29 Sep Parshas Bereishit 2:9 – What’s The Point?

Inspired by the teachings of Rav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth

Bereishit  2:9
The surface of the earth was already covered with vegetation, but now⁷² G-d caused the ground of the Garden of Eden to give forth especially lush growth: every tree that is of pleasing appearance and good for food. The Tree of Life, whose fruit imparts immortality to whoever eats it,⁷³ was in the center of the garden, as was⁷⁴ the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, which was a fig tree (or wheat, grape, pomegranate, etrog).⁷⁵ Although it contained all types of fruit trees, the Garden of Eden was mainly an apple orchard.⁷⁶ (Kehot Chumash)
Kehot Chumash (Rashi on Genesis ; In the midst of the Garden- means in the very center of the Garden)

Although the world at the time of creation was pluralistic; a mixture of  physical and spiritual  as our world is today , Gan Eden  lacked the dense physicality of our world today. And so with the insights of prophets , sages and Kabbalistic Mesorah, we can begin to glean an understanding of this translucent state of the ethereal reality at the time of Creation.

Of the various fruits that are mentioned in Judaism regarding  the sin of Adam and Eve,, nowhere is it mentioned that the fruit was an apple. However, commentaries teach us that there were apple orchards surrounding the Garden of Eden,  but that the possible prohibited fruit  mentioned may be one or other of ;  wheat (considered a fruit of the earth),  grape, etrog,  pomegranate or fig.

It is noteworthy to mention that when we make Kiddush on wine (grape) and Moitze on bread (wheat), we are repairing, elevating and sanctifying Creation that was damaged by transgression (of the prohibition of ‘fruit’ of the tree) of Adam and Chava.

A Line…

A line is defined as ‘a line of points’ that extends infinitely in two directions. It has one dimension; length. Points that are on the same line are called collinear points.   A ‘Space’ extends infinitely in all directions and is a set (void or negative space to receive) of all points in three dimensions.

The Point…

There are no absolutes as the only absolute (point and perfection) exists only as  G-d Himself.

There is no absolute center or middle of a point. Therefore the middle or center of a point is infinite. However we can understand that the middle or center point of the Garden of Eden was indeed a point (connection, corridor, a point of contraction/tzimzum ) of Infinity. Furthermore, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Tree of Life are both in the center of the Garden…. But there can only be one center (infinite point)… and so we conclude that the two trees are in fact one single tree ‘rooted in the infinite center’, and the fruit and the tree becomes defined as either the The Tree of Good and Evil of Knowledge or The Tree of Life by the free will  and choice of the one who chooses the fruit.  It was Chava’s mindset… her intention (kavanah) upon picking the Fruit that determined the ‘power’ of the Fruit and Tree she choose. This powerful connection and influence of free will and choice continue to exist today in Mans’ ability to be a partner in creating a new reality.

At each point , at every moment in ‘the timeline of life’ there exists a concealed  infinite  point of infinite possibilities waiting for us to reveal it. It  holds the power within to allows us to connect to G-d’s Infinity and actualize the hidden potential. We can, with G-ds help continually change  reality. And with the teachings of Torah, mitzvot and philosophy,  we can reveal the concealed Infinite connection, we can rectify all of creation, and we can do this with success.

 Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling
http://www.LawrenceLax.com
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com