Parsha Beraishis 5787 - Seeing Good

The Torah tells us that after Adam and Chava sinned, Hashem banished them from the Garden of Eden:

“Therefore, Hashem sent him out of the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from where he was taken.” (Bereishis 3:23)

Yet immediately before describing their banishment, the Torah tells us something surprising:

“And Hashem made Adam and his wife coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Bereishis 3:21)

The Midrash offers a remarkable interpretation of these garments. By substituting the letter ayin (ע) in the Hebrew word for skin, or (עור), with the letter aleph (א), the word becomes or (אור), meaning light. According to this interpretation, Hashem clothed Adam and Chava in garments of light, which are described by Chazal as garments of extraordinary spiritual stature. (See Rabbeinu Bachya on Bereishis 3:21 and Bereishis Rabbah 20.)

This is puzzling. If Adam and Chava had just violated Hashem’s command, why did Hashem perform an act of kindness that emphasized their spiritual stature? They had committed the first sin in human history, bringing death into the world. Why would Hashem clothe them in garments associated with light and holiness? Wouldn’t such treatment send the wrong message, as though their disobedience were acceptable?

The answer teaches us an extraordinary lesson about chessed, loving-kindness.

Despite their sin, Adam and Chava remained human beings deserving of dignity and compassion. Chazal emphasize the kindness of Hashem in clothing them. Hashem held them accountable for their actions, but He did not withdraw His kindness from them. Even a sin as consequential as theirs did not eliminate Hashem’s care for them.

Kindness does not mean ignoring wrongdoing. It means that wrongdoing does not make that person undeserving of compassion.

Perhaps we can gain an additional insight by looking at the verse immediately preceding Hashem’s act of kindness.

The Torah tells us:

“And Adam called his wife’s name Chava, because she had become the mother of all the living.” (Bereishis 3:20)

Adam had previously referred to his wife as Isha, woman. Now, after the sin and its devastating consequences, he gives her a new name: Chava, associated with life, because she will be the mother of all living beings.

As Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch explains, Adam could have responded to what had happened with anger and resentment. He could have continued to blame Chava for eating from the forbidden tree and for the loss of their life in Paradise. Instead, Adam gave her a name that expressed her vital role in the future of humanity. Rav Hirsch sees in this name a profound appreciation of the woman's role in sustaining and developing human life, both physical and spiritual.

The timing is striking. Adam responds to his wife's role in the tragedy not by defining her through her mistake, but by recognizing the life and future she represents. Immediately afterward, Hashem clothes Adam and Chava.

This sequence suggests a powerful connection: Adam demonstrates that he can look beyond Chava's failure, and see her potential for holiness. Hashem demonstrates that He continues to treat both of them with kindness despite their failure because He endowed mankind with  a holy neshama and the potential for greatness.

We learn from this the tremendous importance of gemilus chasadim, acts of loving-kindness. The Midrash teaches that just as Hashem clothed the naked (with Adam and Chava), visited the sick, comforted mourners and buried the dead, so too are we commanded to follow His ways and perform these acts of kindness ourselves. (Talmud Bavli Sotah 14a)

It is relatively easy to perform acts of kindness toward people who treat us well, appreciate us and meet our expectations. It is much more difficult when someone has disappointed us, hurt us or acted irresponsibly. At those moments, our natural inclination may be to withdraw our kindness and focus exclusively on the person's failures.

But the story of Adam and Chava teaches us that we should not allow another person's shortcomings to become the only thing we see about that person. We can acknowledge wrongdoing while still continuing to act with compassion.

Just as Hashem clothed Adam and Chava after their sin, and Adam gave Chava a name associated with life rather than defining her by her failure, we should strive to overcome our dissatisfaction and continue performing acts of kindness—even toward people who have not lived up to our expectations. Like Hashem and Adam, we too have the capability to focus on the goodness and holiness in each person.

May we merit to follow Hashem's example, to treat others with compassion even when it is difficult, and, through our own acts of chessed, to become more deserving of Hashem's kindness in our lives.

-Rabbi Garber, 10/9/26