וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֗ים הֵ֤ן הָֽאָדָם֙ הָיָה֙ כְּאַחַ֣ד מִמֶּ֔נּוּ לָדַ֖עַת ט֣וֹב וָרָ֑ע וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ פֶּן־יִשְׁלַ֣ח יָד֗וֹ וְלָקַח֙ גַּ֚ם מֵעֵ֣ץ הַֽחַיִּ֔ים וְאָכַ֖ל וָחַ֥י לְעֹלָֽם׃
At sinabi ng Walang-Hanggang Diyos: “Narito, ang tao ay naging tulad ng isa sa atin, sa pagkaalam ng mabuti at masama; at ngayon, baka iunat niya ang kaniyang kamay at kumuha rin mula sa puno ng buhay at kumain, at mabuhay magpakailanman.”
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 east (מקדם) 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).
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
[Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:11): HOW LONG WILL THIS PEOPLE SCORN ME?: The Holy One said to them: I had said that you would not sin. Instead you would live and endure like me, just as I live and endure forever and forevermore. (According to Ps. 82:6:) I SAID: YOU ARE GODS; EVEN ALL OF YOU ARE CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH. <You are> like the ministering angels who never taste death. Yet after this greatness you wanted to die (according to vs. 7): INDEED YOU SHALL DIE LIKE A HUMAN (Adam), <i.e.,> like the first Adam, to whom I decreed one commandment which he was to do, that he might live and endure forever, as stated (in Gen. 3:22): BEHOLD, THE HUMAN (adam) HAS BECOME LIKE ONE OF US. Similarly also (in Gen. 1:27): AND GOD CREATED THE HUMAN (adam) IN HIS OWN IMAGE, so that he would live and endure like himself. Yet he corrupted his works and nullified his decree, for he ate of the tree. Then I said to him (in Gen. 3:19): FOR DUST YOU ARE AND UNTO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN. So also in your case (in Ps. 82:6), I SAID: YOU ARE GODS, but you corrupted your works as <did> Adam. Surely you shall die like Adam! And who made this happen to them? <You, for> (according to Prov. 1:25) BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY PLAN. (According to vs. 30:) THEY HAVE DESPISED ALL MY REBUKE. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 14:11): HOW LONG WILL THIS PEOPLE SCORN ME …?
Shemot Rabbah
Another interpretation: “Moses was [haya].” Everyone in whose regard haya is written, was fated for this [for what follows]: “Behold, the man has become [haya] [like one of us, knowing good and bad, what if he should extend his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever?]” (Genesis 3:22); death was fated to come to the world, as it is stated: “With darkness upon the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:2) – that is death, which darkens the faces of the people. “The serpent was [haya] … cunning” (Genesis 3:1); he was fated for punishment. Regarding Noah it is written: “…was [haya] faultless” (Genesis 6:9); he was fated for salvation. Regarding Joseph it is written: “Joseph was [haya]” (Exodus 1:5); he was fated to [provide] sustenance. Regarding Mordekhai it is written: “There was [haya] a Jewish man” (Esther 2:5); he was fated to [bring] deliverance; and Moses, to [bring] salvation. From their original creation they were fated for this.
“And he led the flock into the wilderness [midbar].” Rabbi Yehoshua said: Why did he seek the wilderness? It is because he saw that Israel would come up from the wilderness, as it is stated: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness” (Song of Songs 3:6). For it was from the wilderness that they had the manna, the quail, the well, the Tabernacle, the Divine Presence, priesthood, kingship, and the clouds of glory.
Alternatively, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘You are destined to take Israel up from Egypt due to the merit of he with whom I spoke [dibbarti] between the pieces, that is Abraham.’ And midbar means nothing but speech [dibbur], as it is stated: “Your mouth [umidbarekh] is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3). Rabbi Levi said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘This is a sign for you, you will leave them in the wilderness, and from the wilderness you are destined to restore them in the future, as it is stated: “Therefore, I will allure her and I will lead her into the wilderness” (Hosea 2:16).
Alternatively, why did he seek the wilderness? It is because he saw that he was destined to destroy the cities of the nations of the world, as it is written; “The end of the nations will be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert” (Jeremiah 50:12).
Another interpretation: “And he led the flock into the wilderness” – He informed him that Israel, which is called a flock, will die in the wilderness. Likewise, when Moses entreated [God for] Israel’s needs, 6The exchange between Moses and God that follows is based on Song of Songs 1:7–8: “Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You shepherd, where do You rest them at noon? For why should I be like one who veils herself by the flocks of Your companions? If you do not know, the fairest among women, go you out after the sheep and shepherd your kids, by the tents of the shepherds.” he said to him: ‘O Holy One blessed be He, “tell me, He whom my soul loves…” (Song of Songs 1:7) – how many birth mothers are among them, how many pregnant women, how many wet nurses have you provided for the babies, how many delicacies have you prepared for the pregnant women?’ The Holy One blessed be He responded to him: “If you do not know” (Song of Songs 1:8); if you do not know, ultimately you will know. “Go out in the footsteps of the flock”; in other words, you will herd the sheep and the lambs, but you will only herd the offspring, “by the tents of the shepherds;” in the land of Siḥon,.7Moses will only lead the second generation in the conquest of the lands on the eastern side of the Jordan, he but will not lead them into the Land.
“…he arrived at the mountain of God, to Ḥorev.” It has five names: “The mountain of God, Mount Bashan, Mount Gavnunim” (Psalms 68:16), Mount Ḥorev, Mount Sinai.
The mountain of God – because it was there that Israel accepted the Holy One blessed be He as their God.
Mount Bashan – as everything that a person eats with his teeth [beshinav] is thanks to the Torah that was given on the mountain. Likewise it says: “If you follow My statutes…I will provide your rains in their seasons” (Leviticus 26:3–4).8Agricultural prosperity will depend upon keeping the Torah.
Mount Gavnunim – it is as pure as cheese [gevina],9Cheese is pure in that it can be made only from the milk of kosher animals. Mount Sinai was pure, as there was never idol worship there. and they were pure without blemish.10The midrash is alluding to a tradition that all of the physical blemishes of Israel were healed when they received the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Mount Ḥorev – from it, the Sanhedrin received license to execute with the sword [ḥerev]. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It was from there that idolaters received their death sentence, as it is stated: “The nations will be destroyed [ḥarov yeḥeravu]” (Isaiah 60:12) – from Ḥorev they will be destroyed.
Mount Sinai – from which hatred [sina] for idolaters descended.11This is because they refused to accept the Torah.
“And he led the flock into the wilderness [midbar].” Rabbi Yehoshua said: Why did he seek the wilderness? It is because he saw that Israel would come up from the wilderness, as it is stated: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness” (Song of Songs 3:6). For it was from the wilderness that they had the manna, the quail, the well, the Tabernacle, the Divine Presence, priesthood, kingship, and the clouds of glory.
Alternatively, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘You are destined to take Israel up from Egypt due to the merit of he with whom I spoke [dibbarti] between the pieces, that is Abraham.’ And midbar means nothing but speech [dibbur], as it is stated: “Your mouth [umidbarekh] is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3). Rabbi Levi said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘This is a sign for you, you will leave them in the wilderness, and from the wilderness you are destined to restore them in the future, as it is stated: “Therefore, I will allure her and I will lead her into the wilderness” (Hosea 2:16).
Alternatively, why did he seek the wilderness? It is because he saw that he was destined to destroy the cities of the nations of the world, as it is written; “The end of the nations will be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert” (Jeremiah 50:12).
Another interpretation: “And he led the flock into the wilderness” – He informed him that Israel, which is called a flock, will die in the wilderness. Likewise, when Moses entreated [God for] Israel’s needs, 6The exchange between Moses and God that follows is based on Song of Songs 1:7–8: “Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You shepherd, where do You rest them at noon? For why should I be like one who veils herself by the flocks of Your companions? If you do not know, the fairest among women, go you out after the sheep and shepherd your kids, by the tents of the shepherds.” he said to him: ‘O Holy One blessed be He, “tell me, He whom my soul loves…” (Song of Songs 1:7) – how many birth mothers are among them, how many pregnant women, how many wet nurses have you provided for the babies, how many delicacies have you prepared for the pregnant women?’ The Holy One blessed be He responded to him: “If you do not know” (Song of Songs 1:8); if you do not know, ultimately you will know. “Go out in the footsteps of the flock”; in other words, you will herd the sheep and the lambs
“…he arrived at the mountain of God, to Ḥorev.” It has five names: “The mountain of God, Mount Bashan, Mount Gavnunim” (Psalms 68:16), Mount Ḥorev, Mount Sinai.
The mountain of God – because it was there that Israel accepted the Holy One blessed be He as their God.
Mount Bashan – as everything that a person eats with his teeth [beshinav] is thanks to the Torah that was given on the mountain. Likewise it says: “If you follow My statutes…I will provide your rains in their seasons” (Leviticus 26:3–4).8Agricultural prosperity will depend upon keeping the Torah.
Mount Gavnunim – it is as pure as cheese [gevina],9Cheese is pure in that it can be made only from the milk of kosher animals. Mount Sinai was pure, as there was never idol worship there. and they were pure without blemish.10The midrash is alluding to a tradition that all of the physical blemishes of Israel were healed when they received the Torah at Mount Sinai.
Mount Ḥorev – from it, the Sanhedrin received license to execute with the sword [ḥerev]. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It was from there that idolaters received their death sentence, as it is stated: “The nations will be destroyed [ḥarov yeḥeravu]” (Isaiah 60:12) – from Ḥorev they will be destroyed.
Mount Sinai – from which hatred [sina] for idolaters descended.11This is because they refused to accept the Torah.