ADULTERY-3 (2018) /Eden: Sin is illogical

 

© 2018 by Rabbi Dr. Zvi Aviner
Noahidesevencommandments.com
Genesis-and-seven-laws-of-noah.com

ADULTERY-3/Eden: Sin is illogical

Know your CREATOR, know yourself and know the difference

1: Inventory check

As Adam is born and raised in Eden, his notion of Sin grows and changes.  So far in the story, Sin for Adam is:
1. Something that damages  his  ‘spiritual umbilical cord’ to the CREATOR’S lips
2. Violating his  FATHER IN HEAVENS’ advice
3. Transgressing his FATHER-KING’   Commandments

The FATHER-KING gave Adam Six Commandments; out of whom Adam could violate at that stage only the first one, IDOLATRY.   Of course, Adam would not bow to idols of wood and stone in Eden, but he could violate the KING Command, which is a type of IDOLATRY.  The rest of the Six Commandments  were  potential at that point. It was similar to a child learning in school ideas that would serve him later in life out of school.  .

In that token let’s note that soon, as “the Woman” would be formed in Eden,  the second Commandment, ADULTERY, would also become relevant to their lives.

Adam continues to grow in Eden and his libido changes. With this his notion of Sin changes. : :

2: The Smart Adam


“And out of the ground YHVH ELoKiM formed
Every beast of the field and every bird of the air,
And He brought it to Adam to see what he would call it.
And whatever Adam called every living creature, this was its name…” (Genesis 2:19)

Adam is a Homo Sapience, Wise Man
As Adam continues to ‘grow’ in Eden, his libido and attention are  diverted away from his parents and home home to the outside world.  Children at that age of 8-13 years swallow encyclopedias, observe the sky wit a telescope and look at tiny creatures through microscope.  They are not yet fascinated by the opposite sex.

Adam reaches that stage in Eden. How we know that? For the Parent(s) YHVH ELKM brings him all the creatures in Eden to see what sort of name would he chose for them. Adam proves to be very smart, because  “whatever Adam called every living creature, this was the right name” which the CREATOR has intended for it.

What sort of Wisdom did Adam exhibit?
Naming  is a first step of any science. In Biology, for instance, we first learn to observe creatures and divide them to species and sub species.  it is a descriptive  stage of Science. We develop a catalogue where we name the species.

Only next we would learn the creature’s  physiology and understand how their bodies work.

And only then we would apply that  knowledge to the invention of practical  technology.

In Medicine, too, we first distinguish  symptoms and diseases and give them names. Only then we learn their patho physiology and understand how they work.   This would allow us to go to the third stage and use our knowledge to create medications and perform surgery.

Thus the Wisdom of any Science passes through  three phases:

  • The stage of kho-khma where we grasp the general concepts and give names
  • The stage Bi-nah, where we dip into   mechanisms, like physiology
  • The stage of Daat, when we implement  all the above to invent technology.

Thus when Adam gave names to all the creatures in Eden, he demonstrated the theoretical levels of Wisdom, khokhma and  Binah.  He did not have to show the practical level  of Wisdom, Daat, since there was no need for that in Eden.

In fact, as long he did not eat from the Tree Of Knowledge (Daat) Good and Evil he would lack Daat. Hence  Adam was at that stage a logical creature, a Homo Sapience.

By  this, the Torah advances the notion of Sin for Adam one step up  Henceforth Sin is  something foolish, that carries bad consequences.  Sin is bad for the individual as well for the public.   The ancient Greek philosophers, for instance, held sinners as  FOOLS.

(a) An act that  damages our connection to our CREATOR’S LIPS

(b) A violation  of our FATHER’S  good advice

(c) A transgression  of our FATHER–KING Command

(d) An illogical act, a foolish act that would carry some bad consequences.

as a logical creature, Adam knew at that stage the difference between Right and Wrong, but not yet between Good and Evil.  For that he would have to eat  from the Tree of Knowledge Good and Evil.

Let’s make the following distinction:

In ELKM’S eyes, one who violates the Laws is a SINNER, who doesn’t know “right from wrong”

In YHVH eyes, one who acts against her values is EVIL, who does not know “good from evil”.

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3: He even named ELoKiM

The story goes like that: When the CREATOR, sitting  as JUDGE, saw how smart was Adam, He asked him: “My child, what Name would you give me?”
Adam said: “I‘ll call you ELoHiM, for you are my JUDGE.” Indeed, ELKM in Hebrew means a JUDGE.
ELoKiM was pleased, as it says that “every name that Adam gave on that day was the right one,” the very name that the CREATOR had intended for himself.

4: He even named YHVH

Hearing the conversation, the Attribute of MERCY then asked Adam: “My child, what name would you give me?”
Adam said: “I shall call you YHVH.”
“Why?”  She  asked.
“For I wish to tell my children that although you appear late in the Story of CREATION, just before the Sabbath, they should not err and think that you are ‘born’ late.  I wish to tell them that He was, He is and He will be, in short, the acronym YHVH.”

Indeed, as we’ve learned, the Acronym is made from the following words: Yhe-ye  Ha-ya Ho-Ve-H  which mean  “He will Be”, “He was” and  “He is.”

some commentaries mis-translate YHVH as Eternal.  But that is wrong, since ELKM too is Eternal.  The point that Adam made by that Name is that YHVH was Before ELKM, and He (she) will be after ELKM has rested, on the Sabbath.

If the Universe is a ball, then ELKM is a greater ball that contains the Universe in it.  Then YHVH is a bigger ball that contains ELKM.

ELKM is often referred to in kabbala  as “the power that fills the Universe

YHVH is referred to as “the power that surrounds all the worlds.”  .  .

Hearing Adam, YHVH was pleased since, as it says: “ every name that Adam gave on that day was the right one,” the very name that the CREATOR had intended even for Himself.

5: He even named ‘YHVH ELoKiM’

Now the two Attributes, YHVH ELoKiM, asked in Oneness: “My son, Adam, how will you call me?”
Adam replied: “I’ll call you My FATHER, My KING for you’ve advised me like a FATHER, and Commanded me to keep the Six Commandments like a KING.”

Again,  YHVH ELoKiM was very pleased since, as the verse says, “every Name that Adam gave on that day was the right one,” the very name that the CREATOR had intended for Himself.

But the drama of Eden is just beginning.  As Adam  continues to grow, his Parent notice that he feels  alone. His hormones kick in. The Parent therefore form a woman from his side, and that would change everything. His notion of Sin would change too.

END OF ADULTERY CLASS 3
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