B'nai Zug - Couples in the Torah

(4) "God returns the solitary ones homeward" (Psalms 58:7). A Roman Matron asked Rabbi Yosi ben Halafta, "In how many days did God create the world?" He replied,ied, "In six, as it is said, 'Since six days God made...' (Exodus 20:11) "And since then," she asked, "what has God been doing?" "God sits and pairs couples: the daughter of this one to that one.... R. Yosi said further..., for God it is as difficult as splitting the Sea of Reeds."

(18) And the Eternal God said: ‘It is not good that the human should be alone; I will make for it a help meet for it.’ (19) And out of the ground the Eternal God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the human to see what it would call them; and whatsoever the human would call every living creature, that was to be its name. (20) And the human gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for (A/a)dam there was not found a help meet for it. (21) And the Eternal God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the human, and it slept; and God took one of his ribs/sides, and closed up the flesh in the place. (22) And the rib/side, which the Eternal God had taken from the human, God built a woman, and brought her unto the human. (23) And the human said: ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ (24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.

THE ONE WHOM YOU HAVE DECREED — She is fit for him since she will be charitable and will therefore be worthy of admission into the house of Abraham.

Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak says...Heaven matches a woman to a man only according to his actions, as it is stated: “For the rod of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous” (Psalms 125:3). Rabba bar bar Ḥana says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: And it is as difficult to match a couple together as was the splitting of the Red Sea...

Is that so that partner are matched according to one's actions? But Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Forty days before an embryo is formed a Divine Voice issues forth and says: The daughter of so-and-so is destined to marry so-and-so; such and such a house is destined to be inhabited by so-and-so; such and such a field is destined to be farmed by so-and-so.

This distinction of views is not difficult. This statement that Rav Yehuda says in the name of Rav is with regard to a first match [zivug], while this statement of Rabba bar bar Ḥana in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan is with regard to a second match.

A Roman Matron asked Rabbi Yosi ben Halafta, "In how many days did God create the world?" He said, "In six, as it is said, 'Since six days God made...' (Exodus 20:11) "And since then," she asked, "what has God been doing?" "God sits [on the Heavenly Throne] and makes matches: the daughter of this one to that one, the wife [i.e. widow] of this one to that one, the money of this one to that one," responded R. Yosi. "And for merely this you believe in G!d!" she said. "Even I can do that. I have many slaves, both male and female. In no time at all, I can match them for marriage." R. Yosi, "Though this may be an easy thing for you to do, for God it is as difficult as splitting the Sea of Reeds." Whereupon, Rabbi Yosi took his leave. What did she do? The Matron lined up a thousand male and a thousand female slaves and said you marry you, and married them all off that night. The next day, one slave had his head bashed in, another had lost an eye, while a third hobbled because of a broken leg. She said to them: "What happened to you?" and they each said to her: "I don't want this one" [with whom you matched me]." Immediately, she sent for and summoned R. Yosi and she said: "There is no God like your God, and your Torah is true, pleasing and praiseworthy. You spoke wisely."

He said to her, "Didn't I tell you, if it appears easy in your eyes, it is difficult for the Holy One Blessed Be He like splitting the sea." "What do you think? That The Holy One Blessed Be He, is marrying them against their will but not for their benefit?!?" This is why it states "God returns the solitary ones homeward, and brings out the chained ones with their bindings" (Psalms 58:7) What is binding (Kosharot), Crying (Bechi) and sing (Shirot). The one who wants [their spouse] sings, the one who doesn't want their spouse cries.

(1) Rabbi Yirmiyah son of Elazar said, when G!d created the first earthling, it was created an androgninus [intersex]; thus is it written, "male and female did G!d create them."

Rabbi Shmuel son of Nachman said, when G!d created the first earthling, G!d created him with two faces, one on each side, and G!d [later] split him along the middle, forming two backs. They [other rabbis] challenged him: saying but is it not written, "And G!d took one of his ribs!" Shmuel replied saying ,"mitzalotav" doesn't mean rib, but rather one of its sides.