וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַנָּחָ֖שׁ אֶל־הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה לֹֽא־מ֖וֹת תְּמֻתֽוּן׃
Entonces la serpiente dijo á la mujer: No moriréis;
Bereshit Rabbah
“The serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field that the Lord God had made. It said to the woman: Did God actually say: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1).
“The serpent was…cunning” – it is written: “For with great wisdom is great anger, and he who increases knowledge increases pain” (Ecclesiastes 1:18). By increasing wisdom a person increases anger against himself; by increasing knowledge he brings pain upon himself. Solomon said: Because I increased wisdom for myself I increased anger against myself, and because I increased my knowledge I brought pain upon myself.1It is because Solomon was so wise that he became overconfident and transgressed (see Bamidbar Rabba 10:4). Have you ever heard anyone say: ‘This donkey is afflicted by a cold?’ [Or:] ‘So many inflammations afflict him.’ [Of course not.] Where is suffering found? It is among human beings.2Who have intelligence.
Rav said: A Torah scholar does not require forewarning.3In order to incur liability for sinning. Most people are not punished unless they have been forewarned that they are committing a forbidden act, but the Torah scholar already knows that what he is doing is forbidden. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is like fine linen garments that come from Beit She’an; if they get a bit dirty they are ruined [and it is a great loss]. But the linen garments of Arbel, what is their quality, and what is their value?4Being of lower quality, they are not ruined by a little stain, and in any event even if they do get ruined, they do not cost much. Rabbi Yishmael taught: In accordance with the camel, so is its burden.5The stronger the camel, the more weight is placed on it. This is a metaphor for what was said before: The higher one’s status is, the greater one’s liability. This is the ordinary way of the world : If two people enter a restaurant, and one says: ‘Bring me a piece of roast meat, white bread, and fine wine,’ and the other says: ‘Give me bread and beets.’ This one ]the first man] eats and suffers,6From eating too much rich food. and that one [the second man] eats and does not suffer. The food is too much for this one, but it is not too much for that one. It is taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: The downfall of the serpent was in accordance with its greatness – The more cunning, the more cursed.
Rabbi Hoshaya Rabba said: It [the serpent]7Before it was punished and reduced to its current form. stood erect like a reed, and it had legs. Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: It was a heretic.8It said blasphemous things about God (Genesis 3:4–5).
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: It was like a camel. The world lost a great benefit, as were it not so [that the serpent was punished], man would have been able to send merchandise with it and it would have been able to come and go [by itself].9Due to its superior intelligence.
“The serpent was…cunning” – it is written: “For with great wisdom is great anger, and he who increases knowledge increases pain” (Ecclesiastes 1:18). By increasing wisdom a person increases anger against himself; by increasing knowledge he brings pain upon himself. Solomon said: Because I increased wisdom for myself I increased anger against myself, and because I increased my knowledge I brought pain upon myself.1It is because Solomon was so wise that he became overconfident and transgressed (see Bamidbar Rabba 10:4). Have you ever heard anyone say: ‘This donkey is afflicted by a cold?’ [Or:] ‘So many inflammations afflict him.’ [Of course not.] Where is suffering found? It is among human beings.2Who have intelligence.
Rav said: A Torah scholar does not require forewarning.3In order to incur liability for sinning. Most people are not punished unless they have been forewarned that they are committing a forbidden act, but the Torah scholar already knows that what he is doing is forbidden. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is like fine linen garments that come from Beit She’an; if they get a bit dirty they are ruined [and it is a great loss]. But the linen garments of Arbel, what is their quality, and what is their value?4Being of lower quality, they are not ruined by a little stain, and in any event even if they do get ruined, they do not cost much. Rabbi Yishmael taught: In accordance with the camel, so is its burden.5The stronger the camel, the more weight is placed on it. This is a metaphor for what was said before: The higher one’s status is, the greater one’s liability. This is the ordinary way of the world : If two people enter a restaurant, and one says: ‘Bring me a piece of roast meat, white bread, and fine wine,’ and the other says: ‘Give me bread and beets.’ This one ]the first man] eats and suffers,6From eating too much rich food. and that one [the second man] eats and does not suffer. The food is too much for this one, but it is not too much for that one. It is taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: The downfall of the serpent was in accordance with its greatness – The more cunning, the more cursed.
Rabbi Hoshaya Rabba said: It [the serpent]7Before it was punished and reduced to its current form. stood erect like a reed, and it had legs. Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: It was a heretic.8It said blasphemous things about God (Genesis 3:4–5).
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: It was like a camel. The world lost a great benefit, as were it not so [that the serpent was punished], man would have been able to send merchandise with it and it would have been able to come and go [by itself].9Due to its superior intelligence.
Bereshit Rabbah
“The Lord God said to the serpent: Because you did this…” – “A contrary man incites strife, and a malcontent distances the ruler” (Proverbs 16:28). “A contrary man” – this is the serpent who stated contrary matters about His Creator. “And a malcontent” – as it voiced grievances against its Creator, saying [to the woman:] “You will not die” (Genesis 3:4). “Distances the ruler” – as it alienated the Ruler of the world, and was immediately cursed.
“The Lord God said to the serpent…” – with Adam He had a discussion,3Before cursing him. with Eve He had a discussion, but with the serpent, He did not have any discussion. Rather, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘This serpent is a wicked one, with all the answers. If I say something to it, now it will say to me: You commanded them, and I commanded them. Why did they forsake your command and follow my command?’ Instead, He summarily issued his sentence.
“The Lord God said to the serpent…” – with Adam He had a discussion,3Before cursing him. with Eve He had a discussion, but with the serpent, He did not have any discussion. Rather, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘This serpent is a wicked one, with all the answers. If I say something to it, now it will say to me: You commanded them, and I commanded them. Why did they forsake your command and follow my command?’ Instead, He summarily issued his sentence.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
He said to him: You have uttered slander against my children. Just as, when the serpent uttered slander (in Gen. 3:4–5), I afflicted him with leprosy;93According to Gen. 3:14, THEN THE LORD GOD SAID UNTO THE SERPENT: BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, YOU ARE MORE CURSED arur. The midrash apparently identifies the curse with leprosy (tsar‘at). See Exod. R. 3:13, which specifically cites Gen. 3:14 and identifies the curse with leprosy. so also with you (in Exod. 4:6): PLEASE PUT YOUR HAND IN YOUR BOSOM. SO HE PUT HIS HAND {UNTO} [IN] HIS BOSOM; AND, WHEN HE WITHDREW IT, BEHOLD, IT WAS LEPROUS, < AS WHITE > AS SNOW. The Holy One said to him: You say of my children that they will not believe; yet they are believing children of believers. (Exod. 4:9:) AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT, IF THEY DO NOT EVEN BELIEVE THESE TWO SIGNS: The Holy One gave him a hint. He said to him: From where do you get yours (i.e., your sentence for your unbelief in vs. 1)? From the water, as stated (in vs. 9, cont.:) YOU SHALL TAKE SOME WATER FROM THE NILE.