Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Midrash for Eruvin 35:28

דבר אחר ויבן ה' אלהים אמר רב חסדא ואמרי לה במתניתא תנא מלמד שבנאה הקב"ה לחוה כבניין

but according to him who explained: 'A full face', what [could be the significance of] 'And He builded'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra p. 124, n. 9.');"><sup>69</sup></span> - In agreement with that which has been stated by R'Simeon B'Menassia. For R'Simeon B'Menassia made the following exposition: 'And the Lord God builded the side'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. II, 22.');"><sup>70</sup></span> teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, plaited Eve's hair<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Dressed Eve' (Jast.) .');"><sup>71</sup></span> and then brought her to Adam,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the first man'.');"><sup>72</sup></span> for in the sea-towns a plait<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or 'network'. t,hhbc hbc');"><sup>73</sup></span> is called 'building'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ber. 61a, Nid. 45b, Shab. 95a. rt. 'to build'.');"><sup>74</sup></span> Another interpretation of 'And the Lord God builded':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. II, 22.');"><sup>70</sup></span> R'Hisda stated [or, as others say, it was taught in Baraitha]: This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The expression 'builded'. ihbcf');"><sup>75</sup></span> teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, built Eve in the shape<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'like a building'.');"><sup>76</sup></span>

Bereishit Rabbah

(1) 'And E-lohim said 'let's make Adam in our image, as our likeness' (Gen. 1:26) - Rabbi Yochanan opened with 'You hedge me before and behind; You lay Your hand upon me' (Ps. 139:5) and rabbi Yochanan said: 'if Adam had merits, he eats two worlds, as it's written 'You formed me before/achor and behind/kedem', and if not, he comes to receive judgment and accounting, as its written 'You lay Your hand upon me'. Said R. Yirmiyah ben Elazar: In the hour when the Holy One created the first human, He created him [as] an androgyne [androginos], as it is said, “male and female He created them”. Said Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: In the hour when the Holy One created the first human, He created him double-faced [du-par’tsufin], and sawed him and made him backs, a back here and a back [t]here, as it is said, “Before/achor and behind/kedem You formed me” [Ps. 139:5]. They objected to him: But it says, “He took one of his ribs [tsale'otav]” [Gen. 2:21]! He said to them: [It means, one of] his sides [sit’rohi], just as you would say, “And for the side [tsela] of the Tabernacle [mishkan]” [Ex 26:20], which they translate [in Aramaic] “for the side [setar] of the mishkan”. Rabbi Tanchuma in the name of Rabbi Banayah, and Rabbi Berachyah in the name of R. Elazar said: 'In the time that the Holy One of Blessing created the First Human [Adam HaRishon], [as] a golem He created him and he was extended from [one] end of the world and unto its [other] end – that’s what is written: “Your eyes did see my unformed substance [golmi], [and in Your book they were all written, even the days that were yet to be fashioned, when there was none of them.]” [Ps 139:16]. Rabbi Yehoshua bar Nechemiah and Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon said in Rabbi Elazar’s name said: He created him [Adam] filling the whole world. From where [do we know he extended] from the East to West? That it’s said: “Back [achor / after, the place of sunset] and before [kedem/East] You formed me [tsartani / enclosed me]” [Ps 139:5]. From where [do we know that he extended] from North to South? As it’s said: “and from the edge of the heavens and until the edge of the heavens” [Deut. 4:32]. And from where [that he filled] even the world’s hollow-space? That it’s said: “You laid Your palm upon me” [Ps 139:5] and as you say "Your palm is far away from me" [Job 13:21]. Said Rabbi Eleazar: Achor means before the deeds of the first day, Kedem means after the deeds of the last day. This is [also] the opinion of Rabbi Eleazar, as Rabbi Eleazar said: "'Let the earth bring forth nefesh chayah [living soul] after its kind [cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind.' And it was so.]" (Gen. 1:24) - this is the spirit of First Human [Adam HaRishon]. Said Rabbi Shime'on Ben Lakish: Achor means for the last [acharon] day, and Kedem means for the first day. This is the opinion of Rabbi Shime'on Ben Lakish, since Resh Lakish said: "And the spirit of God hovered above the surface" (Gen 1:2) - this is the spirit of King Mashiach, like you say: "And the spirit of Ad-nai shall rest upon him [the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Ad-nai]." (Isaiah 11:2) - if a human being merits, we say to him: 'you were created before the angels of service'; and if not we say to him: 'a fly was before you, a mosquito was before you, a worm was before you.' Said Rabbi Nachman: Achor means [after] all deeds, Kedem means [before] all punishments. Rabbi Shmuel said: even for praise the Human only came at the end, since it says "Praise y'all Ad-nai from the heavens" (Psalms 148:1) it says all the portion, then it says "Praise y'all Ad-nai from the earth" (Psalms 148:7) and says all the portion, and after that it says (Psalms 148:11) "Kings of the earth and all peoples" and "Young men and also maidens" (Psalms 148:12). Said Rabbi Simlai: just as his praise comes only after the animals, the wild animals and the birds; so too his covenant [brit] comes only after the animals, the wild animals and the birds. What is his [Simlai's] reasoning? It is written "And God said: 'Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures" (Genesis 1:20) and then "And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind" (Genesis 1:24) and then "And God created the Human in His own image" (Genesis 1:27).
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