Derasha 6 on Bereishis 4:7

TT #161 · Parashas Bereishis · Fourth Aliyah · Passuk 7

Complete Passuk

הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשׇׁל־בּֽוֹ׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Niddah 30b (verified).

E-Daf image (Niddah 30b)

Core Text

Core Textדָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: [בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַוָּלָד בִּמְעֵי אִמּוֹ] מְלַמְּדִים אוֹתוֹ כָּל הַתּוֹרָה, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבָּא לַאֲוִיר הָעוֹלָם בָּא מַלְאָךְ וְסָטְרוֹ עַל פִּיו וּמַשְׁכִּיחוֹ כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ.
English of Core Text: Rabbi Simlai expounded: While the fetus is in its mother’s womb they teach it the entire Torah; and once it comes into the air of the world an angel comes and strikes it on the mouth and causes it to forget the entire Torah, as it is said “sin crouches at the door.”
On the daf / in context: The “door” of birth is the moment the prenatal Torah knowledge is erased; the verse marks that transition.
Type of Learning: Custom (forgetting of prenatal Torah)
What Is Learned: At the doorway of birth the angel causes the newborn to forget the Torah it was taught in the womb.