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Why Were Humans Created Twice?


By Menachem Posner

As I am sure you can imagine, there are so many ways of understanding these verses where each word is laden with meaning. The key here is that man was created once, but we are told about it twice, once as part of the Six Days of Creation, and once again. Why is this?

Rabbeinu Bachya explains that each narrative deals with an entirely different aspect of man. The first deals with an animal called man, and the second tells about the reflection of G‑d called man.

The telling in chapter one follows the creation of the rest of the world, and tells of the man who was created after all the other animals. This man is like the other elements of creation, just a bit better. His purpose is to live and prosper at the helm of the planet. To this man, G‑d said, "Be fruitful and multiply…and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the beasts that tread upon the earth (Gen. 1:28)."

On the other hand, the creation of chapter two deals with the G‑dly soul of man—something that is entirely above and beyond the rest of creation. About this soul we read, "...and He breathed into his nostrils the soul of life, and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7)."

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: Dec 22, 2011
Why were humans created twice...
G-d created man - in general. He then created Adam and Eve as his special people in the garden to be the beginnings of the Hebrew people who would eventually also be the chosen people to bring the Messiah. A clue to this separate creation of mankind as a whole outside of the Hebrew people can be found when Cain was sent away after slaying Abel. Cain had no trouble finding a whole city of people where he eventually found a wife - who is NOT described as being one of his "sisters" as she should have been if Adam and Eve were the only breeding humans at that time.
Posted By Anonymous, Mesquite

Posted: Dec 1, 2009
The Answers are in the Torah and the Prophets
Two creations support the physical evidence found on this planet which is pretty hard to deny. Genetically, all of current mankind can be traced to an original male and female which further supports the Torah. Don't be drawn into rabbit holes chasing myths of lillith, these are simply distractions that lead away from the truth.
Don't be decieved by erroneous teachings concerning the name YHVH. Read Jeremiah 23:27 accurately translated from Hebrew and keep in mind as you do that ba'al and adonai have the same meaning (lord/master). There is only one name that the creator gives to Himself and He does so repeatedly. In Deuteronomy 4:2 we are commanded not to add nor take away from His commands. Consider that the next time you recite the Sh'ma with adonai. As for me and my house we will serve YHVH. Decide for yourself whether you will follow the teachings of "man" or the word of YHVH.
Posted By Mark, San Antonio, Texas

Posted: Dec 1, 2009
Elokim versus Havaya
(kind of quick)iElokim and the "shem Hava-a" are 2 different names for G-d. Elokim refers to the creative aspect among others (I am not able to verify the exact meaning right now and I apologise) whereas the shem Hava-a which is rendered in English with Y, W, and H, is the very name of G-d. And indeed it is important to note that this shem Hava-a is the one used when G-d imparts His Divine soul (in turn referred to as the tzelem Elokim, the Divine Image, because after all Elokim is the name used when the world is created and it is this Divine soul that allows us to create).

Since the root of this name is the very root of being, it shows that indeed G-d gave man His being, His essence, the soul that allows man to be G-dly and to create. Yet, both the name of G-d used to describe creation and the name by which we call this Divine aspect of ourselves is Elokim. And that is because no matter what G-d gave us, only He is G-d, but we can create as G-d did and in this creation He is Elokim.
Posted By Unofficial Lubavitcher, Dnepropetrovsk , Ukraine

Posted: Dec 1, 2009
More on Lilith
The references to Lilith that seem to confuse people are metaphoric references in the Talmud and Kabbalah. Lilith is a name that is given to forces of impurity and is probably based on the not very pleasant nature of whatever creature is described in Isaiah.

Regardless, any relation between Adam and "Lilith" is but a metaphor describing the relationship of the evil inclination to man who essentially wants to do the right thing but is often sidetracked because the evil inclination is either easier to follow or entraps him. The evil inclination is a repulsive character, but it is sneaky and can present itself in ways that appear pleasant - be it in the form of a beautiful but evil (or forbidden) mate, illegal drugs, Madoff style investment deals, and many other things that seem beneficial and pleasurable at first but actually are extremely destructive. Such pleasures are fleetingly pleasant to the body, but destroy the soul and in the end destroy the body as well.
Posted By Unofficial Lubavitcher, Dnepropetrovsk , Ukraine

Posted: Dec 1, 2009
Lilith is a myth/summary versus life lesson
The word lilith appears only in Isaiah and has no connection to Adam haRishon (Adam, the first man). Somehow, a legend emerged surrounding this lilith (which seems to be the name of an animal or bird) and was incorrectly and mysteriously converged into the account of creation in Bereishis (Genesis). Lilith certainly was not Adam's first wife according to any Torah or even secular source.

In other parts of Bereishis (Genesis) there is a summary account (ie the introduction of Abraham and his emigration from Ur Kasdim at the end of parshas Noach) followed by a more detailed account (re Abraham and his resettlement this is Parshas Lech Lecha)that really gives the meaning of the events as it shows the people behind them.

It is from the first account that we learn what happened, and from the second account that we learn why it happened and what we are to learn from it.
Posted By Unofficial Lubavitcher, Dnepropetrovsk , Ukraine

Posted: Nov 29, 2009
important
Some important questions have been raised here chabad.org. Please finda wayto address them. People are looking for answers!
Posted By tzivia, brooklyn, ny

Posted: Nov 19, 2009
Why were humans created twice?
So why did G_d create two separate women for Adam? Some writings state that Lillith was the first woman but since she wouldn't be subserviant to Adam, G_d banished her from the Garden; put Adam to sleep and then created Eve in Lillith's place. What is your opinion on this issue?
Posted By Anonymous, Vancouver, WA/Clark
via chabadclarkcounty.com

Posted: Oct 30, 2009
Could man have been created twice? Couldn't this be an explination of evolution? The first man created was the caveman and the second created, Adam is the modern version?
Posted By Kyle, Londonderry, NH/USA

Posted: Oct 30, 2009
Re: The aspects of Hashem
Mark makes an interesting point -- can anyone enlighten me as to what Chassidus says about Adam being "created" twice and if different aspects of G-d were used as Mark suggests?
Posted By Anonymous

Posted: Oct 29, 2009
Why were humans created twice
So do you not draw any distinction to the difference that the first man, both male and female were created by Elohim whereas He that breathed life into man and created a living soul was YHVH?
Posted By Mark Bogart, San Antonio, TX



 


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