Our Gemara on Amud Aleph continues its discussion of various indirect forms of murder, including the case of one who causes a snake to bite a person.
There is a dispute regarding how direct this action is, and according to our Gemara’s analysis, it depends on where the venom is located. Rabbi Yehuda holds that the venom is upon the snake’s fangs. Therefore, in this case, the entire action is performed by the individual who embeds the fangs into the victim’s skin. The snake is passive. Consequently, the one who causes the snake to bite is liable to be executed by beheading with a sword as a murderer, while the snake is exempt.
However, according to the statement of the Rabbis, a snake actively discharges its venom. In this view, the snake directly causes the death, while the person who embeds the fangs is merely an indirect cause.
As a result, the snake is executed by stoning (as is the case for any animal that kills), while the one who caused the snake to bite is exempt from execution.
The phrase "the venom is upon the snake’s fangs" carries a deeper meaning. Sefer Daf al Daf quotes the Gra, who, in his characteristic style, plays with the Hebrew letters to reveal a hidden insight. The two primary agents of sin are the snake (nachash), which served as the seducer in the Garden of Eden, and Satan. The Hebrew words nachash (נחש) and Satan (שטן) both contain the letters Shin (ש) and Nun (נ)—which also form the Hebrew word for tooth (shen). In between these "teeth" of nachash and Satan lie the letters Chet (ח) and Tet (ט), which together spell chet (חטא), meaning sin.
Thus, both literally and figuratively, the poison—the sin—lies between the “teeth” of the nachash and Satan.
This is a clever drash, but would the Gra engage in mere wordplay without a deeper message? There must be more to it. In the metaphor, the toxin already rests on the surface of the fangs before they puncture the skin; it is not something produced later by the snake. The sinner, seduced by his desires, often justifies himself by claiming, “It came upon me suddenly,” “I had no idea this would happen,” or “Things just got out of control.” Similarly, the murderer might argue that he did not inject the venom—the snake did. But the truth is that the potential for sin was already there; he merely turned a blind eye to his true motives. Just as chet (חטא) is already embedded within the words nachash and Satan, so too, sin is already present in potential before the final act occurs.
There is a wise saying in the recovery community: “The alcoholic loses his sobriety long before he takes his first drink.” This is a profound idea. The alcoholic has already begun rationalizing, justifying, and mentally preparing for his relapse long before his self-control erodes and he actually drinks.
A similar dynamic is subtly hinted at in the story of Yosef and Potiphar’s wife. At first, the verses describe how she persistently pursued him while he resisted her advances (Bereishis 39:7-10). However, in verse 11, there is a shift in tone:
"One such day, he came into the house to do his work. None of the household being there inside…"
The wording carries an almost satirical undertone: “One fine, innocent day… Yosef just happened to come back to the house, when somehow no one happened to be home… to do ‘his work.’”
Rashi (ibid.), quoting Midrash Tanchuma and Gemara Sotah (37), explains that Potiphar’s wife pretended to be ill so she could stay home alone, knowing that Yosef, who refused to participate in idolatrous rituals, would also remain behind. Yet Rashi also brings an additional interpretation—“he came to do his work”—implying that Yosef himself was beginning to weaken and consider giving in to his desires.
Did he know she would be there? No—she was supposed to be at the temple. But was this truly an unforeseen moral challenge, or was it a subconscious setup? Deep down, did he suspect, or even hope, that she might be home?
This is what the Gra means: the sin is already on the fangs of the snake. The sinner often deceives himself, claiming that the Golden Calf simply “magically popped out of the fire” (see Shemos 32:24, Rashi, and Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer 45:5). But in reality, sin is rarely spontaneous. The distorted and entitled thinking that leads to sin is already active long before the moment of temptation.
We must never underestimate our ability to deny or minimize the poison when, in truth, it is already right there—on the surface, waiting to strike.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation 
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Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, LCSW-R, DHL is a psychotherapist who works with high conflict couples and families as well male sexual health. He can be reached via email at simchafeuerman@gmail.com