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does the Tanakh explicitly talk about drugs?

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muman613:
It is difficult to explain these things because you are asking many questions at the same time.

I don't believe I ever said anything about superiority of Jews versus non-Jews. The simple fact is that the Jewish people, through the patriarch Abraham, acknowledged the one G-d of creation. His descendants, as promised to Abraham, would be enslaved by Egypt. The descent into Egyptian bondage was in order to forge the Children of Israel into a nation.

When the Children of Israel left Egypt they had fallen to what we call the 49th level of impurity ( http://www.torah.org/advanced/nesivosshalom/5768/shemos.html ) . Due to the immorality of living in Egypt the Children of Israel had almost become as corrupt as the Egyptians. Hashem needed to send Moses to prevent Abrahams descendants from being assimilated into the Egyptian culture. The Jews kept 3 important signs that they were Jewish, 1) They kept Jewish names 2) they spoke Hebrew 3) The wore their cultural clothing ( http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/557,391/What-kind-of-clothes-did-the-Jews-wear-in-Egypt.html )

Our sages explain that the Children of Israel had developed what we call the 'slave mentality'. They did not think that they were able to achieve the greatness that Hashem had hoped for. Several times the young nation complained in the desert and because of this we were punished. Remember the sin of the spies, the rebellion of Korach, etc...

When the Jewish people, at the foot of Mount Sinai, accepted the Torah and all said together 'We will do, and we will hear' {Naaseh V'Nishmah} we entered a marriage covenant with Hashem. See the Song of Songs for a beautiful analogy of the Jewish people marrying Hashem. We are his people, and we chose him as our G-d. This doesn't mean that we are superior but we are certainly beloved to Him.

See also:

http://www.koltorah.org/volume_15/34_Shavuot.htm

http://www.ou.org/chagim/pesach/shir.htm

--- Quote ---According to RASHI, the Megilah is the “mashal” or allegory of a young and beautiful woman who becomes engaged to and then marries a king. But very soon after the marriage, she is unfaithful to him, causing him to send her away, into the status of “living widowhood,” meaning she is “as if” a widow, although her husband is still alive. But his love for her remains strong, and he watches over her at all times, from behind the scenes, to protect her. And when she resolves to return to him, and be faithful to him, he will take her back, with a love that is fully restored.
--- End quote ---

muman613:
I am also concerned with your belief that eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge was a good thing. It was the absolute opposite of good. The reason that Chava was tempted to eat from it was because of the tricks of the yetzer hara {the evil inclination}. Now it is difficult for a non-Jew who has not learned Torah to comprehend just what the Yetzer Hara is... I think I have already explained to you the Jewish concept of two souls, the Nefesh Behami {animal soul} and the Nefesh Sichli {Intelligent Soul}... In some respects the Yetzer Hara is compared to the animal soul while the Yetzer Tov {Good inclination} is ascribed to the Nefesh HaSichli.

The Yetzer Hara {Evil Inclination as represented by the snake} tempted Chava to eat because he knew that they wanted to know everything that Hashem knows. The trick involved the snake telling Chava that she could touch the Tree {which was permitted, only eating the fruit was prohibited}... Adam, in order to establish a 'fence' around this commandment, told Chava that she should not even touch it. Due to this mistake the snake was able to push her hand to touch the tree and yet she lived. So then she incorrectly concluded that she could eat it too.

Now what was the result of eating from it? It was the ability to know Good and Evil... Not to 'discern good and evil' as you say because even today we do not know what it truly good or evil. What happened when they ate from the tree was that Absolute Good and Absolute Evil melded and became a grey like combination of light and darkness. Before eating from the fruit Adam and Chava were perfect, they knew everything that they needed to know. But after eating their ability to know right and wrong was muddied.

See also:

http://www.torah.org/learning/perceptions/5763/tzav.html

--- Quote ---As the Torah tells us, the essence of the first mistake of the First Man was his eating from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil while still in the Garden of Eden. However, as Kabbalah explains, it could only have been the result of something else far more fundamental, since Adam at that stage lacked any desire or pride to sin against the will of G-d. On the level on which he was created, and then later after he ascended to entering the Garden of Eden, it was impossible for him to have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

But eat he did, as we are well aware, and we are still paying for it until Moshiach comes. Therefore, there is a piece from this puzzle that is missing, and as you can guess, it has to do with Adam's eyes. Since that time, it has also been an extremely profound lesson for life.

It says:

[The third aspect of the eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil has to do with] the mind and knowledge, which are included in the term "eating," as we see in Yechezkel (3:1), Yeshayahu (55:1). We also see this from the words of the rabbis in Shir HaShirim Rabbah, Chapter 1, where they compare words of Torah to water, wine, oil, and honey. Thus, we see that the mind and knowledge is included in the concept of eating, and therefore, He also warned him [when G-d commanded Adam not to eat from the fruit] that he should not contemplate and look at anything to which evil is attached. This was in order that he should not come to look at the ability of the evil forces, to investigate and understand the extent of their strengths, lest he be drawn down after them. For, it is the nature of man to adhere to that which he contemplates, because the mind, the one trying to understand, and the object of understanding become one. Therefore, there is a great danger in looking at and contemplating to that which evil is attached . . . This was the main aspect of the sin of the Tree of Knowledge that G-d warned Adam HaRishon about, and which he transgressed and stumbled in. Thus, though his original sin was accidental, in the end he sinned purposely. (Sha'arei Leshem, page 341)

In this short paragraph, one of the most important fundamentals about life emerges, and that is the relationship between the eyes and the mind. In fact, so fundamental is the relationship that, even though Chava ate from the Tree first before she gave to Adam to eat, Adam is faulted for the sin. For, as the Leshem explains in great detail, it was Adam HaRishon's looking at the Tree first, that caused him and the world to quickly descend from their exceptionally high spiritual level, and make the simple mistake of eating.

As the Talmud says:

The yetzer hara only has power over someone regarding that which he has seen. (Sotah 8a)

Indeed, the Zohar (35b) teaches that, until Adam looked at the Tree, the snake was not even allowed into the Garden, let alone to be able to approach Chava to convince her to eat. Thus, it was Adam's looking at the Tree that began the slippery slide from G-d-given greatness to the depths of sin.

--- End quote ---

muman613:
A little more on the sin of the tree of knowledge:



http://www.torah.org/features/spirfocus/whatUeat.html

SPIRITUALITY OF EATING

Since maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of God -- for one cannot understand or have any knowledge of the Creator, if he is ill -- therefore, one must avoid that which harms the body and accustom himself to that which is healthful and helps the body become stronger. (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Book of Knowledge 4:1)...

Why do we eat?

When asked why they eat, people usually respond, "I eat because I'm hungry," "I eat when something looks or smells good," or "I eat because it's meal time." For many, the routine of eating is an agony to minimize or avoid by skipping breakfast or using instant powders or fast foods. Others snack through the day without ever sitting down to a meal!

To achieve historical perspective, we must go back in time to the beginning, to the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Knowledge.

God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely eat from every tree of the garden. But from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil do not eat, for on the day you eat from it, you will surely die." (Genesis 2:15-17)

If only the first man, Adam, had kept on occupying himself with Torah and with guarding the way to the Tree of Life, he would have continued to stroll through the Garden of Eden like one of the guardian angels. Shortly after God created Eve, in the afternoon of the first Friday of Creation, the first couple in the world committed the first sin by eating the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. If they had only waited a few hours for Shabbos, they could have eaten the fruit with God's blessings! (Shaar ha-Kavanos, Rosh Hashanah, Discourse A).

Likewise, we read in the Torah: "The woman saw that the tree was good for food and desirable to the eyes, and the tree was attractive as a means to gain intelligence. She took some of its fruit and ate, and also gave some to her husband, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6)

The trees were real trees, the fruits were real fruits, and the eating was actual eating; but the fruits were fine and the eating was delicate. As Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto explains, the eating from the Tree of Knowledge introduced desire for all material, bodily pleasures and for all sins.

In the beginning, good and evil had been separate, both in the fruit and in the entire world. But when the sin of the Tree of Knowledge corrupted the world, good became mixed with evil. Sparks of holiness fell into their husks, and the pure combined with the impure. Man was sentenced to work hard for his food and to die. The world became more coarse...

It is clear that the soul is not nourished by physical bread, as the body is. The food we eat is actually a combination of both a physical and a spiritual entity. The body is nourished by the physical aspects, or nutrients, contained in the foods we eat; the soul is nourished by the spiritual power -- or sparks of holiness -- which enlivens the physical substance of all matter, including food. Therefore, body and soul are united in the act of eating. (Ruach Chaim on Pirkei Avot 3:3; Code of Jewish Law OC 6:1, with Magen Avraham)

We have seen that all of Creation is composed of a mixture of good and evil. Likewise, in every food that a person eats there is a combination of good and evil. Food physically consists of good counterparts, i.e., nutrients, and bad aspects, i.e., waste or indigestible matter. Likewise, spiritually, food contains sparks of holiness, or good components, and husks, or kelipos, which are the gross, bad components that encompass the sparks.

Zenith:
oh my, now I see that you've replied. I didn't get any notification by email this time.
Sorry, but I'll read your posts and reply a bit later (in a few days). I don't have time right now.

Zenith:
Regarding the superiority:

I am aware of the fact that G-d chose ye to be His people.
But that's a totally different thing than saying that you have a different kind of soul than everybody else (e.g. to say that Jewish people also have a different kind of soul as it is said that man has a kind of soul and animals have a different kind of souls) or that you are 'by nature' superior (e.g. more able to understand G-d and serve Him). In the Tanakh it doesn't say that G-d chose ye for your 'special abilities' or something. On the contrary, it is the covenant that G-d made, the reason the Jewish people are still alive.

Regarding the eating of the fruit:

--- Quote ---Now what was the result of eating from it? It was the ability to know Good and Evil... Not to 'discern good and evil' as you say because even today we do not know what it truly good or evil.
--- End quote ---
Well, I thought this is what "Now the Lord G-d said, "Behold man has become like one of us, having the ability of knowing good and evil" means.
Doesn't "discern" means to have the ability of knowing good and evil?

My understanding of this issue is that Adam and Eve did not have the ability of knowing good and evil (i.e. what is good and what is evil), but they didn't need it. They were made by G-d "good" and given a single commandment to keep. By the fact that they ate from the fruit made them sin and gave them the ability of knowing what is good and what is evil (which sounds to me, to discern what is good and what is evil). This means that it is in our nature to acknowledge what is good and what is evil. But, because in time people have become more and more corrupted, the society (people around) is corrupting the young even from the early ages (they are taught to do and believe against what their own nature tells them) - and it's like a thief is: after the 4th or 5th theft, he doesn't feel guilt any longer for it.

By the way muman613, perhaps you understand this better: In the Tanakh it is written "for on the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die". Well, we know that neither Adam nor Eve died in the same 24 hours. What is your explanation on this? (I have an explanation, but I'm not sure that is correct)

perhaps I lengthen to much the discussion but...

--- Quote ---If only the first man, Adam, had kept on occupying himself with Torah and with guarding the way to the Tree of Life, he would have continued to stroll through the Garden of Eden like one of the guardian angels. Shortly after G-d created Eve, in the afternoon of the first Friday of Creation, the first couple in the world committed the first sin by eating the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. If they had only waited a few hours for Shabbos, they could have eaten the fruit with G-d's blessings! (Shaar ha-Kavanos, Rosh Hashanah, Discourse A).
--- End quote ---

I didn't find anywhere to be written that G-d gave Adam a Torah (or the laws of the Torah in non-book form). I know that "Torah" means law, but in this context it seems that you mean "Torah" as a book of laws. What is "Shabbos"? (please try in few words). Then, nowhere in the Tanakh do I find that G-d intended Adam to ever eat from the tree of knowledge, or a reason He would desire that (i.e. if they were "good" as G-d created them good, they needn't rules to guide them in becoming "good").

P.S. Hopefully, I will remember about this discussion soon enough. For I don't know what reason, I didn't receive any email notification in the past times.

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