27 Oct Eating Some More

Adam responds to Hashem in Parshas Bereishis, Perek Gimmel, posuk yud bais that his wife was the one who gave him from the forbidden fruit and, “I will eat some more.”

The Midrash Rabba, Perek Yud Tes says that Reb Abba bar Kahana says the language used in the posuk is “Vo’Ocheil” not “Ve’Ochalti” to show that Adam said he ate previously and will continue to eat.

The question arises how Adam could say that he planned to eat even more when Hashem told him not to eat.

One answer could be that Adam ate less than the shiur, therefore there was no issur of “achilah.” The problem with this tirutz is that we know that “chatzi shiur” is also assur so this response doesn’t really clarify Adam’s words.

Another response could be based on the Gemara in Yuma, daf peh, amud bais that refers to one who eats an “achila gasa” (over eating) on Yom Kippur. Such a person would not be categorized as breaking his fast. This would explain Adam’s response when he said, “I ate an achila gasa and I will continue to eat and it will be a continued achila gasa.”

An additional answer could be that Hashem asked, “Did you eat from the tree with the intention of no longer eating and then doing teshuva?”  If this were so it would render this to be a case of a person sinning with the intent to do teshuva. The Gemara says “ein maspikin beyado laasos teshuva” in such a scenario. Adam responded by saying,    “My wife served it to me and I ate with the intention of eating more. I had no intention of doing teshuva right away. I ate because I had a ta’aveh.” Teshuva would seem to work in this case.

The Klausenberger Rov zt”l in Divrei Yatziv answers that since the Midrash says that the fruit they ate would have been allowed to be eaten on Shabbos, Adam thought he would be allowed to eat it on Friday as part of “to’amehu,” hence the response of Adam that he will eat more (on Shabbos).