What is the difference between the food that Hashem designated for man, and the food that He designated for the animals?
Rashi: Hashem initially designated for man the same food as He designated for the animals 1 - seeds and fruit that grows on a tree (as specified in the current Pasuk and in the next (1:30). 2 He was not permitted to eat meat until Hashem permitted it to Noach and his sons 3 after the Flood. 4
Ramban and Seforno: What the Torah specifies in 1:29 (seeds and fruit that grows on a tree) was given to man, and whatever appears in 1:30 (vegetation), to the animals. 5
See Sifsei Chachamim.
Gur Aryeh: How is this derived from the Pasuk? The phrase "for you" is superfluous; our Pasuk already began, "Behold, I have given you"! Rashi therefore explains that the phrase "shall be for you" is connected to the following Pasuk, to equate man and the animals regarding their food. Also refer to 1:29:1.1.
See Torah Temimah, note 66.
See 9:3.
What are the connotations of the doubled expression, "ve'Es Kol ha'Eitz asher Bo P'ri Eitz"?
Targum Yonasan: It means 'all non-fruit-bearing trees for building and for fuel; and all fruit-bearing trees... for food.
Why does the Torah not include the animals in the list of things that Adam was permitted to eat?
Rashi, Ramban and Rashbam (to 1:30): Because Adam was not permitted to kill animals 1 and to eat their flesh. 2
Sifsei Chachamim: This suggests that they were permitted to eat animals that they had not killed but that had died by themselves. See also Moshav Zekenim (Bereishis 2:16); and Tosfos in Sanhedrin 56b. The Ramban, however seems to say that they were neither permitted to kill an animal nor to eat meat (See also Rashbam and Rashi in Sanhedrin 57a). Gur Aryeh also understands Rashi this way. Refer to 1:29:2.1 & 1:29:2.3 .
This is the tenth utterance (va'Yomer) of Creation; see (Avos 5:1). What new matter was created?
Peninim mi'Shulchan ha'G'ra: Until now, vegetation would not sustain man and animals. This utterance gave it a nature to nourish and satiate them. "Lo Al ha'Lechem Levado Yichyeh ha'Adam; Ki Al Kol Motza Fi Hashem..." (Devarim 8:3).
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "The verses equate [man] and the animals regarding food." But our verse seems to specify "plants and fruits that produce seeds" for man; while the animals are given "all green plants" (1:30)?
Gur Aryeh: The general category, "green plants," includes seed-bearing plants and fruits. Rashi writes, "They will all eat all green plants together," including man. This is an example of the rule Perat u'Kelal; everything (whether specified or not) is included in the general category.
Rashi writes: " The verses equate [man] and the animals regarding food... Hashem did not permit Adam and his wife to kill a living creature and eat meat." Why does the verse need to equate their food using a Hekesh (comparison)? The verse itself says that man was given only plants?
Gur Aryeh #1: Were it not for the Hekesh, we might have thought that Adam was only forbidden to eat meat regularly, but to fill an occasional desire, he might be permitted. 1 Therefore; the Torah compares his food to that of the animals, for which such a distinction is not relevant. 2
Gur Aryeh #2: The verse mainly comes to teach us that Hashem provided plants in abundance, for living things to eat. 3 We would not have inferred any prohibition regarding food, were it not for the comparison.
Gur Aryeh: Meat is called a 'desire.' The Torah writes, "for your soul shall desire to eat meat"(Devarim 12:20); also see Chulin 84a.
For animals, there is no essential difference between regular and occasional food.
Also refer to 1:29:151:1.
Rashi writes: " Hashem did not permit Adam and his wife to kill a living creature and eat meat; rather, all would eat all green plants together." If the prohibition was to kill a living creature, Adam should have been permitted to eat an animal that died by itself?
Gur Aryeh #1: A man might stop caring for and feeding his animals, in order that they would die, whereupon he could eat them. Therefore, even an animal that died by itself was forbidden to Adam. 1
Gur Aryeh #2: Only man's main food was to be permitted to him. It was impractical that meat of dead animals could serve as his regular food, so it was forbidden to him completely.
Rashi writes: " Hashem did not permit Adam and his wife to kill a living creature." But according to Gur Aryeh, Rashi's language seems to be imprecise; since Adam was forbidden even to eat an animal that had died by itself!
Gur Aryeh: Rashi is alluding to the rationale behind the prohibition. The animals were not blessed at their creation (due to the snake among them), until after the Flood in the time of Noach. Therefore, they did not reproduce rapidly (Rashi to 1:22), and there was a risk that mankind would consume all of the animals.
Rashi writes: " Hashem did not permit Adam and his wife to kill a living creature." Why not?
Maharal #1 (Chidushei Agados Vol. 3, p. 164, to Sanhedrin 59b): Some say it was because the living creatures had not yet been blessed. 1
Maharal #2 (ibid.): Adam was named for Adamah, earthly physicality, and in this respect he was no better than the animals, so he was not permitted to consume them. 2 Noach was called an '"Ish ha'Adamah - a master over the earth" (Rashi to 9:20). Because he was on a higher level, he was permitted to consume animals [after the Flood].
Maharal himself writes this answer in Gur Aryeh; refer to 1:29:2.2:1. But in Chidushei Agados, he questions it; if so, the fish [and birds] - who were blessed at their creation (1:22) - should have been permitted to Adam!
