וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם — מַאי עַרְמוּמִיתֵיהּ? אָמַר: יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת, הֲרֵי אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ וּמְרַמֶּה בָּהֶם אֶת הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהֵם אוֹכְלִים וְנֶעֱנָשִׁים וַאֲנִי יוֹרֵשׁ אֶת הָאָרֶץ לְעַצְמִי.
English: “And the serpent was cunning” — what was his cunning? He said: I know that the Holy One, blessed be He, said “for on the day you eat of it you shall surely die.” Behold, I will go and deceive the man and his wife with them; they will eat and be punished, and I will inherit the earth for myself.