פירוש על בראשית 3:5

כי ידע FOR [GOD] KNOWS — Every artisan detests his fellow-artisans (“Two of a trade never agree”). The serpent suggested to her: God ate of the tree and created the world (Genesis Rabbah 19:4) so if you eat ...

כי יודע...ונפקחו עיניכם He knows that your mental eyes will be opened to be like angel יודע טוב ורע, who know good and evil. The serpent had heard these words only from Chavah herself in her previous words. (verse 1)

And the eyes of both of them were opened: To see what is fit to be the way of the world, and what is not fit. Since even though the love of God wizens greatly, it nevertheless diverts the eye from the way of the world. And that is as it is found in Eruvin 54b, "They said of Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat that he would sit and engage in Torah study in the lower marketplace while his cloak was lying in the upper marketplace." And because of that, the man did not understand that it was not proper to stand naked in front of God. And all the more so did the woman not have [understanding of this] at all, but rather only [acted out of] love for her husband.

Every craftsman... Rashi is answering the question: On the contrary, why did Hashem not feed them the fruit so they will become wise and know of good and evil? Rashi answers: “Every craftsman resents his fellowcraftsman.”

והייתם כאלוקים, “and you will wind up being just like G-d;” the word as used by the serpent means: “like angels.” We have confirmation for this from the translation of Onkelos, i.e. כרברמין חכמין, “of superior intelligence;” (according toMaimonides in his moreh nevuchim, this is not the only time that the word; elohim is used to describe angels.

והייתם כאלהים YE WILL BE AS GOD — Creators of worlds.

And you will become as gods, knowing good and evil: Like the angels who intend [to act] in the name of God, but are separate. And their service of the Creator, may He be blessed, is because they know that their mission is [the source of] their existence in the world, but after they do their mission, they are nullified. And you shall also be knowing [what is] good for yourselves and evil (bad) for yourselves.