“[The Lord God formed the man] of dirt [afar]” – [read the word] ofer,22Literally, a young gazelle. meaning a young man, as he was created in his full form.23Adam was not created as a baby, but as a full-grown young man. Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon said: Eve, too, was created in her full form. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Adam and Eve were created [with the bodies of people who were] approximately twenty years old.
Rabbi Huna said: [“Dirt [afar] from the ground [adama]”].24Both afar and adama refer to earth, so what is the significance of using both terms? Afar is a masculine word, adama is a feminine word. A potter brings masculine dirt and feminine ground25He mixes coarse clay with fine clay in order to construct the best pottery. so that the vessels he makes will be strong.26Adam was created from two different kinds of earth to make him more robust.
There was an incident involving an individual from Tzippori whose son died. [Some say the mourner himself was a heretic, and] others say that a heretic was sitting before him [to console him]. Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥalafta went up to visit him. He [the heretic] saw that he [Rabbi Yosei] was sitting there and smiling. He said to him: ‘Why are you smiling?’
He said to him: ‘We have faith in the Lord of heaven that you will behold his face [once again] in the World to Come.’ He said to him: ‘Is this man’s grief not enough for him, that you come and aggrieve him further?27With such nonsense. Are there earthenware vessels that can be repaired? Is it not written: “Shatter them like a potter’s vessel”?’ (Psalms 2:9) he asked in bewilderment.28So, too, a dead body cannot be restored to life, as the verse compares man to earthenware.
He said to him: ‘An earthenware vessel is formed with water, and is firmed by fire. A glass vessel, [in contrast,] is formed with fire and is firmed with fire. Yet this one [glassware], when broken, can be repaired, while that one [earthenware], when broken, cannot be repaired? This is astonishing.’
He [the heretic] said to him: ‘It is because it [glass ware] is made by blowing.’ He said to him: ‘Let your ears hear what your own mouth is saying. If this one [glassware], that is made with the breath of mortal man, can be repaired, [that which is made] with the breath of the Holy One blessed be He, all the more so.’ Rabbi Yitzḥak said:29Regarding the aforementioned verse, which compares man to earthenware.
“Shatter them like an earthenware vessel” is not written here, but rather, “Shatter them like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:9) – a potter’s vessel [refers to one] that has not yet been fired, and can be repaired.30So, too, man will be resurrected after death.