Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
What happens when you lie?
God warns Adam:
(יז) וּמֵעֵ֗ץ הַדַּ֙עַת֙ ט֣וֹב וָרָ֔ע לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם אֲכׇלְךָ֥ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת׃
“You must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat of it you shall die.”
Later, when the snake tries to convince Havah to eat from this tree, she tells the snake:
(ג) וּמִפְּרִ֣י הָעֵץ֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּתוֹךְ־הַגָּן֒ אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים לֹ֤א תֹֽאכְלוּ֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְלֹ֥א תִגְּע֖וּ בּ֑וֹ פֶּן־תְּמֻתֽוּן׃
“From the fruit of that tree in the garden, God said: Don’t eat from it, and don’t touch it or you’ll die.”
Why does Havah say that touching the tree is a problem? That wasn’t part of God’s original command! (see Bereishit 2:17)
"וְלֹא תִגְּעוּ בּוֹ פֶּן תְּמֻתוּן" – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהוֹסִיף אָדָם עַל צִוּוּי שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְהוֹסִיף עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ לְהַזְהִירָהּ אֲפִלּוּ בִּנְגִיעָה.
וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר "אַל תּוֹסִיף עַל דְּבָרָיו" (משלי ל:ו), שֶׁעַל דָּבָר זֶה מָצָא נָחָשׁ פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה וְאָמַר לְחַוָּה "לֹא מוֹת תְּמֻתוּן" (בראשית ג:ד). וְהָלַךְ נָחָשׁ אֶל הָאִילָן וְהַרְתִּיעוּ וְאָמַר לָהּ כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֲנִי לֹא מֵת בִּנְגִיעָה, כָּךְ אַתֶּם לֹא תְּמֻתוּן בַּאֲכִילַת פֵּרוֹתַיי.
“And don’t touch it, or you’ll die” – This teaches that Adam added to God’s commandment, telling his wife not to even touch the tree.
This is why we are told, “Don’t add to God’s words” (Mishlei 30:6). By adding a prohibition, Adam gave the snake an opening to say to Hava “you will not die [even if you eat the fruit]” (Bereishit 3:4). The snake went to the tree and shook it and said to Hava: Just as I did not die when I touched it, so you will not die if you eat my fruit.
- Why would Adam add an extra rule? What was he trying to accomplish? Was he trying to cause trouble, or was it something else?
- What happens when we change the facts without being completely honest? Why was the snake able to take advantage of the change Adam made?
- Are you ever allowed to bend the truth? When?
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