“You shall know this day and restore to your heart that the Lord, He is the God in Heaven above and upon earth below; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39) “Then, Moses designated three cities beyond the Jordan toward the rising sun” (Deuteronomy 4:41). “Then, Moses designated” – halakha: Regarding how many matters was Adam the first man commanded? So the Sages taught: Adam the first man was commanded regarding six matters: Regarding idol worship, regarding profaning the Name, regarding judges, regarding bloodshed, regarding illicit relations, and regarding robbery.
Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: All of them are [alluded to] in one verse, as it is stated: “The Lord God commanded the man, [saying: From every tree of the garden you may eat]” (Genesis 2:16). “Commanded [vaytzav]” – this is idol worship, as it is stated: “[Ephraim is exploited…] because he willingly followed an order [tzav]” (Hosea 5:11).56Ephraim followed the orders of the prophets of idols, or Yerovam, and they worshipped idols.
“The Lord” – this is profaning the Name, as it is stated: “And one who blasphemes the name of the Lord [shall be put to death]” (Leviticus 24:16). “God [Elohim]” – this is the judges, as it is stated: “The statement of both parties shall come to the judges [elohim]” (Exodus 22:8). “The man” – this is bloodshed, as it is stated: “One who sheds the blood of man, [by man shall his blood be shed]” (Genesis 9:6).
“Saying” – these are illicit relations, as it is stated: “Saying, behold, if a man sent his wife away…[but you acted licentiously]” (Jeremiah 3:1). “From every tree of the garden you may eat” – but not from what has been obtained through robbery57Adam was permitted to eat only from the trees of the Garden, implying that if he were to eat from anything else, that would be considered stealing (Maharzu). – [God thereby] commanded him regarding robbery.
For all of them there is forgiveness, except for bloodshed, as it is stated: “One who sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed.” Rabbi Levi said: But there are many men who killed, and died in their beds. They answered him: What is “by man shall his blood be shed”? When all people will come [back to life] in the future, at that time, his blood will be shed.
They said: There was an incident involving two brothers, one of whom killed the other. What did their mother do? She took a cup and filled it with [her son’s] blood and placed it in a tower. She would enter each day and find that blood effervescent.
One time, she entered, looked at it, and found that it had settled. At that moment, she knew that her other son had been killed, to realize what is stated: “One who sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed” (Genesis 9:6).