Saadia's Tafsir on Bereshit 3 (Parashat Bereshit)

Bereshit 3:1

וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל-הָאִשָּׁה אַף כִּי-אָמַר אֱלֹהִים לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן

. . . . . .

And the serpent became wiser than every living creature of the wilderness which God had created. And he said to the woman: 'Verily — did God say, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden"?'

Bereshit 3:2

וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה אֶל-הַנָּחָשׁ מִפְּרִי עֵץ-הַגָּן נֹאכֵל

.

And she said to him: 'From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

Bereshit 3:3

וּמִפְּרִי הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ-הַגָּן--אָמַר אֱלֹהִים לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא תִגְּעוּ בּוֹ פֶּן-תְּמֻתוּן

. . . . .

but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said: "Do not eat from it, and do not approach it, lest you die."'

Bereshit 3:4

וַיֹּאמֶר הַנָּחָשׁ אֶל-הָאִשָּׁה לֹא-מוֹת תְּמֻתוּן

And he said to her: 'You shall not surely die;

Bereshit 3:5

כִּי יֹדֵעַ אֱלֹהִים כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְכֶם מִמֶּנּוּ וְנִפְקְחוּ עֵינֵיכֶם וִהְיִיתֶם כֵּאלֹהִים יֹדְעֵי טוֹב וָרָע

. . . .

for God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will burst open, and you will become like the angels — knowing good and evil in greater measure.'

Bereshit 3:6

וַתֵּרֶא הָאִשָּׁה כִּי טוֹב הָעֵץ לְמַאֲכָל וְכִי תַאֲוָה-הוּא לָעֵינַיִם וְנֶחְמָד הָעֵץ לְהַשְׂכִּיל וַתִּקַּח מִפִּרְיוֹ וַתֹּאכַל וַתִּתֵּן גַּם-לְאִישָׁהּ עִמָּהּ וַיֹּאכַל

. . . .

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and pleasing in appearance, and an object of yearning for the intellect — she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave her husband too with her, and he ate.

Bereshit 3:7

וַתִּפָּקַחְנָה עֵינֵי שְׁנֵיהֶם וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי עֵירֻמִּם הֵם וַיִּתְפְּרוּ עֲלֵה תְאֵנָה וַיַּעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם חֲגֹרֹת

. . . .

And the eyes of the two of them burst open, and they knew that they were naked; and they stitched together from the leaves of the fig, and made for themselves loincloths.

Bereshit 3:8

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת-קוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן--לְרוּחַ הַיּוֹם וַיִּתְחַבֵּא הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ מִפְּנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים בְּתוֹךְ עֵץ הַגָּן

. . . .

And they heard the voice of God passing through the garden gently, with the movement of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves out of shame, from before God, among the trees of the garden.

Bereshit 3:9

וַיִּקְרָא יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶל-הָאָדָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אַיֶּכָּה

.

And God called to Adam, and said to him by way of confirming: 'Where are you?'

Bereshit 3:10

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶת-קֹלְךָ שָׁמַעְתִּי בַּגָּן וָאִירָא כִּי-עֵירֹם אָנֹכִי וָאֵחָבֵא

. . .

He said: 'I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, since I am naked; and so I hid.'

Bereshit 3:11

וַיֹּאמֶר--מִי הִגִּיד לְךָ כִּי עֵירֹם אָתָּה הֲמִן-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ לְבִלְתִּי אֲכָל-מִמֶּנּוּ--אָכָלְתָּ

. . . .

He said: 'Who told you that you are naked? Is it from the tree which I commanded you not to eat from, that you have eaten?'

Bereshit 3:12

וַיֹּאמֶר הָאָדָם הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּה עִמָּדִי הִוא נָתְנָה-לִּי מִן-הָעֵץ וָאֹכֵל

. .

Adam said: 'The woman whom You set with me — she gave me of the tree, and so I ate.'

Bereshit 3:13

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים לָאִשָּׁה מַה-זֹּאת עָשִׂית וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה הַנָּחָשׁ הִשִּׁיאַנִי וָאֹכֵל

. .

And God said to the woman: 'What is this that you have done?' She said: 'The serpent led me astray, and so I ate.'

Bereshit 3:14

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶל-הַנָּחָשׁ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ זֹּאת אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל-הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה עַל-גְּחֹנְךָ תֵלֵךְ וְעָפָר תֹּאכַל כָּל-יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ

. . . .

And God said to the serpent: 'Since you did this knowingly, you are cursed from among all the beasts and from among all the wild creatures of the wilderness. Upon your chest you shall travel, and dust you shall eat, all the days of your life.

Bereshit 3:15

וְאֵיבָה אָשִׁית בֵּינְךָ וּבֵין הָאִשָּׁה וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ וּבֵין זַרְעָהּ הוּא יְשׁוּפְךָ רֹאשׁ וְאַתָּה תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ עָקֵב

. . . .

And enmity shall I set between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush you on the head, and you shall bite him on the heel.'

Bereshit 3:16

אֶל-הָאִשָּׁה אָמַר הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה עִצְּבוֹנֵךְ וְהֵרֹנֵךְ--בְּעֶצֶב תֵּלְדִי בָנִים וְאֶל-אִישֵׁךְ תְּשׁוּקָתֵךְ וְהוּא יִמְשָׁל-בָּךְ

. . . .

And He said to the woman: 'I shall greatly increase your toil and your pregnancy; in toil shall you bear children; and toward your husband shall be your inclination, and he shall rule over you.'

Bereshit 3:17

וּלְאָדָם אָמַר כִּי-שָׁמַעְתָּ לְקוֹל אִשְׁתֶּךָ וַתֹּאכַל מִן-הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ לֵאמֹר לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ--אֲרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ בְּעִצָּבוֹן תֹּאכְלֶנָּה כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ

. . . . . .

And He said to Adam: 'Since you accepted the voice of your wife, and ate from the tree which I commanded you, saying, "You shall not eat from it" — cursed is the earth on your account; in toil shall you eat from it, all the days of your life.

Bereshit 3:18

וְקוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר תַּצְמִיחַ לָךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת-עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה

.

And thorn and thistle shall it cause to grow for you; and you shall eat the herbage of the wilderness.

Bereshit 3:19

בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם עַד שׁוּבְךָ אֶל-הָאֲדָמָה כִּי מִמֶּנָּה לֻקָּחְתָּ כִּי-עָפָר אַתָּה וְאֶל-עָפָר תָּשׁוּב

. . . .

By the sweat of your face shall you eat food, until your return to the earth from which you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.'

Bereshit 3:20

וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ חַוָּה כִּי הִוא הָיְתָה אֵם כָּל-חָי

. .

And Adam called the name of his wife Eve, because she was to be the mother of every speaking creature.

Bereshit 3:21

וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר--וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם

. .

And God made for Adam and his wife body-garments, and clothed the two of them.

Bereshit 3:22

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה כְּאַחַד מִמֶּנּוּ לָדַעַת טוֹב וָרָע וְעַתָּה פֶּן-יִשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וְלָקַח גַּם מֵעֵץ הַחַיִּים וְאָכַל וָחַי לְעֹלָם

. . .

Then God said: 'Behold, Adam has become like one of Us in the knowledge of good and evil; and now — lest he stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever' —

Bereshit 3:23

וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים מִגַּן-עֵדֶן--לַעֲבֹד אֶת-הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר לֻקַּח מִשָּׁם

. .

And God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the earth from which he had been taken.

Bereshit 3:24

וַיְגָרֶשׁ אֶת-הָאָדָם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן מִקֶּדֶם לְגַן-עֵדֶן אֶת-הַכְּרֻבִים וְאֵת לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת לִשְׁמֹר אֶת-דֶּרֶךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים

. . ..

And when Adam had been expelled, He settled east of the garden of Eden angels, and the flash of a turning sword — that they might guard the path of the tree of life.