Kommentar zu Bereschit 3:14
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֥ים ׀ אֶֽל־הַנָּחָשׁ֮ כִּ֣י עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּאת֒ אָר֤וּר אַתָּה֙ מִכָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה וּמִכֹּ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה עַל־גְּחֹנְךָ֣ תֵלֵ֔ךְ וְעָפָ֥ר תֹּאכַ֖ל כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
Da sprach Gott, der Ewige zur Schlange: Weil du dies getan, so sei verflucht unter allem Vieh und allem Wild des Feldes! Auf deinem Bauche sollst du kriechen und Staub essen alle Tage deines Lebens!
Rashi on Genesis
כי עשית זאת BECAUSE THOU HAST DONE THIS — From here we infer that we should not occupy ourselves with what may be in favour of one who seduces people to idolatry, for had He asked it, “Why hast thou done this?”, it could have answered Him, “When the words of the teacher and those of the pupil are contradictory, whose orders should be obeyed?” (Sanhedrin 29a). (i. e. if You told them one thing and I another, should they not have obeyed You?).
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Ramban on Genesis
FROM AMONG ALL CATTLE, AND FROM AMONG ALL BEASTS OF THE FIELD. From a study of this verse, Rabbi Yehoshua the son of Chananya derived the fact that a serpent gives birth once in seven years;394Bechoroth 8a. See my Hebrew commentary, p. 41. this they investigated and found to be so.395See Bereshith Rabbah 20:7. For the Midrashic interpretations of Scripture and their allusions are all traditional, and they found in them profound secrets on procreation and all matters, as I mentioned in my introduction.
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Kli Yakar on Genesis
Cursed be you from all the beasts and from all the animals of the field: This is according to the opinion that our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Taanit 8a), "In the future, all the animals will gather together and come to the snake and say to him, 'A lion mauls its prey and eats it, etc. But you, what pleasure do you have, etc.'" That is why it is stated that it will be more cursed than all the beasts and animals. As they all have an aspect of pleasure from that which they maul and prey upon, whereas the snake has no pleasure, since 'the master of the tongue has no benefit.' Hence it will have no pleasure from its preying [upon other animals], as said. And if you want to say the mem of mikol (from all) is not a superlative mem, but rather explain it like this - that it will be cursed from the mouth of all - it is since all of the animals will gather together and disgrace it. And they will proclaim its evil to its face, saying, "What pleasure do you have."
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