Not Good to be Alone: Partnership and Community

God said, “It is not good for human to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him.”

God said, “It is not good for human to be alone" (Gen 2:18). We have learned: By ten utterances the world was created, and these are they: In the beginning God created (Gen. I, 1); And the spirit (ruah) of God hovered (ib. 2)2; And God said: Let there be light (ib. 3); And God said: Let there be a firmament (ib. 6); And God said: Let the waters be gathered together (ib. 9); And God said: Let the earth put forth grass (ib.11); And God said: Let there be lights (ib.14) And God said: Let the waters swarm (ib. 20); And God said: Let the earth bring forth (ib. 24); And God said: Let us make man (ib. 26).

Menahem b. R. Jose excluded, 'And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters,' and include AND GOD SAID: IT IS NOT GOOD THAT THE MAN SHOULD BE ALONE.

R. Jacob b. R. Kirshai said: A separate command was devoted to the wind.

God created the human from the ground (Gen 2:19)....

Rabbi Acha said: "at the time that the Holy One set out to create the earth-dweller, all the angels gathered around. God responded: "let us make adam...". They responded to God: "what good is this earth dweller?

God replied: "adam's will be filled with wisdom--more, in fact, then even you have! I brought all different creatures before you and asked you what their names were, but you did not know. However, when I do the same with the adam, he will answer: 'this one is an ox, and this one is a donkey, this one is a horse, and that one is a camel.

Then I'll ask: and what is your name? The land creature will say: 'it's fitting to me an adam for I was made from the adama (land/earth).

Then I'll ask: "and what is My name?"

Adam will respond: "it is fitting to call you my Master/my Lord since You are the Master/Lord over all the creatures."

He said to them: I am Ḥoni HaMe’aggel. They did not believe him. He went to the study hall, where he heard the Sages say about one scholar: His halakhot are as enlightening and as clear as in the years of Ḥoni HaMe’aggel, for when Ḥoni HaMe’aggel would enter the study hall he would resolve for the Sages any difficulty they had. Ḥoni said to them: I am he, but they did not believe him and did not pay him proper respect. Ḥoni became very upset, prayed for mercy, and died. Rava said: This explains the folk saying that people say: Either friendship or death, as one who has no friends is better off dead.