A help, opposite him

Hi,

"And G-d said: It is not good that Man should be alone; I will make for him a help, opposite him."

(Bereishit 2:18)

"If he merits, she will help him. If he does not merit, she will oppose him."

(Talmud, Yevamot 63a)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Atonement via Lulav

Hi,


"'And you shall take for yourself on the first day [Vayikra 23:40]' – To atone for the first deed [of Adam and Eve]."

(Midrash cited by R' Yonatan Eibeschutz in Nefesh Yehonatan to Parshat Emor)

Have a great Yom Tov,
Mordechai

Work for food

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Even Adam tasted food only after having worked, as it is written, 'And Gd placed him in the garden to work it and to guard it,' and then it is written, 'You may eat from any tree in the garden.'

"Rabbi Tarfon said: Gd did not dwell among the Jews until they worked, as it is written, 'And they will build a Temple for Me, and I will dwell among them.'"

(Avot d'Rabbi Natan 11:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The origin of clothing

Hi,

"They [Adam and Chavah, pre-sin] did not need to wear clothes for the sake of privacy, for all of the parts of the body were sacred. It was only after the sin that they descended from their level, and then bashfulness about one's limbs became relevant as the draw toward sin became more powerful."

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:60)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Exile from the Garden of Eden and Exile from Israel

Hello,

"Rabbi Avahu cited Hosheia 6:7, 'They are as man [Adam], they violated the covenant.' This is a reference to Adam the First.

"Gd declared: I brought Adam the First into the Garden of Eden (Bereishit 2:15), I gave him instructions (Bereishit 2:16), he violated My instructions (Bereishit 3:11), I sentenced him to divorce (Bereishit 3:24) and exile (Bereishit 3:23) and I mourned him with 'Eichah' (Bereishit 3:9). It is written as 'Eichah' [even though it is read as Ayekah].

"So, too, I brought his children to Israel (Yirmiyah 2:7), I instructed them (Vayyikra 24:2), they violated My instructions (Daniel 9:11), and I sentenced them to divorce (Hosheia 9:15) and exile (Yirmiyah 15:1), and I mourned for them 'Eichah' (Eichah 1:1)."

(Midrash, Eichah Rabbah Petichta 4)

May we soon see the rebuilding of the Beit haMikdash,
Mordechai

The badecken blessing

Hi,

"One reason why we bless the bride and groom before the chuppah is because Gd blessed Adam and Chavah, as it is written, 'And Gd blessed them.'"

(Taamei haMinhagim 956, citing Tanya 91)

Have a great day,
Mordechai