The Tree of Knowledge/2/en

The Tree of Knowledge

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Sexual Desire

The fruit of the tree introduced sexual desire to mankind.

Sources:Ibn EzraBereshit First Commentary 2:9, 17Bereshit First Commentary 3:7Bereshit Second Commentary 2:9, 16-17Bereshit Second Commentary 3:7About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RadakBereshit 2:9Bereshit 2:17Bereshit 3:7About R. David Kimchi, AbarbanelBereshit 2:1About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

Meaning of the root "דעת" – These sources point to the many places in Tanakh where the root ידע connotes sexual relations¹ to suggest that here, too, the knowledge gained by the tree was the "intimate knowing" of two people, i.e. relations.

Meaning of "טוֹב וָרָע"

"וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי עֵירֻמִּם הֵם" – Radak points to this verse as proof of this position. After eating from the tree, the first thing that Adam and Chavvah gain awareness of was the fact of their nakedness.  Only with sexual desire did nakedness take on any import and lead to a feeling of embarrassment.²

"וְהָאָדָם יָדַע אֶת חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ" – The first deed done by Adam after our story is to have relations with his wife, a direct result of the new "knowledge" that he gained.

"הֵן הָאָדָם הָיָה כְּאַחַד מִמֶּנּוּ לָדַעַת טוֹב וָרָע" – Ramban questions this approach from the fact that Hashem declared that in eating from the tree, man became similar to God.  Since Hashem does not have sexual desire, it would seem to difficult to define the knowledge gained by the fruit in  such a manner. 

Measure for measure punishment?

"וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ חַוָּה"

"כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכׇלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת"

Eating from the Tree of Life

Free Will

Upon eating from the tree, humans attained the ability to choose between good and bad.  They were given free will.

Sources:RambanBereshit 2:9, 17Bereshit 3:7, 16, 22About R. Moshe b. Nachman

Subjective Knowledge or Moral Conventions

Before the sin, humans had objective knowledge of truths and falsehoods, knowledge gained by pure analytical reasoning.  Afterwards their intellectual level dropped and became the subjective knowledge of moral convention, knowledge gained by custom and empirical observation.

Sources:Rambam1 2About Rambam Moreh Nevukhim, Ralbag

"וִהְיִיתֶם כֵּאלֹהִים יֹדְעֵי טוֹב וָרָע" – Rambam understands "" in the secular sense of teh word to refer to political leaders.

Partial / Moral Knowledge

Sources:R. Saadia GaonCommentary Bereshit 2:17Commentary Bereshit 3:1Commentary Bereshit 3:22About R. Saadia Gaon, R. D"Z HoffmannBereshit 2:17Bereshit 3:7Bereshit 3:22About R. David Zvi Hoffmann

Objective Knowledge

Sources:Cassuto

Appreciation of Aesthetics

Sources:? Rashbam

No New Knowledge

The fruit of the tree did not change the intellect of man at all.

Sources:Midrash Tadshe, R. HirschBereshit 2:9About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch,

¹ For a few of many examples, see Bereshit 4:1, 4:17, 4:25, and 19:5.

² Beforehand they were like toddlers who are not inhibited to take off their clothing in public.