Question
Did Adam have the option of not eating from the Tree of Knowledge? What would have happened if he hadn’t?
Answer
Man was created with free will; that’s why he can be rewarded or punished for his actions. How free will is reconciled with G-d’s knowledge of future events is a classical philosophical problem, but Adam definitely had the option of not eating from the tree. If he had not eaten from it, he would have remained innocent and would have enjoyed an immortal, labor-free existence in the Garden. Since he did eat from it, the world became as we know it; it isn’t paradise, but it’s full of challenges that provide us with daily opportunities for spiritual development.