Eden & the Snake

Torah’s Psychological Insights

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

How does a person transition from a sinful life towards a perfected life? What are the steps and changes we undergo? As one learns what is truly good and beneficial, that which complies with our psychological and philosophical design, his mind cannot deny clear truths. He abandons his previous flawed values as he sees that they are false and cannot provide happiness. his is the whole theme of Ecclesiastes (Koheles). A person cannot knowingly harm himself and choose something destructive and unhappy over something positive and fulfilling. Rabbi Israel Chait called this the “reality principle.” One must follow what he sees as being the true good; it's impossible to do otherwise. With this new found knowledge, one’s values naturally attach to the good and one’s actions follow suit, which is what we refer to as “perfection,” our goal as humans. This is the transition. This teaches that with greater knowledge, one can live a happier life. The more one dispels fallacy and acquires greater knowledge of truth and the good for man, the more one advances towards living the good life and increases his happiness. But if one follows fantasy, he can corrupt his values and sin, which leads to failure and corruption. Bible (Torah) is the perfect system our Creator designed precisely to help man achieve happiness and fulfillment. He designed us, He knows best. He is always correct. 

When discussing Eve’s sin, Maimonides says (Guide, book II, chap xxx): “The serpent had a rider, the rider was as big as a camel, and it was the rider that enticed Eve: this rider was Samael. Samael is the name generally applied by our Sages to Satan.” Samael means “to blind one from God.” And Satan means to “turn one away.” But Genesis does not mention any “rider” on the snake. What was this rider? 

We read that Eve did not sin immediately after the snake spoke to her, the snake said, “God knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like divine beings who know good and bad” (Gen. 3:5).  What follows is this verse: “The woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate” (Gen. 3:6). Eve’s words about the “value” of the fruit (in her imagination) convey that it was not the snake alone, but it was her value system that misguided her and which employed her instincts into action to sin. Eve’s desires (snake) only started the path towards sin, which she could have controlled. However, Torah describes that after the snake evoked her emotions, she fantasized (Gen. 3:6) about the fruit’s benefits, and this fantasy blinded her from following God’s command. Metaphorically, her value system is referred to as the snake’s “rider.” The snake is her instinctual drives, but they do not to choose where to apply their energies; this is based on one’s values which many times are distorted by fantasy. And as Eve (incorrectly) valued the forbidden fruit, her instinctual energies followed her values at that moment, and she sinned.

Our values are controlling, and why they are viewed as “large as a camel” while the instincts are not as large. But if we study Torah’s truths, our values adapt to what is good and we redirect our instincts towards following Torah. Our values (camel) direct our drives (snake). The snake alone is neither good nor bad. 

Maimonides also says the following: “It is especially of importance to notice that the serpent did not approach or address Adam, but all his attempts were directed against Eve.” Here, Maimonides hints to the truth we stated: the snake represented Eve’s instincts, a faculty that can communicate only with Eve. Eve’s instincts have no pull—no communication—with Adam or others.

God gave us instincts as the drive, but we are to harness it by truths, driving us towards good. But in Eve’s case, her corrupt fantasies created poor values that drove her towards sin.