Seeing as Adam was already sentenced to die, why did he receive the additional punishments mentioned here?
Seforno: The death-sentence was for eating from the fruit of the Etz ha'Da'as, as Hashem warned him, but not for listening to Chavah and accepting the Lashon ha'Ra that she spoke about Hashem, to Whom she attributed the Midah of jealousy and said that He lied. For that, he was receiving the extra punishments.
How was the earth cursed?
Rashi: In that it would produce detested creatures, such as flies, beetles and ants. 1
Lev Eliyahu (Bereishis, p. 25): In that no food was destined to spoil, until now that Adam sinned.
Gur Aryeh: Rashi found it difficult that the verse does not specify what the earth's curse would consist of.
Why was the earth cursed together with Adam?
Rashi #1: It is a Mashal to someone who went off the path, and people cursed 1 the breasts from which he suckled. 2
Rashi #2 (in 1:11): The earth was cursed because it disobeyed Hashem's orders to produce trees whose wood had the same taste as its fruit. 3
Seforno: It was not the earth that was being cursed, but Adam - inasmuch as the ground would no longer yield its produce unless he tilled it (which was not the case before the sin).
Targum Yonasan: The earth was cursed for not rebuking Adam, to prevent him from eating from the forbidden fruit.
See Rashi in Bereishis 35:8. See also Torah Temimah, citing Yerushalmi Kil'ayim, 1:7, and note 24.
Gur Aryeh: Rashi seems to combine two answers (also refer to 3:17:2:1) into one thought, while the Midrash presents them as two alternate explanations! Both explanations in the Midrash agree that the earth brought forth beetles et. al. According to its initial explanation, this constituted a curse for man. According to the second explanation, it was a curse for the earth itself, due to the parable cited by Rashi. Rashi is based on the second explanation in the Midrash.
See Torah Temimah, citing Yerushalmi Kil'ayim, 1:7, and note 23.
What are the connotations of "Arurah ha'Adamah Bavurecha"?
Rashi #1: It means that the curse on the earth would affect Adam, inasmuch as it would produce flies, beetles and ants. 'It can be compared to someone who strayed from the proper path and people cursed the breasts from which he suckled. 1
Rashi #2: It implies that Hashem only punished the earth - refer to 1:11:3:1 - now that He punished Adam.
Oznayim la'Torah (in 11:28): It means that, although having blessed Adam, He could not curse him, 2 He was cursing the earth instead of him, and Adam would suffer as a result.
Why was Adam's punishment attributed to obeying his wife?
Ohr Yechezkel (Midos, p. 290): The Torah teaches that even though he thought that he was doing a Mitzvah (obeying his wife), it was the most severe Aveirah. All the more so we, who are not at his level (the angels wanted to sing Shirah before Adam 1 ), if we do not know evil, we can think that our bad deeds are Mitzvos!
Chochmah u'Musar (Vol. 2, p. 279): The ability that leads to sin 2 is worse than sin itself, for it contains many sins. One must uproot it, even a Chacham like Adam. This shows how much one must distance from Heter, lest he come to Isur!
Why were all generations punished for Adam's sin?
Lev Eliyahu (Bereishis, p. 38): Before the sin, Adam's body was clear, and he benefited from the Shechinah in Gan Eden. Through the sin, his entire body became sick and physical. He cannot benefit from the radiance of the Shechinah, and has no place in Gan Eden, until the Ru'ach separates from the body. It is not a fine; it is reality. He ruined the world. Refer to 3:22:1:2*.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "This is comparable to someone who strayed from the proper path...." But earlier (in 1:11), Rashi wrote that the earth was cursed at this point due to its own sin - for not having produced trees whose wood would taste like their fruit?
