Now, I would like to present to my royal audience what I was able to clarify and unravel regarding this enigmatic issue thanks to the favor of Hashem. We know that the “nachash hakadmoni” was in Gan Eden together with Adam and Chava. In fact, it approached Chava prior to the cheit and said to her (according to Rashi, Bereishis 3, 4): “You certainly will not die.” He pushed her until she touched it (the tree). He said to her, “Just as there is no death for touching, similarly, there is no death for eating.” But why did HKB”H place the nachash in Gan Eden in the first place?
We find wonderful, exalted explanations in the impeccable teachings of the divine kabbalist, the Ramak, in the holy sefer Ohr Yakar on the Zohar hakadosh (Volume 2, 6, 39). He asserts that HKB”H placed the nachash in Gan Eden to serve Adam HaRishon and clean up after him. Here is a brief excerpt of his sacred words: The nachash was tasked with serving Adam with regards to all his materialistic—“gashmi”— needs in the Gan. For, the Gan is elevated by spirituality—“ruchniyut”—and brought down by material matters to the materialistic levels that we find ourselves in (today). So that Adam and Chava would not be involved with this material (physical) aspect (of the Gan), the nachash was created. Thus, the material things that Adam might wish to deal with would be relegated to the nachash.
He goes on to explain that had the nachash fulfilled his assigned task serving Adam HaRishon, his sustenance would not have consisted of dust. Instead, he would have received all of the bones and leftovers from Adam for consumption—akin to the excess “kodshin”—the limbs and fats that were consumed on the mizbeiach throughout the night.
The Nachash Reigned over all the Animals that Were There to Serve Adam
As a loyal servant in the presence of his master, I would like to support this notion of the Ramak’s, zy”a— that HKB”H deliberately placed the nachash in Gan Eden to serve Adam and take care of all the material matters, so that Adam could study Torah and serve Hashem without interruptions or distractions. Let us refer to a teaching in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 59b):
"תניא רבי שמעון בן מנסיא אומר חבל על שמש גדול שאבד מן העולם, שאלמלא נתקלל נחש, כל אחד ואחד מישראל היו מזדמנין לו שני נחשים טובים, אחד משגרו לצפון ואחד משגרו לדרום להביא לו סנדלבונים טובים ואבנים טובות ומרגליות, ולא עוד אלא שמפשילין רצועה תחת זנבו ומוציא בה עפר לגינתו ולחורבתו".
It was taught in a Baraisa: Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya says: It is unfortunate that a great servant was lost from the world. For, had the serpent not been cursed, each and every one of Yisrael would have had two good serpents as servants; one he would send to the north and one he would send to the south to bring him gems, precious stones, and pearls. Furthermore, it would have been possible to attach a strap beneath its tail and have it take out soil to his garden and to his ruin.
Further support can be brought from that which is written prior to the “cheit Eitz HaDa’as” (ibid. 2, 15): "ויקח ה' אלקים את האדם ויניחהו בגן עדן לעבדה ולשמרה"—Hashem Elokim took the man and placed him in Gan Eden, to work it and to guard it. We find the following interpretation from Chazal in the Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer (Chapter 12):
“And He put him in Gan Eden to work it and guard it.” And what work was required inside the Gan that He said, “to work it and guard it”? Perhaps you might say that work was required in Gan Eden for him to trim the vines, plough and clear the stones from the ground, or to bind sheaves, or to harvest. But all the trees grew on their own. Perhaps you might suggest that work was required to irrigate the Gan. But a river flowed out of Eden, as it says (ibid. 2, 10): “And a river went out of Eden (to irrigate the Gan).” So, what is the meaning of the phrase “to work it and to guard it”? Rather, it means to be occupied with the study of Torah, and to safeguard the way of the Eitz HaChaim. And there is no Eitz HaChaim other than the Torah, as it says (Mishlei 3, 18): “It is a tree of life (Eitz Chaim) for those who cling to it.”
Clearly, prior to the “cheit Eitz HaDa’as,” it was unnecessary for man to work fields and vineyards; everything grew on its own and maintained itself based on the word of HKB”H; man’s effort and input were not required. This is consistent with the teaching in the Gemara (ibid.): "אדם הראשון מיסב בגן עדן היה, והיו מלאכי השרת צולין לו בשר ומסננין לו יין"—Adam HaRishon would recline in Gan Eden; ministering angels would broil meat for him and pour him wine. Even the malachim waited on him hand and foot, so that he could serve Hashem without being interrupted by matters of Olam HaZeh.
With this understanding, we can begin to comprehend Chazal’s teaching that initially—before the nachash in Gan Eden rebelled against Hashem and enticed Adam and Chava to sin—HKB”H appointed it king of the animal kingdom. Here is a pertinent passage from the Gemara (Sotah 9b): "וכן מצינו בנחש הקדמוני שנתן עיניו במה שאינו ראוי לו, מה שביקש לא נתנו לו ומה שבידו נטלוהו ממנו, אמר הקב"ה אני אמרתי יהא מלך על כל בהמה וחיה, ועכשיו ארור הוא מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה, אני אמרתי יהלך בקומה זקופה, עכשיו על גחונו ילך". And so we find concerning the “nachash hakadmoni” that set its eyes on something not fit for it. What it sought, they did not give it, and what was in its hand, they took from it. HKB”H said: I had said that it should be king over every animal and beast, but now, it is more cursed than all the animals and beasts of the field. I had said that it would walk upright, but now, on its belly, it will go.
It appears that they deduced this from the passuk (Bereishis 3, 1): "והנחש היה ערום מכל חית השדה אשר עשה ה' אלקים"— now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field that Hashem had created. The Targum render this as: ת ברא" ַ ו ֵ ח"וחויא הוה חכים מכל . This implies that HKB”H endowed the nachash with chochmah, so that it could reign as king of the entire animal kingdom. In this capacity, it could subjugate them to assist Adam HaRishon and his progeny to serve Hashem without any distractions or hindrances.
Unfortunately, the nachash used its wisdom in a negative way instead of a positive way. Instead of helping man fulfill his destiny in the service of Hashem, it caused his downfall by inducing him to sin by partaking of the Eitz HaDa’as. As a consequence, HKB”H cursed it. Rather than being the king of the animals, it became the exact opposite; it became the most accursed of all creatures. This is evident from the passuk (ibid. 3, 14): "ויאמר ה' אלקים אל הנחש כי עשית זאת ארור אתה מכל הבהמה ומכל חית השדה על גחונך תלך ועפר תאכל כל ימי חייך." Hashem G-d said to the nachash, “Because you have done this, accursed are you beyond all the cattle and beyond all beasts of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life. With regards to the words “upon your belly shall you go,” Rashi comments: "רגלים היו לו ונקצצו"—it (the serpent) once had legs, which were later cut off. Practically speaking, its legs were no longer necessary to facilitate the service and assistance of mankind. On the contrary, it was preferable that it not have legs that could enable it to run to perpetrate evil. After all, it had acted as man’s deterrent and adversary rather than as his assistant.
