Derasha 5 on Bereishis 4:7

TT #160 · Parashas Bereishis · Fourth Aliyah · Passuk 7

Complete Passuk

הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשׇׁל־בּֽוֹ׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Niddah 30b (verified).

E-Daf image (Niddah 30b)

Chazal

Chazalדָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: [בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַוָּלָד בִּמְעֵי אִמּוֹ] מְלַמְּדִים אוֹתוֹ כָּל הַתּוֹרָה, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבָּא לַאֲוִיר הָעוֹלָם בָּא מַלְאָךְ וְסָטְרוֹ עַל פִּיו וּמַשְׁכִּיחוֹ כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ.
Rabbi Simlai expounded: While the fetus is in its mother’s womb they teach it the entire Torah; and once it comes into the air of the world an angel comes and strikes it on the mouth and causes it to forget the entire Torah, as it is said “sin crouches at the door.”
On the daf / in context: The “door” is read as the moment of birth, when prenatal Torah knowledge is erased.
Type of Learning: Prenatal Torah and its forgetting
What Is Learned: The fetus is taught Torah before birth and forgets it when entering the world.