ויאמר הנחש אל האשה לא מות תמותון, “the serpent said to the woman: ”you will surely not die.” According to Rashi the serpent had pushed Chavah against the tree first, thus demonstrating to her that touching the tree did not result in any harm to her, contrary to what she had said in the name of G’d. The most common criticism of Rashi’s commentary is that Chavah simply had to reply that seeing the day was not yet over, the fact that she had not died as yet was no proof of anything, and that this was the reason that she had not died as a result of touching the tree. The defenders of Rashi’s commentary are forced to respond that the serpent challenged her by saying that since, according to her own words, she was going to die by the end of the day on account of having touched the tree, she might as well eat of it, seeing she could only die once. The basic objection to Rashi’s commentary is totally invalid, as Chavah had never said a word about dying on that day, but about dying as a result of eating or touching, i.e. immediately.

כי טוב העץ למאכל , “for the tree is good as food.” She had thought originally that the reason why G’d had forbidden the tree was because its fruit was bitter, and the poison of the fruit would result in death to those who ate it. Now she had convinced herself that its fruit was sweet.

וכי תאוה לעינים, “and that its appearance caused one to desire it.” We learn that man’s desires are activated by his eyes, by what he sees.

וישמעו את קול ה' אלוקים מתהלך בגן, “they heard the voice of the Lord G’d strolling trough the garden.” This is not the only time that we find the word הילוך, walking, associated with קול, a voice. We read in Jeremiah 46,22 קולה כנחש ילך, “She will rustle (sound) away like a snake.” Nachmanides understands the word מתהלך as a metaphor for a form of revelation of G’d’s Presence. We have a similar verse in Leviticus 26,12 והתהלכתי בתוככם, “I reveal Myself in your midst,” although in that context it is as a result of Israel obeying all of G’d’s commandments. The meaning of the word לרוח, in the expression לרוח היום, is that prior to a revelation of G’d’s Presence, one of the advance notices is a strong wind such as when Elijah experienced such a revelation at Mount Sinai. (Kings I 19,11) In this instance the wind was not powerful and frightening, but רוח היום of the same force as it was daily when a breeze is blowing. G’d had not intended to frighten Adam and his wife. There are some commentators who understand the line as indicating that Adam and his wife were indeed frightened upon hearing G’d’s voice, and that is why they tried to hide.

כי עירום אנכי, “for I am naked.” The fig leaf which they had used to cover themselves only covered their private parts. Although, according to the Midrash, G’d, personally, provided them with no fewer than 24 kinds of ornaments, they had to remove these at the time when they engaged in marital relations.

האשה אשר נתת עמדי, “the woman You have given me as my companion, etc.” According to Nachmanides Adam’s excuse was that seeing that G’d had given him Chavah as an עזר, helpmate, everything she would ask or advise him to do would be of benefit and use to him. It had not therefore occurred to him that her advice could be harmful if followed. When G’d punished him, He made plain that Adam’s argument was flawed as how could he ignore G’d’s command and accept a contrary command by one of G’d’s creatures? My sainted father the רא'ש explained that the only reason why Adam could use the excuse he offered was because he had already eaten from the fruit of the tree and had become aware of the difference between good and evil. He accused his wife of having tricked him.

מה זאת עשית, “what is this you have done?” How could you have violated My commandment, even though it had not been addressed to you directly but to your husband? Seeing that you are made of his bone, surely you must have realized that My commandment also included you?

אל האשה אמר, “to the woman He had said, etc.” G’d did not mention the woman’s eating from the tree as the cause of her punishment as He had done when He announced Adam’s punishment in verse 17. The reason is that she was punished both for the eating and for suggesting that her husband become her partner in crime. The serpent too, had been punished for giving criminal advice to the woman.

עצבונך, “your severe discomfort.” According to Rashi this is not physical discomfort, but the mental anguish which is part of raising children. This seems difficult, for if this were the true meaning of the verse, why did the Torah not write the word הרונך, “your pregnancy,” before speaking about raising as yet unborn children? It appears more appropriate therefore to understand the word עצבונך as referring to the monthly discomfort of menstruating, something even women who do not bear children have to contend with.

ואל אישך תשוקתך, “and your longing will be for your husband.” Rashi interprets this as the woman’s desire for marital relations with her husband, something that she does not express openly, by words of mouth, but has to wait for passively, seeing that her husband is the initiator, “rules over her.” Nachmanides takes exception to Rashi’s interpretation, saying that on the contrary, a woman’s natural reticence in these matters is praiseworthy, hardly a punishment. Ibn Ezra understands the word תשוקתך as “your obedience,” saying that the wife has to be obedient to the demands of her husband. She requires his permission to carry out plans of her own design, seeing that she is basically under his control. It would appear that seeing G’d said to the woman: הרבה ארבה עצבונך והרונך, “I will greatly increase your discomfort, etc.,” including that during pregnancy, that even if the woman takes care to minimize the incidence of marital relations in order to not become pregnant, her natural tendency to engage in marital relations will overcome her unwillingness to become pregnant again and again. In fact her husband, seeing that he rules over her, may force her to submit to having marital relations even against her will.

ועתה פן ישלח ידו ולקח גם מעץ החיים, “and now, so that he will not attempt to also take from the tree of life, etc.” Before Adam had eaten from the tree of knowledge and had become mortal, there was no concern that he would eat from that tree, as prior to that sin Adam would not be tempted to do anything against the wishes of His Creator. Besides, he had no need for what that tree had to offer, being himself immortal.

וישלחהו, “He expelled him.” According to Rabbi Joseph Kimchi, G’d first sent him outside the boundaries of Gan Eden, and subsequently expelled him by positioning the cherubs to prevent him for regaining access to that garden.