Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 3:6/אבן עזרא על בראשית ג׳:ו׳

אותרא האשה. בלבה:

1AND WHEN THE WOMAN SAW. In her heart.

בונחמד העץ, בעבור שתשכיל ותפקחנה עיניה,

2AND THAT THE TREE WAS TO BE DESIRED. Because it had the power to make one wise, and her eyes would “open.”¹⁹ of le-haskil has the meaning of because. Therefore le-haskil (to make one wise) is to be interpreted “because it made one wise” (Krinsky). Her eyes would open is to be interpreted metaphorically. See verses 5 and 7.

גוטעם עמה שיחד אכלוהו וגלתה לו סוד הנחש, והנה לא היה אדם שוגג על כן נענש, ורבים אמרו כי עץ הדעת עץ תאנה בעבור שמצאו "ויתפרו עלה תאנה" (בראשית ג ז), ואלו היה כן היה הכתוב אומר ויתפרו עלה עץ הדעת, גם רבים אמרו שחטה היה, והנכון בעיני ששני עצים הם בתוך גן עדן ואינם במקום אחר על כל פני האדמה, והאחד עץ הדעת והוא יוליד תאות המשגל, וע"כ כסו האדם ואשתו ערותם, ופי' ויתפרו ידוע וכן שק תפרתי עלי גלדי (איוב טז טו), והמבקשים מחט מהבילים כי בעץ דק יעשו צרכם, וכאשר אכל אדם מעץ הדעת ידע את אשתו וזאת הידיעה כנוי למשגל ובעבור עץ הדעת נקרא כן, גם הנער כאשר ידע הטוב והרע אז יחל לתאות המשגל,:

3[UNTO HER HUSBAND WITH HER.] The meaning of with her is that they ate together of the fruit and that she disclosed to him the secret that the serpent had revealed to her. Adam thus did not sin unwittingly and was therefore punished for violating God’s command. Many commentators say that the tree of knowledge was a fig tree. They base their assertion on and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles (v. 7).²⁰ 70b, By the very thing with which they sinned were they rectified. However, if this interpretation were correct, the Bible would say, “And they sewed leaves of the tree of the knowledge.” Many others say that it was a wheat plant.²¹ 40a and Sanhedrin 70b. However, in my opinion the two trees in the midst of the garden were unique species not found anywhere else on the face of the earth. One of them, the tree of knowledge, possessed the power to instill sexual desire. Therefore the man and woman covered their nakedness. The meaning of va-yitperu (sewed) is well-known.²² Tafarti in I have sewed (tafarti) sackcloth upon my skin (Job 16:15) is similar. Those who ask where Adam and Eve got a needle (to sew their girdle) emit hot air. Adam and Eve could have used a sharp piece of wood. Upon eating of the tree of knowledge, Adam knew (yada) his wife. Yada (knew) is a euphemism for sexual intercourse. Sexual intercourse is called “knowledge” because sexual desire came from the tree of knowledge. Moreover, a young man begins to have sexual desire at the age at which he begins to “know” good and evil.²³

דועץ החיים. שיוסיף חיים ויחיה האדם שנים רבות ואין מלת לעולם עד עולם ועד, והנה כן "ועבדו לעולם" (שמות כא ו) "וישב שם עד עולם" (ש"א א כב), ורבים אחרים, ומפרשים אמרו בפ' "כי ביום אכלך ממנו מות תמות", כי לא נברא על מתכונת שימות רק כאשר חטא נגזר עליו המות, ורבים ישאלו מה חטאו זרעו, ואלה דברי רוח, כי רוח אחד לאדם ולבהמה שבה יהיה וירגיש בעולם הזה, וכמות זה כן מות זה מלבד החלק העליון שיש לאדם מותר מן הבהמה, וכבר הביא אחד מרופאי יון ראיות גמורות שלא יתכן שלא יהיה לחיי האדם קצב:

4The tree of life extended life so that by partaking of it man would live for many years. Le-olam (v. 22) does not mean forever. We find this to be the case with the term olam in and he shall serve him for ever (le-olam) (Ex. 21:6),²⁴ 15a. and in and there abide for ever (I Sam. 1:22)²⁵ (and live forever, v. 22) is to be rendered, “and he will live for a very long time.” and in many other verses,Some commentators insist that the verse for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Gen. 2:17) indicates that man was created immortal and that he became mortal as a punishment for his sin. Many ask, what sin did Adam’s children commit that they were punished with death? Now this is absurd. Man and beast both share a common spirit (life force) through which they live and experience sensations in this world. As animals are destined to die, so must man die. The advantage of man over beast lies in the portion from above (the soul) which man has been granted. A Greek physician has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is impossible for man to live forever.²⁶ as quoted by Maimonides, Guide to the Perplexed, Part III, Chap. XII. I.E. maintains that man was not originally created immortal.