׁוֹן הָיָה:

2חוה EVE — חוה has the same sound as חיה (and similar meaning “life”) — she was so called because she gives life (birth) to her children; the interchange of ‘י and ‘ו is similar to that in (Ecclesiastes 2:22), מה הוה לאדם “for what hath a man”, where הוה is used in the sense of היה “to be.”

אכתנות עור. יֵשׁ דִּבְרֵי אַגָּדָה אוֹמְרִים חֲלָקִים כְּצִּפֹּרֶן הָיוּ מְדֻבָּקִים עַל עוֹרָן וְיֵ"אֹ דָּבָר הַבָּא מִן הָעוֹר, כְּגוֹן צֶמֶר הָאַרְנָבִים שֶׁהוּא רַךְ וְחָם וְעָשָׂה לָהֶם כֻּתֳּנוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ:

1כתנות עור GARMENTS FOR THE SKIN — There are Agadoth which say that they were smooth as fingernails, cleaving to their skin; whereas some say that they were made of material that comes from skin, as for example, the hair of hares which is soft and warm, and of this He made garments for them (Genesis Rabbah 20:12).

אהיה כאחד ממנו. הֲרֵי הוּא יָחִיד בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֲנִי יָחִיד בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים, וּמַה הִיא יְחִידוּתוֹ? לָדַעַת טוֹב וָרָע, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בִּבְהֵמָה וְחַיָּה

1היה כאחד ממנו IS BECOME LIKE ONE OF US (or, like the Being who is One, Unique amongst us) — Lo, he is unique among the terrestrial ones, even as I am unique among the celestial ones. And in what does his uniqueness consist? In knowing good and evil, which is not so in the case of cattle and beasts (Genesis Rabbah 21:5).

בועתה פן ישלח ידו. וּמִשֶּׁיִּחְיֶה לְעוֹלָם הֲרֵי הוּא קָרוֹב לְהַטְעוֹת הַבְּרִיּוֹת אַחֲרָיו, וְלוֹמַר אַף הוּא אֱלוֹהַּ. וְיֵשׁ מִדְרְשֵׁי אַגָּדָה, אֲבָל אֵין מְיֻשָּׁבִין עַל פְּשׁוּטוֹ:

2ועתה פן ישלח ידו AND NOW, LEST HE PUT FORTH HIS HAND… [AND EAT AND LIVE FOR EVER] — And if he does live forever he is likely to lead people astray, so that they may say, “He, also, is a god”; there are also Agadic Midrashim, but they are not in keeping with its (the verse’s) plain sense.

אמקדם לגן עדן. בְּמִזְרָחוֹ שֶׁל גַּן עֵדֶן חוּץ לַגַּן:

1מקדם לגן עדן AT THE EAST OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN — Not in the eastern part of the Garden but eastward of the garden of Eden and outside the garden.

באת הכרובים. מַלְאֲכֵי חַבָּלָה:

2את הכרבים THE CHERUBIM — Angels of destruction (Exodus Rabbah 9:11).

גהחרב המתהפכת. וְלָהּ לַהַט לְאַיֵּם עָלָיו מִלִּכָּנֵס עוֹד לַגַּן תַּרְגּוּם לַהַט שְׁנַן, כְּמוֹ שָׁלַף שְׁנָנָא וּבִלְשׁוֹן לַעַז לא"מא וּמִדְרְשֵׁי אַגָּדָה יֵשׁ, וַאֲנִי אֵינִי בָא אֶלָּא לִפְשׁוּטוֹ:

3החרב המתהפכת THE SWORD TURNING ITSELF — It was a revolving sword and consequently had a להט, a flashing flame for the purpose of frightening him so that he should not enter again into the garden. The Targum of להט, however, is שנן, like (Sanhedrin 82a) שלף שננא he drew his blade; old French lame. There are Agadic Midrashim, but I come only to explain it according to its plain sense.

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org