(כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃
(27) And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
(כז) בצלם אלהים ברא אותו פֵּירַשׁ לָךְ, שֶׁאוֹתוֹ צֶלֶם הַמְתוּקָן לוֹ, צֶלֶם דִּיוּקַן יוֹצְרוֹ הוּא:
(27) בצלם אלהים ברא אותו IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED HIM — It explains to you that the form prepared for him was the form of the image of his Creator.
(כז) בצלמו - של אדם, הוא בצלם אלהים, מלאכים.
(27) “in his image” – the image of man – that was made in the image of elohim - angels.
(כז) בצלם אלהים, מלאך, כי צלם יתברך וצלם מלאך אחד שהכל הוא שכל נפרד אלא שיש בו מעלה גדולה על כל שכל נפרד עד שאין כח בכל שכל נפרד זולתו מי שישיגהו על אמיתתו, כי הוא עילה והם עלילים הוא בורא והם נבראים לפיכך פירש אחר שאמר בצלמו ואמר בצלם אלהים שהוא בדמות מלאך (בנשמה העליונה שנתן בו).
(27) בצלם אלוקים, a reference to an angel. Basically, whether we speak of “the image of G’d,” or of “an angel,” the common denominator is that we speak of disembodied spiritual beings. G’d is distinguished by the fact that none of the other disembodied intelligent beings (angels) amounts to anything at all, seeing none of them can understand their Creator’s essence. This is an axiom, seeing that G’d is the ultimate cause of their existence. He is the Creator, whereas they are merely creatures. This is why Moses added the word אלוקים, when mentioning צלם, to make sure that we get the point that if man is compared to something celestial, he is compared to a creature in the celestial regions, not to the Creator himself.
(2) Some have been of opinion that by the Hebrew ẓelem, the shape and figure of a thing is to be understood, and this explanation led men to believe in the corporeality [of the Divine Being]: for they thought that the words "Let us make man in our ẓelem" (Gen. 1:26), implied that God had the form of a human being, i.e., that He had figure and shape, and that, consequently, He was corporeal. They adhered faithfully to this view, and thought that if they were to relinquish it they would eo ipso reject the truth of the Bible: and further, if they did not conceive God as having a body possessed of face and limbs, similar to their own in appearance, they would have to deny even the existence of God. The sole difference which they admitted, was that He excelled in greatness and splendour, and that His substance was not flesh and blood. Thus far went their conception of the greatness and glory of God..."tzelem" can only concern the soul--the specific form of man, not the properties and shape of his body... "Let us make man in our ẓelem" (Gen. 1:26), the term signifies "the specific form" of man, viz., his intellectual perception, and does not refer to his "figure" or "shape."
(כז) ויברא אלהים את האדם בצלמו, בריאה זו על הנפש נאמרה כמו שאמ' בצלמו לפיכך אמר ויברא להבדיל בין הגוף ובין הנפש כי בסיפור יצירת גופו אמר וייצר ה' אלהים את האדם עפר מן האדמה,
(27) ויברא אלוקים את האדם בצלמו, the expression ברא, i.e. a totally new creation, refers only to man’s soul, as indicated by the word בצלמו, in G’d’s image, something that had not yet been created. The Torah wanted to draw a line of distinction between the construction of man’s body and that of his soul. When describing the construction of man’s body, (chapter 2 verse 7), the wording is וייצר אלוקים את האדם עפר מן האדמה, “G’d fashioned man from dust of the earth, etc;”
בצלם אלהים בראו הרי זה בא ללמדנו כי יש בנבראים ב' צלמים צלם הניכר וצלם אלהים רוחני נעלם והבן:
(27) In the image of God: Behold, it comes to teach us that there are two images among the creations; the image that is recognizable [that he is a man] and the image of God, [which is] spiritual and hidden; and understand [this].
(1) That man is created “in the image of God” is the basis of the Torah. The root-meaning of “the image" is that complete freedom we find in man, by virtue of which he possess free will...the knowledge that man is made “in the image of God” comes to teach that complete, perfect freedom will must exist [as well] in the true, perfect Being, may His name be blessed.
