It’s a question that's haunted readers of Genesis for millennia. The text tells us, "The woman said to the serpent: 'From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat'" (Genesis 3:2). But where was Adam in all this? Why wasn't the serpent talking to him?

The rabbis of the Midrash, those ancient interpreters of scripture, weren't shy about wrestling with these questions. Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, offers some intriguing possibilities.

One opinion, attributed to Abba bar Korya, suggests a rather earthy reason: Adam was, shall we say, "engaged in the way of nature" – that is, he was being intimate with Eve. Afterwards, he was asleep. A very human explanation, wouldn’t you say?

But another, more mystical explanation is offered by the Rabbis in Bereshit Rabbah. They suggest that God, blessed be He, was taking Adam on a kind of cosmic tour! God was showing Adam the world, pointing out the best places to plant and sow. As the prophet Jeremiah says, "In a land that no man has ever crossed, and where no person [adam] has ever dwelled" (Jeremiah 2:6) – meaning, according to this interpretation, even the first Adam didn't dwell there, because God showed him places not fit for settlement. Imagine Adam getting a Divine real estate tour!

Then, the story turns to Eve's words to the serpent. She says, "But from the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, God said: 'You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die'" (Genesis 3:3).

Notice something interesting here? Did God actually say, "nor shall you touch it"?

The Midrash picks up on this discrepancy. It connects Eve's addition to the proverb, "Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you will be found to be false" (Proverbs 30:6). Rabbi Ḥiyya, in Bereshit Rabbah, uses an analogy: You shouldn't make the fence around an orchard taller than the trees themselves, lest the fence fall and damage what it's supposed to protect. A fence is needed, sure, but it shouldn't harm what it's guarding.

God, according to this understanding, simply said, "As on the day that you eat of it [you shall die]" (Genesis 2:17). Eve, in her attempt to create an extra layer of protection, added to God's command.

And what was the result? The serpent, ever the opportunist, used Eve's addition against her! As the Midrash tells it, the serpent pushed Eve against the tree. "See," he said, "you didn't die! Just as you didn't die from touching it, so you will not die from eating of it. Rather [the real reason God forbade you to eat of it is:] 'for God knows that on the day [you eat from it…you will be as God, knowing good from evil]'" (Genesis 3:5).

So, what does this all mean? Maybe it's a cautionary tale about the dangers of adding to God's word. Maybe it's about the importance of understanding the true nature of a prohibition. Or maybe, just maybe, it's about the serpent's cunning ability to exploit even the smallest of human errors.

Whatever the takeaway, this passage from Bereshit Rabbah offers a fascinating glimpse into how the rabbis grappled with the complexities of the Genesis story. It reminds us that even the most familiar tales can hold surprising depths, waiting to be uncovered.