"she “added to the command”—in other words, she lied (or at the very least exaggerated)."

She added to the command = she lied?!?
What complete and utter nonsense!
What fool came up with that?

We're talking about a flawless being whom G-d had just created... whose head was in the heavens.... who could see from one end of the universe to the other....
She was absolutely incapable of lying!

The source you brought says ITSELF that the snake touched the tree and then says the snake DIDN'T touch the tree.
So you can go right past that but when one source saying Adam added it and another source saying Eve added it, that bothers you?
That doesn't bother me at all.

What bothers me is how Rashi says Eve "added" those words, and in the very next verse he has the snake THOSE words by pushing HER into the tree!?!?
I don't get that at all.

All this aside, here's a rule of thumb.

You know how difficult it is to learn the halachic portions of the Talmud...
No vowels, no punctuation, terse sentences, cryptic sentences, one word sentences, codes, catch phrases, 13 principles of expounding, in Aramaic, full of unspecified pronouns.... the list goes on and on and on.... agreed?
Everyone agree?
Everyone repeat after me.
"It is very difficult to learn the halachic portions of the Talmud!"

Well guess what?!
The halachic portions of the Talmud are the portions the Rabbis WANT YOU TO KNOW!!!
That's the reachable stuff!
That's the attainable stuff!
That's the easy stuff!

You know what the hard parts are?
The hidden parts?
The places where the Rabbis DIDN'T want you to know? [Unless you were worthy.]

Thats the haggadaaaaaah!

Rule of thumb number two:
You know there are 4 levels of Torah study?

You know how the Torah is accessible on a simple, contextual level...
And then there's a deeper level, with expounding....
And then there is a deeper level, with only hints and allusions....
And then there is the deepest level which most of us will never know.....?

Yes? Right?

Well, When it comes to the opening of Genesis...
When it comes to the chapters of creation...
When it comes to the Garden of Eden....
What you see in the verses is the deepest level, the secrets!
Then there is learning deeper,
Then there is learning deeper still,
and then the deepest level of learning is finding out the simple context of what actually, physically happened.

So you all in the other forum are trying to learn an Aggadah on Creation?

Good luck with that. smiley: wink

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Last Edited By: Rabbi Daniel Wed, 23-May-12 19:39:33. Edited 1 times.