Genesis Rabbah 16

¹“A river emerged from Eden to water the garden; and from there it parted and became four headwaters” (Genesis 2:10). “A river emerged from Eden to water the garden” – Rabbi Simon began: “You grant him power [ titkefehu ] forever, and he went; You alter his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20) – the power [ tokef ] that the Holy One blessed be He gave to Adam the first man “forever” should have been for all time. “And he went” – because he forsook the directive of the Holy One blessed be He and went after the directive of the serpent, “You alter his countenance and send him away.” Rabbi Simon said: “Wisdom and might with Him” (Job 12:13) – when he [Adam] was still innocent vis-a-vis his Creator, he could unleash the water of four riverheads with a single spade. These are the four riverheads: “A river emerged from Eden to water the garden [and from there it parted and became four headwaters, etc.].” ²“The name of the one is Pishon; it is that which encircles the entire land of Ḥavila, where the gold is” (Genesis 2:11). “The name of the one is Pishon” – because it causes flax [ pishtan ] to grow and its water flows smoothly [ shofi ]. contains the first three letters of Pishon, transposed. “It is that which encircles the entire land of Ḥavila” – Ḥavila did not yet exist, and yet you say: “It is that which encircles [the entire land of Ḥavila]”? This is bewildering. The explanation is that “He tells the outcome from the outset” (Isaiah 46:10). “Where the gold is” – pure gold. “And the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium there, and onyx stone” (Genesis 2:12). “And the gold of that land is good” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is good when it is in his house; it is good when it accompanies him on the road. ]. Rabbi Abahu said: The Holy One blessed be He afforded a great favor to His world, as a person makes change from a single gold piece and he can spend it on several expenditures. Reish Lakish said: The world should not have been worthy of using gold [for secular purposes]. Why was it created? For the Temple, as it is stated: “And the gold of that land is good” – just as it says: “This good mountain and Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:25). 15:1). “There is bdellium [ bedolaḥ ] there, and onyx stone” – Rabbi Aivu said: Do you think that this bedolaḥ is the one that spice-mixers use? is both the name of a spice and the name of a gem. Let its counterpart tell about it: “And its appearance was like the appearance of bdellium [ bedolaḥ ]” (Numbers 11:7). Just as that is a gem, so, too, this is a gem. ³“And the name of the second river is Giḥon; it is that which encircles the entire land of Kush” (Genesis 2:13). “And the name of the second river is Giḥon…[the land of Kush]” – Kush did not yet exist, and it says: “The entire land of Kush”? This is bewildering. It is because, “He tells the outcome from the outset.” “And the name of the third river is Tigris; it is that which goes east of Ashur. And the fourth river, it is Euphrates” (Genesis 2:14). “And the name of the third river is Tigris [ Ḥidekel ]” – because it is harsh [ ḥad ] in its sound [ kolo ]. “It is that which goes east of Ashur – but Ashur did not yet exist. It is because “He tells the outcome from the outset.” “And the fourth river, it is Euphrates” – Rav said: Euphrates is the foremost of the rivers. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ami in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi said: “Uval” (Daniel 8:3) is the foremost of the rivers. But is it not written: “I was alongside the great river, that being Tigris”? (Daniel 10:4). The explanation is that Daniel saw two prophetic dreams, one on the Tigris and one on the Uval, and the [vision on the] Tigris was greater than [the vision on] the Uval, and that is why he calls it [Tigris] great. But is it not so, that at the creation of the world, it [Euphrates] is not called great? [Why is that?] The reason is because it went up and encircled the Land of Israel, in whose regard it is written: “For who is a great nation that has God [close to it]” (Deuteronomy 4:7). The folk saying says: A king’s slave is [himself] a king; attach yourself to an officer and people will bow to you. Rav said to his son Ḥiyya: ‘Build me a house in the Land of Israel.’ He said to him: ‘Where?’ He said to him: ‘Build it as soon as you cross the River [Euphrates].’ Shmuel said: ‘Up to the place where the River flows, that is the Land of Israel.’ Where is that? It is Tarbakna. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Huna, Rabbi Yudan said: The Euphrates and the Kevar River (Ezekiel 1:1) are one and the same. “Euphrates [ Perat ]” – because it broadens [ para verava ] to the point that it can be crossed [only] by boat. “Euphrates [ Perat ]” – because its water brings fertility [ parin ] and abundance [to the surrounding soil]. “Euphrates [ Perat ]” – because it gradually branches out [ mefaresh ] [into smaller and smaller streams] until it is possible to stop it with a spade. Kevar – because its produce [its grains] are large and do not fall through a sieve [ kevara ]. Rabbi Huna said: Kevar is a river unto itself, and Perat is a river unto itself. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: They said to the Euphrates: ‘Why do you not emit a loud sound?’ It responded to them: ‘I do not need [to show off], as my actions make me known: A person plants a sapling near me, and it produces [fruit] in just thirty days; he sows a vegetable near me, and it grows in just three days.’ They said to the Tigris: ‘Why do you emit a loud sound?’ It responded to them: ‘Would that my sound might be heard and I be noticed.’ They said to the fruit trees: ‘Why do you not emit a loud sound?’ They responded to them: ‘We do not need [to show off], as our fruits attest to our [importance].’ They said to the non-fruit bearing trees: ‘Why do you emit a loud sound?’ They responded to them: ‘Would that our sound might be heard and we be noticed.’ Rav Huna said: It is not for that reason. Rather, fruit trees, because they are weighed down with their fruit, that is why they do not emit a loud sound. But non-fruit bearing trees, because they are not weighed down with their fruit, do emit a loud sound. That is what is written: “His heart and the heart of his people trembled, like the trembling of the trees of the forest from [the wind]” (Isaiah 7:2). ⁴Rabbi Tanḥum said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: In the future, the Holy One blessed be He will give the nations to drink from the cup of terror, from the place from which justice [ hadin ] emerges. What is the source? “A river emerged from Eden [ eden ] to water the garden; and from there it parted” – “and became four rivers” is not written here, but rather, “and became four headwaters [ rashim ]” can also mean rulers. – these are the four kingdoms, which correspond to the four headwaters. “The name of the one is Pishon” – this refers to Babylon, after: “Its horsemen come from afar [ pashu ]” (Habakkuk 1:8). “It is that which encircles the entire land of Ḥavila” – as it [Babylon] rose and encircled the entire Land of Israel, in whose regard it is written: “Have hope [ hoḥili ] in God, for I will yet thank Him” (Psalms 42:6). “Where the gold is” – this refers to the words of Torah, which “are more desirable than gold, than quantities of fine gold” (Psalms 19:11). “And the gold of that land is good” – this teaches that there is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel, and no wisdom like the wisdom of the Land of Israel. “Bdellium is there, and onyx stone…” – [referring to] Bible, Mishna, Talmud, Tosefta , and agadda . “And the name of the second river is Giḥon” – this refers to Media, as Haman would decimate its people like a serpent, after: “Upon your belly [ geḥonekha ] you shall go” (Genesis 3:14). “Tigris [ Ḥidekel ] [it is that which goes east of Ashur]” – this refers to Greece, which was quick [ kala ] and harsh [ ḥada ] in its edicts, as it would say to Israel: ‘Write for yourselves on the horn of an ox that you have no share in the God of Israel.’ Rav Huna said: In three areas, the kingdom of Greece takes precedence over [they surpass] the Evil Empire: ] of Ashur,” which can also mean “it is that which takes precedence over Ashur.” Ashur here refers to Rome, as the Midrash goes on to explain. In its legal system, in its script, and in its language. Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Aḥa: All the kingdoms may be called after Ashur because they enrich themselves [ mitasherot ] through Israel. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: All the kingdoms may be called after Nineveh because they adorn themselves [ mitnaot ] through Israel. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta said: All the nations are called after Egypt [ Mitzrayim ] because they distress [ metzirot ] Israel. “The fourth river is Euphrates [ Perat ]” – this refers to Edom. Perat – because it voided [ hefera ] and distressed his [Jacob’s] descendants. Perat – because it brings fertility [ para ] and abundance, due to the blessing of the elder [Isaac]. Perat – because in the future I will exact retribution [ lehipara ] against it. Perat – after its demise: “I alone have trodden the winepress [ pura ]…” (Isaiah 63:3). ⁵“The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). “The Lord God took [ vayikaḥ ] the man…” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: He elevated him, just as it says: “The peoples will lift them up [ ulkaḥum ] and bring them…” (Isaiah 14:2). Rabbi Neḥemya said: He enticed him, just as it says: “Take [ keḥu ] words with you and return to the Lord…” (Hosea 14:3). “And placed him [ vayaniḥehu ]” – Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Yudan said: He granted him rest, and protected him and indulged him can also mean he gave him rest, protection or comfort. with all the trees in the Garden of Eden. Rabbi Berekhya said: [He put him there] to grant him rest, protect him, and indulge him with all the trees in the Garden of Eden. “ Vayaniḥehu ” – He gave him the mitzva of Shabbat, just as it says: “And He rested [ vayanaḥ ] on the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11). “To cultivate it [ le’ovda ]” – “six days you shall work [ taavod ]” (Exodus 20:9), “and to keep it” – “Keep the Shabbat day” (Deuteronomy 5:12). Alternatively, “to cultivate it and to keep it” – this refers to sacrificial offerings, as it is stated: “You will serve [ taavdun ] God upon this mountain” (Exodus 3:12), and it is written [regarding the daily offering]: “You shall take care [ tishmeru ] to present it to Me at its appointed time” (Numbers 28:2). ⁶“The Lord God commanded man, saying: From every tree of the garden you may eat” (Genesis 2:16). “The Lord God commanded man, saying: From every tree of the garden you may eat.” Rabbi Levi said: He commanded him regarding six mitzvot. “[The Lord God] commanded [ vaytzav ]” – regarding idol worship, as it says: “Because he willingly followed an order [ tzav ]” (Hosea 5:11). “The Lord” – regarding blasphemy, as it says: “One who blasphemes the name of the Lord” (Leviticus 24:16). “God [ elohim ]” – this refers to [the appointment of] judges, as it is stated: “You shall not curse judges [ elohim ]” (Exodus 22:27). “Man” – this refers to the shedding of blood, as it is stated: “One who sheds the blood of man [ haadam ]” (Genesis 9:6). “Saying [ lemor ]” – this refers to forbidden sexual relations, as it is stated: “Saying [ lemor ]: Behold, if a man sent away his wife, and she departed from him, [and she went to belong another man]” (Jeremiah 3:1). “From every tree of the garden you may eat” – He commanded him regarding theft. The Rabbis interpreted the entire passage [differently]. “The Lord God [ Elohim ] commanded” – [He said to him:] ‘I am merciful, but also I am a judge to exact retribution.’ ] connotes His attribute of strict justice. Elohim – He said to him: ‘I am elohim , act towards me like a God [ elo’ah ], that you not curse Me,’ as it is stated: “You shall not curse elohim .” can mean either “judges” or “God.” From where are forbidden sexual relations derived? “He shall cleave to his wife” (Genesis 2:24) – but not to another man’s wife, not to a male, and not to an animal. “You may eat [ akhol tokhal ]” – Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥanin said: When is it [meat] permitted for consumption? It is after it is slaughtered. He thus alluded to him regarding [the prohibition of eating] a limb [taken] from a living animal. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it, as on the day that you eat of it you shall die” (Genesis 2:17). “You shall die [ mot tamut ]” – death for Adam, death for Eve; alludes to two deaths. death for him, death for his descendants.