G-d basically set us up for failure. Now I'm not saying He wanted us to, because I am sure He did not want us to at all. Even now a days when you tell someone not to do something, they are obviously going to do the opposite. I think it is strange how G-d gets mad at us every time we sin and punishes us, if He is the one who started the whole cycle of it.
If G-d would have never allowed/ or set up the first sin, no one would know how to or even want to because we would know nothing of it.
Setting aside the whole free-will thing, because I know he lets us make our own decisions. I just think the whole thing seems too much on the side of sinning. G-d sent the snake, who he created to be the sneakiest one. And let's not forget about him putting the tree there in the first place. He couldn't just make the forbidden thing something unappealing, He had to make it a gorgeous, fruitful, plentiful (at least that's what I have seen from the pictures) tree. G-d could have easily made the snake a nice little animal, friendly to all, likewise He could have made the tree unappealing.
My real problem here is that if G-d is the one who had us sin in the first place then I don't think He should get made at us when we do. He is the one who gave us a taste of sinning.
I partly agree and partly disagree with Orly. If Hashem really did not want us to ever sin, then He could have not given us the ability to choose right or wrong. There is also no way to show respect for Hashem if He doesn't give us commandments to follow. But, it does seem unnesecary to put a beautiful, fruitful tree smack in the middle of a garden, right after the first two people were created, and tell them not to eat from it. It seems unfair to give them this prohibition, when G-d knows they will fair to obey it. But, at the same time there have to be prohibitions in the world, or we won't learn how to limit ourselves and we'll become spoiled.
ReplyDeleteI agree Alyssa. I think this is a tricky situation for G-d too. I completely believe that there has to be limitations in the world, but did He really have to put one on the earth right after creating the world?
ReplyDeleteOk, as far as the tree goes, how do we know that the tree was really so amazing? Orly, you said that you say it's so beautiful because that's how it's always portrayed. What if the tree wasn't really so amazing. we know all the trees in the garden were beautiful and fruitful, yet it was the עץ הדעת that אדם and חוה chose to eat from. What if the עץ הדעת was really just like the other trees, or maybe even more insignificant? Maybe it was just the excitement of their desire and their not being allowed to eat from it that made it so beautiful in their eyes. Consequently then, it would make sense for it to be portrayed today as such an amazing, wonderful, beautiful creation.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the temptations and limitations go, there are two sides to everything. 'ה makes rules and regulations for our benefit. We could see it as being for our own good and that of course we should do as 'ה says, or we could see it as this rule is stupid. Why should I follow it? It makes more sense to do this. Basically, it might not have mattered if 'ה made specific obligations and restrictions for us then or now. They would have just found other things to go against.
In my opinion the tree had to be different in some way. In fact I think it had to be just a tad bit prettier or fruitful than the rest, because if not then woman would not have been convinced so easily. Clearly there was some kind of attraction to it besides for the pushing from the snake. Not necessarily that it was prettier or uglier, but something had to be different about this tree that woman would have been so intrigued by it.
ReplyDeleteI think I was hitting more on the point that G-d sent the snake to test man/woman's limits. Not that there were limitations, just that there was a test. Maybe they were not ready for a test against something so newly restricted. If G-d would have given them some time to get used to the fact that they were unable to eat from the tree, than maybe they would have been better off, and maybe then they could have refused the temptation.
Its like if you put something in front of someone and say dont touch that and then a second later ask if they want to touch it they are going to say yes. As opposed to if you wait a bit and let them internalize the fact that it is prohibited for them to touch it than they might have better accepted it and refused the temptation.