Tzelem Elohim -- Sources for Art Green's Judaism's 10 Best Ideas

(27) And God created HA-ADAM in His own image (tzelem), in the image of God God created him; male and female God created them.

(18) Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am Adonai.

(1) This is the book of the generations of ADAM. In the day that God created ADAM, in the likeness of God made He him; (2) male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name ADAM, in the day when they were created.

"And you shall love your neighbor as yourself." -- Rabbi Akiva said, "This is the great principle of the Torah. Ben Azzai said: "'This is the book of the generations of ADAM' This is an even greater principle than that."

(5) ... All sacred scriptures render the hands impure. The Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes render the hands impure. Rabbi Yehudah says: The Song of Songs renders the hands impure, but there is a dispute regarding Ecclesiastes. Rabbi Yose says: Ecclesiastes does not render the hands impure, and there is a dispute regarding The Song of Songs. ... Rabbi Shimon ben Azzai said, "I have a recieved tradition from the mouths of seventy-two elders, on the day they inducted Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria into his seat [as head] at the Academy, that The Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes render the hands impure."

Rabbi Akiva said, "Mercy forbid! No one in Israel ever disputed that The Song of Songs renders the hands impure, since nothing in the entire world is worthy but for that day on which The Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the Scriptures are holy, but The Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies! And if they did dispute, there was only a dispute regarding Ecclesiastes."

Rabbi Yochanan ben Yehoshua, the son of Rabbi Akiva's father-in-law, said, "In accordance with words of Ben Azzai, thus did they dispute, and thus did they conclude."

"And you shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your resources..." (Deut. 6:5)... Rabbi Akiva says "With all your soul", this means even if God takes your soul (your life).

The Rabbis taught (in a b'raita): Once upon a time, the evil empire [i.e. Rome] decreed that the Jews could not engage in Torah study. Papus the son of Yehuda came and found Rabbi Akiva who was gathering large groups in public and learning Torah. He said to him: "Akiva, are you not scared of the government?" He said to him: "I will tell you a parable to explain the situation:

"A fox was walking on the riverbank and saw [groups of] fish moving from place to place. He said to the fish: 'What are you fleeing?' They said to him: 'From the nets that people are throwing upon us.' He said to them: 'Is it your wish to rise up on the dry land, so you and I can live the way my ancestors lived with yours?' They said to him: 'Are you the one that people say is the most clever of all the animals? You are not clever, rather you are stupid. In an environment in which we can live, we are fearful; in an environment in which we would die, all the more so!

[Rabbi Akiva makes the comparison explicit] "So too we, now are sitting and learning Torah, as it says: 'For Torah is your life and the length of your days' (Deut. 30:20), therefore if we veer away and stop learning Torah, all the more so [we would be endangering ourselves]."

[The sages] said: It was only a few days later that they caught Rabbi Akiva and tied him up in jail. ... At the time when they took Rabbi Akiva to execute him, it was the time of reading the Shema. While they were combing his flesh with iron combs, he was accepting upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven. His students said to him: "Our Rabbi, is that not enough?" He said to them: "My entire life, I have felt bad about this verse, 'With all your soul...' even if God takes soul. I said 'When will I have a chance to fulfill (the words of the verse)? Now when I have that chance, would I not fulfill it?" He extended the word "One" until his soul left his body with the One.

A heavenly voice came out and said: "Fortunate are you Rabbi Akiva, that your soul left your body at One."

The ministering angels said to Gd: "This is Torah? This is its reward?!" 'O to be among those who die by your hand, Adonai, [to die of old age]" (Psalms 17:14).

A heavenly voice came out and said: "Fortunate are you, Rabbi Akiva, that you are prepared for the world to come."

(3) Another explanation: If thy Brother become poor (Lev. 25:25). Just as it's written: The merciful man does good for his own soul (Proverbs 11:17). This refers to Hillel the Elder who, once, when it came time to part from his students, walked along with them. His students inquired of him: "Master, where are you going?" He responded: "To do a mitzvah!" They said: "And what mitzvah is that?" He responded: "To wash in the bathhouse." They said: "Is that really a mitzvah?" He said: "Sure, look at the images/statues (ikonim) of the kings that stand in theaters and circuses--the guy who looks after them scrubs them and washes them and earns his living doing it. Not only that, he himself is an important person in the kingdom! I--I've been created in the Image (tzelem) and in the Likeness (d'mut), so how much more so [should I wash my body] as it is written: For in the image of Gd did Gd make the ADAM ​(Gen. 9:6).

23 For he that is hanged is a reproach unto God. That is, a degradation of the [Divine] King, for the ADAM was made in the likeness (d'mut) of Gd, and Israel is among his children. A parable: There were twin brothers who were very alike one to the other; one became king, the other was arrested as a highway robber and hanged. Everyone who saw him said--the king has been hanged.

A tannaitic tradition: Rabbi Meir told a parable--to what can we compare this issue? To two twin brothers in one city: one was appointed king; the other went out to be a highway robber. The king commanded [concerning his brother] and he was hanged. Everyone who saw him said: "The King has been hanged!" The king commanded [concerning his brother] and he was taken down.

Rabbi Hoshaya said: When the Holy One of Blessing created the first ADAM, the Ministering Angels erred and wanted to say the kedusha before him. A parable: A king and his governor were in a chariot and the people of the realm wanted to say "Domine" to the king, but didn't know which [was the king]. So what did the king do? He shoved [the governor] and ejected him from the chariot and everyone knew [that one] was the governor. So too, when the Holy One of Blessing created the first ADAM, the Ministering Angels erred and wanted to say the kedusha before him. What did the Holy One of Blessing do? He caused slumber to fall upon him so everyone knew [that one] was the ADAM, as it is written: "Withdraw from the ADAM who has breath in his nostrils, for how little is he to be esteemed" (Isaiah 2:22)