Thursday, October 20, 2022

Make The Man

Why does it say נעשה אדם by the creation of man?  Why were all the animals created with a partner but man was given a wife only later on? 

וייצר ה אלקים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֗ם עָפָר֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וַיִּפַּ֥ח בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים וַֽיְהִ֥י הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּֽה.  This possuk describes that there are two aspects to man.  On the one hand man is merely a glob of earth fashioned into a specific shape.  On the other hand, man has a G-dly soul placed in him and he can rise to great heights.  These two opposite forces pull at a person all the time.  Therefore, it is the creation of man about whom it is said נעשה אדם for man is not complete on his own, but has to be made into something better depending on his actions.  That is the difference between man's and the animal's partners.  Animals need partners to merely keep the species alive.  The partner of man is part of the נעשה אדם, is part of making man a better person.  As such, he had to desire and ask for a being to perfect himself. 

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