BEREISHITH 1985

In the Torah portion BEREISHIS  we have outlined many of the basic Jewish concepts: that man is unique and different from the animals; that man's job is to develop the earth; we learn that although we are subject to sin, we have the power to overcome it, etc.  We also learn a basic Jewish concept from the way G-d created Adam and Eve.  It mentions in the sixth day that "G-d created man in His image, in the image of G-d He created him male and female He created them."  

In the first creation stories in the Bible the rabbis learn that man was created hermaphrodite, androgynous.  The first man was both man and woman.  In the second creation story in the second chapter of Genesis, we learn how Eve was created from man.  It says "and G-d caused to fall a deep sleep on the man and he slept and He took one of his sides and He closed the flesh in its place." The rabbis interpret the word "Seleh" to be not "rib" but "side."  In other words, G-d divided original Adam in two.  The rabbis ask, if G-d originally wanted there to be male and female in the world, why did He create man both first?  If G-d wanted man to be both male and female, why did He later change His mind?

The rabbis explain that G-d all along wanted there to be male and female, but He created man as one in the beginning in order to teach that man alone is not complete and woman alone is not complete.  The rabbis teach that in order to feel the image of G-d we must reconcile seemingly contradictory principles, that the feminine and masculine concepts must be combined in order to feel G-d’s image.  The rabbis tell us, which is borne out by modern science, that man and woman are different not just in physical organs.  Of course, here we are talking about tendencies.  

We all know people who do not fit this mold.  Men are generally more reckless and adventurous than women are.  Women stress more home, responsibility, and people.  Psychologists tell us that boys stress things more than girls.  Girls stress people.  Boys are more interested in how things work, and girls are more interested in people.  Boys are more aggressive than girls, and, many times, do not want to be tied down.  That's what we always read about in novels, how the boy chases the girl until she catches him, how many times it is the girl who wants to get married, and the boy who really does not until the girl really puts pressure on him.  

These are, of course, just tendencies.  We all know mamas boys who never want to leave home, and we know women who do not want to have children and do not want to have a home, but, generally, it is the male tendency to be adventurous, irresponsible, violent, while it is the feminine role to be more interested in people and family and home and to cultivate relationships.

The rabbis tell us that G-d created Adam originally both man and woman to teach us that we must learn to reconcile opposites if we are to feel His image. In Hebrew the word for “character” is "Midos." The word "Midos" means "measurement." Evil comes to the world when good bursts its bounds, when we do not measure things correctly* Adventure and conquering are important as long as they do not get out of bounds.  The same thing about the female virtues of family, responsibility, of settled life, of cultivating what is.  This, too, if it gets out of hand can stifle all progress and prevent growth. In order to feel the image of G-d we must reconcile both these contradictory inclinations. This is true throughout all life.  There are so many good principles which, if pushed too far, become evil.  

Today we saw how President Reagan diverted an Egyptian plane containing terrorists.  We applaud it, but much of the world say it violated Egyptian sovereignity. National sovereignity, if pushed too far, can only lead to terrible injustices. -The same lesson we learn in the principle of universality, in the principle of differences or particularity.  The Nazis stressed the differences in people and rate them according to their own value system.  We, of course, were valued as useless, and they perverted and destroyed almost all civilization.  The Communists, on the other hand, stress universality. They want to make everyone the same.  They will not brook any differences, and they create also gulags and deaths of many people.  

What is freedom, anyway?  The recognition that people are different and should have the opportunity to express their differences. We must grasp both universality and particularity at the same time in order to feel G-d’s image.  In the rest of the Torah portion BEREISHIS emphasizes this lesson, especially in the story of Cain and Abel.  Cain means to acquire.  He was interested in acquiring things. Abel means breath.  He was interested in human relationships.  Cain did not have any patience with his brother.  His brother got in his way of conquering the world, of acquiring everything.  He eventually killed his brother because of it.  

In life we must embrace contradictory principles and reconcile them if we are to feel the image of G-d, and we have to put everything in the proper context. I am reminded of the story they tell about a man who was arrested for drunk driving because he could not find his driver's registration in the glove compartment.  His defense attorney questioned the patrolman and said, "Wasn't it dark?" The officer said, "Yes, it was very dark." The attorney asked, "Wasn't the glove compartment cluttered?"  The officer replied, "Yes, it was cluttered." The attorney asked, "How could you maintain that my client was drunk just because he spent five minutes looking for a small piece of paper in a cluttered glove compartment?" The officer replied, "I can claim this because he was sitting in my patrol car when he searched through the glove compartment." To put everything in the proper context you must be able to reconcile contradictory principles if we are to feel the image of G-d.