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Parshat Bereishit

By: SFW Students & Alumna
Ayelet Mael (SFW ‘04-‘05)

In this week's parsha, Parshat Bereishit, we learn about Adam and Chava and their sin of eating from the Etz Ha'da’at. The pasuk tells us that upon eating from the tree, man got the knowledge of "yod’ei tov v'rah." This seems very peculiar! It looks as if man is being rewarded for sinning - especially since we know that it is man's intellect, his da'at, which separates him and elevates him above animals. Why is Adam getting a prize for messing up?

The Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim explains that knowledge has the ability to be either a blessing or a curse. A Jew must always remember that the source of his da'at is from Hashem, as we say in Shmoneh Esrei - "Atah chonen l'adam da'at." When he does so, his da'at becomes a blessing. However, when a Jew does not connect his da'at to Hashem, it becomes a k'lalah.

How? By attributing our da'at to Hashem, we are saying that Hashem is the one who determines what's good and bad, what's moral and immoral, and what's right and wrong. Hashem is the one who dictates how we should behave and we must listen and act accordingly. However, when a Jew does not attribute his da'at to Hashem, he makes his own criteria for himself and decides for himself what is right and wrong. That is precisely the sin that man had committed with the Etz Ha'daat. Adam and Chava decided for themselves, autonomously, that it was good for them to eat from the tree despite Hashem having told them not to. They ignored the voice of Hashem and made their own moral conclusions.

Rav Aviner comments that Matan Torah was the tikkun for the sin of Adam and Chava. Standing on the mountain, B'nei Yisrael said "na'aseh v'nisha" - "Hashem, we will act and listen to YOUR moral evaluations, to what YOU dictate is right and wrong and we will associate all da'at with YOU. We will not make our own evaluations and determine for ourselves what is moral, but we will listen to you."

Therefore, at a time when we have just celebrated "Simchat Torah," may we be able to internalize the guidelines instructed by Hashem in his Torah and each say our own "na'aseh v'nishma" as we accept to follow the halachot laid out for us by Hashem.

(Based on Rav Aviner's Tal Chermon)

Shabbat Shalom.