<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br><div apple-content-edited="true"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>As Jews we obviously do not believe in original sin and it is antithetical to our faith.<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Christianity teaches that we all die because Adam and Eve ate from the<br> <i>Eitz Hada'as.</i> This is simply not so, according to the Torah. G-d never intended <br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>man to live forever in this life and the proof is that G-d banished them from <br> <i>Gan Eden</i> so as to prevent they eating from the Tree of Life. This proves they were<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>not meant to live forever. In other words, they were driven out of the Garden<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>precisely because G-d did not intend them to become immortal. Another <br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>interesting element to note: The word 'sin' is not even used in reference to<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Adam and Eve. The first time the word 'sin' is used in the Torah is in reference<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>to the Cain and Abel story (4:7). <br><br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>There is one verse I find very striking in Parashas Noach, Chapter 8, vs.21:<br> …ba'avur ha'adam ki yetzer lev ha'adam <b>RA </b>min'u'rav…<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What G-d is saying is that the nature of man is evil from his youth. Some might<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>infer that is the same as original sin, but in Judaism it is not the same. <br><br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I vividly recall my childhood years and I can tell you that the expression "innocent children"<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>is the furthest thing from the truth. There were many mean kids…many! Children (and I'm<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>not referring to toddlers) are far from innocent and can be very cruel and hurtful.<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>This is where parenting comes in and must be a constant. We all remember the school<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>bullies and how cool it was to be on the side of the aggressor. I can tell you that the child<br><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>who defended the underdog was in the minority. So the verse above (8:21) is quite true. </div><div apple-content-edited="true"><br></div><div apple-content-edited="true"> Shabbat shalom.</div><div apple-content-edited="true"><b><br></b></div><div apple-content-edited="true"><b> </b> <font size="2"><b>"We are punished BY our sins not FOR them" </b></font></div><div apple-content-edited="true"> <b> <span style="font-size: 12px;"> Elbert Hubbard </span></b> </div><br></body></html>