The First Man Spanning Earth to Heaven Until the Angels Trembled

When the Holy One, blessed be He, created man, He created him androgynous, as it is said, "male and female [He created them]" (Genesis 5:2). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: He created him with two faces, then sawed him apart and made him with backs on this side and backs on that side, as it is said, "behind and before You have formed me" (Psalms 139:5). They objected to him: but is it not written, "and He took one of his ribs [tzela]" (Genesis 2:21)? He said to them: it means one of his sides, as you say, "and for the side [tzela] of the Tabernacle" (Exodus 26:20). "Behind and before You have formed me": at first he was created from the earth up to the firmament. And when the ministering angels saw him, they were shaken and afraid before him. What did they do? They all went up before the Holy One, blessed be He, on high. They said before Him: Master of the universe, there are two sovereign powers in the world! At once the Holy One, blessed be He, laid His hand upon him and reduced him, and set him at a thousand cubits.