Beraishit - Where are you?

In parshat Beraishit, we have the well-known story of Adam and Chava and their mysterious choice to violate the word of Hashem by eating from the עץ הדעת. Here I will focus on two pesukim that require deeper explanation.

1) Immediately after committing the sin, the Torah tells us:

(ותפקחנה עיני שניהם וידעו כי ערומים הם ויתפרו עלה תאנה ויעשו להם חגרת (ג:ז

"And the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized that they were naked; and they sewed together a fig leaf and made themselves aprons."

        Q: Were Adam and Chava not aware that they were not wearing clothes? Were they not aware they were naked?

2) Adam and Chava proceed to hide from Hashem and as Hashem finds and engages Adam He says, (״איכה״ (ג:ט, read as Ayeka, "Where are you Adam?"

        Q: Did Hashem not know where Adam was? What was He asking in "Where are you?"

The 2nd pasuk first and it will help us understand the first.

Rashi explains that Hashem obviously knew where Adam was, but was attempting to gently help Adam understand what a huge mistake he had made. Later in the parsha, after Kayin kills Hevel, Hashem similarly asks "Where is your brother Hevel?" He obviously knew where he was, but was trying to gently help Kayin admit his sin.

On one level, the message here is that as important as it is to look out for others and to help them see their faults, it has to be done gently, in a way that one can really hear the rebuke.

In a number of his Teshuva Drashot, Rabbi Yissocher Frand develops a deeper understanding in what Hashem was saying to Adam. "Ayeka," Where are you spiritually? In spite of your sin, I still care about Adam; there still is hope to return and connect to Me. The Medrash says - “yesterday you reached until the heavens, encompassing the entire world from one end to the other. You were the work of My hands, My special creation, and where are you today? Hiding among the trees in the garden?

We find a similarity to this word "Ayeka" with sefer "Eicha,"; both are spelled as איכה.

In the book of Eichah (Lamentations) it means, "How could it be?" So combining both understandings we can see that Hashem was saying to Adam, How could you? How could you squander your opportunities? You had so much potential, how could you waste it?

With this, we can understand the 1st pasuk, וידעו כי ערומים הם, they realized they were naked. Adam sins and then wonders was it worth it? For this? For a fruit I gave it all away? Thus, they felt totally naked, totally embarrassed and empty.

The message here is that we all have to ask ourselves: what is my potential? Where has it gone? What am I using it for? We each have a unique mission in life; Hashem gave each of us unique talents and it is our job to constantly re-evaluate if we are using those strengths for the greater good.

Perhaps this is why late on Yom Kippur day we read the story of Yonah. A cursory look at this story has one thinking that Yonah tries to run away from Hashem. The truth is that he was trying to run away from himself; trying to run away from his mission and responsibilities. Chazal had us end this holy day by trying to force us to focus on our potential. Who are we? What can we contribute to the Jewish people and to society? Don't run away from it and be forced one day to be asked by Hashem, "Where are you?"