Creation of Eve (and Gender)

One of these utterances is this: "Adam and Eve were at first created as one being, having their backs united: they were then separated, and one half was removed and brought before Adam as Eve." The term mi-ẓal‘otav (lit. "of his ribs") signifies "of his sides." The meaning of the word is proved by referring to ẓel‘a, "the side" of the tabernacle (Exod. 26:20), which Onkelos renders setar ("side"), and so also mi-ẓal‘otav is rendered by him "mi-sitrohi" (of his sides). Note also how clearly it has been stated that Adam and Eve were two in some respects, and yet they remained one, according to the words, "Bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" (Gen. 2:23). The unity of the two is proved by the fact that both have the same name, for she is called ishshah (woman), because she was taken out of ish (man), also by the words, "And shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh" (ii. 24). How great is the ignorance of those who do not see that all this necessarily includes some [other] idea [besides the literal meaning of the words]. This is now clear.

Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar also said: Adam was first created with two [deyo] faces, one male and the other female. As it is stated: “You have formed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me” (Psalms 139:5). Similarly, it is written: “And the tzela, which the Lord, God, had taken from the man, He made a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Genesis 2:22). Rav and Shmuel disagree over the meaning of the word tzela: One said: It means a female face, from which God created Eve; and one said: Adam was created with a tail [zanav], which God removed from him and from which He created Eve. The Gemara asks: Granted, according to the one who says that tzela means face; it is understandable that it is written: “You have formed me [tzartani] behind and before.” However, according to the one who says that tzela means tail, what is meant by the verse: “You have formed me [tzartani] behind and before”? The Gemara answers that this verse is to be understood as bearing a moral message, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Ami, as Rabbi Ami said: Behind means Adam was created at the end of the act of creation; and before means that he was first for punishment. The Gemara asks: Granted, it is understandable that Adam was behind, or last, in the act of creation, meaning that he was not created until the sixth day, Shabbat eve. However, before, or first, for punishment, what does this mean? If you say that he was punished first because of the curse pronounced in the wake of the sin involving the Tree of Knowledge, there is a difficulty. Wasn’t the snake was cursed first, and afterward Eve was cursed, and only at the end was Adam cursed? Rather, this refers to the punishment of the Flood, as it is written: “And He blotted out every living substance which was upon the face of the ground, both man and cattle, creeping things and fowl of the heaven” (Genesis 7:23). This indicates that the punishment began with man. The Gemara asks: Granted, according to the one who said that Eve was originally a face or side of Adam; it is understandable that it is written: “Then the Lord God formed [vayyitzer] man” (Genesis 2:7). Vayyitzer is written with a double yod, one for Adam and one for Eve. However, according to the one who said that Eve was created from a tail, what is conveyed by spelling vayyitzer with a double yod? The Gemara responds: This is interpreted homiletically, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, as Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said: This comes to emphasize that which one says to himself in every circumstance: Woe unto me from my evil inclination [yetzer] if I perform the will of my Maker, and woe to me from my Maker [Yotzri] if I perform the will of my inclination. The Gemara asks: Granted, according to the one who said that Eve was a face, it is understanable that it is written: “Male and female, He created them, and blessed them, and called their name Man in the day when they were created” (Genesis 5:2), which indicates that from the very beginning of their creation, He fashioned two faces, one for the male and the other for the female. However, according to the one who said that Eve was created from a tail, what is the meaning of the verse: “Male and female, He created them”? The Gemara answers: It can be explained in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Abbahu, as Rabbi Abbahu raised a contradiction between the verses: On the one hand it is written: “Male and female, He created them,” in the plural, and on the other hand it is written: “So God created man in His own image, for in the image of God He created him” (Genesis 1:27), in the singular. At first, the thought entered God’s mind to create two, and ultimately, only one was actually created. The Gemara asks: Granted, according to the one who said that Eve was a face, it is understandable that it is written: “And He took one of his sides and closed up the flesh in its place” (Genesis 2:21). However, according to the one who said that Eve was created from a tail, what is meant by the verse: “And He closed up the flesh in its place”? Rav Zevid said, and some say it was Rabbi Yirmeya, and some say it was Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: It was necessary to say that the fleshed closed up only with regard to the place of the incision. The Gemara challenges the other opinion: Granted, according to the one who said that Eve was created from a tail; it is understandable that it is written: “And the Lord God built the tzela” (Genesis 2:22), as it was a completely new building. However, according to the one who said that Eve was a complete face or side, what is the meaning of: “And He built”? What needed to be built? The Gemara responds: This must be interpreted homiletically, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya, as Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya interpreted homiletically the verse: “And the Lord God built the tzela.” This verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, braided for Eve her hair, and then brought her to Adam, as in the coastal towns, they call braiding hair building. Alternatively, the verse: “And the Lord God built,” can be understood as a description of Eve’s basic shape, as Rav Ḥisda said, and some say it is taught in a baraita: This verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, built Eve like the structure

Why is 'that it was good' not written in connection with the second day? ...R. Hanina said: Because in it schism was created, [as it is written,] AND LET IT DIVIDE THE WATERS. R. Tabyomi said: If because of a division made for the greater stability and orderliness of the world, 'for it was good' is not written in connection with that day, then how much the more should this
apply to a division which leads to its confusion !

R. Berekiah said: Thus did two men of world renown, R. Johanan and R. Simeon
b. Lakish, expound it: 'And he divided' (wayyabdel) connotes a literal division. Imagine a king who had two chiefs of the guards, one in command by day and the other in command at night, who used to quarrel with one another,
each claiming, 'I must have command by day'. Thereupon the king summoned the first and said to him, So-and-so,
the day shall be your province'; summoning the second he addressed him, 'So-and-so, night shall be your province'. Thus GOD CALLED THE LIGHT [for service by] DAY, saying to it, 'The day shall be thy province'; AND THE DARKNESS CALLED HE [for service at]
NIGHT, saying to it, 'Night shall be thy province' R. Johanan observed: That is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job : (Job. xxxviii, 12) strange 'twere indeed! And caused the dayspring to know its place (ib.) 'twere amazing! hast thou
really made it known which is its place[i.e.time to function] R. Tanhuma said: I can cite the grounds [for
'Hast thou commanded the morning?'
this statement]: 'I form the light, and create darkness, I make
peace ' (Isa, XLV, 7); having created them, He makes peace between them....

Beth Shammai maintain: The heaven was first created; while Beth Hillel hold: The earth was first created....R. Simeon observed: I am amazed that the fathers of the world engage in controversy over this matter, for surely both were created [simultaneously] like a pot and
its lid, [as it is written], When I call unto them [sc. heaven and earth], they stand up together (Isa. XLVin, 13). R. Eleazar b. R. Simeon observed: If my father's view is right, why is the earth sometimes given precedence over the heaven, and sometimes heaven over earth ? In fact it teaches that they are equal to each other.

Everywhere Abraham is mentioned before Isaac, and Isaac before Jacob; yet in one place it says, Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham (Lev. xxvi, 42): this teaches that the three are on a par. Everywhere Moses is mentioned before Aaron, yet in one place it says, These are that Aaron and Moses (Ex. VI, 26): this teaches that they are on a par.
Everywhere Joshua is mentioned before Caleb, yet in one place it says, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun (Num. xxxil, 12): this teaches that they are on a par.
Everywhere a father's honour is mentioned before the mother's honour, but in one place it says, Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father (Lev, XIX, 3) : this teaches that both are on a par.

AND THE STARS (i, 16). R. Aha said: Imagine a king who had two governors, one ruling in the city and the other in a province. Said the king: 'Since the former has humbled himself to rule in the city only, I decree that whenever he goes out, the city council and the people shall go out with him, and whenever he enters, the city council and the people shall enter with him'. Thus did the Holy One, blessed be He, say : 'Since the moon humbled itself to rule by night, I decree that when she comes forth, the stars shall come forth with her, and when she goes in [disappears], the stars shall go in with her.

(1) Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast created all things to thy glory.

(2) Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of man.

(3) Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast made man in thine image, after thy likeness, and hast prepared unto him, out of his very self, a perpetual fabric. Blessed art thou, O Lord, Creator of man.

The Gemara relates: Levi happened to come to the house of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi during the wedding celebration of Rabbi Shimon, his son, and recited five of these blessings. Rav Asi happened to come to the house of Rav Ashi during the wedding celebration of Mar, his son, and recited six of these blessings. The Gemara suggests: Let us say that they disagree about this: One Sage holds: It was one act of creation with which man was created. And one Sage holds: It was two acts of creation with which man was created. The first opinion, that there was one act of creation, is based on the concept that man was created with two sides, one male and one female. There was no additional act of creation. Man and woman were subsequently separated into two independent beings. Therefore, there is no need for the two blessings: Who created mankind, and: Who created mankind in His image. The second opinion is that there were in fact two separate acts of creation. Therefore, it is appropriate to recite two blessings with regard to the creation of mankind. The Gemara rejects that suggestion: No, everyone agrees that it was only one act of creation. However, one Sage holds: It is according to the initial thought that we proceed. And one Sage holds: It is according to the action that we proceed. God’s initial thought was to create man and woman as separate entities. Ultimately, they were created as one entity. That explanation is like the following. Rav Yehuda raises a contradiction. In one verse it is written: “And God created man in His own image” (Genesis 1:27), indicating one act of creation, and in another verse it is written: “Male and female He created them” (Genesis 5:2), indicating two acts. How can this apparent contradiction be resolved? Initially, the thought entered God’s mind to create two, but ultimately only one was actually created.

R. Simon said: When the Holy One, blessed be He, came to create Adam, the ministering angels formed themselves into groups and parties, some of them saying, 'Let him be created' whilst others urged, 'Let him not be created' Thus it is written, Love and Truth fought together. Righteousness and Peace combated each other (Ps. LXXXV). Love said, 'Let him be created, because he will dispense acts of love'; Truth said, 'Let him not be
created, because he is compounded of falsehood'; Righteousness said, 'Let him be created, because he will perform righteous deeds ; Peace said, 'Let him not be created, because he is full of strife' What did the Lord do? He took Truth and cast it to the ground. Said the ministering angels before the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Sovereign of the Universe ! Why dost Thou despise Thy seal? Let Truth arise from the earth!' Hence it is written, Let truth
spring up from the earth (ib. 12).
All our Rabbis say the following in the name of R. Hanina, while R. Phinehas and R. Hilkiah say it in the name of R. Simon: Me'od (E.V. 'very') is identical with
Adam as it is And God saw written,
that He had made, and, behold, it was good me'od (Gen. I, 31), i.e. and behold Adam was good. R. Huna the Elder of
Sepphoris, said : While the ministering angels were arguing with each other and disputing with each other, the Holy One, blessed be He, created him. Said He to them: 'What can ye avail? Man has already been made!