Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Midrash for Genesis 3:24

וַיְגָ֖רֶשׁ אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּשְׁכֵּן֩ מִקֶּ֨דֶם לְגַן־עֵ֜דֶן אֶת־הַכְּרֻבִ֗ים וְאֵ֨ת לַ֤הַט הַחֶ֙רֶב֙ הַמִּתְהַפֶּ֔כֶת לִשְׁמֹ֕ר אֶת־דֶּ֖רֶךְ עֵ֥ץ הַֽחַיִּֽים׃ (ס)

So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way to the tree of life.

Kohelet Rabbah

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
There was a time for Adam the first man to enter the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “He placed him in the Garden of Eden” (Genesis 2:15). And there was a time to depart from there, as it is stated: “He banished the man…” (Genesis 3:24). There was a time for Noah to enter the ark, as it is stated: “Come…to the ark” (Genesis 7:1). And there was a time to emerge from there, as it is stated: “Emerge from the ark” (Genesis 8:16). There was a time for the [mitzva of] circumcision to be given to Abraham, as it is stated: “You shall observe My covenant” (Genesis 17:9). And there was a time for his descendants to be circumcised, [and for many] of them to be circumcised [at once. This occurred] in two places, once in Egypt and once in the wilderness, as it is stated: “All the people who departed were circumcised [and all the people born in the wilderness…were not circumcised]” (Joshua 5:5).1Joshua saw to their circumcision.
“And a time for every purpose under the heavens” – there was a time for the Torah to be given to Israel. Rav Beivai said: It was time for a certain thing that was located above the heavens to now be given under the heavens. What is that? It is the Torah, as it is stated: “God spoke all these matters, saying” (Exodus 20:1).
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Tanna Debei Eliyahu Rabbah

1. And He drove (ויגרש) the Adom (Man) (Bereshis 3:24) - from here learn that The Holy One Blessed Be He gave to him (Adom) a divorce (גירושין) like a woman (that is like husband would give a divorce document to his wife whom he wishes to divorce). And He placed from the eastקדם) of Gan Eden the Cheruvim (type of Angels) - from here learn that the Cheruvim came before (קדמו) of all of the Act of Creation. with a bright blade of a revolving sword - this is Gehinnom (Hell). to guard the way - this is Derech Eretz (literally the 'Way of the Land', different meanings, here Basic Human Decency, Proper Conduct or similar). of the Tree of Life - we learn that Derech Eretz comes before (i.e. has priority) over the Tree of Life. And there is no 'Tree of Life' except Torah, as is said it is a Tree of Life for all whose grasp on it (Mishlei 3:18).
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Eikhah Rabbah

“He stripped His shrine like a garden; He destroyed His place of assembly. The Lord caused festival and Shabbat to be forgotten in Zion and He scorned king and priest in His furious wrath” (Lamentations 2:6).
“He stripped His shrine [suko] like a garden.” Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: Like a garden whose spring was removed and its greenery turned white. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Like Adam the first man, just as it says: “He banished the man…” (Genesis 3:24).92Just as Adam was banished from the Garden of Eden, Israel was banished from the Temple (Yefe Anaf). Rabbi Abahu said: Suko is written with the letter sin;93A left dotted shin is found in the text, rather than a samekh. Thus, the word suko is similar to the word assuaged [shakhakha]. once Israel was exiled, the fury of the Holy One blessed be He was assuaged.
“The Lord caused festival and Shabbat to be forgotten in Zion.” Is it possible that the Holy One blessed be He caused the festivals and Shabbatot of Israel to be forgotten? Rather, it is the festivals and sabbaths of Yerovam ben Nevat, that he fabricated for them. That is what is written: “In the month that he fabricated from his heart [milibo]” (I Kings 12:33). Milevad is written,94The word in the verse in Kings is written milevad but pronounced milibo. just as it says: “Beside the [milevad] Sabbaths of the Lord” (Leviticus 23:38). “He scorned king and priest in His furious wrath.” “King,” this is Zedekiah. “And priest,” this is Seraya ben Maḥsaya.95Zedekiah and Seraya were the king and High Priest, respectively, at the time of the destruction of the Temple. The destruction took place despite their personal piety (Yefe Anaf).
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