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: [...]

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.