📖 Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 14

עֲשָׂרָה יְרִידוֹת יָרַד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הָאָרֶץ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: אַחַת בְּגַן עֵדֶן, וְאַחַת בְּדוֹר הַפְּלַגָּה, וְאַחַת בִּסְדוֹם, וְאַחַת בַּסְּנֶה, וְאַחַת בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְאַחַת בְּסִינַי, וְאַחַת בְּנִקְרַת הַצּוּר, וּשְׁתַּיִם בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, וְאַחַת לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא.

THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE TEN descents upon the earth were made by the Holy One, blessed be He; they were: (1) Once in the Garden of Eden; (2) once at (the time of) the generation of the Dispersion; (3) once at Sodom; (4) once at the thorn-bush; (5) once in Egypt; (6) once at Sinai; (7) once at the cleft of the rock; (8) and (9) twice in the tent of Assembly; (10) once in the future.

אַחַת בְּגַן עֵדֶן. מִנַּיִן? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל ה' אֱלֹהִים מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן״. וּכְתִיב: ״דּוֹדִי יָרַד לְגַנּוֹ לַעֲרוּגוֹת הַבֹּשֶׂם״. יָשַׁב בְּדִין וְשָׁפַט בְּדִין. אָמַר לוֹ: ״מִפְּנֵי מָה אַתָּה בָּרַחְתָּ מִלְּפָנַי?״ אָמַר: ״אֶת קוֹלְךָ שָׁמַעְתִּי בַּגָּן וָאִירָא כִּי עֵירֹם אָנֹכִי וָאֵחָבֵא״.

Once in the Garden of Eden; whence do we know? Because it is said, "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Gen. 3:8). And it is written, "My beloved is gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices" (Cant. 6:2). (God) sat in judgment, and He judged with judgment. He said to him (Adam): Why didst thou flee before Me? He answered Him: I heard Thy voice and my bones trembled, as it is said, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, || because I was naked: and I hid myself" (Gen. 3:10).

מָה הָיָה לְבוּשׁוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן? עוֹר צִפֹּרֶן וַעֲנַן כָּבוֹד הַמְכַסֶּה עָלָיו. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאָכַל מִפֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן, נִפְשַׁט עוֹרוֹ וְצִפֹּרֶן מֵעָלָיו וְנִסְתַּלְּקָה עֲנַן כָּבוֹד מֵעָלָיו, וְרָאָה עַצְמוֹ עָרוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֹּאמֶר מִי הִגִּיד לְךָ כִּי עֵירֹם אָתָּה?״

What was the dress of the first man? A skin of nail, and a cloud of glory covered him. When he ate of the fruits of the tree, the nail-skin was stripped off him, and the cloud of glory departed from him, and he saw himself naked, as it is said, "And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee?" (Gen. 3:11).

אָמַר אָדָם לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים, כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי לְבַדִּי לֹא חָטָאתִי לְךָ, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהֵבֵאתָ אֶצְלִי הִיא הִדִּיחָה אוֹתִי מִדְּרָכֶיךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּ עִמָּדִי״ וְכוּ'. קָרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָאִשָּׁה וְאָמַר לָהּ: ״לֹא דַּיֵּךְ שֶׁחָטָאת אֶת עַצְמֵךְ, אֶלָּא שֶׁחָטָאת אֶת אָדָם?״ אָמְרָה לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים, הַנָּחָשׁ הִסִּיחַ דַּעְתִּי לַחֲטֹא לְפָנֶיךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״הַנָּחָשׁ הִשִּׁיאַנִי וָאֹכֵל״. וְהֵבִיא שְׁלָשְׁתָּן וְנָתַן עֲלֵיהֶם גְּזַר דִּין מִתִּשְׁעָה קְלָלוֹת וּמָוֶת.

Adam said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all worlds! When I was alone, I did not sin against Thee. But the woman whom Thou hast brought to me enticed me away from Thy ways, as it is said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat" (Gen. 3:12). The Holy One, blessed be He, called unto Eve, and said to her: Was it not enough for thee that thou didst sin in thy own person? But (also) that thou shouldst make Adam sin? She spake before Him: Sovereign of the world! The serpent enticed my mind to sin before Thee, as it is said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat" (Gen. 3:13). He brought the three of them and passed sentence of judgment upon them, consisting of nine curses and death.

וְהִפִּיל אֶת סָמָאֵל וְאֶת כַּת שֶׁלּוֹ מִמְּקוֹם קְדֻשָּׁתָן מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְקִצֵּץ רַגְלָיו שֶׁל נָחָשׁ, וּפָקַד עָלָיו לִהְיוֹת מַפְשִׁיט אֶת עוֹרוֹ וּמִצְטַעֵר אַחַת לְשִׁבְעָה שָׁנִים בְּעִצָּבוֹן גָּדוֹל. וְאָרְרוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שׁוֹאֵף בְּמֵעָיו, וּמְזוֹנוֹ נֶהְפַּךְ בְּמֵעָיו לְעָפָר, וּמְרוֹרַת פְּתָנִים מָוֶת בְּפִיהוּ. תִּתֵּן שִׂנְאָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין בְּנֵי הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָיוּ רוֹצְצִין אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ, ��ְאַחַר מִמֶּנּוּ הַמָּוֶת. וְנָתַן לָאִשָּׁה מִתֵּשַׁע קְלָלוֹת וָמָוֶת: עִנּוּי לֵידָה וְעִנּוּי דַּם בְּתוּלִים וְעִנּוּי הֵרָיוֹן וְעִנּוּי גִּדּוּל בָּנִים, וּמְכַסָּה אֶת רֹאשָׁהּ כְּאָבֵל, וְאֵינָהּ מְגַלַּחַת אוֹתָהּ כִּי אִם בִּזְנוּת, וְרָצַע אֶת אָזְנָהּ כְּעֶבֶד עוֹלָם, וּכְשִׁפְחָה מְשָׁרֶתֶת בַּעְלָהּ, וְאֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת בְּעֵדוּת, וְאַחַר כָּל אֵלֶּה מָוֶת.

He cast down Sammael and his troop from their holy place in heaven, and cut off the feet of the serpent, and decreed that it should cast its skin and suffer pain once in seven years in great pain, and cursed it || that it should drag itself with its belly (on the ground), and its food is turned in its belly into dust and the gall of asps, and death is in its mouth, and He put hatred between it and the children of the woman, so that they should bruise its head, and after all these (curses comes) death. He gave the woman nine curses and death: the afflictions arising from menstruation and the tokens of virginity; the affliction of conception in the womb; and the affliction of child-birth; and the affliction of bringing up children; and her head is covered like a mourner, and it is not shaved except on account of immorality, and her ear is pierced like (the ears of) perpetual slaves; and like a hand-maid she waits upon her husband; and she is not believed in (a matter of) testimony; and after all these (curses comes) death.

וְהוֹצִיא דּוֹמִיס לְאָדָם מִתֵּשַׁע קְלָלוֹת וּמָוֶת: וְקִצֵּר כֹּחוֹ, וְקִצֵּר קוֹמָתוֹ, טֻמְאַת הַזָּב, טֻמְאַת הַקֶּרִי, טֻמְאַת תַּשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה, זוֹרֵעַ חִטִּים וְקוֹצֵר קוֹצִים, וּמַאֲכָלוֹ בְּעֵשֶׂב הָאָרֶץ כַּבְּהֵמָה, לַחְמוֹ בִּדְאָבָה, מְזוֹנוֹתָיו בְּזֵיעַ, וְאַחַר כָּל אֵלּוּ מָוֶת.

He extended pardon to Adam (as to a part of the) nine curses and death. He curtailed his strength, and He shortened his stature by reason of the impurity connected with issues and with pollution; as well as the impurity arising from sexual intercourse; he was to sow wheat and to reap thistles, and his food was to be the grass of the earth, like that of the beast; and (he was to earn) his bread in anxiety, and his food by the sweat (of his brow); and after all these (curses came) death.

אִם אָדָם חָטָא, מָה חָטְאָה אֶרֶץ שֶׁנֶּאֶרְרָה? אֶלָּא עַל שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיד אֶת מַעֲשֶׂיהָ, לְפִיכָךְ נֶאֶרְרָה. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁבְּנֵי אָדָם חוֹטְאִין בַּעֲבֵירוֹת הַקַּלּוֹת, הוּא מַכֶּה פֵּרוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ בַּעֲבוּר בְּנֵי אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֲרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ״.

If Adam sinned, what was the sin of the earth, that it should be cursed? Because it did not speak against the (evil) deed, therefore it was cursed; for in the hour when the sons of man transgress the graver sins || God sends a plague to the sons of man; and in the hour when the sons of man transgress sins less vital, He smites the fruits of the earth, because of (the sins of) the sons of man, as it is said. "Cursed is the ground for thy sake" (Gen. 3:17).