Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
Furthermore, God spake to the serpent: "I created thee to be king over
all animals, cattle and the beasts of the field alike; but thou wast
not satisfied. Therefore thou shalt be cursed above all cattle and
above every beast of the field. I created thee of upright posture; but
thou wast not satisfied. Therefore thou shalt go upon thy belly. I
created thee to eat the same food as man; but thou wast not satisfied.
Therefore thou shalt eat dust all the days of thy life. Thou didst seek
to cause the death of Adam in order to espouse his wife. Therefore I
will put enmity between thee and the woman." How true it is—he who
lusts after what is not his due, not only does he not attain his
desire, but he also loses what he has!
As angels had been present when the doom was pronounced upon the
serpent—for God had convoked a Sanhedrin of seventy-one angels when He
sat in judgment upon him—so the execution of the decree against him was
entrusted to angels. They descended from heaven, and chopped off his
hands and feet. His suffering was so great that his agonized cries
could be heard from one end of the world to the other.[84]
The verdict against Eve also consisted of ten curses, the effect of
which is noticeable to this day in the physical, spiritual, and social
state of woman.[85] It was not God Himself who announced her fate to
Eve. The only woman with whom God ever spoke was Sarah. In the case of
Eve, He made use of the services of an interpreter.[86]
Finally, also the punishment of Adam was tenfold: he lost his celestial
clothing—God stripped it off him; in sorrow he was to earn his daily
bread; the food he ate was to be turned from good into bad; his
children were to wander from land to land; his body was to exude sweat;
he was to have an evil inclination; in death his body was to be a prey
of the worms; animals were to have power over him, in that they could
slay him; his days were to be few and full of trouble; in the end he
was to render account of all his doings on earth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account