CHAPTER XIV THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE [16A. ii.] TEN descents upon the earth [ See Siphrê, Numbers, § 93; Mekhilta Jethro, 3, p. 64a; Aboth de R. Nathan (a) xxxiv. Other parallels are given by Schechter, p. 51b, note 32 of his edition of Aboth de R. Nathan. The other descents are mentioned in Chapters XXIV., XXV., XXXIX., XL., XLI., XLVI., and LIII.] were made by the Holy One, blessed be He; they were: (1) Once in the Garden of Eden; (2) once at (the time of) the generation of the Dispersion; [ Cf. infra, pp. 176f., and Gen. Rab. 38:9.] (8) once at Sodom; [ See infra, p. 179, and Gen. Rab. 48:7; and cf. Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 27, which reads: “Once in Egypt, once at the thorn-bush, once at Sinai, once at the cleft of the rock.” The reference to Egypt will be discussed infra, p. 303.] (4) once at the thorn-bush; [ See T.B. Megillah, 29a. and cf. infra, p. 312.] (5) once in Egypt; [ This is not in the first editions. See supra, note 3.] (6) once at Sinai; [ See Mekhilta Jethro, 9, p. 72b; and cf. infra, p. 318.] (7) once at the cleft of the rock; [ Cf. infra, p. 365. The reading in the first two editions is: “twice at the cleft of the rock.” This is probably incorrect; see supra, note 3, and cf. Aboth de R. Nathan, loc. cit.] (8) and (9) twice in the tent of Assembly; [ See infra, p. 433. Here also we should read, “Once in the tent of Assembly.” Aboth de R. Nathan, loc. cit., has this reading, and refers to Num. 11:25.] (10) once in the future. [ Aboth de R. Nathan (loc. cit.) refers here to Zech. 14:4. The ninth and tenth descents are to be in the future also: see Siphrê, loc. cit.; T.B. Sukkah, 5a; and Othijoth de R. ‘Aḳiba, letter Hê (Jellinek, B.H.M. iii. p. 24).]
Once in the Garden of Eden; whence do we know? Because it is said, "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden [ In the MS. the quotation ends here, the first editions continue the verse.] in the cool of the day" (Gen. 3:8). And it is written, [ The first editions have: “And another text says.”] "My beloved [ The “beloved” is God. This verse is quoted because it contains the verb (ירד) “to descend.”] is gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices" (Cant. 6:2). (God) sat in judgment, [ See Gen. Rab. 20:2 ff. for the judgment of the Serpent, Eve, and Adam. The first editions read here: “He sat in a judgment of truth, the Judge of righteousness and truth. He called to Adam and said to him.” Cf. צרוק הרין (Burial Service) in Singer, pp. 318 f.] and He judged with judgment. He said to him (Adam): Why didst thou flee [ For similar phraseology see Ps. 139:7. This psalm is interpreted by the Midrashim as referring to Adam; see infra, p. 143.] before Me? He answered Him: I heard Thy voice [ The first editions read: “I heard the report of Thee.” Cf. Hab. 3:2 and Cant. Rab. 3:6.] and my bones trembled, [ See Job 4:14 for a similar expression.] as it is said, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, || because I was naked: and I hid myself" (Gen. 3:10). [ The first editions read here: “And I hid myself from my deed, and I was afraid of my deed, for I was bare of (the fulfilment of) my commandment, as it is said, ‘For I was naked’” (Gen. 3:10).]
What was the dress of the first man? A skin of nail, [ The dress of Adam and Eve was, according to the Pal. Targum, Gen. 3:7, “onyx-coloured”; cf. Gen. Rab. 20:12. The legend of an original skin of nail is preserved in the custom which still obtains among orthodox Jews, who gaze at their nails with the Habdalah light at the termination of the Sabbath. Dr. S. Daiches considers this custom as a relic of nail magic (see Jews’ College Publications, v. pp. 31 f. n. 1). According to the Church Father Ephraim, op. cit. p. 139, Adam and Eve lost their angelic endowments immediately after their sin, their sight and power of discerning became limited only to matters corporeal and sensible; see the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan), p. 215, for this reference. See also Odes of Solomon, pp. 66 ff. and 69, notes 1, 2.] and a cloud of glory covered him. When he ate of the fruits of the tree, the nail-skin was stripped off him, [ The first editions add here, “and he saw himself naked,” and not after the words, “and the cloud of glory departed from him.” See Pal. Targ. Gen. loc. cit. A similar tradition is preserved in the Coptic Apocrypha, ed. Budge, p. 250.] and the cloud of glory departed from him, and he saw himself naked, as it is said, "And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? [ The MSS. end the quotation here, the first editions continue the verse.] Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee?" (ibid. 11).
Adam said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all worlds! When I was alone, I did not sin against Thee. But the woman whom Thou hast brought to me enticed me away from Thy ways, [ The first editions read: “Thy words.” See B.H.M. iii. pp. 60 f.] as it is said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, [ The MSS. end the quotation here.] she gave me of the tree, and I did eat" (ibid. 12). The Holy One, blessed be He, called [ The first editions add here: “He said.”] unto Eve, and said to her: Was it not enough for thee that thou didst sin in thy own person? But (also) that thou shouldst make Adam sin? She spake before Him: Sovereign of the world! The serpent enticed my mind to sin before Thee, as it is said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat" (ibid. 13). He brought the three [ See Pal. Targ. Gen. 3:16 and cf. Gen. Rab. 20:2, 3.] of them and passed sentence of judgment upon them, consisting of nine curses and death.
He cast down Sammael [ On the identification of Sammael with the Devil see Wisdom ii. 24, Pal. Targum on Gen. 3:6; see also Rev. xii. 9 and xx. 2. Paul in 2 Cor. xi. 3 refers to the beguiling of Eve by the Serpent. On the speaking of the Serpent see Jubilees iii. 7 and Josephus, Ant. i. 1. 4. According to Slavonic Enoch xxxi. 3, “The devil took thought, as if wishing to make another world, because things were subservient to Adam on earth.… He became Satan after he left the heavens.” See T.B. Sabbath, 55a, for the Haggadic account of Adam and Eve and the Serpent.] and his troop from their holy place in heaven, [ “But the wicked Satan… I hurled him down from heaven, he it is who made the tree appear pleasant in your eyes,” says the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 1. i.; cf. ibid. xlv. The Fall of Satan is mentioned in Luke x. 18, John xii. 31, and cf. Eph. ii. 2.] and cut off the feet of the serpent, [ This Midrash was known to Josephus; see Ant. loc. cit. The first editions add: “And He cursed it more than all living beasts and all cattle.” Two curses are set forth here; cf. T.B. Bechoroth, 8a, and see Gen. Rab. 20:5, Tosephta Soṭah 4:17, 18.] and decreed that it should cast its skin and suffer pain once in seven years in great pain, and cursed it || that it should drag itself with its belly (on the ground), and its food is turned in its belly into dust [ Cf. Job 20:14; T.B. Joma, 75a: “The serpent brought man back to dust, and therefore dust is its food.”] and the gall of asps, [ See Pal. Targum on Gen. 3:14. “A deadly venom shall be in thy mouth, and thou shalt eat dust all the days of thy life.”] and death is in its mouth, [ See Job 20:16.] and He put hatred between it and the children of the woman, [ The New Testament refers to this incident in 1 John iii. 8, Col. ii. 15, Heb. ii. 14 ff., Rom. xvi. 20, and see Revelation of Moses (in “Ante-Nicene Christian Library,” xvi. p. 461). Ephraim, op. cit., refers to the cutting off of the Serpent’s feet; see supra, p. 99, note 7. The first editions read: “between it and the woman.”] so that they should bruise its head, [ See T.J. Kiddushin 4:11, p. 66c, and Sophrim xv. 10, for the rule, “Break the head of the best among serpents.”] and after all these (curses comes) death. [ Cf. the words of Wisdom, loc. cit., “But through the devil’s envy came death into the world”; see also Slavonic Enoch xxxi. 3.] He gave the woman nine curses and death: the afflictions arising from menstruation and the tokens of virginity; [ See T.B. ‘Erubin, 100b, and Aboth de R. Nathan (a) i. p. 2b.] the affliction of conception in the womb; and the affliction of child-birth; and the affliction of bringing up children; and her head is covered like a mourner, [ For an example of this see Büchler, The Economic Condition of Judea, p. 53, and see T.B. Ḳiddushin, 72a. The New Testament also directs women to have their heads covered; see 1 Cor. xi. 5 and cf. the Apostolic Constitutions, i. 8. In our MS. and in the Oxford MSS. as well as in some of the old editions of our book (e.g. Venice, 1544) after “mourner” the words “she is not shaved except on account of immorality,” occur, but later editions have deleted the passage. This phrase is of great importance in view of Dr. Büchler’s interesting and learned monograph on this theme. A special note at the end of the book will recapitulate the results of Dr. Büchler’s investigations, as the date of P.R.E. may possibly be determined by the period when the custom of cutting the hair of the immoral woman as a punishment obtained.] and it is not shaved except on account of immorality, and her ear is pierced like (the ears of) perpetual slaves; [ Schwally, Das Leben nach dem Tode, p. 39, refers to the inference suggested by the perforation of a woman’s ears; see also Z.A.T.W., 1891, p. 183.] and like a hand-maid she waits upon her husband; and she is not believed in (a matter of) testimony; [ Because Adam listened to Eve, and was led astray by her; see ‘Arukh, ed. Kohut, v. 394b.] and after all these (curses comes) death.
He extended pardon [ Our MS. reads רימום (pardon). The Oxford MS. (d. 35) reads רומים (retribution), and Oxford MS. (O.A. 167) has רינו (his sentence). The printed texts omit this and read: “He drew Adam aside and decreed against him nine curses and death.”] to Adam (as to a part of the) nine curses and death. He curtailed his strength, and He shortened his stature [ See Coptic Apocrypha, p. 250: “his body diminished in size.”] by reason of the impurity connected with issues and with pollution; [ See T.B. Synhedrin, 38b.] as well as the impurity arising from sexual intercourse; he was to sow wheat and to reap thistles, [ See Gen. Rab. 20:10, and Tanna de bê Elijahu Rab. 31 p. 164.] and his food was to be the grass of the earth, like that of the beast; and (he was to earn) his bread in anxiety, and his food by the sweat (of his brow); and after all these (curses came) death. [ For a Christian interpretation of the judgment, see Revelation of Moses, loc. cit. p. 460 f.]
If Adam sinned, what was the sin of the earth, that it should be cursed? Because it did not speak against the (evil) deed, [ By protesting and warning Adam; see Pal. Targum, Gen. 3:17.] therefore it was cursed; for in the hour when the sons of man transgress the graver sins || God sends a plague [ See Aboth (v. end), T.B. Sabbath, 32a, and T.B. Joma, 83a. The Church Fathers have very elaborate expositions of the “Fall” and its consequences. Thus Irenæus (adv. Hœr. iii. 3) writes: “It was for this reason, too, that immediately after Adam, as the Scripture relates, He pronounced no curse against Adam personally, but against the ground, in reference to his works; as a certain person among the ancients has observed, ‘God did indeed transfer the curse to the earth, that it might not remain in man.’ But man receives as a punishment of his transgression the toilsome task of tilling the earth, and to eat bread in the sweat of his face, and to return to the dust whence he was taken. Similarly also did the woman (receive) toil, and labour, and groans, and the pangs of parturition, and a state of subjection, that is, that she should serve her husband; so that they should neither perish altogether when cursed by God, nor, by remaining unreprimanded, should be led to despise God. But the curse in all its fulness fell upon the serpent which had beguiled them.” For other references see Diestel, op. cit. (in Index), and Thalhofer, Bibliothek der Kirchenväter (in Index).] to the sons of man; and in the hour when the sons of man transgress sins less vital, He smites the fruits of the earth, [ See Coptic Apocrypha, p. 243: “the fruit of the earth is little because of the sins of man.”] because of (the sins of) the sons of man, as it is said. "Cursed is the ground for thy sake" (ibid. 17).