17
votes
Accepted
Who is Adam guarding Eden from?
The Ibn Ezra says - in his initial explanation - to guard it from animals so they don't enter and sully the garden:
ולשמרה מכל החיות שלא יכנסו שם ויטנפוהו
The Seforno says - if I understand ...
- 42.5k
11
votes
Why didn't Adam ask for forgiveness?
Bereishis Rabbah 22:13 seems to indicate that Adam didn’t know that he had that option:
פָּגַע בּוֹ אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן אָמַר לוֹ מַה נַּעֲשָׂה בְּדִינְךָ, אָמַר לוֹ עָשִׂיתִי תְּשׁוּבָה ...
- 33.8k
10
votes
Did Adam have intercourse with animals?
There is disagreement about this among the commentators. Here is a quote from the Artscroll Rashi Chumash Bereishis 2:23 footnote 4:
Divrei Dovid...says that this prohibition [to have relations ...
- 6,414
10
votes
Why wasn't Adam Harishon given the Torah?
Adam was worthy of having the Torah given through him. Said the Holy One, Blessed is He “ I will give it to him for he is the work of my hands” After he sinned the Holy One, Blessed is He said to him “...
- 1,826
10
votes
Accepted
Where was Adam when Chava cheated with the snake?
Bereishis Rabbah 19:3:
וְהֵיכָן הָיָה אָדָם בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה, אַבָּא בַּר קוֹרְיָיה אָמַר נִתְעַסֵּק בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶרֶץ וְיָשַׁן לוֹ. רַבָּנָן אַמְרֵי נְטָלוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְהֶחֱזִירוֹ ...
- 7,667
9
votes
Dovid got lifespan from Adam and/or the Avos
Yes at first glance they are in conflict. Sefer Yosef Tehilos 42:9 (Chida) reconciles this with the explanation that David did not sleep and this the nights counted towards the 140 years.
יומם יצוה ה׳...
- 138k
8
votes
Why was Adam Embarrassed
The OP asks, why did Adam hide in fear because of his nakedness even though he had already made clothing (the fig leaves) for themselves? Note that Rav Hirsch and Art Scroll translate this as aprons, ...
- 42.7k
8
votes
Accepted
Men's Earth vs. Women's Bone
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 17:8) makes a similar point, but regarding being appeased, rather than when they’re still in conflict.
מִפְּנֵי מָה הָאִישׁ נוֹחַ לְהִתְפַּתּוֹת וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה ...
- 33.8k
8
votes
Accepted
Do any commentators say that Adam was not literally the first human being?
R Israel Lipschitz, the Tiferet Yisrael, author of a classic commentary on the Mishna, wrote in 1842 in his essay Ohr HaChayim, that there were other men before Adam
The Kabbalah teaches that in ...
- 44.6k
7
votes
Why did Chava give Adam the fruit to eat?
In a comment to the OP's question Fred cites the well-known Rashi (see above). The Bartenura on the Torah expands on this Rashi (text borrowed from Sefaria.org, produced here in full):
ותתן גם ...
- 1,338
7
votes
How were fish formed? Did Adam name them?
There are three parts to your question, however I am only answering the second and third part.
Regarding whether the fish were named by Adam. Likutei Sichos 35 page 1 mentions a dispute in this ...
- 138k
7
votes
Accepted
What became of Hevel's body?
There are a few Midrashic sources that tell us that the animal kingdom seemed to take care of things:
In Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer 21 it notes that firstly his sheepdog did 'shmira' over the body, and ...
- 25.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Who is Rabbi Koryah?
Coincidentally, I happened to research this just last summer. There are two sages that can be identified by this name, one a tanna and the other an amorah:
The tanna Rabbi Chelbo of Koreya:
This sage ...
- 23.6k
6
votes
Why did the snake only speak to Chava?
Radak says two reasons.
1 - Since Hashem spoke to Adam directly, therefore the snake communicated with Chava.
כי לא היתה מצות האל לאשה אע״פ שאדם אמר לאשה מצות האל
2 - Since the snake felt it ...
- 138k
6
votes
Did Adam have intercourse with animals?
The vast majority of classical Jewish sources, including all the Geonim, and most Rishonim, state that the Midrashim (exegetical rabbinic literature) reflect the views of individual rabbis; not the ...
- 35.2k
6
votes
Accepted
Why was Adam Embarrassed
Hizkuni (3:10) Rabbenu Hayyim Paltiel (3:10), Tur (3:10), and Abravanel (Genesis ch. 3) suggest that their loincloths were minimal and they were therefore still embarrassed. Radak (3:8) writes that ...
- 35.2k
6
votes
Did Adam celebrate the first Shabbat in Gan Eden?
According to Rabbi Yochanan bar Chanina (Sanhedrin 38b):
א"ר יוחנן בר חנינא שתים עשרה שעות הוי היום שעה ראשונה הוצבר עפרו שניה נעשה גולם שלישית נמתחו אבריו רביעית נזרקה בו נשמה חמישית עמד על ...
- 23.9k
6
votes
Did Adam celebrate the first Shabbat in Gan Eden?
Midrash Rabbah Bereshit 11:2 says that G-d let Adam stay in Gan Eden for Shabbat, and only kicked him out after Shabbat was over.
Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer (chapter 20) says that G-d sent him right ...
- 43.4k
6
votes
Did Adam and Chava have a child before they sinned? Was childbirth not painful before they sinned?
According to Sforno, yes: both pain and other issues on childbirth and pregnancy mentioned in this verse indicates that the exact opposite occurred before their sin.
her pregnancy will be exactly the ...
- 6,825
6
votes
Why don't humans have the best version of organs?
Humans have the perfect version of organs and systems needed to complete their mission on earth.
Each person and their mission.
In the rare case where you need an improved version - you're a detective ...
- 42.5k
5
votes
Were Adam and Eve Jewish?
UPDATE Technically everyone "became Jewish" at the revelation at Sinai which is regarded as everyone there having converted at that moment. This is the starting point of the recursive definition of "...
- 42.7k
5
votes
Covenant (Brit) with Adam?
Rashi says
like Adam: Heb. כְּאַדָם, like the first man. there they betrayed Me:
In a good land where I settled them, there they betrayed Me, like
Adam, whom I brought into the Garden of Eden, ...
- 46.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Adam's physical maturity when created
Bereishit_Rabbah.14.7
... אמר רבי יוחנן: אדם וחוה כבני עשרים שנה נבראו ...
Rabbi Yohanan said Adam and Eve were created as 20 year olds
See Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons, fingerprints or ridge ...
- 7,398
5
votes
Accepted
Dovid got lifespan from Adam and/or the Avos
Rav Daniel Glatstein last night gave a shiur on Hoshana Rabbah (Ushpizin of Dovid HaMelech), and addressed this question. You can watch it here; it starts at 19:45. He brought three explanations:
Ohr ...
- 19.2k
5
votes
Did Adam and Chava have a child before they sinned? Was childbirth not painful before they sinned?
Sanhedrin 38b contains a chronology of Adam's first day, in which the births of Cain and Abel precede Adam and Eve's sin:
Rabbi Yoḥanan bar Ḥanina says: Daytime is twelve hours long, and the day ...
- 40.2k
5
votes
Skin color Adam and Chava
R. Abraham Viterbo deals with this in Ma'amar Chamishi of Sefer Emunat Chachamim (bottom of page 40a). He begins by mentioning the idea that dark skin was a result of Noah's curse to Canaan. In that ...
- 48.7k
5
votes
Who named trees and plants?
Philo (Midrashei Philon 2:19) posits, that Adam also named the entire plant world, along with the mineral world.
See also Abarbanel (Breishis) who asks your question:
השאלה הי"ז. באמרו וייצר ה' ...
- 4,577
4
votes
Was man created before or after the animals?
Actually, the whole question of time sequence in either description is questionable. Time itself was something created, and thus some rishonim (including the Rambam, Moreh Nevuchim 1:30) understand ...
- 9,175
4
votes
What is the purpose of naming animals?
Rav Hirsch translates "לראות מה יקרא לו" as "so that he (Adam) would see what to call them for himself". Note that this is still on the sixth day (part of creation), so that Adam is taking part in ...
- 42.7k
4
votes
Who is Adam guarding Eden from?
Other bible translation say: God took the man and settled him in the garden of E'den to cultivate it and to take care of it.
- 49
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