The Weekly Shtikle - Bereishis
This coming Sunday, 28 Tishrei, is the 18th yahrtzeit of my dear friend, Daniel Scarowsky, z"l.
This week's shtikle is dedicated leiluy nishmaso, Daniel Moshe Eliyahu ben Yitzchak.
When Adam HaRishon is confronted by HaShem following the sin of the Eitz HaDa'as, he argues that (3:12) "the woman that You placed with me, she gave me from the tree and I ate." Rashi comments that here Adam showed his ingratitude to HaShem for providing him with a wife.
It would seem at first glance that the ingratitude was the blaming of his wife for his own misconduct. However, I suggest that the ingratitude was not as much in what he said but how he said it. The creation of woman came out of the realization that man was no good on his own. Without a soulmate, man was simply incomplete and he needed woman to help him achieve that completion and HaShem provided that for Adam. The word imadi used by Adam to mean "with me," does not show an appreciation of this quality of woman. By using the word imadi, Adam showed that he saw woman as an opposing force and did not appreciate her true virtues. With this he showed ingratitude to the gift that HaShem had given him.
The word li, however, has a much different connotation. It implies for me, for my own good, as Rashi explains in many places. That form of the word meaning for me is always used to suggest personal benefit (see Rashi Bereishis 12:1). Had Adam argued ha'ishah asher nasata li, hi nasnah li, the woman whom you gave me for my benefit gave me from the tree, I suspect that Rashi's comment might not apply.
Interestingly, I recently heard a rather unique understanding of this pasuk from the Ba'al HaTurim. He explains that Chava indeed hit Adam with a piece of the tree until he listened to her!
Have a good Shabbos.
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com
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posted by Shtikler | 5:28 PM
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