Derasha 5 on Bereishis 3:14

TT #133 · 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 Bechoros 8a (verified).

E-Daf image (Bechoros 8a)

Core Text

Core Textמִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה וּמִכָּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה — אִם מִבְּהֵמָה נִתְקַלֵּל, מֵחַיָּה לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן? אֶלָּא לוֹמַר לְךָ, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנִּתְקַלְּלָה הַבְּהֵמָה מֵחַיָּה אֶחָד לְשִׁבְעָה... כָּךְ נִתְקַלֵּל הוּא מִבְּהֵמָה אֶחָד לְשֶׁבַע, דַּהֲוֵי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים [רֶמֶז לְעִבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ דַּהֲוֵי שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים].
English of Core Text: “More than all the cattle and more than every beast of the field” — if he was cursed more than cattle, is it not all the more so more than wild beasts? Rather, this teaches you: just as the cattle was cursed relative to the wild beast one-to-seven... so he was cursed relative to cattle one-to-seven, which is seven years [an allusion to the gestation period of the serpent, which is seven years].
On the daf / in context: The double comparison yields a numerical ratio that is then applied to the serpent’s own reproductive cycle.
Type of Learning: Custom (gestation of the serpent)
What Is Learned: The serpent’s gestation is seven years, derived from the one-to-seven ratio of the curse.