Adam’s Apple

Rabbi Meir said, “The tree that Adam ate from was a grapevine, because nothing brings weeping to the world except for (drinking) wine."

A beraita on our daf quotes three opinions for the identity of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Rabbi Meir says it was a grape, Rabbi Yehuda holds it was wheat, and Rabbi Nechemia contends that it was a fig.

All three of three fruits have the potential to ferment and become intoxicating drinks. Overdoing the consumption of wine or alcohol is known to cause a person to act foolishly and even dangerously. Although other opinions of the identity of “Adam’s fruit” are also cited in the Talmud, there is no mention of “the apple” as being the identity of the forbidden fruit.

Sanhedrin 70a

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