Derasha 1 on Bereishis 3:18

TT #142 · Parashas Bereishis · Third Aliyah · Passuk 18

Complete Passuk

וְק֥וֹץ וְדַרְדַּ֖ר תַּצְמִ֣יחַֽ לָ֑ךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ אֶת־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Pesachim 118a (verified).

E-Daf image (Pesachim 118a)

Core Text

Core Textאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאָדָם וְקוֹץ וְדַרְדַּר תַּצְמִיחַ לָךְ, זָלְגוּ עֵינָיו דְּמָעוֹת, אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֲנִי וַחֲמוֹרִי נֹאכַל מֵאֵבוּס אֶחָד? כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ בְּזֵעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם נִתְקָרְרָה דַּעְתּוֹ.
English of Core Text: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Adam “Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth for you,” his eyes flowed with tears and he said before Him: Master of the Universe, shall I and my donkey eat from the same trough? Once He said to him “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread,” his mind was set at ease.
On the daf / in context: The initial curse seemed to reduce man to the level of the animal; the addition of “by the sweat of your brow” restored human dignity through labor.
Type of Learning: Custom (dignity restored by labor)
What Is Learned: The threat of eating the same food as the donkey was mitigated by the requirement of human labor for bread.