The sin of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon says that when God created Adam He asked him to be always in the bond of Faith, to never change or turn, to be single-hearted in his devotion. But after Adam and Eve sinned they then clung to a place that changes from good to evil and from evil to good. They left their attachment to the highest, that is one and never changing. God then told Adam that they had left life and were now subject to death. All others on earth followed Adam's example, which is why the whole world suffers death. Lastly Rabbi Shimon tells us that in the World to Come God will destroy death forever, and all will cling to the Tree of Life.

Adam Creation Evil Eyes Faith Food Heart Tree Tree of Life Women Zeir Anpin

334. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes..." (Beresheet 3:6). Come and see, people do not know, observe or pay attention that when the Holy One, blessed be He, created Adam and honored him with supernal glory, He asked him to cleave to Him, so that he will be unique, of a single heart, in a place of single devotion - that he will never change or turn, but be in that bond of the unique Faith, to which everything is attached. This is the secret of, "the Tree of Life also in the midst of the Garden" (Beresheet 2:9), NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN CALLED THE TREE OF LIFE, SO THAT HE WILL BE ATTACHED TO IT, AS IT HAS NOT THE DUALITY OF GOOD AND EVIL.

334. וַתֵּרֶא הָאִשָּׁה כִּי טוֹב הָעֵץ לְמַאֲכָל וְכִי תַאֲוָה הוּא לָעֵינַיִם וְגוֹ.' ת"ח, דְּהָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יַדְעִין, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין, וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָאָדָם, וְאוֹקִיר לֵיהּ בְּיָקִירוּ עִלָּאָה, בָּעָא מִנֵּיהּ לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתְּכַח יְחִידָאי, וּבְלִבָּא יְחִידָאי, וּבַאֲתַר דִּדְבֵיקוּתָא יְחִידָאָה, דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּנֵי וְלָא יִתְהַפֵּךְ לְעָלְמִין, בְּהַהוּא קִשּׁוּרָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא יְחִידָאָה, דְּכֹלָּא בֵּיהּ אִתְקְשַׁר. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן.

Evil Faith Heart Judgment Mercy Tree Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Tree of Life Zeir Anpin

335. Afterwards, they strayed from the way of Faith and left the peerless supernal tree, elevated above all other trees, WHICH IS THE TREE OF LIFE, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. And they came to cleave to a changing place that turns from one manner to another, from good to evil and from evil to good, NAMELY TO THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. They descended from above downwards and cleaved below to many changes. They left the highest, which is one and never changing. This is what is meant by, "that Elohim has made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions" (Kohelet 7:29), NAMELY, THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL THAT CONTAINS MANY CHANGES. Their heart then changed by that very aspect, AS THEY WERE sometimes inclined towards good and sometimes towards evil, sometimes to Mercy and sometimes to Judgment. Surely it resembles that to which they clung; "they have sought out many inventions" and became attached to them.

335. וּלְבָתַר סָאטוּ מֵאוֹרְחָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְשָׁבְקוּ אִילָנָא יְחִידָאָה עִלָּאָה מִכָּל אִילָנִין, וְאָתוּ לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בַּאֲתַר דְּמִשְׁתַּנֵי וּמִתְהַפֵּךְ מִגַּוְונָא לְגַוְונָא, וּמִטָב לְבִישׁ, וּמִבִּישׁ לְטָב, וְנַחְתּוּ מֵעֵילָּא לְתַתָּא, וְאִתְדְּבָקוּ לְתַתָּא בְּשִׁנּוּיִין סַגִּיאִין, וְשָׁבְקוּ עִלָּאָה דְּכֹלָּא, דְּהוּא חַד, וְלָא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי לְעָלְמִין. הַדָּא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם יָשָׁר וְהֵמָה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבוֹנוֹת רַבִּים. וְהֵמָה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבוֹנוֹת רַבִּים וַדַּאי, כְּדֵין אִתְהַפָּךְ לִבַּיְיהוּ בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא מַמָּשׁ, זִמְנִין לְטָב, זִמְנִין לְבִישׁ זִמְנִין לְרַחֲמֵי, זִמְנִין לְדִינָא. כְּהַהוּא מִלָּה דְּאִתְדְּבָקוּ בָּהּ וַדַּאי. וְהֵמָה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבוֹנוֹת רַבִּים, וְאִתְדְּבָקוּ בְּהוּ.

Adam Death Death and the Afterlife Tree Tree of Life Women

336. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Adam, you have left life and cleaved to death. Life is as in the verse, "the Tree of Life also in the midst of the Garden," NAMELY a tree called life, BECAUSE whoever is attached to it never tastes death. And you cleaved to another tree. Surely death is before you.' This is what is meant by, "Her feet go down to death..." (Mishlei 5:5), and, "and I find more bitter than death the woman" (Kohelet 7:26). Surely he cleaved to the region of death and left the region of life. For that he and the whole world were sentenced to death.

336. אָ"ל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אָדָם, שַׁבְקָת חַיֵּי, וְאִתְדַבְּקַת בְּמוֹתָא. חַיֵּי, דִּכְתִּיב וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן, עֵץ דְּאִתְקְרֵי חַיִּים, דְּמַאן דְּאָחִיד בֵּיהּ, לָא טָעִים טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא לְעָלְמִין. וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּאִילָנָא אָחֳרָא, הָא וַדַּאי מוֹתָא הוּא לָקֳבְלָךְ. הה"ד, רַגְלֶיהָ יוֹרְדוֹת מָוֶת וְגוֹ.' וּכְתִיב וּמוֹצֶא אֲנִי מַר מִמָוֶת אֶת הָאִשָּׁה. וַדַּאי. בַּאֲתַר דְּמוֹתָא אִתְדְּבַק, וְשָׁבַק אֲתַר דְּחַיֵּי, בְּג"כ אִתְגְּזַר עָלֵיהּ וְעַל כָּל עָלְמָא מוֹתָא.

Adam Death Death and the Afterlife Fear Sin Tree Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

337. HE ASKS, If he sinned, what is the sin of the whole world? WHY WAS EVERYBODY SENTENCED TO DEATH? You may say that all creatures came and ate of this tree and it was sampled by all. This is not so. When Adam rose to his feet, all creatures saw him and feared him. They followed him like servants before a king. And he said to him, you and I, "O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before Hashem our maker" (Tehilim 95:6), and they all followed him. When they saw Adam bowing to that place, THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, and cleaving to it, they all followed him. For THAT REASON he brought death upon himself and the whole world.

337. אִי הוּא חָטָא, כָּל עָלְמָא מַאי חָטְאוּ. אִי תֵּימָא דְּכָל בִּרְיָין אָתוּ וְאַכְלוּ מֵאִילָנָא דָּא, וְאִתְרְמֵי מִכֹּלָּא. לָאו הָכִי, אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָדָם קָאֵים עַל רַגְלוֹי, חָמוּ לֵיהּ בִּרְיָין כֻּלְּהוּ, וְדַחֲלוּ מִקַּמֵּיהּ, וַהֲווֹ נַטְלִין בַּתְרֵיהּ, כְּעַבְדִּין קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא. וְהוּא אָמַר לוֹן, אֲנָא וְאַתּוּן, בּוֹאוּ נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְנִכְרָעָה נִבְרְכָה לִפְנֵי יְיָ' עוֹשֵׂנוּ, וְכֻלְּהוּ אָתוּ בַּתְרֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמוּ דְּאָדָם סָגִיד לְהַאי אֲתַר, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בֵּיהּ, כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְמְשָׁכוּ אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, וְגָרִים מוֹתָא לֵיהּ, וּלְכָל עָלְמָא.

Adam Death Death and the Afterlife Directions Evil Judgment Mercy Peace Sword Tree Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil War

338. Adam then changed in many ways, now to good and now to evil, now to wrath and now to pleasure, now to Judgment and now to Mercy, now to life and now to death. He never remains permanently at any of them. This was brought to him by that place, THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. Hence it is called the blade of the revolving sword from one side to another, from good to evil, from Mercy to Judgment, from war to peace. It revolves in all DIRECTIONS and is called good and evil, as it is written, "but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat of it" (Beresheet 2:17).

338. כְּדֵין אִשְׁתַּנֵּי אָדָם לְכַמָּה גַּוְונִין, זִמְנִין לְטָב, זִמְנִין לְבִישׁ. זִמְנִין רוּגְזָא, זִמְנִין נַיְיחָא. זִמְנִין דִּינָא, וְזִמְנִין רַחֲמֵי. זִמְנִין חַיֵּי, זִמְנִין מוֹתָא. וְלָא קָאֵים בְּקִיּוּמָא תָּדִיר בְּחַד מִנַּיְיהוּ. בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא אֲתַר גַּרְמָא לֵיהּ. וְעַ"ד אִקְרֵי, לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת, מִן סִטְרָא דָּא, לְסִטְרָא דָּא, מִן טַב לְבִישׁ, מִן רַחֲמֵי לְדִינָא, מִן שָׁלוֹם לִקְרָבָא, אִתְהַפִּיכַת הִיא לְכֹלָּא. וְאִקְרֵי טוֹב וָרָע, דִּכְתִּיב וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנוּ.

Death Death and the Afterlife Mercy Tree Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Women

339. וּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, רַחֲמָא עַל עוֹבָדֵי יְדוֹי, אוֹכַח לֵיהּ, וְאָמַר לֵיהּ וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹּאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהוּא לָא קַבִּיל מִנֵּיהּ, וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ בָּתַר אִתְּתֵיהּ, וְאִתְתָּרַךְ לְעָלְמִין. דְּהָא אִתְּתָא לַאֲתַר דָּא סַלְּקָא, וְלָא יַתִּיר. וְאִתְּתָא גָּרִים מוֹתָא לְכֹלָּא.

Amen Death Death and the Afterlife Face Tree Tree of Life World to Come, The