Why Would God Not Want Us To Eat From a Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil? (Part 1 of 2)

The beginning of the book of Genesis is filled with stories that defy the imagination. A walking, talking snake. A mysterious tree of knowledge that can discern between Good and Evil. These stories are so unusual, and yet because we are so familiar with them from childhood we barely give pause to how unusual they really are. We don't think to stop and ask, wait, how can the snake be speaking, and does God really not want mankind to be able to distinguish between right and wrong?

These questions and more are asked and answered in one of Rabbi Fohrman's earliest books, The Beast That Crouches at the Door. And like any good subject, the answers continue to evolve even after the book has been published.

The following lecture is an epilogue to The Beast That Crouches at the Door. With further Torah study Rabbi Fohrman finds new answers to some of his original questions, and even finds the courage to ask new questions - and offer innovative answers, answers that redefine what it means for man to have a loving relationship with God.