Genesis 2:17

The "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" symbolizes more than the duality that co-governs our lives today; it represents the passage through the dimension of death, a consequence of coexisting in the imperfection of a world where we must learn from the effects of our freedoms, not only for ourselves but also for others.

This is why that tree of knowledge וּמֵּ עֵּץ הַ דַ עַת (U-me'etz ha-da'at) should be seen in its entirety as a channel of energy from which we take fruits, עֵּץ (etz - tree), life הַ דַ עַת (ha-da'at - knowledge), which, when linked to the sefira Da'at, reiterates that it requires integration with divine consciousness to restore its meaning; otherwise, it will wander in finite and limited knowledge, unable to explain that infinite and limitless essence.

Questions that fill us and make us perceive good and evil טוֹב וָּׁרָּׁ ע (tov va- ra) as a simple duality, "tov" (good) and "ra" (evil), when these concepts truly introduce us to the complexity of a moral dimension where these forces that co-govern our unconsciousness impose the need to understand, address, and balance them.

To eat something is to understand that it becomes part of us; therefore, the invitation not to do so לֹּא תֹּאכַל מִ מֶ נוּ (lo tokhal mimenu) signifies, with this direct prohibition, not just a warning but an alert, where the verb תֹּאכַל (tokhal - you shall eat) conveys the idea that something integrates into us, becomes part of us, with that experience or knowledge being an element that, with its impurities, distances us from the purpose of being light by staying close to the source of that light.

The prohibition of "eating" symbolizes the restriction in acquiring certain knowledge or engaging in certain experiences that may lead to negative consequences, כִי בְ יוֹם אֲכָּׁלְ ךָ מִ מֶ נוּ מוֹת תָּּׁ מוּת (ki b'yom akholkha mimenu mot tamut) - "for on the day that you eat from it, you will surely die." This state relates not just to physical death but to the introduction to the dimension of spiritual death, a separation from Him that distances us from everything He offers and, therefore, from our original state of grace.

What we recognize as our current knowledge, being distanced from His wisdom, is merely a sum of ignorance, speculation, misinformation—in other words, a lack of knowledge of Him. דַ עַת (da'at - knowledge), from its gematric value דַ עַת summing 474 (ד =4, ע=70, ת=400), reminds us that the call to connect with that source, according to the sefira that connects the higher sefirot (chochmah and binah) with the lower ones, requires recognizing ourselves as His children.

The command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil teaches us about the nature of choices and their consequences, but above all, how our choices represent either our fall into duality and distancing from divine unity or our elevation to understand our current fragmentation from that pure wisdom and divine consciousness.

His laws and commands, rather than representing prohibitions, signify tests of growth, lessons about the limits of human knowledge, but also the need to trust divine guidance, as not all experiences are beneficial. On the contrary, reconnecting with His wisdom implies knowing what to avoid and when to do so in order to act in alignment with those higher principles.

The world is as we perceive it, a product of our libertinism, of wanting to do as we please, ignoring that true freedom lies not in doing everything we want but in choosing what brings us closer to divine unity and spiritual fulfillment. Obedience and self-control are pillars for maintaining the connection with the divine and avoiding the fall into fragmentation and pain, which as a warning calls out to us from our essence.

In Kabbalah, the Tree of Life represents the Sephirothic, that is, the system of 10 Sefirot that connect the Divine with creation. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil symbolizes the mingling of opposites, which brought moral confusion and the separation between good and evil. The command not to eat from that tree suggests an instruction to remain in a state of spiritual unity without falling into the polarity that leads to judgment (Din).

Kabbalah teaches that it was not the knowledge that was forbidden, but the timing and preparation. Humanity was not yet ready to integrate dual knowledge without falling. The tree was not evil; it was too powerful for an undeveloped soul. Kabbalah and Gematria reveal that the command to eat freely except from the Tree of Knowledge was not an arbitrary prohibition, but a guide toward spiritual growth, integration with the divine Light, and the development of free will. Eating “freely” represents a harmonious relationship with the world, but with limits that preserve the connection with the eternal.

From a Kabbalistic perspective, all the commandments are different expressions of the same essential principle: union with the Divine Will, that is, obedience aligned with the Light of Ein Sof (the Infinite). In this sense, to obey is not simply to follow orders, but to harmonize the soul with the Source.

Kabbalah teaches that the 613 mitzvot are not external commandments, but rather spiritual channels that allow the soul to rectify itself (Tikkun) and elevate itself. There are 248 positive commandments (do) → associated with the 248 organs of the body. And 365 negative commandments (do not) → associated with the 365 sinews or days of the year. This reveals that the entirety of human existence is involved in connection with the Divine Light.

And the command to obey in Eden is the archetype of all the mitzvot. In the Garden, there was only one mitzvah: not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. From a Kabbalistic perspective, this single command potentially contained all future mitzvot. It was a symbol of free will and the opportunity for connection. When that single mitzvah was broken, it was necessary to fragment the connection and distribute it into 613 channels that allow for its repair. Therefore, the story of Eden is considered the root of the need for the Torah.

The Shema Yisrael declares: "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." This commandment (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) is considered by the sages to be the essence of all the commandments, and the Zohar calls it "Yichud" (unification), because love is the supreme form of obedience.

Obedience is not an isolated commandment, but the spiritual essence common to all 613 commandments. The 613 mitzvot are multiple manifestations of a single divine will: that the soul connect with its Source. The fragmentation of the One into many is a reflection of Adam's fall; the fulfillment of the mitzvot is the path back to that Oneness.