From this point forward there is hatred between snakes and people. Perhaps this is to always remind Man that he must keep away from “animal wisdom.” Man must not follow his instinct but rather exercise his free will to follow God’s commands.

God tells the snake, which represents the voice of the animal lust that tempts Man, Man will hit you on the head and you will hit him on his heel. By this God is telling Man that he is stronger than his evil inclination. Man can do more harm to the snake than the snake can to Man (when Man is ready to fight the fight).

When Man is off guard, his evil inclination can get the best of him, just as a snake quickly jumps out and bites man.

Additionally, when Man arouses his lusts, he falls to them. When he leaves them to slumber, he can overcome them.

Beraishis 3:14-15, Pages 81-82

The only things God cursed were the ground and an animal, which serve as the new stage upon which Man continues to carry on the same mission he had before the sin. Man’s high calling and his ability to reach that goal remain the same.

To this day every human child is born as pure as an angel. This is one of the most basic Jewish concepts.

See page 87, mid-page, beginning with the words “what a disconsolate lie”,  for very passionate words written by RSRH written in vehement protest to Christian dogma. He writes that Christianity’s false interpretation of the effects of the original sin presented the mistaken thought that Man is no longer inherently good and must sin, and the only way to return to God and paradise, is for something external to bring Man back.

To this RSRH says yes, it is true that as a result of this sin Man lives in a world which doesn’t flourish as it did before the sin, but the only reason Man has not yet returned to paradise is because he keeps on repeating this same sin, not because the original sin caused irrevocable damage. Man is thrust into the “school of renunciation”, the school where he must learn to sacrifice for a higher good and not give in to his animal instincts. This will ultimately educate Man up to the highest levels, and back to paradise.

Jewish history is filled with examples of people who, through their free willed efforts were able to become very close to God, without the need for any external dead or resurrected intermediary. Avraham, Moshe, Yeshaya, Yirmiyahu and all the prophets attained this level by their pure efforts in fulfilling God’s will.

To this day we begin our prayers with the words הנשמה שנתת בי טהורה היא “the soul that You have given to me is pure”.

The sum total of the Torah is to teach us how to understand and think about God and uplift earthly life up to God, using the moral power that each human being was given.

Beraishis 3:19, Pages 87-88

Here, the Torah shows us the first moment that the flourishing of the earth is not dependent on natural causes such as sunshine and rain, but on the moral standing of Man, to the degree that Man lives by God’s laws.

The giving of the Torah was to teach Man the path to come back to his original level.

ארץ ישראל was to be a returning to a form of paradise, to be lived on this earth.

The path for Man to return to paradise is the way of life detailed in the Torah.

This is explicit  in פרשת בחקתי where the Torah tells us that particularly in ארץ ישראל, our behavior, either good or bad, will be reflected in the land’s flourishing or the opposite.

Beraishis 3:17, Pages 86-87

———-

RSRH mentions this same idea in Beraishis 2:8

Here, the Torah shows us the first moment that the flourishing of the earth is not dependent on natural causes such as sunshine and rain, but on the moral standing of Man, to the degree that Man lives by God’s laws.

The giving of the Torah was to teach Man the path to come back to his original level.

ארץ ישראל was to be a returning to a form of paradise, to be lived on this earth.

The path for Man to return to paradise is the way of life detailed in the Torah.

This is explicit  in פרשת בחקתי where the Torah tells us that particularly in ארץ ישראל, our behavior, either good or bad, will be reflected in the land’s flourishing or the opposite.

Beraishis 3:17, Pages 86-87

Man is told in verse 17 בעצבון תאכלנה.

The word עצבון is related to the word עזב which means forsake. With the letter צ in place of the ז it means to have to give something up against one’s will.

After the sin, Man is no longer at harmony with nature. Nature no longer smiles at Man ready to flourish without opposition. This moment is the beginning of a new phase of history where in order for Man to attain one pleasure he must give up another pleasure. This is the beginning of thousands of years of Man’s education.

The greatest joy is to have a child. But in order to attain this, women will now have to sacrifice their own flesh and blood.

Men will labor and sacrifice day and night to have food and shelter.

Women will feel dependent on men for their food and shelter. This will create a challenge to the original, natural state of equality between husband and wife. Only through the Torah’s influence will this equality be restored completely. (see Mishlei 12:4 where a wife is called the crown of her husband, also Mishlei 31:10 where a wife is called the invaluable pearl of his life.)

Beraishis 3:16-19, Pages 83-86

Every commandment requires positive energy to fulfill. No commandment tells us to remain inactive. Often a negative commandment requires more positive energy than does a positive commandment. We are asked to muster joyful energy in fulfilling all the commandments including when what we are asked to do is to refrain from some activity.

Beraishis 3:11, Page 80

Later in the Torah we find that when our camps are holy, God is to be found there. When we have made our מחניך קודש, then we find כי ה’ אלקיך מתהלך בקרב מחנך.

The lesson is clear. God can be heard in our camps, in our day to day lives on earth – not via some emotional, spiritual high or by some kabbalistic elevation to another state of being. God will be close to us in the midst of our regular, earthly lives when we live our lives in holiness, according to His will.

God withdrew from them in the garden, the garden being a place on earth. When Adam and Eve were living their lives according to God’s will, He could be sensed on earth.

Beraishis 3:8, Pages 78-79

It is only due to Man’s sin, for Man’s education, that God withdrew Himself somewhat from Man. Whenever in history God has communicated directly to Man, to our Avos, Moshe, the Nevi’im or when the entire nation stood before Har Sinai experiencing this closeness, that was the natural state of being. Those are moments, brought about by the power of the Torah, where the world returned to its natural state of being. The thousands of years of distance from God is the unnatural state.

Originally, all of nature lay before Man who stood before God. Man was at peace with the world, with himself and with God in Paradise. This is the natural state of the world.

The intent of every page of the Torah is to reestablish peace and harmony in this world, to open up the gates of Paradise once again and to bring God’s שכינה back to this world.

Beraishis 3:8, Pages 77-78

It is only due to Man’s sin, for Man’s education, that God withdrew Himself somewhat from Man. Whenever in history God has communicated directly to Man, to our Avos, Moshe, the Nevi’im or when the entire nation stood before Har Sinai experiencing this closeness, that was the natural state of being. Those are moments, brought about by the power of the Torah, where the world returned to its natural state of being. The thousands of years of distance from God is the unnatural state.

Originally, all of nature lay before Man who stood before God. Man was at peace with the world, with himself and with God in Paradise. This is the natural state of the world.

The intent of every page of the Torah is to reestablish peace and harmony in this world, to open up the gates of Paradise once again and to bring God’s שכינה back to this world.

Beraishis 3:8, Pages 77-78

They sensed that their bodies should not remain visible.

This has its root in the basic human emotion of shame.

Before the sin, their bodies were in perfect harmony with the will of God. There was nothing to cover up. After the sin, brought about by their listening to their senses over and above God’s command, they became aware that their bodies have desires contrary to God’s will. That was the root of their shame. They came to understand that a part of themselves was not completely dedicated to the service of God which was their calling. The root of their sin was they they followed their animal instincts above God’s command.

Shame is the emotion of the conscience which reminds us we are not animals.

Beraishis 3:7, Page 77