Commentary for Genesis 3:18

וקוץ ודרדר תצמיח לך THORNS ALSO AND THISTLES SHALL IT BRING FORTH TO THEE— תצמיח has for subject the earth; when you sow it with various kinds of grain, it shall bring forth thorns and thistles — artichokes and cardoon — which are fit for food only after special preparation (Genesis Rabbah 20:10).

וקוץ ודרדר, in lieu of the seed you plant beginning to sprout, the earth will produce thorns and thistles, which are not only useless, but which harm the plants your seed will produce, so that you will have to engage in eradicating them

And thorns: There will be times when the toil will not benefit you. However you will not die of hunger, but rather, "you will eat, etc."

Kundes and thistles. The Aruch explains that these are bitter vegetables which are prepared [i.e., made edible] by stewing. And kundes is called kardi.

קוץ ודרדר. Wie סנה, der Dorn, von שנא hassen, feindlich, abwehrend, "berühr׳ mich nicht" spricht, so קוץ, der Stachel, von קוץ, Ekel, Widerwillen haben. Davon auch קיץ: die Sommerzeit, eigentlich die Sommerfrucht. Die Frucht ist reif (גמל) wenn sie von dem Nahrungssafte des Baumes "entwöhnt" wird. ויגמל שקדים der Baum entwöhnt die Frucht wie die Mutter das Kind. Ahnlich vielleicht קיץ = קוץ, wenn die Frucht überreif ist, so, dass der Nahrungssaft ihr nicht nur nicht mehr notwendig, sondern sogar schädlich ist, so dass sie gleichsam einen Widerwillen dagegen hat. קוץ ist somit der Dorn, der Stachel, der abweist, die Berührung hindert. — ירדר das aber nicht sowohl Freiheit, als Heimkehr, Rückkehr ,דרור nur noch in דרר .rad bedeutet. Daher צפור דרור, die Schwalbe, der immer in die alte Wohnung wiederkehrende Vogel. דרר scheint daher das Zurückhalten, Festhalten zu bedeuten, Gielleicht davon auch das rabbinische דררא דטומאה ,דררא דממונא, es haftet eine Geldfrage, eine טומאה-Beziehung daran) demgemäß dürfte דרדר die Klette, der Krummdorn, sein, der uns festhält; und wäre dann דרדר der Gegensatz von קוץ. Die Erde bietet dir nur Stachel und Klette, sie weist dich zurück wo du nahen willst, und hält dich auf wo du fort möchtest. — תצמיח לך, dir bietet sie nichts anderes, während allen übrigen Geschöpfen die Erde noch heute alles bietet, dessen sie bedürfen. Nur der Mensch, wenn er nichts Anstrengendes tun will, findet nur נקוץ ודרדר; "wolltest du fortleben wie im Paradiese, würdest du Gras essen müssen."

קוץ ודרדר תצמיח לך, “it will grow thorns and thistles for you.” Until this moment the decree of Genesis 1,26 according to which the human species would rule in an unrestricted manner over all the creatures on earth had been in effect. There had been no need to guard the garden against invasion of wild beasts. From this moment on the negative phenomena on earth would be in effect, but would be directed only against the human species, לך, “against you.” The animal kingdom would not experience thorns and thistles as an impediment of their life on earth.

ואכלת את עשב השדה AND THOU SHALT EAT THE HERB OF THE FIELD — What curse is involved here? Was he not told as a blessing, (1:29) “Behold I have given unto you every herb yielding seed”? But what is stated here at the beginning of this passage? “Cursed be the ground etc.… in toil shalt thou eat of it.” And after all your toil “thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee”. This means when you sow it with cereals and vegetables it shall bring forth for you thorns and thistles and other weeds, and you will perforce have to eat them for lack of other food (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 14).

ואכלת את עשב השדה, you will eat the grass of the field instead of the fruit of the garden.

Which require special preparation to be eaten. Rashi says this because afterwards it says, “And you will eat the herbs of the field.” I.e., you will have to subsist on these, since whatever seeds you sow, only these will sprout. Thus we must say that these are edible after preparation. The verse cannot not mean thorns and thistles exclusively, for it is written afterwards, “And you will eat the herbs of the field.” [How are there herbs,] if only thorns and thistles sprout?

Does it not state in his blessing... In the blessing it is written (1:29): “I have given you all seed-yielding herbs,” which are food for man. But here it says, “You will eat the herbs of the field.” I.e., even if you sow your garden with legumes and vegetables — food for man — it will sprout for you herbs of the field which are animal fodder. And you will be forced to eat them. (Nachalas Yaakov)