Pt2 The First Man: Talmudic Reflections on Adam's Creation (Sanhedrin 38a-39b)

This is the second part of a two-part series. The first part is here.

Four reasons why Adam was created on Friday

The Talmud quotes a baraita that explains that Adam was created on Friday for several reasons:¹

1. To prevent heretics from claiming that God had “a partner” in creation.²

2. To humble those who become haughty by reminding them that even a mosquito (יתוש) was created before Adam.

3. So that Adam would immediately have the chance to observe Shabbat (which starts on Friday night).

4. To have him “enter into a feast immediately” (i.e. the Shabbat meal, on Friday night), symbolizing that the world was prepared for him, similar to a king who prepares a palace and feast before bringing in guests.

ת"ר: 

אדם נברא בערב שבת 

1. ומפני מה שלא יהו המינים אומרים: שותף היה לו להקדוש ברוך הוא במעשה בראשית 

2. דבר אחר: שאם תזוח דעתו עליו, אומר לו: יתוש קדמך במעשה בראשית 

3. דבר אחר: כדי שיכנס למצוה מיד

4. דבר אחר: כדי שיכנס לסעודה מיד, משל למלך בשר ודם שבנה פלטרין, ושיכללן, והתקין סעודה, ואחר כך הכניס אורחין 

[...]

The Sages taught in a baraita (Tosefta 8:7): 

Adam the first man was created on Shabbat eve at the close of the six days of Creation. 

1. So that the heretics will not be able to say that the Holy One, Blessed be He, had a partner, i.e., Adam, in the acts of Creation. 

2. Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve so that if a person becomes haughty, God can say to him: The mosquito preceded you in the acts of Creation, as you were created last. 

3. Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve in order that he enter into the mitzva of observing Shabbat immediately.

4. Alternatively, he was created on Shabbat eve, after all of the other creations, in order that he enter into a feast immediately, as the whole world was prepared for him. This is comparable to a king of flesh and blood, who first built palaces [palterin] and improved them, and prepared a feast and afterward brought in his guests. 

[...]

The Dust Used to Create Adam: From the Whole World for His Body, Babylonia for His Torso, Eretz Yisrael for His Head, and Akra De’Agma for His Buttocks

The Talmud quotes a baraita that states that R' Meir would say: The dust that served to form Adam was gathered from the entire world. 

Rav Oshaya, in the name of Rav, says: 

1. Adam's torso was fashioned from dust taken from Babylonia, 

2. his head from dust taken from Eretz Yisrael, 

3. and his limbs from dust taken from the rest of the lands in the world. 

Regarding his buttocks (עגבותיו), Rav Aḥa says they were fashioned from dust taken from Akra De’agma, on the outskirts of Babylonia.³

תניא: 

היה ר' מאיר אומר: אדם הראשון מכל העולם כולו הוצבר עפרו 

שנאמר: [...]

אמר רב אושעיא משמיה דרב: 

אדם הראשון 

1. גופו — מבבל 

2. וראשו — מארץ ישראל 

3. ואבריו — משאר ארצות 

עגבותיו -- 

א"ר אחא: מאקרא דאגמא

It is taught in a baraita that 

R' Meir would say: The dust that served to form Adam the first man was gathered from the entire world, 

as it is stated: [...]

Rav Oshaya says in the name of Rav: 

With regard to Adam the first man, 

1. his torso was fashioned from dust taken from Babylonia, 

2. and his head was fashioned from dust taken from Eretz Yisrael, the most important land, a

3. nd his limbs were fashioned from dust taken from the rest of the lands in the world. 

With regard to his buttocks, 

Rav Aḥa says: They were fashioned from dust taken from Akra De’agma, on the outskirts of Babylonia.

The events of the day Adam was created, hour-by-hour

R' Yoḥanan bar Ḥanina describes the events of each hour of the 12 hours of the day that Adam was created:⁴

1. First hour: Adam's dust was gathered.

2. Second hour: The raw material⁵ was fashioned.

3. Third hour: His limbs were extended.

4. Fourth hour: A soul (נשמה) was cast into him (Genesis.2.7)

5. Fifth hour: He stood on his legs.

6. Sixth hour: He named the creatures (Genesis.2.20)

7. Seventh hour: Eve was “paired” (נזדווגה) with him (Genesis.2.22)

8. Eighth hour: “they arose to the bed two, and descended four”, i.e., they had sex, and Cain and Abel were immediately born (Genesis.4.1-2)

9. Ninth hour: He was commanded not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge (Genesis.2.17)

10. Tenth hour: He sinned (סרח) (Genesis.3.6)

11. Eleventh hour: He was judged (Genesis.3.17-19)

12. Twelfth hour: He was expelled from the Garden of Eden (Genesis.3.23)

א"ר יוחנן בר חנינא: שתים עשרה שעות הוי היום 

1. שעה ראשונה -- הוצבר עפרו 

2. שניה -- נעשה גולם 

3. שלישית -- נמתחו אבריו 

4. רביעית -- נזרקה בו נשמה 

5. חמישית -- עמד על רגליו 

6. ששית -- קרא שמות 

7. שביעית -- נזדווגה לו חוה 

8. שמינית -- עלו למטה שנים, וירדו ארבעה 

9. תשיעית -- נצטווה שלא לאכול מן האילן 

10. עשירית -- סרח 

11. אחת עשרה -- נידון 

12. שתים עשרה -- נטרד והלך לו,  שנאמר [...]

R' Yoḥanan bar Ḥanina says: Daytime is twelve hours long, and the day Adam the first man was created was divided as follows: 

1. In the first hour of the day, his dust was gathered. 

2. In the second, an undefined figure was fashioned. 

3. In the third, his limbs were extended. 

4. In the fourth, a soul was cast into him. 

5. In the fifth, he stood on his legs. 

6. In the sixth, he called the creatures by the names he gave them. 

7. In the seventh, Eve was paired with him. 

8. In the eighth, they arose to the bed two, and descended four, i.e., Cain and Abel were immediately born. 

9. In the ninth, he was commanded not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge.

10. In the tenth, he sinned.

11. In the eleventh, he was judged.

12. In the twelfth, he was expelled and left the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: [...]

Adam was originally massive; he spoke Aramaic

Rav Yehuda, quoting Rav, states that Adam initially “spanned the entire world”. After he sinned,⁶ God diminished his size.

R' Elazar states a similar idea, that Adam's height reached from “the ground to the heavens”.

Rav Yehuda, quoting Rav, states that Adam originally spoke Aramaic.

All of these statements are homiletically derived from biblical verses.

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב: אדם הראשון מסוף העולם ועד סופו היה 

שנאמר [...]

כיון שסרח, הניח הקדוש ברוך הוא ידו עליו ומיעטו 

שנאמר [...]

אמר ר"א: אדם הראשון מן הארץ עד לרקיע היה 

שנאמר  [...]

כיון שסרח, הניח הקב"ה ידו עליו, ומיעטו 

שנאמר [...]

ואמר רב יהודה אמר רב: אדם הראשון בלשון ארמי ספר 

שנאמר [...]

Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Adam the first man spanned from one end of the world until the other, 

as it is stated: [...]

Once Adam sinned, the Holy One, Blessed be He, placed His hand on him and diminished him, 

as it is stated: [...]

R' Elazar says: The height of Adam the first man was from the ground until the firmament, 

as it is stated: [...]

Once Adam sinned, the Holy One, Blessed be He, placed His hand on him and diminished him, 

as it is stated: [...]

And Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Adam the first man spoke in the language of Aramaic, 

as it is stated [...]

Adam was a heretic; concealed his circumcision; and was a disbeliever

Rav Yehuda, citing Rav, states that Adam, the first man, was a heretic (מין).

R’ Yitzḥak states that Adam concealed his circumcision by drawing his foreskin forward.⁷

Rav Naḥman states that Adam was a “disbeliever in the fundamental [of faith]”.⁸

All of these statements are homiletically derived from biblical verses.

ואמר רב יהודה אמר רב: אדם הראשון מין היה 

שנאמר [...]

רבי יצחק אמר: מושך בערלתו היה 

כתיב הכא [...] וכתיב התם [...]

רב נחמן אמר: כופר בעיקר היה 

כתיב הכא [...] וכתיב התם [...]

And Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Adam the first man was a heretic, 

as it is stated: [...]

R' Yitzḥak says: He was one who drew his foreskin forward, so as to remove any indication that he was circumcised. 

It is written here: [...] and it is written there: [...]

Rav Naḥman says: He was a denier of the fundamental principle of belief in God. 

It is written here:[...] and it is written there: [...]

Appendix - Court-Mandated Witness Intimidation in Capital Cases (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 = Sanhedrin 37a)

Mishnah_Sanhedrin.4.5 (=Sanhedrin.37a.10-37b.1)

Warning Against Unreliable Testimony

The Mishnah outlines how courts intimidate witnesses in capital cases to prevent careless or false testimony.

Witnesses are warned not to rely on inference (מאומד), rumor (שמועה), hearsay, or the trustworthiness of another person.

The court reminds them that they will be subjected to detailed questioning and that any lie will be uncovered.

כיצד מאיימין את העדים על עידי נפשות?

היו מכניסין אותן

ומאיימין עליהן:

שמא תאמרו —

1. מאומד

2. ומשמועה,

3. עד מפי עד

4. ומפי אדם נאמן,

שמא אי אתם יודעין —

שסופנו לבדוק אתכם בדרישה ובחקירה.

How does the court intimidate the witnesses in giving testimony for cases of capital law?

They would bring the witnesses in

and intimidate them by saying to them:

Perhaps what you say in your testimony

1. is based on conjecture,

2. or perhaps it is based on a rumor,

3. perhaps it is testimony based on hearsay, e.g., you heard a witness testify to this in a different court,

4. or perhaps it is based on the statement of a trusted person.

Perhaps you do not know that —

ultimately we examine you with inquiry and interrogation, and if you are lying, your lie will be discovered.

The Stakes of Capital Testimony

Witnesses are told that capital law is unlike monetary law:

• In monetary cases (דיני ממונות): the damage can be reversed through restitution.

• In capital cases (דיני נפשות): false testimony cannot be undone — it results not only in the death of the accused but in the loss of all their potential descendants.

הוו יודעין —

שלא כדיני ממונות דיני נפשות.

• דיני ממונות –

  • אדם נותן ממון, ומתכפר לו.

• דיני נפשות –

  • דמו ודם זרעיותיו תלויין בו עד סוף העולם.

The court tells them: You should know that —

cases of capital law are not like cases of monetary law.

In cases of monetary law,

a person who testifies falsely, causing money to be given to the wrong party, can give the money to the proper owner and his sin is atoned for.

In cases of capital law,

if one testifies falsely, the blood of the accused and the blood of his offspring that he did not merit to produce are ascribed to the witness’s testimony until eternity.

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:10)

This is derived from the plural “bloods” (דמי) in the verse about Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:10), which the Mishnah interprets as referring both to the victim and his unborn offspring.

שכן מצינו בקין

שהרג את אחיו,

שנאמר: ״דמי אחיך צעקים״.

אינו אומר ״דם אחיך״

אלא ״דמי אחיך״ –

דמו, ודם זרעיותיו.

דבר אחר:

״דמי אחיך״ –

שהיה דמו מושלך על העצים ועל האבנים.

The proof for this is as we found with Cain,

who killed his brother,

as it is stated concerning him: “The voice of your brother’s blood [demei] cries out to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10).

The verse does not state: Your brother’s blood [dam], in the singular,

but rather: “Your brother’s blood [demei],” in the plural.

This serves to teach that the loss of both his brother’s blood and the blood of his brother’s offspring are ascribed to Cain.

The mishna notes: Alternatively,

the phrase “your brother’s blood [demei],” written in the plural,

teaches that his blood was not gathered in one place but was splattered on the trees and on the stones.

Creation of a Single Human - Adam (Genesis 1)

The court continues with theological and moral reflections.

Adam was created alone to underscore the value of each Jewish life.

Killing one Jew is like destroying an entire world; saving one is like preserving a world.

The singular origin of humanity also prevents people from claiming superiority based on ancestry and blocks heretical claims about multiple divine creators.

לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי,

ללמדך

• שכל המאבד נפש אחת מישראל —

  • מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו איבד עולם מלא.

• וכל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל —

  • מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא

The court tells the witnesses: Therefore, Adam the first man was created alone,

to teach you that

• with regard to anyone who destroys one soul from the Jewish people, i.e., kills one Jew —

  • the verse ascribes him blame as if he destroyed an entire world, as Adam was one person, from whom the population of an entire world came forth.

• And conversely, anyone who sustains one soul from the Jewish people —

  • the verse ascribes him credit as if he sustained an entire world.

Individual Uniqueness and Moral Responsibility

Though all humans descend from Adam, each is unique—unlike coins minted from the same die.

This is seen as proof of divine greatness.

As a result, each person is encouraged to see themselves as if the world was created for them, emphasizing individual responsibility and dignity.

ומפני שלום הבריות,

• שלא יאמר אדם לחבירו: ״אבא גדול מאביך״,

• ושלא יהו המינים אומרים: ״הרבה רשויות בשמים״

ולהגיד גדולתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא,

• שאדם —

  • טובע כמה מטבעות בחותם אחד

  • כולן דומין זה לזה,

• ומלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא —

  • טבע כל אדם בחותמו של אדם הראשון,

  • ואין אחד מהן דומה לחבירו.

לפיכך:

כל אחד ואחד חייב לומר:

בשבילי נברא העולם

The mishna cites another reason Adam the first man was created alone:

And this was done due to the importance of maintaining peace among people,

so that one person will not say to another: My father, i.e., progenitor, is greater than your father.

And it was also so that the heretics who believe in multiple gods will not say: There are many authorities in Heaven, and each created a different person.

And this serves to tell of the greatness of God,

as when a person

stamps several coins with one seal,

they are all similar to each other.

But the supreme King of kings, God,

stamped all people with the seal of Adam the first man, as all of them are his offspring,

and not one of them is similar to another.

Therefore, since all humanity descends from one person,

each and every person is obligated to say:

The world was created for me, as one person can be the source of all humanity, and recognize the significance of his actions.

Obligation to Testify (Leviticus 5:1)

Finally, the Mishnah anticipates reluctance to testify.

Witnesses may say, “Why should we get involved in this danger?”

The answer: withholding testimony is a sin (Leviticus 5:1).

ושמא תאמרו:

מה לנו ולצרה הזאת?

והלא כבר נאמר:

״והוא עד

או ראה או ידע

אם לוא יגיד וגו׳״

The court says to the witnesses: And perhaps you will say:

Why would we want this trouble? Perhaps it would be better not to testify at all.

But be aware, as is it not already stated:

“And he being a witness,

whether he has seen or known,

if he does not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity” (Leviticus 5:1)?

It is a transgression not to testify when one can do so.

“When the wicked perish, there is song” (Proverbs 11:10)

And if the accused is indeed guilty, “When the wicked perish, there is song” (Proverbs 11:10 ; i.e., justice is worth the risk).

ושמא תאמרו:

מה לנו לחוב בדמו של זה?

והלא כבר נאמר: ״באבד רשעים רנה״

And perhaps you will say:

Why would we want to be responsible for the blood of this person?

But be aware, as is it not already stated: “When the wicked perish, there is song” (Proverbs 11:10)?

1. See the previous part, for four reasons why “Adam was created alone”.

2. I.e. theistic dualism or polytheism, as in earlier section.

3. This toponym literally means “citadel of the swamp”.

4. Persumably, from ~6pm Thursday evening, to ~6pm Friday evening (since the halachic day starts in the evening).

5. גולם - see Golem - Wikipedia:

The word golem occurs once in the Bible, in Psalm 139:16, which uses the word גלמי (golmi; 'my golem', 'my light form', 'raw material') to connote the unfinished human being before God's eyes.

6. סרח - this is the same unusual word for sinning used earlier.

7. מושך בערלתו. This phrase is found a number of times in the Talmud. See Wikipedia, “Foreskin restoration” > “History”:

[A]n early form of foreskin restoration known as epispasm was practiced among some Jews in Ancient Rome (8th century BC to 5th century AD).

Foreskin restoration is of ancient origin and dates back to the Alexandrian Empire (333 BC). Males participated in the gymnasium nude and because the Greeks did not practice circumcision anyone who was circumcised was socially shunned. Hellenized Jews stopped circumcising their sons to avoid persecution and so they could participate in the gymnasium. Some Jews at this time attempted to restore their foreskins. This caused conflict within Second Temple Judaism, some Jews viewed circumcision as an essential part of the Jewish identity (1 Maccabees 1:15).

Following the death of Alexander, Judea and the Levant was part of the Seleucid Empire under Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 BC). Antiochus outlawed the Jewish practice of circumcision, both 1st and 2nd Maccabees records Jewish mothers being put to death for circumcising their sons (1:60-61 and 6:10 respectively). Some Jews during Antiochus' persecution sought to undo their circumcision.

Within the 1st century A.D., there was still some forms of foreskin restoration being sought after (1 Corinthians 7:18). During the third Jewish-Roman Wars (AD 132–135), the Romans had renamed Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolian and may have banned circumcision; however, Roman sources from the period only mention castration and say nothing about banning circumcision.

During the Bar Kokhba revolt, there is Rabbinic evidence that records, Jews who had removed their circumcision (meaning that foreskin restoration was still being practiced) they were recircumcised, voluntarily or by force

8. כופר בעיקר - cognate with Arabic kafir.