Derasha 4 on Bereishis 3:14

TT #132 · Parashas Bereishis · Third Aliyah · Passuk 14

Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֥ים ׀ אֶֽל־הַנָּחָשׁ֮ כִּ֣י עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּאת֒ אָר֤וּר אַתָּה֙ מִכָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה וּמִכֹּ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה עַל־גְּחֹנְךָ֣ תֵלֵ֔ךְ וְעָפָ֥ר תֹּאכַ֖ל כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Sotah / parallel (TT: classic) (verified).

Core Text

Core Textתָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: כָּל הַנּוֹתֵן עֵינָיו בְּמַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ, מַה שֶּׁמְּבַקֵּשׁ אֵין נוֹתְנִין לוֹ וּמַה שֶּׁבְּיָדוֹ נוֹטְלִין מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בַּנָּחָשׁ הַקַּדְמוֹנִי... אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי יְהֵא מֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה, וְעַכְשָׁיו אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִכָּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה.
English of Core Text: The Sages taught: Whoever sets his eyes on what is not his — what he seeks is not given to him, and what he has is taken from him; for so we find with the primordial serpent... The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I said he would be king over every beast and animal, and now “cursed are you more than all the cattle and more than every beast of the field.”
On the daf / in context: The serpent’s ambition for what was not his resulted in the loss of both the desired status and the status he already possessed.
Type of Learning: Custom (measure-for-measure for coveting)
What Is Learned: One who covets what is not his loses both what he seeks and what he already has; the serpent is the paradigm.