Fickle, Feckless, Fatal Fig
Question
Shalom Rabbi,
The Garden of Eden story in Genesis is compelling.
Yet, another interesting twist to the saga is the word “nagaph” – spelled Nun~Gimmel~Pei
As a verb it means to push, defeat, stub, inflict, be smitten, stumble, plague, be stricken.
Gimmel~Nun gan means garden.
Pei~Gimmel – pag – “fig” – means crude, torpid (early) green fig.
Gimmel~Pei~Nun – gephen is a vine tree.
Could these be missing clues of “emeth”? Was the fickle “fig” the accursed culprit causing the fatal fall?
Answers
Very possibly! The Talmud discusses the possible “candidates” for the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The Etrog is mentioned, as is wheat (according to Jewish Tradition wheat grew on trees before Adam sinned), grapes and figs.
(What is not mentioned is the apple! The apple seems to have been introduced by the church at a much later date.)
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team