The woman whom You gave to be with me – she gave me of the tree, and I ate (Va’ochel). (Genesis 3:12)
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 20:12) points out the phrase “and I ate” is written in future tense. Adam is admitting that he ate of the forbidden fruit, and that he is going to do it again. Achalti, Va’ochal Od.
But how could Adam speak this way? Isn’t it a great chutzpah for a person to admit that he sinned, but in the very next breath tell Hashem he is certainly going to do it again?
R. Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin (Pri Tzaddik) explains that Adam was not speaking from a place of chutzpah here. Instead, he was acknowledging that through his sin a powerful force had been unleashed.
When Adam and Chava sinned through food, it implanted deep within every single person a desire for forbidden food experiences; this was a taayva (lust) that would not easily be removed. Adam knew that he would certainly eat forbidden things again - as the desire to do so would now become part of his nature and that of all of his descendents.
R. Tzadok makes another fascinating observation here -- that the Jewish people’s departure from Egypt represented mankind entering a new chapter of existence, almost like a Version 2.0 and reboot of humanity! And so, just like at the beginning of human existence whereby Adam was given food-related laws, so too upon our Exodus we were given countless food-related commandments. Examples include the mitzvos of eating the Korban Pesach, avoiding Chometz, and all the other food-related mitzvos of the Pesach holiday.
The timing of these commandments is not coincidental, as they were given to us at this point in time to serve as the beginning of the Tikkun (rectification) of the sin of Adam!Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Bregman is an internationally recognized Torah scholar, #1 best-selling author, matchmaker, entrepreneur, attorney, and media personality. His energetic and empowering messages currently reach over 350,000 people per week via social media, NYC radio, and newspaper columns worldwide. His website is www.RabbiBregman.com and his email is RabbiBregmanOfficial@gmail.com.