"Bigdei Kahuna" Parsha page by Rabbi Yehuda Katz

BEREISHIS

"And she took of the fruit and ate, and she also gave to her husband with her and he ate.And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they became aware that they were naked." (3:6-7)

question can be asked on this verse as follows:If Chava (Eve) ate the fruit first, she should have been the one to realize their nakedness first. Yet, its apparent from the verse that they both discovered this simultaneously.Why? I would like to propose an original answer to this question , Bezrat Hashem. We can also learn a very valuable lesson. Before eating the fruit, Adam and Chava, were in a different realm of existence. They both had the ability to only see the greatness inherent in each other. Yet after sinning (Eating the fruit) this all changed. When the Torah uses the term 'nakedness', it can also mean a person's faults. Adam and Chava were now focusing on each others lowliness as opposed to each others greatness. Their whole innate natures changed. When Chava ate of the fruit initially, Adam as of yet had not eaten the fruit. When Chava saw him at that moment, he was still free of sin. His stature was still great, free of faults. Similarly, when he saw her at that very moment, he was still pure and not capable of seeing her faults. However, only after both had partaken of the fruit were they then capable of seeing each others faults. Therefore, the Torah informs us that their status had changed simultaneously only after both had partaken of the fruit could this possibly occur. Before eating the fruit, Adam and Chava could only see each others greatness, yet after all they could see was each others downfall. They saw their 'nakedness' , namely their faults and sins. This can , perhaps, give us an idea of their status before and after the eating. Before eating they were in a state of possessing an "EYIN TOV" (GOOD EYE), yet after eating this attribute was harder to acquire. It will take more of an effort to initiate. Being able to see another persons greatness is indeed very difficult. Its easy to see ones failings without any effort whatsoever. This was truly Man's downfall. But we have a choice to perhaps live as Adam lived before the sin, or after. WE find a very interesting story in the Talmud or Medrash (I was unable to find the exact source of the story.) as follows: A great Sage was once walking with his students, and they encountered an animal carcass on the road. The students remarked concerning the bad odor emanating from the dead animal, yet the Sage remarked regarding the beautiful white teeth of the animal. It is evident that the Sage lived his life like Adam before the sin, yet the students chose to live their lives like Adam after the sin. The Sage wanted to teach his students this valuable lesson.Its true that we must not be blind to another's faults, and we are obligated to try to help people correct their bad ways. However, in order to successfully accomplish this we must first be willing and open to see that very person's greatness. Do we want to live with an "Ayin Tov", or not? Their is good to be found in anything, are we willing to discover it? Can we see the greatness in others? Can we see the greatness in ourselves? Have a good Shabbos.