Questions to consider as you are reading the opening texts:
1) What was the prohibition?
2) What was the stated punishment?
3) Why is it prohibited?
(ח) וַיִּטַּ֞ע ה' אֱלֹקִ֛ים גַּן בְעֵ֖דֶן מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַיָּ֣שֶׂם שָׁ֔ם אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָצָֽר׃ (ט) וַיַּצְמַ֞ח ה' אֱלֹקִים֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה כָּל־עֵ֛ץ נֶחְמָ֥ד לְמַרְאֶ֖ה וְט֣וֹב לְמַאֲכָ֑ל וְעֵ֤ץ הַֽחַיִּים֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַגָּ֔ן וְעֵ֕ץ הַדַּ֖עַת ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃
(8) And the LORD God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. (9) And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
(טז) וַיְצַו֙ ה' אֱלֹקִ֔ים עַל־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל׃ (יז) וּמֵעֵ֗ץ הַדַּ֙עַת֙ ט֣וֹב וָרָ֔ע לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם אֲכָלְךָ֥ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת׃
(16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; (17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’
Questions to consider as you are reading the next set of sources:
1) Why did the woman eat the fruit from the tree?
2) Did God follow through with the stated punishment?
3) How does the "punishment" fit the crime?
4) What was so bad about eating from the tree anyway?
(ו) וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טוֹב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְי֖וֹ וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃ (ז) וַתִּפָּקַ֙חְנָה֙ עֵינֵ֣י שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֥י עֵֽירֻמִּ֖ם הֵ֑ם וַֽיִּתְפְּרוּ֙ עֲלֵ֣ה תְאֵנָ֔ה וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם חֲגֹרֹֽת׃
(6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. (7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles.
(טז) אֶֽל־הָאִשָּׁ֣ה אָמַ֗ר הַרְבָּ֤ה אַרְבֶּה֙ עִצְּבוֹנֵ֣ךְ וְהֵֽרֹנֵ֔ךְ בְּעֶ֖צֶב תֵּֽלְדִ֣י בָנִ֑ים וְאֶל־אִישֵׁךְ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָתֵ֔ךְ וְה֖וּא יִמְשָׁל־בָּֽךְ׃ (יז) וּלְאָדָ֣ם אָמַ֗ר כִּֽי־שָׁמַעְתָּ֮ לְק֣וֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ֒ וַתֹּ֙אכַל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר צִוִּיתִ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אֲרוּרָ֤ה הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּֽעֲבוּרֶ֔ךָ בְּעִצָּבוֹן֙ תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֔נָּה כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃ (יח) וְק֥וֹץ וְדַרְדַּ֖ר תַּצְמִ֣יחַֽ לָ֑ךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ אֶת־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃ (יט) בְּזֵעַ֤ת אַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ תֹּ֣אכַל לֶ֔חֶם עַ֤ד שֽׁוּבְךָ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה כִּ֥י מִמֶּ֖נָּה לֻקָּ֑חְתָּ כִּֽי־עָפָ֣ר אַ֔תָּה וְאֶל־עָפָ֖ר תָּשֽׁוּב׃
(16) Unto the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply your pain and your travail; in pain you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over you.’ (17) And unto Adam He said: ‘Because you have listened unto the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying: You shall not eat of it; cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil shall you eat of it all the days of your life. (18) Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the field. (19) In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return unto the ground; for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.’
(כא) וַיַּעַשׂ֩ ה' אֱלֹקִ֜ים לְאָדָ֧ם וּלְאִשְׁתּ֛וֹ כָּתְנ֥וֹת ע֖וֹר וַיַּלְבִּשֵֽׁם׃ (כב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר׀ ה' אֱלֹקִ֗ים הֵ֤ן הָֽאָדָם֙ הָיָה֙ כְּאַחַ֣ד מִמֶּ֔נּוּ לָדַ֖עַת ט֣וֹב וָרָ֑ע וְעַתָּ֣ה׀ פֶּן־יִשְׁלַ֣ח יָד֗וֹ וְלָקַח֙ גַּ֚ם מֵעֵ֣ץ הַֽחַיִּ֔ים וְאָכַ֖ל וָחַ֥י לְעֹלָֽם׃ (כג) וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֛הוּ ה' אֱלֹקִ֖ים מִגַּן־עֵ֑דֶן לַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֻקַּ֖ח מִשָּֽׁם׃ (כד) וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃
(21) And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them. (22) And the LORD God said: ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.’ (23) Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. (24) So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way to the tree of life.
Now look at how Ramban, Abarbanel, Cassuto and Benno Jacob respond to these questions. Which approach do you prefer?
Ramban: Becoming a Sentient Being
(ב) ועץ הדעת טוב ורע - והיפה בעיני, כי האדם היה עושה בטבעו מה שראוי לעשות כפי התולדות, כאשר יעשו השמים וכל צבאם, פועלי אמת שפעולתם אמת ולא ישנו את תפקידם, ואין להם במעשיהם אהבה או שנאה... והנה אחרי אכלו מן העץ הייתה בידו הבחירה, וברצונו להרע או להטיב בין לו בין לאחרים, וזו מידה אלוהית מצד אחד, ורעה לאדם בהיות לו בה יצר ותאווה:
It appears to me, that Adam was intially doing what he was meant to do according to his nature. When the skies and everything else was created, they were all purely agents of God's will whose actions were pure, not based on love or hatred...But now, after eating from the tree, Adam had choice, and the ability to act in a positive or a negative way towards others, and this is a divine attribute on one side, but on the other hand it was bad for Adam because it created within him lust.
Abarbanel: A Shift from "Spiritual" to "Physical"
אברבאנל בראשית פרק ב
אבל מה שכתב הרב שאדם קודם החטא לא היה בו בחירה ורצון... הוא דעה זר ובלתי מתקבל לפי שהאדם בטבעו הוא בעל בחירה.... וכמו שאמרו חז"ל: "והנה טוב" זה יצר הטוב, "מאד" זה יצר הרע. רצונם לאמר שכל טובו ושלמותו של האדם היא במציאות הבחירה... ואם לא כן לא היה אדם ולא היה מצווה אותו הקב"ה כי לא תיפול הצוואה אלא למי שיש לו בחירה ורצון
אברבנאל בראשית פרק ג
אדם הראשון קודם חטאו היה יודע הטוב והרע והאמת והשקר כי שלם היה בשכלו העיוני והמעשי אבל היתה ידיעתו בהם בהכרח שכלית ולא בידיע' שמושית חמרית ובזה היה מתדמ' לעליונים וידיעתו לידיעת' וכאשר חטא באכילת העץ עזב שמוש שכלו המדעי ובחר בשמוש חושיו החמריי'...
Abarbanel on Genesis 2-3
That which the Rav (Ramban) said, that before the sin Adam did not have choice and free will, is a foreign concept which is not accepted as man by his nature has free will. As Chazal say, the good and evil inclinations were created during the creation of man, which is to say that all of man's goodness and integrity come as a result of man having free will. And if this was not so, Hashem would not have given Adam commandments, because only a being with choice and will can be given Mitzvot by Hashem.
Before his sin, Adam knew good and bad, truth and falsehood because he was complete in his mental insight but not in his physical knowledge, and because of this he was primarily a spiritual being with a close connection to the heavens. When he sinned by eating from the tree, he lost his ability to use his complete mental insight and rather chose to be able to use his physicality.
Cassuto: Overprotective Parent
קאסוטו בראשית פרק ב
אין כאן הבחנה בין טוב לרע... אין הכוונה כאן להבחנה, לבחירה... אלא לידיעה אובייקטיבית בכל הדברים... עד שלא אכלו מן העץ היו כילדים קטנים שאינם יודעים כלום ממה שעומד מסביבם... על סמך זה אפשר להבין את טעם האיסור... האם בשעת בריאתו היה תמים כילד בן יומו וכילד בן יומו היה מאושר בתוך הגן... מתוך אהבה האבהית אסר עליו ה' אכילת הפרי שהיתה פותחת לפניו את שאר ידיעות העולם. מקור הדאגות והמכאובים...
Cassuto on Genesis 2
There is no test here between good and evil, and the intention was not to test or to choose... Until they ate from the tree, Adam and Eve were like little children who didn't know anything aside from what was happening around them. The reasoning behind the prohibition must be understood in connection with this status; if at the moment of his creation Adam was pure like a newborn child, then he would be happy to be like a newborn child inside of the garden. Because of Hashem's love for Adam, He prohibited Adam from eating from the tree because Hashem did not want Adam's eyes to be opened to worldly knowledge. This is the source for worry and sorrow.
Benno Jacob: A Test of Obedience
Good is love of God and observance of his commandments, evil- disobedience. Man would learn this by accepting the first precept… the tree was the touchstone of good and evil, permissible and forbidden, life and death, irrespective of the content of the precept. On the contrary by not being influenced by any practical calculations of the benefits of the precept, by directing his will to obeying the author of the command, man would be tested. The command was given to man to preclude him imagining he was God, to make him aware that there is a master over him…