NOAH and BLOODSHED-2/Correcting Adam’s Sins

 

 

 

Ó

Copy Right 2022

Rabbi Dr Zvi Aviner

NOAH and BLOODSHED-2/

Correcting Adam’s Primordial Sin

 

 

 

 

1: Addressing Adam’s Sixth Commandments

 

 

 

The Zohar Statement

The Book of the Zohar says that ALLL the Commandments were given to Mankind

to “correct” – tikkun – the Primordial Sin of Adam.

It means that even keeping the kosher food’s regulations ‘corrects’ Adam sin! How could that be?

Indeed, to the unlearned observer, the Zohar’s statement sounds ‘esoteric,’ mystical, beyond comprehension.

Yet in fact, we should remember that the Zohar is the ‘poetry of the Torah,’ and as such it requires a sensitive, tuned audience capable of appreciating its charm.  An occasional bystander may fail to capture the poem’s magic and may completely misunderstand it.

 

In fact, The Zohar derives its statement from the Torah text. How?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Primordial Six Commandments of Adam

In Eden, even before the Sin, G-d (YHVH ELKM) gave Adam and his wife the Six Commandments that are the core of the entire Torah – IDOLATRY, ADULTERY, BLOODSHED, THEFT, JUSTICE, BLASPHAMY.

 

(6) BLASPHEMY  

(5) CIVIL ORDER  

(4) THEFT    

(3) BLOODSHED   

……………………….

(2) ADULTERY    

(1) IDOLATRY

 

At first, before the sin, those Commandments were on the level of Chochma, theoretical wisdom with no real implications. But after eating from the Tree of Knowledge – Daat – of Good and Evil, Sin became real, on the level of Daat, a practical reality. The Commandments assumed a new role. They became a tool, a remedy to stop Adam and his wife from doing more sinning.  And there was a difference between the Commandments. The first two could still be violated in Eden.  Hence the First Commandment, IDOLATRY, became a tool to curve Adam’s Ego,  and the Second Commandment, ADULTERY, became a tool   to curve Adam’s Sex Drive.   Since it was relevant to Eden, the ADULTERY Commandment is spelled out in the text saying: “Therefore Man leaves his father and mother, cleaves to his wife so that they become one flesh.”  As we’ve already learned, this verse covers all the sexual prohibitions for Noahides.

 

The rest four of the Six Commandments, had to wait to become real only when Adam and his wife would live on Earth.

 

 

Adding the Seventh Commandment of Noah

Immediately after ‘coming down’ to live on Earth, the nascent human family was haunted by the Drives associated with living here.  Thus, the other four Commandments became “activated” and relevant; foremost among them was Adam’s next Commandment on the list–   BLOODSHED.

Indeed, the first story of life on Earth was the first murder – Cain killing his brother Abel. This  trend continued and worsened throughout the next ten generations till Noah’s time, when the Heavenly Court is seen in the text deciding to bring the Flood, because of the rampant deadly mixture of BLOODSHED and THEFT, called Hammas.

After the Flood, the same Heavenly Court enters a new Covenant with Noah and his Children, namely the Rainbow Covenant, where the Laws of BLOODSHED are spelled out in details for the first time.

To further enhance Mankind’s stance against BLOODSHED, the Heavenly Court  added to Noah  a new, the Seventh  Commandment,  which forbids the consumption of BLOOD and limbs torn from a living c animals. It is deigned to curve Man’s CRUELTY towards people and animals.

 

 

(3)  BLOODSHED ¬–(7) EATING BLOOD AND LIMBS ( Noah)   

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

            (2) ADULTERY  

            (1) IDOLATRY   

 

In this diagram you see the new, Seventh Commandment of Noah not placed above the Six but rather opposite Adam’s 3^rd, to emphasize that it cam to support our struggle with BLOODSHED.

 

 

 

 

Adding the eighth Commandment of Abraham

The Torah continues to describe how Mankind stumbled over the next Commandment on the list, THEFT.  Ten generations after Noah, in Abraham’s time, humanity invented a new way to get wealthy and powerful – forming EMPIRES that send armies to invade other countries, in order to loot them, steal their property and lands, and abduct their people for slavery, establishing a new economy on OREGENIZE THEFT.  That was a change from the THEFT done in Noah’s time,  which was conducted by gangues on individual levels in the streets.  Such was the infamous Tubal Cain’s gangues.   Abraham devoted his life to struggle against that new trend and was the first to call G-d as AaDoNai, My Owner, who “Owns the Heavens and the Earth.” THEFT assumed a new meaning – breaching G-d’s Ownership.

To enforce Mankind’s struggle against THEFT, G-d added to Abraham a new, the eight Commandment: CIRCUMCISION, which presents the emblem of our OWNER AaDoNai in our flesh.

 

(4) THEFT ¬——— (8) CIRCUMCISION (Abraham)  

(3) BLOODSHED ¬- (7) EATING BLOOD AND LIMBS (Noah)  

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

                 (2) ADULTERY    

•        (1) IDOLATRY

 

 

Here again the new Eight Commandment appears not on top of the original Six of Adam, but rather across the Fourth, indicating that it came to support the Fourth.

 

 

 

 

 

Adding the Ninth Commandment of Jacob

In the same token, the Torah moves to describe Jacob and his struggle for JUSTICE– Adam’s FIFTH Commandment.  We do not see Jacob fighting for his faith or for G-d’s sake, but rather for his CIVIL RIGHTS. Thus, he fights for his birthright, for his right to marry his beloved one without being cheated by her father, for his right to be fairly compensated for his work, and for his right to live in a city w/o his daughter abducted and raped by the mayor’s son.     To support his stance, G-d changes his name to Israel while adding a new, Ninth Commandment   – the prohibition to eat the Sciatic nerve.

 

 

(5) CIVIL ORDER <–-(9) SCIATIC NERVE (Jacob)

(4) THEFT ¬———-(8) CIRCUMCISION (Abraham)  

(3) BLOODSHED ¬- (7) EATING BLOOD AND LIMBS (Noah)  

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

                 (2) ADULTERY    

•       (1) IDOLATRY

 

 

Here again the new, Ninth Commandment of Jacob (Israel) is seen opposite Adam’s Fifth, indicating it came to support it.  Israel was born to spread SOCIAL JUSTICE in the world, along the values of the Torah.

 

 

Adding the Ten Commandment

The next and last Commandment of Adam that needs correction is Adam’s Sixth, BLASPHEMY.   Indeed, the Torah moves to describes next the story of selling Joseph, which is equivalent to severe Desecration of G-d’s name.    as a result, the Children of Israel ended in Egypt, a place full of witchcraft and the worshipping of the dead, besides other sins as sexual perversions and economy based on slavery.

The Story of the Exodus and G-d’s revelation on Sinai came to tell us how Israel reversed G-d’s desecration and received the Torah  to spread G-d’s holiness  in the World.   Hence the Ten Commandments were given to Israel and Mankind to correct the violation of Adam’s Sixth Commandment, BLASPHEMY.  In fact, all the 613 Commandments given to Israel fall under that last category – increasing G-d’s holiness in the world and decreasing BLASPHEMY.

 

 

(6) BLASPHEMY ¬-(10) THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SINAI   

(5) CIVIL ORDER <—(9) SCIATIC NERVE (Jacob)

(4) THEFT ¬——–  (8) CIRCUMCISION (Abraham)  

(3) BLOODSHED ¬- (7) EATING BLOOD AND LIMBS (Noah)  

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

                 (2) ADULTERY    

•    * (1) IDOLATRY

 

Thus, we see that the Zohar’s observation is accurate. All the Commandments given to Mankind, either in Eden or later  on Earth, came  to correct the  violation of  the primordial Adam’s Six Ones, given to him in Eden – the cradle of Mankind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2: Adam’s Coats

 

 

In the same token, the Zohar also says that in Eden, the tikkun – correction – of Adam’s Sin, was done to correct   Adam’s “airy coat,” whereas on Earth, the commandments correct Adam’s “skin coat.

Again, to the unlearned ear, this statement sounds esoteric and mystical, yet in fact it is derived directly from the Torah’s verses.

 

Let’s recall that in Eden G-d (YHVH ELKM) blew His breath into Adam’s nostrils and Adam

became a “breathing, living soul.”  The verse mentions three parts of our sou:

The Chaya, Nefesh, and Neshama.

 

As we’ve learned, the Rabbis depicted this as a glassblower, who breathes into a glass tube to form a vessel.  The part of the breath down the tube is the Chaya, which controls all living creatures, including the smallest ones like mono – cellular ones.  It controls the cellular DNA and other cellular organelles.

The part of G-d breath into Adam’s nostrils that controls Adam’s organs, like the liver or kidney, is the Nefesh which we share with all animals.

The part of the Breath close to the Creator’s lips  is our Neshamah, which is unique to Mankind.

 

\————————————

Neshama     Nefsh     Chaya

/————————————

Divine.         Animalistic

 

The last two control our “Animalistic soul” ,  which we share with all other creatures,

whereas the Neshamah is our “Divine soul that connects us to the CREATOR’

 

There is an inner struggle between the Divine and the Animalistic souls. Each thrives to take over our SELVES.  Our Divine soul wishes to grow on account of the Animalistic soul, so that when She returns to the CREATOR, she would sit by His Throne higher than before.

 

How does the struggle take place?

In Eden, Adam’s soul was covered by a thin, airy body called “airy coat.” Whereas on Earth our soul is covered by a physical, real body called “skin coat.”

The story comes from the text.  Just before driving out the humans to live on Earth, G-d (YHVH ELKM) made them “skin coat.” In Hebrew – kutanot Or” where or, skin, is written with the letter Ain. As it turned out, in the Torah scroll of Rabbi Meir, a disciple of the revered Rabbi Akivah, the word “or” was written with the letter aleph, meaning light. Now whose scroll is the correct one? Most likely it was the letter Ain, meaning “skin,” yet since the scroll of Rabbi Akivah can’t be overlooked, the decision was made among the students that both versions are right, and that the “Airy Light Coat” refers to Adam’s coat in Eden, whereas the “Skin Coat” refers to Adam’s body on real Earth.

 

The importance of the nature of the coat comes out when we realize that the coat, Adam’s body, is the one who generates natural desires and passions, that can be fulfilled either in animalistic way or in a divine way.

 

By fulfilling our desires in animalistic way, we strengthen our Animalistic Soul, on account of our Divine soul.  She would return to the CREATOR weaker than ever before.

 

By fulfilling our natural desires in the Torah’s way, in the divine way, we strengthen our Divine Soul and weaken our Animalistic soul. Our Divine Soul would then return to her CREATOR to sit higher than ever before.

 

 

 

In Eden, Adam’s “light coat” generated only two natural desires: The Desires of the Ego to excel and rebel against G-d; and the Sex Drive.  Those two animalistic, natural drives pushed Adam and his wife to sin – even in Eden.  They caused Adam and his wife to commit IDOLATRY by

not listening to G-d, and commit ADULTERY by the woman conferring privately with the cunning Serpent.

 

It should be emphasized that there is nothing bad or good in the Desires and Passions generated by our “coats,” whether in Eden or on Earth.  We need our Ego to push us to achieve things and stand out among our peers.  It is a part of our self- consciousness, which is a precious gift by the CREATOR, ELKM.  It is only the way we chose to fulfill those natural Desires and Passions, that makes them a bad or good choice.

 

After the Sin, their eyes opened  and they noticed how delight to the eyes sin is, and how sweet to the taste it is.  By following the desires of the airy coat in Eden,   Adam and his wife enhanced their animalistic soul and weakened their Divine Soul. The two Commandments – IDOLATRY and ADULTERY – assumed a new role.  From a theoretical “chochma,” Wisdom, they became “daat,” practical hindrance to Sin.

 

Then, on Earth, Adam’s “Skin Coat” generated new Desires and Passions associated with life on Earth- under the reign of the Angel of Death.  Desires and Emotions like anger, jealousy, seeking power and ownership became dominant.  With that, the rest four Commandments –    BLOODSHED, THEFT, JUSTICE and BLASPHENY became very relevant.

 

Now we comprehend the Zohar’s statement that  the Commandments were given to correct the sins caused by Adam’s’ airy, light coat as well as Adam’s skin coat.

 

 

 

 

 Cain stumbled over the airy and skin coats’ desires

According to our sages in the Midrash, , Cain was driven by all the above drives, pushing him to commit the  first murder. Thus –

1. He exhibited arrogance, a great inflated ego
2. He showed off his status as a priest to attract the females in the family
3. His heart filled with anger and jealousy towards his brother
4. He sought to possess the ownership over Mount Moriah
5. He committed injustice by spreading lies about Abel, that he is worthless
6. He committed blasphemy by murdering his brother while acting as a priest of  the Merciful YHVH, which hated BLOODSHED.

 

Cain’s Divine soul was badly damaged, and was destined to be buried in ‘Hell‘ under Mt Moriah, as YHVH said to him: What have you done! The Voice of  the blood of your brother blood are calling me from the ground that  has absorbed it.”

In fact, Hell, Gehenom, is believed to be in the valley in the southern slop of Mt. Moriah where Cain’s blood had been absorbed.