TORAH/תורה

בְּרֵאשִׁית/Bereshit 3

1

וְהַנָּחָשׁ֙ הָיָ֣ה עָר֔וּם מִכֹּל֙ חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה אַ֚ף כִּֽי־אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְל֔וּ מִכֹּ֖ל עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן׃

And the serpent was more subtle than all the animals of the field that the L-rd G-d had made, and [seeing them naked and copulating openly, and desiring her,] he said to the woman: Can it be that G-d has said: You shall not eat of all the trees of the garden? [speaking thus though seeing them eating from all the other trees, in order to turn the subject to that tree].

2

וַתֹּ֥אמֶר הָֽאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־הַנָּחָ֑שׁ מִפְּרִ֥י עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן נֹאכֵֽל׃

And the woman said to the serpent: Of the fruit of the trees of the garden, we may eat.

3

וּמִפְּרִ֣י הָעֵץ֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּתוֹךְ־הַגָּן֒ אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים לֹ֤א תֹֽאכְלוּ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְלֹ֥א תִגְּע֖וּ בּ֑וֹ פֶּן־תְּמֻתֽוּן׃

And from the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden, G-d said: You shall not eat of it and you shall not touch it, [(Chava "sealing her 'destruction' by her 'addition'")] lest you die.

4

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַנָּחָ֖שׁ אֶל־הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה לֹֽא־מ֖וֹת תְּמֻתֽוּן׃

And the serpent said to the woman: you shall not die. [He pushed her until she touched the tree and said to her: Just as there is no death in touching it, there is no death in eating from it.]

5

כִּ֚י יֹדֵ֣עַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים כִּ֗י בְּיוֹם֙ אֲכׇלְכֶ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם וִהְיִיתֶם֙ כֵּֽאלֹהִ֔ים יֹדְעֵ֖י ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃

For G-d knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like G-d [creators of worlds], knowing good and evil. [i.e., G-d ate of it and created the world, and you, likewise, will be creators of worlds by eating of it. Knowing this, and desiring "exclusivity," He forbids it to you.]

(כי ידע FOR [G-D] 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)

6

וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טוֹב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְי֖וֹ וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃

And the woman saw [i.e., she espoused the words of the serpent] that the tree was good for eating, [making one like G-d], and that it was desirable for the eyes, [viz.: "your eyes will be opened"], and that the tree was auspicious for knowing [viz.: "knowing good and evil"], and she took of its fruit and she ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

(The meaning of with her is that they ate together of the fruit and that she disclosed to him the secret that the serpent had revealed to her. Adam thus did not sin unwittingly and was therefore punished for violating the Holy One, blessed be He, command.)