Ora, a serpente <span class="x" onmousemove="Show('perush','Na tradução árabe de Rav Saadiah Gaon: sar hakima - (سر حكيمة) - isto é, tornou-se mais sábia. Deus fê-la especialmente mais sábia, dando-lhe capacidade para falar, para colocar o homem à prova, não que a espécie em si fosse diferente dos outros animais. Tampouco era um anjo em forma de serpente, como pretendem outras religiões, pois os anjos foram criados sem alvedrio livre, pelo que não podem rebelar-se. O que cumprem segundo seus desígnios, fazem-no por designação divina, seja para bem, seja para mal. A crença em anjos caídos é influência de religiões pagãs pré-cristãs, que criam em duas forças antagônicas (o bem e o mal) lutando pelo governamento do mundo. Esta forma de crer é inaceitável no povo de Israel.');" onmouseout="Hide('perush');">era o mais astuto</span> de todos os animais do campo, que o SENHOR Deus tinha feito. E esta disse à mulher: É assim que Deus disse: Não comereis de toda árvore do jardim?
Zohar
This evil monger (is the evil inclination). As written, "The serpent was craftier" (Beresheet 3:2). He, too, hurries to dwell in man before his colleague comes to dwell in him. And because he arrived early to plead his case, when, his colleague, who is the Good Inclination, comes later, it is difficult for man to unite with it! And he cannot raise his head, as if he carried on his shoulders all the burdens of the world. All this is because the Evil One came first. Of this, Solomon said, "The Poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard" (Kohelet 9:16), because the other one arrived earlier.
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Zohar
Come and behold, since Esau followed on the serpent, Jacob dealt with him slyly, as the serpent was cunning and had crooked ways. As it is written, "the serpent was craftier" (Gen. 3:1), which means that he was cunning (and sly). What Jacob did with Esau was serpent-like. This was as it ought to have been; by making Esau go after that serpent, so that he would be separated from Jacob, and thus share nothing with him in this world or in the World to Come. Thus we learn, "he who comes to kill you, hasten to kill him first." It is written, "in the womb he took his brother" (Hoshea 12:4), which means that he lowered him down by the heel. This is the meaning of, "and his hand took hold of Esau's heel" (Gen. 25:26), for he put his hands on the heel to subjugate him.
