The Meaningful Life – As Indirectly Taught by Adam and Eve

Parshat Bereishis 

by Rabbi Avi Billet

One of the more misunderstood passages in our Rabbinic texts is one of the Mishnayos we read on Friday night, from the second chapter of Meseches Shabbos. 

“There are three transgressions for which women die during childbirth: Not being careful about niddah (the laws concerning conduct during the menstrual period), taking challah [from dough], and the lighting of candles [Friday night].” 

The Mishnah cannot be understood to be teaching causality because women who do not observe these do not tend to die in childbirth in any observable pattern, and while it is thankfully uncommon today, some women who are meticulous of these laws have nevertheless passed away during or shortly after giving birth. 

How we understand this Mishnah is helped by a passage in Midrash Tanchuma at the beginning of Parshas Noach. 

“Why are women commanded these three mitzvot? God said, ‘Adam HaRishon was the beginning of My creation, and he was commanded regarding the Tree of Knowledge.’ And the verse says regarding Chava (Eve) ‘And the woman saw [that the fruit was good to eat and desirous to the eyes, and she ate from it and gave to her man who also ate from it].’ She thus caused his death and spilled his blood. It also says in the Torah ‘One who spills the blood of a person (HaAdam) with the person (BaAdam) that individual’s blood will be spilled.’ She thus has her blood spill and she must be careful of her menstruating period to atone for the blood of ‘HaAdam’ that she spilled. 

“Regarding the mitzvah of Challah? She defiled the challah of the world (this refers to Adam), as Rabbi Yosi ben Dosemka explained: Just as a woman kneads her dough in water, and then lifts her Challah, so God did with Adam HaRishon as the verse says ‘and a mist rose from the ground and moistened the earth’ which is followed by ‘And God formed man of the dust of the earth.’ 

“Regarding candles? She extinguished the candle of Adam as the verse says (Mishlei 20), ‘The candle of God is the soul of Adam (a human, but could refer to Adam the man),’ therefore she must observe the lighting of the candles. “ 

Ramban uses the near-1000 years of Adam’s life as the anchor for his depiction of the first millennium of the world described in the Torah, which he compares to the first day of creation (when light was created), as he refers to Adam as the “light of the world who best recognized his Creator.” 

Ramban notes that there was likely no turn towards any form of idolatry before Adam’s passing at age 930! Perhaps Ramban’s view is based in a simple equation that as long as people could still see the man who never had human parents, who was formed from the earth and had God breathe life directly into him, there is no doubt at all as to Who or What God is, and what His role is in the world. When that connection is gone, that idea can be forgotten by those who never knew Adam personally. The prevention of idolatry can certainly bear witness to Adam being “the light of the world,” and thus his eventual death being caused by Chava is something which needs a corrective in the form of Shabbos candles. 

Pinchas Kehati quotes a Midrash Rabba – different from the Tanchuma quoted above – which also refers to Adam as the “challah of the world.” 

While it may not be fair to point to Chava and say she killed Adam – she certainly didn’t commit murder outright – there is what to be said for her being responsible for their expulsion from the garden, which may have led directly (or indirectly, depending on how you calculate these things) to Adam’s death, which at the very least is a symbol of bloodshed. 

The Torah tells us that their banishment from the garden resulted in their being blocked from re-entering, so they may not have access to the Tree of Life. Quoting the Rabbis of the Talmud (Shabbos 55b) Ramban notes that in the garden they were supposed to live forever. This could be because their soul was in a spiritual space that would prevent death, or, from a different perspective, because they’d have access to the Tree of Life, which would provide immortality. 

Ramban specifically comments on the words “On the day you eat from the tree you will die” that “you will then become mortal and will no longer exist forever. Eating was initially simply meant to be an act of pleasure/leisure (but not a necessity for living). It is reasonable that the fruits of the garden were absorbed in the body in a perfect manner, to sustain those who’d eat them (similar to how we understand the Manna). But when man was cursed to eat the ‘grass of the field’ and ‘you’ll eat bread produced by the sweat of your brow…’ that began the deterioration of man from being a primarily spiritual being in a physical body to being more ‘dust-like’ – eating food which grows from the ground, [priming the body for the day until] when ‘to the dust you shall return.’” 

No matter how we view life and immortality pre the eating of the fruit, reality certainly changed when Chava succumbed to the pressure of the serpent herself and had Adam eat the fruit as well. Her punishment, “You will give birth with difficulty,” seems to be what the Mishnah in question is referencing when it suggests death is always lurking in the shadows with childbirth. At the same time the Mishnah gives women a formula for doing a “tikkun” (correction) to Chava’s blunder. These mitzvot are meant to serve as a tremendous merit for women, and may that blessing always be so as we see many Jewish children brought into this world, guided by their God-fearing mothers who are blessed with relatively easier birthing experiences that result in good health for all. (Amen) 

While it is probably not healthy to punish later generations for the errors of forbears or previous generations, it is important for the living to learn lessons from history, and to do what we can to not repeat past mistakes. 

The exact scenario of the Garden of Eden is not one we face, but considering the following examples, and the examples of this narrative, what are our choices? 

• When we know a behavior is wrong in God’s eyes, in the Torah, in halakha, do we nevertheless succumb to our desires and go against what we know? 
• When we know we have fallen prey to the Evil Inclination, do we do what we can to have others join us so we not feel so lonely in our disjointed path? 
• When we can specifically outline the path that has brought us to the place where we do not want to be, do we take corrective steps that specifically help us undo the damage to ourselves, to our souls, to our relationships – especially through countering the measures that brought us to this place? 
• Do we see ourselves, and our fellow humans, as beings created in the Image of God, who are worthy and deserving of respect, kindness, dignity? Do we practice that in the way we relate to others – especially those with whom we disagree, and those with whom we may have had a falling out? 
• Do we live life in such a way that our passing will be marked with sadness and feelings of loss by people beyond our immediate family? 
• Do we find ourselves following in the footsteps of Adam, of being a light for ourselves, for others, and for those we encounter? 

In these days post the Holiday season, and as we embrace the very plain, holiday-less month of Cheshvan, we have the opportunity to contemplate what the coming days, weeks, months, and year (or even years!) can look like for ourselves when it comes to answering these questions. 

In many ways the society around us is broken. In the final days leading up to the upcoming election, we are seeing the worst emerging from people – hatred, vitriol, violence. Social media (and many parts of mainstream media) is a cesspool of demonizing the other. Even Jews are hating Jews who view the world through different lenses. There are no easy answers – no one is completely wrong, and no one is completely right. 

What Adam and Chava teach us is that humanity shares the same ancestors. They remind us that we once had it made in a Garden. Our common goal is to be worthy of returning to that very special place. 

We have a responsibility to follow Adam’s lead, to be a light in the darkness, and a light for the world. Wherever we can inspire, we should inspire. Whenever we can uplift, we should uplift. However we can bring peace between peoples, we should be blessed to do so. 

In this way, we will merit the “tikkun” (corrections) the world needs, to see the light, and to return to an ideal in which serving God is our goal, and everything else is just background noise because everything is as perfect as Eden was meant to be.