Page 477 - DVARIM

After creating Adam, Hashem placed him in Gan Eden and warned him
against eating of the Tree of Knowledge. Were the forces of the Yetzer
Hatov and Yetzer Hara at play yet, allowing him to make his own choices?
The fact that he did contravene the command of Hashem not to eat the
fruit indicates that he did, indeed, have two inclinations and the power of
free will.

If Adam had free choice, why did Hashem give him only one mitzvah and
not the entire Torah? He had a Yetzer Hara, but it resided outside him.
Its impact, therefore, was not as strong as it is today. He received only one
mitzvah, not to eat from the tree, because that was sufficient to combat
his Yetzer Hara.

After the sin, the Yetzer Hara entered man. Man is therefore in need of
the Torah to protect him from sin. This is what is meant by the saying, “I
created the Yetzer Hara; I created the Torah as its antidote.” # 26347-EYAL-6BOOKS - 26347-Dvarim-EYAL | 15 - A | 18-08-19 | 13:48:16 | SR:-- | Black 26347-EYAL-6BOOKS -

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