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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 implication . Adam could violate in Eden, before the advent of the woman, only IDOLATRY, by not listening to his FATHER-KING. With the woman beside him, she could violate ADULTERY too , by conferring privately with the serpent. After all, she was MARRIED to Adam.
So why were the entire Six given to Adam even before the advent of the woman? As a remedy, in case Adam and his wife would sin and lose Eden. There, on Earth, the entire Six Commandments would be relevant to their real life. OBSERVING THEM WOULD HELP TO RESTORE ADAM’S PURITY AS IT WAS IN EDEN, says Sefat Emeth.
Thus 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 overcome the “serpent within us” and restore our purity.
Hence there is a difference between the Commandments. The first two could be violated in Eden. Hence the First Commandment, IDOLATRY, is a tool to overcome Adam’s Ego; while the Second Commandment, ADULTERY, became a tool to overcome Adam’s Sex Drive.
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
On Earth, the nascent human family was haunted by the Drives associated with real living. 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 of BLOODSHED 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 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.
(6) BLASPHEMY
(5) CIVIL ORDER
(4) THEFT
(3) BLOODSHED ¬–(7) EATING BLOOD AND LIMBS ( Noah)
……………………………eden……………………………………………………………….
(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 3rd, 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.
(6) BLASPHEMY
(5) CIVIL ORDER
(4) THEFT ¬——— (8) CIRCUMCISION (Abraham)
(3) BLOODSHED ¬- (7) EATING BLOOD AND LIMBS (Noah)
……………………………………eden……………………………………………………….
(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 on 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.
(6) BLASPHEMY
(5) CIVIL ORDER <–-(9) SCIATIC NERVE (Jacob)
(4) THEFT ¬———-(8) CIRCUMCISION (Abraham)
(3) BLOODSHED ¬- (7) EATING BLOOD AND LIMBS (Noah)
………………………………eden…………………………………………………………….
(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.
We’ll return to that diagram as we talk about Rosh Hashanah.