Sin death and beyond
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SIN, DEATH AND BEYOND: M.M.NINAN<br />
Genesis tells us that the Tree of Life stood in the center of Paradise, but it does not indicate<br />
the exact position of the Tree of Knowledge. The Kabbalists took this to mean that it had no<br />
special place of its own but sprouted together with the Tree of Life out of the common matrix of<br />
the divine world. The two trees are different aspects of the Torah, which have their common<br />
origin in revelation.<br />
The presence of the Tree of Life implies that Adam <strong>and</strong> Eve were not by default immortal.<br />
Even the choice of being immortal or temporal was to remain a choice to Man. It could be<br />
interpreted that the material world was indeed created with decay <strong>and</strong> <strong>death</strong> as part of the<br />
creation of that realm. This would have been necessary for life, since vegetative life was given<br />
as food to animals <strong>and</strong> humans at the end of the creation week.<br />
Gen 1: 29-30 Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the<br />
surface of all the earth, <strong>and</strong> every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;<br />
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