The verse: "And thorns and thistles it will grow for you, and you shall eat the vegetation of the field." So, what exactly are these "thorns and thistles," or kotz and dardar in Hebrew? Some say kotz refers to artichoke, and dardar is cardoon. Both prickly plants. Others flip it, suggesting kotz is cardoon and dardar is artichoke, emphasizing its "rows upon rows" (darin darin) structure.
But it's not just about identifying plants. It's about what we lost. Rabbi Yehuda offers one interpretation: if Adam had been worthy, the ground would have sprouted all the trees of the Garden of Eden for him. Wow! Rabbi Neḥemya adds to this, suggesting that Adam could have tasted all the delicacies of the world by simply taking plants from Eden. Instead, we're stuck eating "the vegetation of the field," without any particularly delectable taste. Imagine the difference!
Rabbi Yitzḥak takes this a step further: "and you shall eat the vegetation of the field" – he sees it applying to our present generations, when people pluck directly from their fields and eat raw. When Adam first heard this pronouncement, he began to sweat, horrified at the prospect of being "tied to a trough like an animal." So, God softened the blow: "Since your face perspired, you will eat bread." Hence, "by the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread."
Rabbi Levi, surprisingly, thought the original curse might have been preferable! : if we only ate plants, we wouldn't have to toil so hard to make bread! Food for thought. The passage then pivots to a rather unexpected direction. "By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread" is considered one of five good omens for the ill! According to this teaching, perspiration, along with a sneeze, sleep, a dream (ḥalom), and a seminal emission, are signs that someone's health is improving. Where do they find support for this? Well, a sneeze is linked to "Its sneezes flash light" (Job 41:10), and perspiration to, of course, "By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread." Similarly, sleep is derived from "I would sleep; then I would be relieved" (Job 3:13), a dream from "You will heal me [vataḥlimeni] and revive me" (Isaiah 38:16), and seminal emission from "He will see seed and live long" (Isaiah 53:10). The Rabbis of Caesarea add regular bowel movements to the list, connecting it to "The wanderer [tzo’e – understood as tzo’a, excrement] will be quickly released [and he will not die]" (Isaiah 51:14). Rabbi Ḥagai, citing Rabbi Yitzḥak, adds a condition: it’s a good omen only if "his bread will not be lacking" after the bowel movement.
Finally, we come to the famous line: "For you are dust, and to dust you will return." The text asks a pointed question: that handful of dust from which you were created, isn't it stolen in your hand? we were created with a specific destiny, and failing to live up to that destiny makes us, in a way, thieves. We must "return" the dust to its place.
And here's a thought-provoking final note from Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: The verse doesn't say "you will go," but "you will return." From this, he suggests, we have an allusion in the Torah to the revival of the dead!
So, from thorny plants to sweat, bread, and the ultimate return to dust, this passage from Bereshit Rabbah offers a rich tapestry of interpretations on the human condition, our relationship with the earth, and maybe even a glimmer of hope for the future.
“And thorns and thistles it will grow for you, and you shall eat the vegetation of the field” (Genesis 3:18). “And thorns [kotz] and thistles [dardar] it will grow for you.” Kotz – this is artichoke; dardar – this is cardoon.41Both plants have thorns on them. Some transpose it, kotz – this is cardoon; dardar – this is artichoke, as it is constituted of rows upon rows [darin darin]. “And you shall eat the vegetation of the field” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: [God said to him:] ‘Had you merited, it [the ground] would have caused all the trees of the Garden of Eden to grow for you. Now that you did not merit, “thorns and thistles it will grow for you.”’ Rabbi Neḥemya said: [God said:] ‘Had you merited, you would have taken plants from inside the Garden of Eden and tasted in them all the delicacies of the world. Now that you did not merit, “you shall eat the vegetation of the field.”’42Without experiencing any delectable taste. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is regarding these generations [the present time] that it says: “and you shall eat the vegetation of the field,” when a person plucks from his field and eats it while it is still vegetation. When Adam the first man heard [this curse], his face began perspiring. He said: ‘What, am I to be tied to a trough like an animal?’ The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Since your face perspired, you will eat bread.’43This is the meaning of “by the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). Rabbi Levi said: It would have been preferable for him had he remained with his original curse.44Had man’s diet been limited to plants, he would not have to toil so much to make bread. “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, for from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” – this is one of five phenomena that are good omens for the ill.45They are indications that their health is taking a turn for the better. They are: A sneeze, perspiration, sleep, a dream, and a seminal emission. A sneeze, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “Its sneezes flash light” (Job 41:10). Perspiration, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread.” Sleep, from where is it derived? As it is stated: “I would sleep; then I would be relieved” (Job 3:13). A dream [ḥalom], as it is stated: “You will heal me [vataḥlimeni] and revive me” (Isaiah 38:16). A seminal emission, from where is it derived? As it is written: “He will see seed and live long” (Isaiah 53:10). The Rabbis of Caesarea say: A regular bowel movement as well. What is the source? “The wanderer [tzo’e]46This is expounded as tzo’a – excrement. will be quickly released [and he will not die]” (Isaiah 51:14). Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: Provided that “his bread will not be lacking” (Isaiah 51:14).47If after the bowel movement he is able to eat, it is a good omen. “Until you return to the ground, for from it…” He said to him: That handful of dust from which you were created, is it not stolen in your hand?48You were created with a certain destiny, and you failed to live up to that destiny. As a thief, you must “return” the dust to its place. “For you are dust, and to dust you will return” – Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: From here there is an allusion to the revival of the dead from the Torah. “For you are dust, and to dust you will go” is not written, but rather, “you will return.”
