11 replies to this topic

[FS613]

L'Chvod Rabbi Shapiro, Shlita:

 

I wasn't certain as to where to post this topic, so please have it moved if it's not in the correct Forum.

 

1) Why are:

 

a ) the place where Hashem put Adam and Chava in this world to live, and

 

b ) the place in the Next World where Tzadikim go after death for their reward,

 

both called Gan Eden?

 

2) Where in this world is the location of the Gan Eden where Adam and Chava were placed to live, before their sin?

 

Thank you.

[taon]

1) Probably because the world they were in was more like the gan eden of olam habah, not an entirely physical world.

2) somewhere in africa, i've heard.

[Struggling teen]

Rabbi Shapiro,

 

if Adam was in gan eden and it was before he sinned and there was no bechira or reward etc then how was there a yetzer hara? if he was living in a perfect life etc and no reward or anything then how is it possible that he sinned there coulnt be a yetzer hara it didn't exsist then

[taon]

Not Rav Shapiro, but i believe it still worked as an external yetzer hara. They could still make mistakes without an internal one

[Struggling teen]

but its supposed to be the same as when moshiach comes and we wont have a yetzer hara? external or internal its still a yeter hara..

[Rabbi Shapiro]

First, Adam's world is not the same as the world that will be when Moshiach comes.Adam had a job to do - not to eat from the Eitz Hadaas - which, had he fulfilled it, moshiach would have come. But he didnt, so now we are working on returning the world to where Adam was, so that at that point, we can take a second shot at succeeding where Adam failed. Thus, the Geulah has 2 parts: part 1 - where moshiach comes and we return to the point where Adam was, and then, when we accomplish what Adam was supposed to, and rise even higher, the Final Reward comes.

 

Second, Adam did not have a Yetzer Horah - that was the Nachash - and he was warned not to let it in to gan eden - לעבדה ולשנרה - to "protect it" from what? From letting the Nachash enter! Adam thought, though, that Hashem would appreciate it more if he did get the Yetzer Horah and then beat it. So he let the Nachash in.

 

And then it beat him.

 

Lesson learned: Keep the Yeter Horah outside, even if you think you'll do more for Hashem by letting it in. 

[Struggling teen]

thank you Rabbi Shapiro for answering i realized you haven't been on in a while so I appreciate it.

 

but, why did he even think that? he should have been (and wasn't) he so high that he wouldn't think that? and when moshiach comes no one will have a job- not to serve hashem? (notice not saying we bec I don't think ill b there..)  

 

so the second [art of the geulah is when what happends?/ isn't it that when moshiach comes that everything will be perfect?

[Rabbi Shapiro]

Adam thought that because he knew that the more we overcome the Yetzer Horah the more Hashem has Nachas from us. The bigger the Nisayon the better the Mitzvah.

 

The problem was, he overestimated his own ability to beat the Yetzer Horah. he could have, theoretically, but he lost the battle. He had free will, and he was tempted and he gave in because the temptation was too great. He should have avoided the Yetzer Horah rather than try to fight it. (It's a common mistake, unfortunately.)

 

When moshiach comes the world will be like Gan Eden, like Adam's world before he did the Chet. But Adam still had to bring himself up by not eating from the Eitz Hadaas. We will have to bring ourselves up as well.

[Struggling teen]

but why was there a concept of yetzer hara and free will then if it only came after he did the cheit?

 

when moshiach comes aren't we going to be perfect? what else do we have to do? that's why im confused here bec if its the same like before adam did his cheit then he should have been perfect and had no yetzer hara or even concept of it.

 

I don't know if im explaining myself well im trying to explain my "problem"/"confusion" the best way..

[Rabbi Shapiro]

There was of course a Yetzer Horah before the chet - that was the Nachash. The difference between before and after the chet was that after, the Yetzer Horah became internalized into us. Before, it was not part of us.

 

No, when Moshiach comes we will not be perfect. We will be like Adam before the chet. We will have regained the opportunity to make ourselves and the world perfect (as perfect, that is, as humans can be).

[AYidOnTheWayUp]

Rabbi Shapiro,

 

If Adam Harishon couldn't beat the external yetzer hora what chance do we have of beating the internal one that is a part of us?

 

Thanks.

[taon]

We can't. We are only able to beat the yetzer becuase Hashem helps us. BUt anyway, each person gets tested on their own level, so its not really comparable.