In this session, we step into the world just beyond Eden’s gates, where the story of humanity begins to unfold in earnest. Genesis Chapter 4 opens with a deceptively simple verse—but Rashi, the legendary medieval commentator, sees something far more provocative hidden between its words. He reads this line as proof that the first humans had sex in the Garden itself, before their exile.

To understand how Rashi arrives at this bold interpretation, we’ll see how verbs carry different meanings depending on the world they inhabit: Biblical or Modern Hebrew. This isn’t just a lesson in grammar; it’s a key to unlocking the elegance of Biblical storytelling and the sharp wit of Rashi’s commentary. Together, we’ll explore how verb forms become vessels for meaning, and how Rashi uses this linguistic nuance to push back against Christian-influenced readings of the text. If you can read Hebrew letters and love the music of language, this discussion will welcome you in—offering both insight and delight.

Rabbi Helen Plotkin is founder and director of Mekom Torah, a Jewish learning project with online offerings for adults and families. She taught Biblical Hebrew at Swarthmore College for 20 years, and she co-founded the Swarthmore Beit Midrash for the study of Classical Jewish Texts. She has taught Biblical Hebrew and other subjects at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. You can read a few of her essays in the Tablet Magazine archives.