“He took one of his sides [mitzalotav]”16Mitzalotav can mean either “one of his ribs” or “one of his sides.” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: “One of his sides” – as it says: “For the side [tzela] of the Tabernacle” (Exodus 26:20). Shmuel said: He took one rib from between two [other] ribs [tzalotav].17Mitzalotav thus means “from the midst of his ribs.” It is not written here, “in its place [taḥteha],” but rather, “in their place [taḥtena].”
Rabbi Ḥanina son of Rav Idi: From the beginning of the book until this point the letter samekh18Here it appears in the word vayisgor, “and He closed it”. is not written. [The allusion is this:] When she was created, Satan was created with her.19Satan begins with the letter sin, which is pronounced like samekh. With the creation of Eve, a course of events was set into action, culminating in Eve’s committing of the first sin, and Satan is the source of all sin.
If a person will say to you [in objection]: “It is that which encircles [hasovev]” (Genesis 2:11, 13), say to him [in response]: ‘Those verses are referring to the rivers.’20Our verse contains the first samekh in regard to the narrative of Creation; those samekhs were merely describing the locations of the rivers. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥak said: The Holy One blessed be He made an enhancement for his bottom so that he would not be disgraced like an animal.21His anus is concealed.
The Midrash interprets taḥtena as “[He closed with flesh] his bottom.” Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Yannai: one said: He made an enclosure and a seat attached to him, so that he would not be uncomfortable when he sits. The other said: He made cushions for him.22All these refer to the buttocks, which are unique to humans. Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Ami: one said: He made burial for him.23i> He understands the phrase to mean, “And He closed the flesh underneath [taḥtena],” that is, underground.
And one said: He made shrouds for him.24He understands the phrase to mean, “And He covered up the flesh underneath [taḥtena],” that is, after death man is covered with shrouds and placed underground.