Our Rabbis taught: Adam was created on the eve of the Sabbath. And for what reason? So that the heretics would not say: He had a partner with the Holy One, blessed be He, in the work of creation. Another explanation: so that, should his mind become arrogant over him, one may say to him: the gnat preceded you in the work of creation. Another explanation: so that he might enter at once into the performance of a commandment. It was taught: Rabbi Meir used to say: as for Adam, the first man, his dust was gathered from the whole world entire, as it is said: "Your eyes saw my unformed substance" (Psalms 139:16), and it is written: "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the whole earth" (Zechariah 4:10).
Adam The Last And First
Sanhedrin 38a
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אָדָם נִבְרָא בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת, וּמִפְּנֵי מָה? שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ מִינִים אוֹמְרִים: שׁוּתָּף הָיָה לוֹ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. דָּבָר אַחֵר: שֶׁאִם תָּזוּחַ דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו, אוֹמֵר לוֹ: יַתּוּשׁ קְדָמְךָ בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. דָּבָר אַחֵר: כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לַמִּצְוָה מִיָּד. תַּנְיָא, הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מִכׇּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ הוּצְבַּר עֲפָרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״גׇּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ״, וּכְתִיב: ״כִּי ה׳ עֵינָיו מְשֹׁטְטוֹת בְּכׇל הָאָרֶץ״.
Themes
Original Sources
- B. Sanhedrin 38a
- Midrash Avkir
- Yalkut Shim'oni 34
- Genesis Rabbah 8:1
- 2 Enoch 30:11
- The Testament of Abraham 8 (rec. B)