Page 47 - BERESHIT

Why was the serpent punished for enticing Chava? He was prevailed on
by the kelippah of tumah. Also puzzling is how Adam could be so
impudent to answer back to Hashem, that not only did he eat but he would
eat more if given the chance.
From here we see the power of the Yetzer Hara. One sin leads to another.
After a person does a sin, he is overcome by a spirit of tumah and is led
to greater sins. Thus the serpent was responsible for his ‘forced’ actions
because he willingly entertained evil thoughts and intentions. If not for his
own initiative to sin, he would not have been overcome by the kelippah
to entice Chava to sin. That is why he deserved such a harsh punishment.
Adam and Chava came to the point of temptation after not acting
appropriately. By having relations in the daytime before the serpent’s eyes,
they were partially responsible for arousing his desire. Their small sin thus
led to greater sins.
The forces of tumah are countered by the forces of kedushah. Just as one
sin leads to another, so too, one good deed leads to another. If a person
opens his heart to do teshuvah, Hashem opens it wide and helps him to
come much closer.

“And the woman saw that the tree was good to
eat from, a delight to the eyes and a desirable
means to become wise, and she took of its fruit
and ate and gave also to her husband with her
and he ate”

(Bereishit 3:6)