Another matter, vekorbano, why is there an extra vav? Rav Beivai in the name of Rabbi Reuven: Six, corresponding to the six matters that were taken from Adam the first man, and are destined to be restored by means of a descendant of Naḥshon, the messianic king. These are the six matters that were taken from Adam the first man: His radiance, his life, his stature, the produce of the land, the fruit of the tree, and the lights.
His radiance, as it is stated: “You alter his countenance and sent him away” (Job 14:20). His life, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “For you are dust and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19). His stature, as it is stated: “The man…hid…” (Genesis 3:8); He made his height one hundred cubits.36See Bereshit Rabba 8:6.
The produce of the land and the fruit of the tree: “The ground is cursed because of you…” (Genesis 3:17). Lights: “The moon will be disgraced and the sun will be ashamed…” (Isaiah 24:23). From where is it derived that He sequestered them? It is as it is written: “Their light will be withheld from the wicked…” (Job 38:15).
From where is it derived that they [the six matters taken from Adam] are destined to be restored in the messianic era? His radiance, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Those who love Him will be like the sun emerging in its might” (Judges 5:31). His life: “For like the days of a tree will be the days of My people” (Isaiah 65:22).
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: Tree is nothing other than Torah, as it is written: “It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and its supporters are happy” (Proverbs 3:18). His stature: “I caused you to walk upright [komemiyut]” (Leviticus 26:13). Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: With upright stature, and they do not fear any creature. Rabbi Shimon says: Two hundred cubits; komemiyut, a stature of hundreds [koma shel meyot].
Rabbi Yehuda says: One hundred cubits, like Adam the first man. Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon says: Three hundred cubits, as komemiyut is stated; kof is one hundred, meyot, two hundred. Rabbi Abahu says: Nine hundred cubits. Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Dosa: The source for Rabbi Abahu, as it is written: “For like the days of a tree will be the days of My people.”
The trunk of a sycamore tree endures in the ground six hundred years. This child emerges from his mother’s womb at an expansive cubit.37He grows one-eighth of a cubit each month, so at birth he is one and one-eighth cubits. Go out and calculate one and one-half cubits for each year,38The year has twelve months. The person grows twelve-eighths of a cubit in one year, which equals one and one-half cubits. you find nine hundred cubits.
The produce of the land, the fruit of the tree, from where is it derived? It is as it is written: “For the seed is of peace: The vine [will yield its fruit, and the land will yield its produce]…” (Zechariah 8:12). Lights, from where is it derived? “The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun [and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of the seven days]” (Isaiah 30:26).