Derasha 1 on Bereishis 3:1

TT #117 · Parashas Bereishis · Third Aliyah · Passuk 1

Complete Passuk

וְהַנָּחָשׁ֙ הָיָ֣ה עָר֔וּם מִכֹּל֙ חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה אַ֚ף כִּֽי־אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֔ים לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְל֔וּ מִכֹּ֖ל עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Yerushalmi Kiddushin 4:1 (verified).

Core Text

Core Textוְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם — מַאי עַרְמוּמִיתֵיהּ? אָמַר: יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת, הֲרֵי אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ וּמְרַמֶּה בָּהֶם אֶת הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהֵם אוֹכְלִים וְנֶעֱנָשִׁים וַאֲנִי יוֹרֵשׁ אֶת הָאָרֶץ לְעַצְמִי.
English of Core Text: “And the serpent was cunning” — what was his cunning? He said: I know that the Holy One, blessed be He, said “for on the day you eat of it you shall surely die.” Behold, I will go and deceive the man and his wife with them; they will eat and be punished, and I will inherit the earth for myself.
On the daf / in context: The Yerushalmi supplies the serpent’s internal calculation: by causing their death he hoped to inherit the world.
Type of Learning: Custom (serpent’s motive)
What Is Learned: The serpent’s cunning plan was to bring about the death of Adam and Chavah so that he alone would inherit the earth.