1. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 2.7 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 2.7. וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה׃ | 2.7. Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Job, 26.10-26.12, 38.8-38.10 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 26.11. עַמּוּדֵי שָׁמַיִם יְרוֹפָפוּ וְיִתְמְהוּ מִגַּעֲרָתוֹ׃ 26.12. בְּכֹחוֹ רָגַע הַיָּם ובתובנתו [וּבִתְבוּנָתוֹ] מָחַץ רָהַב׃ 38.8. וַיָּסֶךְ בִּדְלָתַיִם יָם בְּגִיחוֹ מֵרֶחֶם יֵצֵא׃ 38.9. בְּשׂוּמִי עָנָן לְבֻשׁוֹ וַעֲרָפֶל חֲתֻלָּתוֹ׃ | 26.10. He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, Unto the confines of light and darkness." 26.11. The pillars of heaven tremble And are astonished at His rebuke." 26.12. He stirreth up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He smiteth through Rahab." 38.8. Or who shut up the sea with doors, When it broke forth, and issued out of the womb;" 38.9. When I made the cloud the garment thereof, And thick darkness a swaddlingband for it," 38.10. And prescribed for it My decree, And set bars and doors," |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Leviticus, 19.18 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 19.18. לֹא־תִקֹּם וְלֹא־תִטֹּר אֶת־בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה׃ | 19.18. Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." |
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4. Hebrew Bible, Nahum, 1.4 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 1.4. גּוֹעֵר בַּיָּם וַיַּבְּשֵׁהוּ וְכָל־הַנְּהָרוֹת הֶחֱרִיב אֻמְלַל בָּשָׁן וְכַרְמֶל וּפֶרַח לְבָנוֹן אֻמְלָל׃ | 1.4. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, And drieth up all the rivers; Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, And the flower of Lebanon languisheth." |
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5. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 18.15, 89.9, 104.7, 104.9, 105.9, 106.9 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 18.15. וַיִּשְׁלַח חִצָּיו וַיְפִיצֵם וּבְרָקִים רָב וַיְהֻמֵּם׃ 89.9. יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת מִי־כָמוֹךָ חֲסִין יָהּ וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ סְבִיבוֹתֶיךָ׃ 104.7. מִן־גַּעֲרָתְךָ יְנוּסוּן מִן־קוֹל רַעַמְךָ יֵחָפֵזוּן׃ 104.9. גְּבוּל־שַׂמְתָּ בַּל־יַעֲבֹרוּן בַּל־יְשׁוּבוּן לְכַסּוֹת הָאָרֶץ׃ 105.9. אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת אֶת־אַבְרָהָם וּשְׁבוּעָתוֹ לְיִשְׂחָק׃ 106.9. וַיִּגְעַר בְּיַם־סוּף וַיֶּחֱרָב וַיּוֹלִיכֵם בַּתְּהֹמוֹת כַּמִּדְבָּר׃ | 18.15. And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; and He shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them." 89.9. O LORD God of hosts, Who is a mighty one, like unto Thee, O LORD? And Thy faithfulness is round about Thee." 104.7. At Thy rebuke they fled, at the voice of Thy thunder they hasted away—" 104.9. Thou didst set a bound which they should not pass over, That they might not return to cover the earth." 105.9. [The covet] which He made with Abraham, And His oath unto Isaac;" 106.9. And He rebuked the Red Sea, and it was dried up; and He led them through the depths, as through a wilderness." |
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6. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 17.13, 24.17-24.20, 50.2 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 17.13. לְאֻמִּים כִּשְׁאוֹן מַיִם רַבִּים יִשָּׁאוּן וְגָעַר בּוֹ וְנָס מִמֶּרְחָק וְרֻדַּף כְּמֹץ הָרִים לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּכְגַלְגַּל לִפְנֵי סוּפָה׃ 24.17. פַּחַד וָפַחַת וָפָח עָלֶיךָ יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ׃ 24.18. וְהָיָה הַנָּס מִקּוֹל הַפַּחַד יִפֹּל אֶל־הַפַּחַת וְהָעוֹלֶה מִתּוֹךְ הַפַּחַת יִלָּכֵד בַּפָּח כִּי־אֲרֻבּוֹת מִמָּרוֹם נִפְתָּחוּ וַיִּרְעֲשׁוּ מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ׃ 24.19. רֹעָה הִתְרֹעֲעָה הָאָרֶץ פּוֹר הִתְפּוֹרְרָה אֶרֶץ מוֹט הִתְמוֹטְטָה אָרֶץ׃ 50.2. מַדּוּעַ בָּאתִי וְאֵין אִישׁ קָרָאתִי וְאֵין עוֹנֶה הֲקָצוֹר קָצְרָה יָדִי מִפְּדוּת וְאִם־אֵין־בִּי כֹחַ לְהַצִּיל הֵן בְּגַעֲרָתִי אַחֲרִיב יָם אָשִׂים נְהָרוֹת מִדְבָּר תִּבְאַשׁ דְּגָתָם מֵאֵין מַיִם וְתָמֹת בַּצָּמָא׃ | 17.13. The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters; But He shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, And shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, And like the whirling dust before the storm." 24.17. Terror, and the pit, and the trap, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth." 24.18. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the terror shall fall into the pit; And he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the trap; For the windows on high are opened, And the foundations of the earth do shake;" 24.19. The earth is broken, broken down, The earth is crumbled in pieces, The earth trembleth and tottereth;" 24.20. The earth reeleth to and fro like a drunken man, And swayeth to and fro as a lodge; And the transgression thereof is heavy upon it, And it shall fall, and not rise again." 50.2. Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish become foul, because there is no water, And die for thirst." |
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7. Hebrew Bible, Jeremiah, 5.22 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 5.22. הַאוֹתִי לֹא־תִירָאוּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה אִם מִפָּנַי לֹא תָחִילוּ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי חוֹל גְּבוּל לַיָּם חָק־עוֹלָם וְלֹא יַעַבְרֶנְהוּ וַיִּתְגָּעֲשׁוּ וְלֹא יוּכָלוּ וְהָמוּ גַלָּיו וְלֹא יַעַבְרֻנְהוּ׃ | 5.22. Fear ye not Me? saith the LORD; Will ye not tremble at My presence? Who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, An everlasting ordice, which it cannot pass; And though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; Though they roar, yet can they not pass over it." |
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8. Anon., 1 Enoch, 75.2, 82.4-82.7, 101.4, 101.6-101.7 (3rd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 75.2. reckoned in the reckoning of the year. And owing to them men go wrong therein, for those luminaries truly render service on the world-stations, one in the first portal, one in the third portal of the heaven, one in the fourth portal, and one in the sixth portal, and the exactness of the year i 82.4. Blessed are all the righteous, blessed are all those who walk In the way of righteousness and sin not as the sinners, in the reckoning of all their days in which the sun traverses the heaven, entering into and departing from the portals for thirty days with the heads of thousands of the order of the stars, together with the four which are intercalated which divide the four portions of the year, which 82.5. lead them and enter with them four days. Owing to them men shall be at fault and not reckon them in the whole reckoning of the year: yea, men shall be at fault, and not recognize them 82.6. accurately. For they belong to the reckoning of the year and are truly recorded (thereon) for ever, one in the first portal and one in the third, and one in the fourth and one in the sixth, and the year is completed in three hundred and sixty-four days. 82.7. And the account thereof is accurate and the recorded reckoning thereof exact; for the luminaries, and months and festivals, and years and days, has Uriel shown and revealed to me, to whom the 101.4. words against His righteousness: therefore ye shall have no peace. And see ye not the sailors of the ships, how their ships are tossed to and fro by the waves, and are shaken by the winds, and are 101.6. perish therein. Are not the entire sea and all its waters, and all its movements, the work of the Most 101.7. High, and has He not set limits to its doings, and confined it throughout by the sand And at His reproof it is afraid and dries up, and all its fish die and all that is in it; But ye sinners that are |
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9. Anon., Jubilees, 2.2-2.3, 6.32 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 2.2. Write the complete history of the creation, how in six days the Lord God finished all His works and all that He created, and kept Sabbath on the seventh day and hallowed it for all ages, and appointed it as a sign for all His works. 2.3. For on the first day He created the heavens which are above and the earth and the waters and all the spirits which serve before Him 6.32. this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraven concerning it celebrate it. |
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10. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 3.30, 4.7-4.10, 14.18, 16.4, 16.17-16.18, 16.20-16.23, 16.26-16.28, 17.11-17.14, 17.17, 17.19-17.20, 17.22-17.23, 17.29-17.32, 18.3, 29.12, 33.7-33.15, 40.17, 40.24, 43.6-43.8 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 4.7. Make yourself beloved in the congregation;bow your head low to a great man. 4.8. Incline your ear to the poor,and answer him peaceably and gently. 4.9. Deliver him who is wronged from the hand of the wrongdoer;and do not be fainthearted in judging a case. 14.18. Like flourishing leaves on a spreading tree which sheds some and puts forth others,so are the generations of flesh and blood:one dies and another is born. 16.4. For through one man of understanding a city will be filled with people,but through a tribe of lawless men it will be made desolate. 16.17. Do not say, "I shall be hidden from the Lord,and who from on high will remember me?Among so many people I shall not be known,for what is my soul in the boundless creation? 16.18. Behold, heaven and the highest heaven,the abyss and the earth, will tremble at his visitation. 16.21. Like a tempest which no man can see,so most of his works are concealed. 16.22. Who will announce his acts of justice?Or who will await them? For the covet is far off. 16.23. This is what one devoid of understanding thinks;a senseless and misguided man thinks foolishly. 16.26. The works of the Lord have existed from the beginning by his creation, and when he made them, he determined their divisions. 16.27. He arranged his works in an eternal order,and their dominion for all generations;they neither hunger nor grow weary,and they do not cease from their labors. 16.28. They do not crowd one another aside,and they will never disobey his word. 17.11. He bestowed knowledge upon them,and allotted to them the law of life. 17.12. He established with them an eternal covet,and showed them his judgments. 17.13. Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,and their ears heard the glory of his voice. 17.14. And he said to them, "Beware of all unrighteousness." And he gave commandment to each of them concerning his neighbor. 17.17. He appointed a ruler for every nation,but Israel is the Lords own portion. 17.19. All their works are as the sun before him,and his eyes are continually upon their ways. 17.22. A mans almsgiving is like a signet with the Lord and he will keep a persons kindness like the apple of his eye. 17.23. Afterward he will arise and requite them,and he will bring their recompense on their heads. 17.29. How great is the mercy of the Lord,and his forgiveness for those who turn to him! 17.31. What is brighter than the sun? Yet its light fails. So flesh and blood devise evil. 17.32. He marshals the host of the height of heaven;but all men are dust and ashes. 18.3. Do not follow your base desires,but restrain your appetites. 29.12. Store up almsgiving in your treasury,and it will rescue you from all affliction; 33.7. Why is any day better than another,when all the daylight in the year is from the sun? 33.8. By the Lords decision they were distinguished,and he appointed the different seasons and feasts; 33.9. some of them he exalted and hallowed,and some of them he made ordinary days. 33.11. In the fulness of his knowledge the Lord distinguished them and appointed their different ways; 33.12. some of them he blessed and exalted,and some of them he made holy and brought near to himself;but some of them he cursed and brought low,and he turned them out of their place. 33.13. As clay in the hand of the potter -- for all his ways are as he pleases -- so men are in the hand of him who made them,to give them as he decides. 33.14. Good is the opposite of evil,and life the opposite of death;so the sinner is the opposite of the godly. 33.15. Look upon all the works of the Most High;they likewise are in pairs, one the opposite of the other. 40.17. Kindness is like a garden of blessings,and almsgiving endures for ever. 40.24. Brothers and help are for a time of trouble,but almsgiving rescues better than both. |
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11. Septuagint, Wisdom of Solomon, 11.20 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
| 11.20. Even apart from these, men could fall at a single breath when pursued by justice and scattered by the breath of thy power. But thou hast arranged all things by measure and number and weight. |
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12. New Testament, Apocalypse, 9.1 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 9.1. The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. |
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13. New Testament, Luke, 8.24 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 8.24. They came to him, and awoke him, saying, "Master, master, we are dying!" He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm. |
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14. New Testament, Mark, 4.39 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 4.39. He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. |
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15. New Testament, Matthew, 8.26 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 8.26. He said to them, "Why are you fearful, oh you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm. |
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16. Anon., Genesis Rabba, 14.4 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
| 14.4. וַיִּיצֶר, שְׁנֵי יְצָרִים, יֵצֶר טוֹב וְיֵצֶר הָרָע. שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיָה לִבְהֵמָה ב' יְצָרִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיְתָה רוֹאָה סַכִּין בְּיַד אָדָם לְשָׁחֲטָהּ הָיְתָה מְפַחֶדֶת וּמֵתָה, וַהֲרֵי אָדָם יֵשׁ לוֹ ב' יְצָרִים, אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר אִידָא (זכריה יב, א): וְיֹצֵר רוּחַ אָדָם בְּקִרְבּוֹ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם צְרוּרָה בְּקִרְבּוֹ, אִלְּמָלֵא כֵּן כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיְתָה הַצָּרָה בָּאָה עָלָיו הָיָה שׁוֹמְטָהּ וּמַשְׁלִיכָהּ. | 14.4. Wayyiyzer: two formations, the good and the evil. For if an animal possessed two [such] formations, it would die of fright on seeing a man holding a knife to kill it. But surely a man does possess these two faculties! Said R. Hanina (rjinena) b. Idi: He bound up the spirit of man within him (Zechariah 12:1); for if that were not so, whenever a trouble came upon him he would remove and cast it from him." |
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17. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, 61a (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 61a. הכל לטובה:,ואמר רב הונא אמר רב משום ר' מאיר לעולם יהיו דבריו של אדם מועטין לפני הקב"ה שנאמר (קהלת ה, א) אל תבהל על פיך ולבך אל ימהר להוציא דבר לפני האלהים כי האלהים בשמים ואתה על הארץ על כן יהיו דבריך מעטים:,דרש רב נחמן בר רב חסדא מאי דכתיב (בראשית ב, ז) וייצר ה' אלהים את האדם בשני יודי"ן שני יצרים ברא הקב"ה אחד יצר טוב ואחד יצר רע,מתקיף לה רב נחמן בר יצחק אלא מעתה בהמה דלא כתיב בה וייצר לית לה יצרא והא קא חזינן דמזקא ונשכא ובעטא אלא כדר"ש בן פזי דאמר ר' שמעון בן פזי אוי לי מיוצרי ואוי לי מיצרי,אי נמי כדר' ירמיה בן אלעזר דאמר ר' ירמיה בן אלעזר דו פרצופין ברא הקב"ה באדם הראשון שנאמר (תהלים קלט, ה) אחור וקדם צרתני:,(בראשית ב, כב) ויבן ה' אלהים את הצלע,רב ושמואל חד אמר פרצוף וחד אמר זנב,בשלמא למאן דאמר פרצוף היינו דכתיב אחור וקדם צרתני אלא למאן דאמר זנב מאי אחור וקדם צרתני כדרבי אמי דאמר ר' אמי אחור למעשה בראשית וקדם לפורענות,בשלמא אחור למעשה בראשית דלא אברי עד מעלי שבתא אלא וקדם לפורענות פורענות דמאי אילימא פורענות דנחש והתניא רבי אומר בגדולה מתחילין מן הגדול ובקללה מתחילין מן הקטן,בגדולה מתחילין מן הגדול דכתיב (ויקרא י, יב) וידבר משה אל אהרן ואל אלעזר ואל איתמר בניו הנותרים קחו וגו' בקללה מתחילין מן הקטן בתחלה נתקלל נחש ולבסוף נתקללה חוה ולבסוף נתקלל אדם,אלא פורענות דמבול דכתיב (בראשית ז, כג) וימח את כל היקום אשר על פני האדמה מאדם ועד בהמה ברישא אדם והדר בהמה,בשלמא למאן דאמר פרצוף היינו דכתיב וייצר בשני יודי"ן אלא למאן דאמר זנב מאי וייצר,כדר"ש בן פזי דאמר ר' שמעון בן פזי אוי לי מיוצרי אוי לי מיצרי,בשלמא למאן דאמר פרצוף היינו דכתיב (בראשית ה, ב) זכר ונקבה בראם אלא למאן דאמר זנב מאי זכר ונקבה בראם כדר' אבהו דרבי אבהו רמי כתיב זכר ונקבה בראם וכתיב (בראשית ט, ו) כי בצלם אלהים עשה את האדם הא כיצד בתחלה עלה במחשבה לבראת ב' ולבסוף לא נברא אלא אחד,בשלמא למאן דאמר פרצוף היינו דכתיב (בראשית ב, כא) ויסגור בשר תחתנה אלא למאן דאמר זנב מאי ויסגור בשר תחתנה א"ר ירמיה ואיתימא רב זביד ואיתימא רב נחמן בר יצחק לא נצרכה אלא למקום חתך,בשלמא למ"ד זנב היינו דכתיב ויבן אלא למ"ד פרצוף מאי ויבן,לכדר"ש בן מנסיא דדרש ר"ש בן מנסיא מאי דכתיב ויבן ה' את הצלע מלמד שקלעה הקב"ה לחוה והביאה לאדם הראשון שכן בכרכי הים קורין לקליעתא בנייתא,דבר אחר ויבן אמר רב חסדא ואמרי לה במתניתא תנא מלמד שבנאה הקב"ה לחוה כבנין אוצר מה אוצר זה קצר מלמעלה ורחב מלמטה כדי לקבל את הפירות אף אשה קצרה מלמעלה ורחבה מלמטה כדי לקבל את הולד,ויביאה אל האדם א"ר ירמיה בן אלעזר מלמד שנעשה הקב"ה שושבין לאדם הראשון מכאן למדה תורה דרך ארץ שיחזור גדול עם קטן בשושבינות ואל ירע לו,ולמאן דאמר פרצוף הי מינייהו סגי ברישא אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מסתברא דגברא סגי ברישא דתניא לא יהלך אדם אחורי אשה בדרך ואפי' אשתו נזדמנה לו על הגשר יסלקנה לצדדין וכל העובר אחורי אשה בנהר אין לו חלק לעולם הבא,תנו רבנן המרצה מעות לאשה מידו לידה כדי להסתכל בה אפילו יש בידו תורה ומעשים טובים כמשה רבינו לא ינקה מדינה של גיהנם שנאמר (משלי יא, כא) יד ליד לא ינקה רע לא ינקה מדינה של גיהנם,א"ר נחמן מנוח עם הארץ היה דכתיב (שופטים יג, יא) וילך מנוח אחרי אשתו,מתקיף לה רב נחמן בר יצחק אלא מעתה גבי אלקנה דכתיב וילך אלקנה אחרי אשתו וגבי אלישע דכתיב (מלכים ב ד, ל) ויקם וילך אחריה הכי נמי אחריה ממש אלא אחרי דבריה ואחרי עצתה הכא נמי אחרי דבריה ואחרי עצתה,א"ר אשי ולמאי דקאמר רב נחמן מנוח עם הארץ היה אפי' בי רב נמי לא קרא שנאמר (בראשית כד, סא) ותקם רבקה ונערותיה ותרכבנה על הגמלים ותלכנה אחרי האיש ולא לפני האיש,א"ר יוחנן אחורי ארי ולא אחורי אשה אחורי אשה ולא אחורי עכו"ם אחורי עכו"ם ולא אחורי בהכ"נ בשעה שהצבור מתפללין,ולא אמרן אלא דלא דרי מידי ואי דרי מידי לית לן בה ולא אמרן אלא דליכא פתחא אחרינא ואי איכא פתחא אחרינא לית לן בה ולא אמרן אלא דלא רכיב חמרא אבל רכיב חמרא לית לן בה ולא אמרן אלא דלא מנח תפילין אבל מנח תפילין לית לן בה:,אמר רב יצר הרע דומה לזבוב ויושב בין שני מפתחי הלב שנא' (קהלת י, א) זבובי מות יבאיש יביע שמן רוקח ושמואל אמר כמין חטה הוא דומה שנאמר (בראשית ד, ז) לפתח חטאת רובץ,ת"ר שתי כליות יש בו באדם אחת יועצתו לטובה ואחת יועצתו לרעה ומסתברא דטובה לימינו ורעה לשמאלו דכתיב (קהלת י, ב) לב חכם לימינו ולב כסיל לשמאלו:,תנו רבנן כליות יועצות לב מבין לשון מחתך פה גומר ושט מכניס ומוציא כל מיני מאכל קנה מוציא קול | 61a. bHe does for the best. /b, bAnd Rav Huna saidthat bRav said in the name of Rabbi Meir: One’s words should always be few before the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is stated: “Be not rash with your mouth and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God; for God is in heaven, and you upon earth. Therefore, let your words be few”(Ecclesiastes 5:1)., bRav Naḥman bar Rav Ḥisda interpreted homiletically: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Then the Lord God formed [ ivayyitzer /i] man”(Genesis 2:7), bwith a double iyod /i?This double iyodalludes to that fact that bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, created two inclinations; one a good inclination and one an evil inclination. /b, bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak strongly objects to this: If that is so,does ban animal, with regard to whom ivayyitzeris not writtenwith a double iyod /i, bnot have an inclination? Don’t we see that it causes damage and bites and kicks? Rather,interpret the double iyodhomiletically, bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Shimon ben Pazi, as Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said:This alludes to the difficulty of human life; bwoe unto me from my Creator [ iyotzri /i] and woe unto me from my inclination [ iyitzri /i].If one opts to follow either his Creator or his inclination, woe unto him from the other., bAlternatively,this duplication in the language of creation can be explained bin accordance withthe statement of bRabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar, as Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, created two faces [ idu partzufin /i] on Adam the firstman; he was created both male and female in a single body, bas it is stated: “You have formed me [ itzartani /i] behind and before”(Psalms 139:5); itzartaniis derived from the word itzura[face]. God formed two faces on a single creation, back and front.,It is stated: b“And the itzelawhich the Lord, God,had taken from the man, bHe madea woman, and brought her unto the man” (Genesis 2:22)., bRav and Shmueldisagree over the meaning of the word itzela /i: bOne said:It means bface.Eve was originally one face or side of Adam. bAnd one said:It means btail,which he explains to mean that the itzelawas an appendage, i.e., one of the ribs in Adam’s chest.,The Gemara analyzes this dispute: bGranted,according bto the one who saidthat itzelameans bface; that iswhy bit is written: “You have formed me [ itzartani /i] behind and before.” However,according bto the one who saidthat itzelameans btail, what ismeant by the verse: b“You have formed me [ itzartani /i] behind and before”?The Gemara answers: It can be explained bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Ami, as Rabbi Ami said: Behindmeans Adam was created at the end of bthe act of creation; and beforemeans that he was first bfor punishment. /b,The Gemara asks: bGranted,Adam was bbehind,or last, bin the act of creation,meaning that bhe was not created untilthe sixth day, bShabbat eve; however, before,or first, bfor punishment,to bwhat punishmentdoes this refer? bIf you saythat he was first bfor punishmentin the wake of the episode with bthe snake, wasn’t it taughtin a ibaraitathat, with regard to punishment, bRabbiYehuda HaNasi bsays: Inconferring bhonor, one begins with the greatest; in cursing, one begins with the least significant. /b,The Gemara explains: bInconferring bhonor, one begins with the greatest, as it is written: “And Moses said unto Aaron, and Elazar and Itamar, his remaining sons: Takethe meal-offering that remains” (Leviticus 10:12). Aaron, who was the greatest among those involved, is mentioned first. And bin cursing, one begins with the least significant,as bfirstthe bsnake was cursed, then Eve was cursed, and ultimately Adamhimself bwas cursed.The punishment did not begin with Adam., bRather,this refers to bthe 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); the punishment bbegan with man, then the animals,and ultimately all the other creatures.,Returning to interpretation of ivayyitzer /i, the Gemara asks: bGranted, according to the one who saidthat Eve was originally a bfaceor side of Adam; bthat iswhy bit is written ivayyitzer /i,with a double iyod /i, which allude to the two formations. bHowever, according to the one who saidthat she was a btail,or appendage, of Adam, bwhat isconveyed by spelling ivayyitzer /iwith a double iyod /i?,The Gemara responds: This is interpreted homiletically bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Shimon ben Pazi, as Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi said:This comes to emphasize that which a person says to himself in every circumstance: bWoe unto me from my Creator and woe unto me from my inclination. /b, bGranted, according to the one who saidthat Eve was a bface, that iswhy bit is written: “Male and female, He created them”(Genesis 5:2). bHowever, according to the one who saidthat Eve was a btail, what isthe meaning of the verse: b“Male and female, He created them”?The Gemara answers: It can be explained in accordance with the opinion of bRabbi Abbahu.As bRabbi Abbahu raised a contradictionbetween the verses: On the one hand bit is written: “Male and female, He created them,” andon the other hand bit is written: “For in the image of God He made man”(Genesis 9:6), indicating that man was created alone. bHow, then,does he resolve the contradiction? bAt first, the thought enteredGod’s mind bto create two, and ultimately, only one wasactually bcreated. /b,The Gemara asks: bGranted, according to the one who saidthat Eve was a bface, that iswhy bit is written:“And He took one of his sides band closed up the place with flesh in its place”(Genesis 2:21), as it was necessary to close the side that was open. bHowever, according to the one who saidthat Eve was originally a btail, what ismeant by the verse: b“And closed up the place with flesh in its place”? Rabbi Yirmeya said, and some say Rav Zevidsaid, band some say Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥaksaid: bIt was necessaryto say that bonly with regard to the place of the incision. /b,The Gemara challenges the other opinion: bGranted, according to the onewho said that Eve was a btail, that iswhy bit is written: “Andthe Lord God bbuiltthe itzela /i” (Genesis 2:22); it was a completely new building. bHowever, according to the one who saidthat Eve was a complete bfaceor side, bwhat isthe meaning of: b“And He built”?What needed to be built?,The Gemara responds: This must be interpreted homiletically, bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Shimon ben Menasya, as Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya interpreted homiletically: What isthe meaning of bthat which is written: “And the Lord God built the itzela /i”?This verse bteaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, braided Eve’shair, bandthen bbrought her to Adam, as in the coastal towns, they call braidinghair, bbuilding. /b, bAlternatively,the verse: bAnd He built,could be understood as a description of her basic shape, as bRav Ḥisda said, and some say that it is taught in a ibaraita /i:This verse bteaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, built Eve like the structure of a storehouse. Just as a storehouse isbuilt bnarrow on top and wide on the bottom, in order to hold producewithout collapsing; bso too a womanis created bnarrow on top and wide on the bottom, in order to hold the fetus. /b,With regard to the verse: b“And brought her unto the man”(Genesis 2:22), bRabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said:This verse bteaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, was Adam the firstman’s bbest man. From here, the Torah taught that it is a desired mode of behavior for a greater individual to seek out a lesser individual toassist him and bserve as his best man.The greater individual should help the lesser band should not feel badlyabout it, that it might be beneath his dignity.,The Gemara asks: bAnd according to the one who saidthat Eve was a bfaceor side of Adam, bwhich one of them walked in front? Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: It is reasonableto say bthat the man walked in front, bas it is taughtin a ibaraita /i: bA man should not walk behind a woman on a path,as he will look at her constantly, beven if it is his wife.If a womanhappens upon him along a bridge, he shouldwalk quickly in order to bmove her tohis bsideso that she will not walk in front of him. bAnd anyone who walks behind a woman in a riverin order to see her exposed skin when she lifts her clothing as she passes through the water bhas no portion in the World-to-Come./b, bThe Sages taught: One who counts money for a woman from his hand to her hand in order to look upon her, even if he has accumulated Torah and good deeds like Moses our teacher, he will not be absolved from the punishment of Gehenna, as it is stated: “Hand to hand, the evil man shall not go unpunished”(Proverbs 11:21); one who hands money from his hand to her hand, even if he received the Torah from God’s hand to his own, like Moses, bhe will not be absolved from the punishment of Gehenna,which is called evil., bRav Naḥman said:From the following verse we know that Samson’s father, bManoah, was an ignoramus, as it is written: “And Manoah…went after his wife”(Judges 13:11)., bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak strongly objects to this: If that is sothat you understand the verse literally, what do you say about the verse bwith regard to Elkana,the father of the prophet Samuel, bas it is written: “And Elkana walked after his wife,”and what of the verse bwith regard tothe prophet bElisha, as it is written: “And he arose and followed her”(II Kings 4:30)? bDoesthis verse bmeanthat he bliterally walked after her? Rather,certainly this verse means that bhe followed her words and advice. bHere, too,then the verse concerning Manoah may be similarly interpreted; he bfollowedhis wife’s bwords band followed her advice,and did not literally walk behind her., bRav Ashi said: And according to what Rav Naḥman said,that bManoah was an ignoramus; he did not evenlearn to breadthe basic Torah stories that even children learn bin school, as it is stated: “Rebecca arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man”(Genesis 24:61); they followed him and did bnotwalk bbefore the man. /b,On this topic, bRabbi Yoḥa said:It is preferable to walk bbehind a lion and not behind a woman,and preferable to walk bbehind a woman and not behind idolatry,for then it will appear as if he is accompanying the idolatry. It is preferable to walk bbehind idolatry and not behind a synagogue when the congregation is praying,as he appears to separate himself from the community in that he does not wish to join them in prayer.,This last ihalakhahas numerous caveats: bAnd we only saidthis bin a case where he is not carrying something, and if he is carrying something, this does not apply,as everyone will understand why he did not enter the synagogue. bAnd we only saidthis bin a case where there is no other entranceto the synagogue, band if there is another entrance, this does not apply. And we only saidthis bin a case where he is not riding a donkey, and if he is riding a donkey, this does not apply. And we only saidthis bin a case where he is not donning phylacteries, but if he is donning phylacteries, this does not apply. /b, bRav said: The evil inclination is like a fly and it sits between the two entrances of the heart, as it is stated: “Dead flies make the ointment of the perfumer fetid and putrid”(Ecclesiastes 10:1). bAnd Shmuel said:The evil inclination bis like a type of wheat, as it is stated: “Transgression [ iḥatat /i] couches at the door”(Genesis 4:7); iḥatatis interpreted homiletically as related to iḥitta /i, wheat., bThe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: bA person has two kidneys; one advises him todo bgood and one advises him todo bevil. And it stands to reasonthat the one advising him to do bgood is to his right andthe one that advises him to do bevil is to his left, as it is written: “A wise man’s understanding is at his right hand, but a fool’s understanding is at his left”(Ecclesiastes 10:2).,Tangential to the subject of kidneys, the Gemara cites that which bthe Sages taughtin a ibaraitawith regard to the roles of various organs: bThe kidneys advise, the heart understands, the tongue shapesthe sounds that emerges from the mouth, the bmouth completesthe shaping of the voice, the besophagus takes in and lets out all kinds of food,the btrachea produces the voice, /b |
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18. Anon., Prayer of Manasseh, 3
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