Rabbi Tanchuma said: This question they asked me in Antioch. I said to them: "For God knows" is not written [in the plural], but rather "For God knows" [yodea, singular] "that on the day you eat" (Genesis 3:5). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi said: He began to speak slander against his Creator. He said: From this tree He ate and created the world, and He says to you, "Do not eat from it," so that you should not create other worlds; for every craftsman hates his fellow of the same trade. Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Simon said: Everything that was created after its fellow rules over its fellow. The heavens on the first day, and the firmament on the second: does it not bear them? This is astonishing! The firmament on the second day, and the vegetation on the third: do they not supply its waters? The vegetation on the third day, and the luminaries on the fourth: do they not ripen its fruits? The luminaries on the fourth day, and the birds on the fifth. Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon said: The Ziz is a pure bird, and at the moment it flies it covers the orb of the sun. And the human being was created after everything, to rule over everything. Hurry and eat before He creates other worlds, and they rule over you. This is what is written (Genesis 3:6): "And the woman saw that it was good, etc." She saw the words of the serpent.
What The Serpent Said To Eve
Bereshit Rabbah 19:4
אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזּוֹ שְׁאֵלוּנִי בְּאַנְטוֹכְיָא, אָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם כִּי יוֹדְעִים אֱלֹהִים אֵין כְּתִיב אֶלָּא כִּי יֹדֵעַ אֱלֹהִים כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְכֶם. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר הִתְחִיל אוֹמֵר דֵּלָטוֹרְיָא עַל בּוֹרְאוֹ, אָמַר מֵאִילָן הַזֶּה אָכַל וּבָרָא הָעוֹלָם, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לָכֶם לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁלֹא תִבְרְאוּ עוֹלָמוֹת אֲחֵרִים, דְּכָל אִינָשׁ וְאִינָשׁ סָנֵי בַּר אֻמְנָתֵיהּ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר כָּל שֶׁנִּבְרָא אַחַר חֲבֵרוֹ שַׁלִּיט בַּחֲבֵרוֹ, שָׁמַיִם בָּרִאשׁוֹן, וְרָקִיעַ בַּשֵּׁנִי, אֵינוֹ סוֹבְלָן, אֶתְמְהָא. רָקִיעַ בַּשֵּׁנִי, וּדְשָׁאִים בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי, אֵינָן מְסַפְּקִין אֶת מֵימָיו, דְּשָׁאִים בַּשְׁלִישִׁי, וּמְאוֹרוֹת בָּרְבִיעִי, אֵינָן מְבַשְּׁלִין פֵּרוֹתָיו, מְאוֹרוֹת בָּרְבִיעִי, וְעוֹפוֹת בַּחֲמִישִׁי. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימוֹן זִיז עוֹף טָהוֹר הוּא וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא פּוֹרֵחַ מְכַסֶּה גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה, וְאָדָם נִבְרָא אַחַר הַכֹּל לִשְׁלֹט בַּכֹּל, קִדְמוּ וְאִכְלוּ עַד שֶׁלֹא יִבְרָא עוֹלָמוֹת אֲחֵרִים וְהֵן שׁוֹלְטִין בָּכֶם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית ג, ו): וַתֵּרֶא הָאִשָּׁה כִּי טוֹב וגו', רָאֲתָה דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל נָחָשׁ.
Themes
Original Sources
- Genesis Rabbah 19:4.