The Creation of Gender

(27) And the Almighty created the human (adam) in Their image, in the image of the Almighty They created it; male and female He created them.

(18) The Almighty YHWH said, “It is not good for the human to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him.”

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(21) So the Almighty YHWH cast a deep sleep on the human; and, while he slept, They took one of his ribs (or: sides) and closed up the flesh at that spot. (22) And the Almighty YHWH fashioned the rib (or: side) that They had taken from the human into a woman (or: wife); and They brought her to the human.

(23) Then the human said:

“This one at last is

Bone of my Bones and

Flesh of my Flesh.

She will be called Woman,

For from a Man was she taken.”

(24) It is because of this that men leave their fathers and mothers and cling to their wives, so that they become one flesh.

Rabbi Yirmiyah ben Elazar said: When the Holy One created the first human (adam), He created them as an "androginos", as it is written, “male and female He created them”. Rabbi Shmu'el bar Nachmani said: When the Holy One created the first human, He created them as a double-sided being. He then sawed them in half, creating two backs: one here, one there.

(1) Now the serpent was more naked (cunning/sly) than all the beasts of the field that the Almighty YHWH had made. He said to the woman, “Did the Almighty really say: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?” (2) The woman replied to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the other trees of the garden. (3) It is only about fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that the Almighty said: ‘You shall not eat of it or touch it, lest you die.’” (4) And the serpent said to the woman, “You are not going to die, (5) but the Almighty knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like Almighty beings yourselves, knowing good and bad.”

(6) When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate. (7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves loincloths. (8) They heard the sound of the Almighty God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of day; and the man and his wife hid from the Almighty God among the trees of the garden.

(9) The Almighty YHWH called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (10) And he replied, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” (11) Then They asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree from which I had forbidden you to eat?” (12) The man said, “The woman You put at my side—she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” (13) And the Almighty God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?!” And the woman said, “The serpent tricked me, so I ate.”

(14) Then the Almighty YHWH said to the serpent:

“Because you did this

Cursed shall you be

Beyond all beasts of burden

And beyond all beasts of the field:

On your belly shall you crawl

And dirt shall you eat

All the days of your life.

(15) I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your offspring and hers;

They shall strike at your head,

And you shall strike at their heel.”

(16) And to the woman They said:

“Greatly shall I multiply

The suffering of childbirth;

In pain shall you bring forth children,

And yet, still will you desire your husband,

Even as he rules over you.”

(17) And to Adam They said: “Because you heeded the voice of your wife, and ate from the tree which I commanded: ‘You shall not eat of it’—

Cursed is the ground (adamah)

Because of you.

In suffering shall you eat of it

All the days of your life:

(18) Thorns and thistles

Shall it sprout for you.

And you shall eat nothing

But the grass of the field;

(19) By the sweat of your brow

Shall you get bread to eat,

Until your return to the ground—

For from it you were taken.

For dust is what you are,

And to dust shall you return.”