Adam and Eve

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Biblical Figures
Adam and Eve feature in the beginning of the book of Genesis. They were the first people, and the ancestors of all humanity.
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The First Realization of Shame
TANAKH
The immediate consequences of Adam and Eve's actions reveal profound insights into human nature and the origins of shame and self-awareness. The Book of Genesis narrates the story of Adam and Eve, their disobedience, and the subsequent realization of their nakedness, leading them to cover themselves with fig leaves.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths.
Genesis 3:6-7
The Serpent and Samaël
JEWISH THOUGHT
The story of the first humans is not just about human disobedience but also involves the role of Samaël, identified as Satan, who entices the woman while riding on the serpent. In his 12th-century philosophical work, the Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides (Rambam) delves into the deeper theological implications of this narrative.
Another noteworthy Midrashic remark of our Sages is the following: “The serpent had a rider, the rider was as big as a camel, and it was the rider that enticed Eve: this rider was Samaël.” Samaël is the name generally applied by our Sages to Satan. Thus they say in several places that Satan desired to entice Abraham to sin, and to abstain from binding Isaac, and he desired also to persuade Isaac not to obey his father. At the same time they also say, in reference to the same subject, viz., the Akedah (“the binding of Isaac”), that Samaël came to Abraham and said to him, “What! hast thou…
Guide for the Perplexed, Part 2 30:21
The Transformation of Eve
COMMENTARY
Eve's name change from Chaya to Chava reflects her role in bringing death into the world, linking her to the snake. The 17th-century Torah commentary, Kli Yakar, by Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz, explores the significance of Eve's name change after the sin in the Garden of Eden.
For she was the mother of all the living: Why did he give her a name [only] now, after the sin? And also, he should have called her חיה/Chaya? So it seems that before the sin, she was called חיה/Chaya, corresponding to the "mother of all the חי/living." But after the sin, when she had caused death for generations, her name was changed from חיה/Chaya to חוה/Chava. For חוה/Chava is formed from the term, חויא/snake. And Scripture is coming to explain why he did not call her נחש/snake explicitly: It is however because before this, she was the mother of all the living and called חיה/Chaya…
Kli Yakar on Genesis 3:20:1
Discover Sabbath's Saving Power
COMMENTARY
The Sabbath saved Adam from death, ensuring the existence of humanity. The 18th-century commentary by Or HaChaim on Exodus 20:8 explains the Sabbath's role as a life-saver for Adam and its ongoing significance.
An additional reason why the Torah tells us to remember the Sabbath day is mentioned in Midrash Tehilim 92. Adam was created on the sixth day and sinned on that day. Along came the Sabbath and acted as advocate for Adam in front of G'd. He pleaded with G'd saying: "no human being has ever been killed; why should it fall to my lot to be the first day on which a human being is killed?" As a result of the Sabbath's plea Adam was saved from death at that time. When Adam realised this he composed this Psalm, singing the praises of the Sabbath…
Or HaChaim on Exodus 20:8:3
The Sacred Cave of Machpelah
MIDRASH
The Cave of Machpelah is not just a burial site but a place with a profound connection to Paradise and divine protection. Louis Ginzberg’s early 20th-century work, Legends of the Jews, recounts the significance of this sacred site, chosen by Adam for himself and Eve.
Abraham first of all gave thanks to God for the friendly feeling shown to him by the children of Heth, and then he continued his negotiations for the Cave of Machpelah. He had long known the peculiar value of this spot. Adam had chosen it as a burial-place for himself. He had feared his body might be used for idolatrous purposes after his death; he therefore designated the Cave of Machpelah as the place of his burial, and in the depths his corpse was laid, so that none might find it. When he interred Eve there, he wanted to dig deeper, because he scented the sweet fragrance of Paradise…
Legends of the Jews 1:5:267
From Adam to Exodus
COMMENTARY
The customs of the Passover Seder are connected to the atonement for Adam's sin. Rabbi Naftali ben Shimon Hertz Ginzburg’s commentary on the Haggadah explores this connection through detailed analysis and comparison.
Kadesh U’r’chatz: Atonement for the Garden of Eden There are good reasons for the customs of Israel which are based on the Torah. The things we do are surprising for those who lack knowledge and an understanding of what makes this night different from all other nights. Flour, wine, meat for the Passover offering and festive offering and apples and nuts for charoset are understood by the sages of truth to be a way of ridding Israel of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. We seek to repair through that which we sinned…
Naftali Seva Ratzon on Pesach Haggadah, Kadesh 2:1
From Disgrace to Redemption
MUSAR
The suffering and disgrace of Adam and Eve after their sin is alleviated by Abraham, as described in the Zohar. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz’s 17th-century work, Shenei Luchot HaBerit, explores the spiritual rectification of Adam and Eve through Abraham and Sarah.
I shall now explain all these matters step by step. Regarding the statement that Abraham and Sarah were the תקון for Adam and Eve, the Zohar on this portion (page 34 Sullam edition) writes as follows: Rabbi Shimon said that when Abraham entered the cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah, Adam and Eve arose as they did not want to remain buried in there. They complained that they had suffered sufficient disgrace in the world beyond the grave where they were now having to face G–d, because they had been guilty of bringing sin into the world…
Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Chayei Sara, Torah Ohr 7
God as Adam's Best Man
TALMUD
The Holy One, Blessed be He, personally attended to Adam's wedding needs, setting a precedent for humility and service. The Talmudic tractate Eruvin teaches that a greater individual should not consider it beneath their dignity to serve a lesser individual, as exemplified by God acting as Adam's best man.
The Gemara cites an exposition of the end of the previously cited verse: “And brought her unto the man” (Genesis 2:22). This verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, was Adam the first man’s best man, attending to all his wedding needs and bringing his wife to him. From here we learn that a greater individual should serve as a best man for a lesser individual and should not feel bad about it as something beneath his dignity.
Eruvin 18b:2
The Mystical Significance of the First Burial Site
KABBALAH
The burial site of the first humans and other patriarchs and matriarchs holds deep mystical significance in Jewish tradition. The Zohar, a foundational kabbalistic text, explores the spiritual importance of Kiryat Arba and the concept of the patriarchs as the holy chariot.
That place was called Kiriath Arba (lit. city of four) because four couples were buried there -Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. A difficulty arises here. We have learnt that the patriarchs are the “holy chariot”, and a chariot consists of not less than four. We have further learnt that God joined King David with them so as to form a complete chariot. If so, then David ought to have been joined with them in the cave.
Zohar, Vayechi 78:802
The Serpent Within
COMMENTARY
The serpent in the Garden of Eden represents the inner passions of the soul, which became intertwined with the self after the fruit was consumed. Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, a prominent Jewish mystic, explores the spiritual and psychological implications of the Adam and Eve narrative.
The serpent personifies the inner passions of the soul, distinct from a person's true essence. In the Garden of Eden, it was still possible to separate these inner passions from the essence of the person; when the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was consumed, these passions entered the person, and it became much more complicated to differentiate them from the self.
Commentary on Selected Paragraphs of Arpilei Tohar 3:24:5
The Ethical Lessons from Adam and Eve
MUSAR
The moral and ethical consequences of Adam and Eve's actions reveal the root causes of their downfall and mortality. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz’s 17th-century work, Shenei Luchot HaBerit, delves into the themes of jealousy, desire for honor, and greed in the story of Adam and Eve.
Naturally, he will learn to stay away from evil and do good. We have learned in Avot 4,28 in the name of Rabbi Eleazar Hakappar that "jealousy, the desire for honor, and greed hasten man's exit from this world." We have proof of this in our portion when we see Adam and all his descendants for all generations driven from this world by becoming mortal. The cause was the greed of Eve lusting after the fruit of the tree of knowledge, her need for honor, seeing she desired to be like G–d. This was also prompted by jealousy of G–d's superior status.
Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Bereshit, Derekh Chayim 2
The Innocence of Nakedness
SECOND TEMPLE
Philo of Alexandria uses the concept of nakedness to explore the purity of the mind and soul, free from moral attributes. Philo, a 1st-century Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, blends Jewish theology with Greek philosophy to offer a unique allegorical interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
[53] “And the two were naked, Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.” “Now the serpent was the most subtil of all the beasts that were upon the earth, which the Lord God had made” (Gen. 2:25, 3:1). The mind that is clothed neither in vice nor in virtue, but absolutely stripped of either, is naked, just as the soul of an infant, since it is without part in either good or evil, is bared and stripped of coverings: for these are the soul’s clothes, by which it is sheltered and concealed. Goodness is the garment of the worthy soul, evil that of the worthless.
Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis, Book II 15:1
Seth: Humanity's First Forefather
COMMENTARY
Seth is considered the progenitor of humanity after Abel's death, making him the father of the human race. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's commentary on Genesis highlights the significance of Seth as the continuation of Adam's lineage.
At first, Adam and Eve had two sons, until one killed the other. It is possible that because of this terrible tragedy of the first murder in the first family, the couple did not immediately want to reproduce. Perhaps they wondered whether they even wanted to bring another child into the world. It took some time until they recovered, after which Adam was intimate with his wife again and she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Seth [Shet]: As God has provided [shat] me with another offspring in place of Abel, as Cain killed him…
Steinsaltz on Genesis 4:25
Life Begins with Eve
TALMUD
The rabbis offer a unique interpretation of Eve’s physical design, likening her to a storehouse built to hold produce, emphasizing her role in childbirth. In the Talmudic tractate Berakhot, the rabbis discuss the significance of Adam naming his wife Chava (Eve) as the mother of all living beings.
Alternatively, the verse: And He built, could be understood as a description of her basic shape, as Rav Ḥisda said, and some say that it is taught in a baraita: This verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, built Eve like the structure of a storehouse. Just as a storehouse is built narrow on top and wide on the bottom, in order to hold produce without collapsing; so too a woman is created narrow on top and wide on the bottom, in order to hold the fetus.
Berakhot 61a:18
The Significance of Clothing in the Genesis Narrative
COMMENTARY
God's act of clothing the first humans was both a charitable gesture and a means of communication. Rabbi Francis Nataf explores the deeper significance of clothing in the biblical narrative, emphasizing its role in meeting basic needs and conveying messages.
Given the problematic nature of clothing, it may seem initially surprising that classical Judaism views the act of clothing another as very praiseworthy. Of course, when we think about it further, we could conclude that clothing as a charitable act is viewed independently of its communicative functions. After all, when God gives Adam and Chava clothing, the most important purpose appears to be His taking care of their basic needs. Still, we can’t ignore the fact that when God satisfied their requirements of warmth and privacy, He did so with clothes and so, simultaneously…
Redeeming Relevance; Exodus, CHAPTER 6 Clothing Aharon 74
Gustave Courbet - Nature morte, pommes et poires
Gustave Courbet - Nature morte, pommes et poires

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