The great Rabbi, Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, also known as the Ohr Sameach, and the Meshech Chochmah (by the titles of his famous books), was a unique thinker, who was at once amongst the greatest Rabbis of strict orthodoxy, and at the same time an individual thinker, who went against the grain of strict Orthodoxy in his interpretations of the Torah.
One might ask why I have designated him as the greatest Rabbinical thinker, at least in his era? There were Modern Orthodox thinkers such as Rabbis Kook, Soloveitchik, Goren, Sacks, as well as the philosopher Rabbis Eliezer Berkovits and Emanuel Rackman.
Rabbi Meir Simcha was not part of Modern orthodoxy, but was more radical than anyone within Modern Orthodoxy. He was not part of the religious Zionist movement, but was fundamentally more Zionist than many in that world.
I will try to present the case that he certainly was not a Karaite, but in some ways was one of the greatest Karaite thinkers too.
In his commentary on Bereishit-Genesis, we see an amazing interpretation , which has implications that go well beyond the topic of Adam and the forbidden fruit.
Quoting from the above summary:
“The First Mitzvah and the Etz Hada’as
וַיְצַו ה' אֱלֹקִים עַל הָאָדָם לֵאמֹר מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּן אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל. וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ.
Hashem God commanded man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, do not eat thereof.” (2:16-17)
It is possible to sum up the contents of these two pesukim by stating that Hashem told Adam that while he may eat from any of the trees on the garden, one tree – the Etz Hada’as – remained forbidden. As such, the first mitzvah ever given to man was a negative one, i.e. a prohibition. However, the Meshech Chochmah states that this is not the case. The first mitzvah was in fact a positive one – to eat from all the other trees in the garden, for the words “אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל” as stated regarding those trees was also a mitzvah![4]
The implications of this understanding are twofold.
Firstly, it reflects the idea that benefiting from and enjoying this world is not merely something which is permitted; it is a positive expression of Hashem’s will and, as such, a mitzvah. This idea is summed up in the statement of the Yerushalmi[5] that a person will have to give a reckoning in the future for not having partaken of the enjoyments of this world which were permitted to him.
However, there is a further element. One of the properties of mitzvos is that they help protect a person from committing aveiros. As such, the mitzvah of eating from the other trees in the garden should likewise have protected Adam and Chava from sinning with the Etz HaDa’as. Why did this not happen?
The answer to this question will come from considering Chava’s words to the snake:[6]
מִפְּרִי עֵץ הַגָּן נֹאכֵל. וּמִפְּרִי הָעֵץ אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן אָמַר אֱלֹקִים לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא תִגְּעוּ בּוֹ
Of the fruit of any tree in the garden we may eat. Of the fruit of the tree which is in the center of the garden God has said: “You shall not eat from it nor shall you touch it.”
We note that Chava does not mention Hashem’s name in connection with eating from the other trees. It is only with reference to not eating from the Etz HaDa’as that she prefaces: “אָמַר אֱלֹקִים – God said.”[7] This means that when Adam informed her regarding eating from the other trees, he neglected to tell her that this was also a mitzvah.”
We see that for the verses Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, do not eat thereof.” (2:16-17)
The Meshech Chochmah is saying there is a positive commandment here , to indulge in the almost unending number of trees and their unique fruits, thus to avoid the single forbidden fruit. He further argues that Eve did not quite grasp this concept and that she therefore was unable to defend herself from the snake and its seduction or deception.
The Bereishit system of Law is centred on a single restriction, i.e. the fruit of the forbidden tree (of knowledge of Good and Evil). To balance this, there are hundreds, or thousands of trees, perhaps also vegetables , that bear fruits of different flavours.
The later Torah from Sinai has a larger number of restrictions than what existed in Eden. But they are not infinite. The world still provides many “trees” that bear fruit.
It has been the systematic Rabbinic project to add to restrictions, and more and more restrictions. And this has been for the purpose of self-mortification. It also led – historically to the destruction of the 2nd Temple.
Rabbi Meir Simcha is telling a truth that applies to rabbanism – which he must have subconsciously been aware of. Namely, that the Torah did not command anyone to add restrictions, and in fact forbade it.
