Parshat Bereshit5 min read

God Made Adam with Justice and Holiness

Avot DeRabbi Natan finds in the two hands of God, Adam's first Rosh HaShanah, the seven ranks of creation, and Methuselah's death a myth of fragile human worth.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Two Hands and What They Made Together
  2. The First Rosh HaShanah
  3. The Seven Ranks of Creation
  4. Methuselah and the Flood That Waited

The Two Hands and What They Made Together

God's right hand was called Just. God's left hand was called Holy. The mountain of revelation, Sinai, was made with the right hand alone, as the psalm confirmed: the mountain His right hand had acquired. But when the source moved to what required both, the list was specific and significant: heaven, earth, the Temple, and Adam.

Adam was made where justice and holiness met. Both hands were required for the first human being, which meant the first human carried law and sanctity together in one body from the beginning. The rabbis who preserved this teaching in Avot DeRabbi Natan were not describing divine anatomy. They were saying something about what a human being is made of and what that costs. A body that holds both law and sanctity cannot be treated as casual clay. It cannot be discarded without consequence. It cannot be shaped without care. It took both hands of God to make it, and what God uses both hands to make has a weight that must be accounted for.

The First Rosh HaShanah

Adam's first Rosh HaShanah began with judgment. He had eaten from the tree. He stood before the divine court and was found guilty. God saw his sincere remorse. God absolved him.

Then God gave Adam the Torah. Not as punishment and not as replacement for Eden, but as a path forward through a world that had become harder than the one he was made for. Torah was what a person could carry when the garden was no longer available to carry nothing.

The event happened in Tishrei. God said to Adam: you shall be the prototype of my children. As you have been judged by Me on this day and forgiven, your children will be judged each year on this day and if they deserve it, they will be forgiven. Adam's forgiveness became the template for every Rosh HaShanah that came after. The day when Israel stands in judgment and hopes for mercy is the same day when the first human stood in judgment and received it.

The Seven Ranks of Creation

Avot DeRabbi Natan laid out seven creations in ascending order of importance. At the bottom, the firmament. Above it the stars, which give light where the firmament gives none. Above the stars the trees, because trees yield fruit. Above the trees the violent winds, because the winds move and the trees cannot. Above the winds the animals, because animals toil and eat while the winds do neither. Above the animals the human being, who can reason where animals cannot.

Above the human being: the angels.

The list placed Adam high in the hierarchy of creation, second only to the beings of pure spirit. High enough that the fall mattered beyond the individual. High enough that what Adam did at the tree sent consequences down through every generation. High enough that the two hands required to make him were not excessive. A being positioned just below the angels required both justice and holiness in its constitution, or it would become something worse than either quality alone could produce.

Methuselah and the Flood That Waited

Ten generations from Adam to Noah, and through all of them God waited. The generations provoked continuously. The flood was deserved long before it fell. But the righteous and pious men among those generations held the water back. God did not bring the flood while they lived.

Some said the key figure was Methuselah. As long as Methuselah was alive, the flood did not come. When Methuselah died, the flood was still held back for seven days. The seven days were the days of mourning for that righteous man. God observed shiva for Methuselah before releasing the waters. The verse says and it came to pass after the seven days, and the rabbis asked what was special about those seven days and answered with the mourning of the righteous.

The flood's delay for one man's death, a man who was not Noah and not Abraham, a man remembered mainly for his age, said something about the weight a single righteous person carries in the ledger of creation. Adam had been made with both hands of God. Every person made after Adam carried that constitution. The presence of even one such person in a generation was enough to delay what the rest of the generation had earned.

Adam EveCreationRosh HashanahJudgmentAvot Derabbi Natan
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Avot de-Rabbi Natan 1Avot DeRabbi Natan

Avot DeRabbi Natan imagines creation through the language of God's hands, not as a body, but as a way to speak about divine action.

Of course, But what's so fascinating is how these "hands" are described, and what they create.

In Avot de-Rabbi Natan, God has two hands, each with its own special quality: the right hand is named Just, and the left is named Holy. Justice and holiness, working in tandem.

Here's where it gets even more interesting: sometimes God uses just one hand, and sometimes both. Why the difference? Well, the tradition teaches us that a holy mountain – and many believe this refers to Sinai, the place of revelation – was created with God's right hand alone. As it says in (Psalm 78:54), "He brought them to His holy realm, the mountain His right hand had acquired."

But Adam, the first human, and the Temple in Jerusalem? Those were created with both hands, with both Justice and Holiness. (Psalm 119:73) says, "Your hands have made me and fashioned me." And (Exodus 15:17) proclaims about the Temple, "The sanctuary, O Yahweh, which Your hands established."

What does it mean that these creations required both hands? Well, the implication is pretty clear: Adam and the Temple, representing humanity and our connection to the divine, are among God's finest, most complex creations. They needed the full force of God's attributes, the perfect balance of justice and holiness, to come into being. The Shloyshe Sheorim explains that God used both of His hands to create the world.

And it's not just these specific examples. The idea of God working with His hands appears elsewhere in Jewish literature. (Genesis 2:7) tells us "the Lord God formed man from the dust of the earth." The Hebrew word used here for "formed" (vayyitzer) suggests a potter carefully shaping clay. It's a very hands-on image!

There’s even a tradition described in Hekhalot (the heavenly palaces) Rabbati 10 where God forms the world out of balls of fire and ice, crushing them together with His hands. That’s some serious divine artistry!

It's interesting to contrast this with the more commonly known creation story in Genesis 1, where God creates through speech. "Let there be light," and there was light. But the tradition of God's hands gives us a different perspective, a sense of active involvement, of shaping and molding the world with care and intention.

So, next time you read about creation, picture God not just speaking, but doing. Imagine those divine hands, working with justice and holiness, to bring forth the world and everything in it. What does that image evoke in you? Does it change the way you understand our role in creation, as partners with the divine? It's something to ponder, isn't it?

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Avot de-Rabbi Natan 1Avot DeRabbi Natan

Adam's first Rosh HaShanah began with judgment, exile, and a repentance so severe that he stood in the River Gihon for one hundred and thirty years.

God, in His infinite mercy, saw Adam’s sincere remorse. And what happened next? He absolved him. Forgave him.

The text doesn't just say God forgave Adam. It tells us that God gave Adam the Torah! Not as a punishment, but as a replacement for the Garden of Eden he had lost. A new path forward.

Get this: this monumental event, this act of divine forgiveness and the gift of Torah, happened in the first month of Tishrei – the very month in which we celebrate Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year).

The story continues with God speaking directly to Adam. He says, "You shall be the prototype of my children. As you have been judged by Me on this day and absolved, so your children, Israel, shall be judged by me on this New Year's day, and they shall be absolved." Wow.

So, according to this tradition, Rosh Hashanah isn't just the birthday of the world; it's the anniversary of Adam's absolution. It's a day when we, like Adam, have the opportunity to be judged and, hopefully, absolved. It's a day to reflect on our actions, to repent, and to strive to be better. It's a chance for a fresh start, a new beginning… a new year.

The story, beautifully retold in Tree of Souls by Howard Schwartz, links the origin of Rosh Hashanah directly to this act of divine mercy. It suggests that every year, when we hear the shofar blast, we're not just celebrating the creation of the world but also remembering the moment God forgave Adam.

Isn't that a powerful thought? That the holiday is deeply entwined with the themes of repentance, forgiveness, and the enduring possibility of a new beginning? Perhaps this year, as we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, we can all take a moment to reflect on Adam’s journey and consider how we, too, can seek absolution and a renewed sense of purpose.

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Avot DeRabbi Natan 37Avot DeRabbi Natan

There are seven creations [in the universe] in ascending degrees of importance. High above everything God created the firmament. Above1i.e. of greater importance and usefulness. the firmament are2lit. ‘He created’, and so throughout this passage. the stars which give light to the world. Above the stars are the trees, because trees yield fruit whereas the stars yield no fruit. Above the trees are the violent winds,2a(2a) The phrase could also be translated ‘evil spirits’. because the violent winds go from place to place whereas the trees cannot move from their place. Above the violent winds are the beasts, because the beasts toil and eat whereas the violent winds neither toil nor eat. Above the beasts is man, because man is able to reason whereas the beasts cannot reason. Above man are the ministering angels, because the ministering angels wander from one end of the earth to the other whereas man cannot do so.

Six things are said of human beings, in three they resemble the animal and in three they resemble the ministering angels.3For this and the next paragraph, cf. Ḥag. 16a (Sonc. ed. pp. 101f). ‘In three they resemble the animal’, they eat and drink like the animal, they multiply like the animal, and they excrete like the animal. ‘In three they resemble the ministering angels’, they have understanding like the ministering angels, they walk erect like the ministering angels, and they converse in the holy tongue like the ministering angels.

Six things are said of demons, in three they resemble human beings and in three they resemble the ministering angels. ‘In three they resemble human beings’, they eat and drink like human beings, they propagate like human beings, and they die like human beings. ‘In three they resemble the ministering angels’, they have wings like the ministering angels, they know what will happen like the ministering angels, and they wander from one end of the earth to the other like the ministering angels. Some say: They can also change their appearance into any form they wish, and they can see but are invisible.

There are eight types of Pharisees:4The commentators without exception correct the number to ‘seven’ in conformity with the parallel passage in Soṭ. 22b (Sonc. ed. pp. 112f) and j.Ber. IX, 5, 14b, and therefore omit one of the types listed here. Cf. below, n. 9. This passage purports to denounce the types enumerated as being eccentric, sanctimonious and hypercritical. the ‘Schechem’ Pharisee,5Either the Pharisee who observes the Torah for what he can profit thereby, like Shechem (cf. Gen. 34, 19) who submitted to the rite of circumcision only from an ulterior motive; or he who carries his good deeds upon his shoulder (שכם), i.e. ostentatiously. the ‘trembling’ Pharisee,6He walks with exaggerated humility, scarcely lifting his feet from the ground, so that he strikes his feet against stones and stumbles. The reading here is נכפאי, in the parallel passages ניקפי; in either case the word must be derived from the root נקף, ‘to strike’. the ‘bruised’ Pharisee,7In order not to look at a woman he walks with closed eyes, so that he dashes his face against a wall and bruises himself and bleeds. The reading here, מקציאי, can only be explained by its parallel elsewhere, קיזאי, ‘one who bleeds’. the ‘pestle’ Pharisee,8He who walks with bowed head like a pestle in a mortar. It is a matter of doubt whether the word מכובאי (or its variant מדוכיא, as in the parallel passages) means the pestle or the mortar. The translation might well be ‘the mortar Pharisee’, i.e. he who wears a large cap on his head in the form of a mortar to cover his eyes. the ‘ever-busy’ Pharisee,9lit. ‘the Pharisee who has work (to do)’. This type is omitted in the parallel passages. the ‘duty-seeking’ Pharisee,10The text makes no sense and the reading adopted is that given in the margin מה חובתי ואעשנה, lit. ‘(who exclaims) what is my duty that I may perform it?’ implying that he has already fulfilled every obligation. the Pharisee from love,11The word in the text defies interpretation and is obviously a corruption. The reading adopted is that found in the parallel passages, מאהבה, ‘from love’, and even this is explained in a derogatory sense, viz. he performs the commandments for love of the reward or to win the love of his fellows, and not from disinterested motives. and the Pharisee from fear.12i.e. fear of retribution.

There are eight things which are harmful in excess but beneficial in moderation:13Cf. Giṭ. 70a (Sonc. ed. p. 334). wine, work, sleep, wealth, business affairs,14Or, ‘travel’, omitting the second word ’ereẓ. hot water,15Either for drinking or bathing. cohabitation and blood-letting.

With seven things did the Holy One, blessed be He, create the world, viz. knowledge, understanding, might, rebuke, justice, lovingkindness and mercy.16Cf. Ḥag. 12a (Sonc. ed. p. 65) where ‘ten’ things, i.e. powers, are listed; cf. Rashi ad loc.

And even as He created His world with seven so He created seven [ancestors]: the three Patriarchs and the four Matriarchs.17The MSS. add: ‘The three Patriarchs are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and the four Matriarchs are Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah’.

The seven virtues which minister before the Throne of Glory are: wisdom,18GRA substitutes ‘faithfulness’, since for ‘wisdom’ there is no proof-text adduced. righteousness, justice, lovingkindness, mercy, truth and peace, as it is stated, And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in justice, and in loving kindness, and in mercy. And I will betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness; and thou shalt know the Lord.19Hos. 2, 21f. In these verses five virtues are enumerated (if ‘faithfulness’ is read in place of ‘wisdom’). The remaining two virtues are inferred from Ps. 85 11, Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. This verse is added to the text by GRA. R. Meir said: Why does the verse add, And thou shalt know the Lord? It teaches that whoever possesses all these virtues knows the intention of the All-present.

There are seven [celestial] dwellings, viz. the highest abode, the lower abode, the world space, and the four upper regions.20Cf. Ḥag. 12b (Sonc. ed. p. 69). R. Meir said: There are seven expanses, viz. the curtain, the firmament, the sky, the lofty height, the habitation, the dwelling and the clouds. Correspondingly the earth is described by seven names, viz. earth, land, ground, dry land, terra firma, tebel and world. Why is it called tebel?21The Heb. noun means ‘mixed, seasoned’, from tebalin, ‘spices’. Because it is seasoned [metubbeleth] with every thing. Another interpretation is: because its characteristic is to take in and not give out.22Deriving tebel from the root yabal, ‘to lead, bring in’. Everything on earth returns to the earth; cf. Eccl. 3, 20. Some restrict the term tebel in its application to the land of Israel which is seasoned with every thing, and has the power to attract all. In this connection reference is made to Mishnah (the earliest code of rabbinic law) Keth XIII, 11 (Sonc. ed. p. 709), where it is stated: ‘All may be compelled to go up to the land of Israel to dwell there, but none may be compelled to leave it.’ GRA suggests an entirely different reading, shemmableh ’eth hakkol, ‘because it wears everything away’; but there is no MS. support for this reading.In seven respects one righteous man is superior to his fellow: his wife is more comely23In virtue and righteous deeds. than his fellow’s, his children are more handsome24Also in religious conduct and good deeds. than his fellow’s, when the two eat from the same dish each enjoys the food according to his deserts, when the two dye material in the same vat for one the colour comes up beautiful and for the other it comes up dull. [Moreover, one is distinguished above the other] in wisdom, understanding, knowledge and stature,25This last quality brings the number up to eight; it is omitted by GRA. as it is stated, The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour.26Prov. 12, 26. E.V. The righteous is guided by his friend.

Hillel the Elder expounded seven exegetical rules27Cf. Tosiftha Sanh. VII end. in the presence of the Sons of Bathyra,28A distinguished family, of Babylonian descent, at the head of the Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court) in the reign of Herod, and noteworthy for their humility; cf. Pes. 66a (Sonc. ed. p. 333, n. 6) and B.M. 85a (Sonc. ed. p. 485). viz.29Cf. with these rules the thirteen principles laid down by R. Ishmael; cf. Sifra, beginning, and P.B. pp. 13f. the inference drawn from a minor premise to a major, the inference drawn from a similarity of words or phrases, [32b] a general principle established on the basis of a law contained in one verse or of laws contained in two verses, the rule when a generalization is followed in the text by a specification, and when a specification is followed in the text by a generalization, the inference drawn from an analogous passage elsewhere, the interpretation of a word or passage from its context. These are the seven rules which Hillel the Elder expounded in the presence of the Sons of Bathyra.30This sentence is not found in the MSS. What follows is from Aboth 5:10 (Sonc. ed. V, 7, pp. 64f).

SEVEN THINGS MARK THE CLOD AND SEVEN THE WISE MAN. [THE WISE MAN DOES NOT SPEAK BEFORE ONE WHO IS GREATER THAN HE IN WISDOM AND IN YEARS, AND DOES NOT BREAK IN UPON THE WORDS OF HIS FELLOW, AND IS NOT HASTY TO ANSWER; HE ASKS TO THE POINT AND ANSWERS ACCORDING TO THE ACCEPTED DECISION; HE SPEAKS ON THE FIRST POINT FIRST AND ON THE LAST POINT LAST;] AND OF WHAT HE HAS NOT HEARD A TRADITION HE SAYS, ‘I HAVE NOT HEARD’; AND HE IS NOT ASHAMED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRUTH. THE OPPOSITE OF THESE ARE SAID TO MARK THE CLOD.

‘The wise man does not speak before one who is greater than he in wisdom and in years ’:31lit. ‘and in number’, i.e. either in number of years, or in the number of scholars who agree with the opposite view, they forming the majority. such was Moses, as it is stated, And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.32Ex. 4, 30. Now who was the more competent to speak, Moses or Aaron? Surely Moses, since he had heard the words from the Almighty, whereas Aaron heard them from Moses. But Moses said, ‘Is it proper for me to speak in the presence of my elder brother?’ He therefore requested Aaron to speak, [which he did,] as it is stated, And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses.‘And he does not break in upon the words of his fellow’: such was Aaron, as it is stated, And Aaron spoke unto Moses: Behold, this day have they offered their sin-offering, and their burnt-offering,33Lev. 10, 19. etc. Aaron accordingly held his peace until Moses had finished speaking and did not say to him, ‘Be brief’. Only then did he reply to Moses, ‘Behold, this day they have offered, etc. and we are mourners!’34Because of the tragic death of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons. Ibid. 2. Some say that Aaron drew Moses away from the midst of the community and said to him, ‘Moses, my brother, if it is forbidden a mourner to eat of the [second-] tithe, which is of lesser holiness, how much more is it forbidden a mourner to eat of the sin-offering, which is of greater holiness!’35Cf. Zeb. 101a (Sonc. ed. p. 486). At once Moses admitted [that he was right], as it is stated, When Moses heard that, it was well-pleasing in his sight;36ibid. 20. and also in the sight of the Almighty.37i.e. Aaron’s reply pleased the Almighty.This38This and the following paragraph are clearly misplaced. also may be derived from the passage, And he [Moses] was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron that were left39ibid. 16. hence it was said that when a man entertains40lit. ‘makes a feast’. A variant is ‘teaches’. his disciples he only turns his face to the greatest, but when he is angry he only turns to the least of them, as it is stated, And he was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, although in fact Aaron was also included in the indignation.Aaron was older than Moses, and the Holy One, blessed be He, is greater than Aaron; why then did He not speak direct with Aaron? Because he was not one to stand in the breach, for had he been one to stand in the breach, sin would not have caused the tragedy of Nadab and Abihu.41Adopting the reading as suggested by GRA. V has ‘He had not sons able to stand in the breach; for had his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, been able to stand in the breach, sin could not …’ Because Aaron did not resist the people when they made the golden calf, it being Moses who stood in the breach to avert God’s anger and not Aaron (Ps. 106, 23), he forfeited the privilege of God communicating directly with him.Similarly in connection with our father Abraham.42God did not break in upon Abraham’s words. When he was interceding on behalf of the men of Sodom, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for their sake.43Gen. 18, 26. Now it was revealed and known before Him Who spake and the world came into being that had there been three or five righteous men in Sodom, sin would not have brought upon them the calamity. Nevertheless the Holy One, blessed be He, waited until Abraham finished pleading and then answered him, as it is stated, And the Lord went His way, as soon as He had left off speaking to Abraham, if it is possible to say so, He said to him, ‘I will now take My leave’. And Abraham returned unto his place.44ibid. 33.

‘And he is not hasty to answer’: such was Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, as it is stated, I said: Days should speak.45Job 32, 7. Only after waiting some days did he venture to speak. This teaches that they46i.e. Job’s friends. sat in silence before Job; when he stood they stood; when he sat they sat; when he ate they ate; and when he drank they drank. Until finally he asked leave of them to speak, as it is stated, After this opened Job his mouth and cursed his day … and said: Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night wherein it was said: A man-child is brought forth.47ibid. III, 1-3. ‘Perish the day when my father drew near to my mother and she told him that she was with child!’ And whence do we know that they did not speak confusedly together? Because it is stated, And Job spoke and said;48ibid. 2. Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite and said;49ibid. IV, 1. Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said;50ibid. VIII, 1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said;51ibid. XI, 1. And Elihu the son of Barachel answered and said.52ibid. XXXII, 6. Scripture places them in order, one following the other, to teach all who enter the world that a wise man does not speak before one who is greater than he in wisdom, and he does not break in upon the words of his fellow, and he is not hasty to answer.‘He asks to the point’: such was Judah, as it is stated, I will be surety for him.53Gen. 43, 9. Judah’s offer guaranteeing Benjamin’s safe return was reasonable and impressed Jacob more than Reuben’s wild offer. ‘He asks not to the point’: such was Reuben, as it is stated, And Reuben spoke unto his father saying: Thou shalt slay my two sons.54ibid. XLII, 37.‘He speaks on the first point first’: such was Jacob.55Cf. ibid. XXXII, 18f, where Jacob instructs his servants in charge of the gift to Esau to reply on first things first and last things last. Cf. Rashi ad loc. Others say: such was Sarah.56There is no verse to prove this of Sarah. The commentators substitute ‘Rebekah’ who, in conversation with Abraham’s servant, answered the first question first and the last question last; ibid. XXIV, 24 and Rashi ad loc. Cf. II ARN XL end. ‘And on the last point last’: such were the men of Haran.57ibid. XXIX, 4f. Cf. II ARN loc. cit. where the men of Haran exemplify the virtue ‘of what he has not heard, he says: I have not heard’.‘And acknowledges the truth’: such was Moses, as it is stated, And when Moses heard that, it was well-pleasing in his sight.58Lev. 10, 20. The text as emended by GRA is adopted. So also did the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledge the truth, as it is stated, And the Lord said unto me: They have well said that which they have spoken;59Deut. 18, 17. and it is also stated, The daughters of Zelophehad speak aright.60Num. 27, 7.

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Avot DeRabbi Natan 32Avot DeRabbi Natan

THERE WERE TEN GENERATIONS FROM ADAM TO NOAH. What need is there for mankind to [know] this? It is to teach you that although those generations provoked Him continually, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not bring the waters of the flood upon them on account of the righteous and pious who were among them. Some say that as long as Methuselah was alive the flood did not descend upon the earth; and even when Methuselah died the flood was yet suspended for them for seven days after his death, as it is stated, And it came to pass after the seven days.1Gen. 7, 10. What special feature was there about those seven days? They were the days of mourning for that righteous man which stayed the retribution; therefore it is stated, And it came to pass after the seven days.2Cf. Sanh. 108b (Sonc. ed., p. 744).Another interpretation of And it came to pass after the seven days: it teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, granted them this further respite after the original period of one hundred and twenty years, in which time they might repent;3The verse in Gen. 6, 3, Therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years, is interpreted by the Rabbis as a period of warning which God granted to that generation in which to repent. When this ended, He allowed them a further seven days’ grace. but they did not do so, therefore it is stated, And it came to pass after the seven days.Another interpretation is: the words teach that the Holy One, blessed be He, reversed for them the order of the universe, the sun rising in the west and setting in the east, perchance they would notice it, be awestruck and repent; but they did not do so, therefore it is stated, And it came to pass after the seven days.4The words the seven days recall the days of the creation and suggest that God interfered with the order of nature, as laid down at the creation, in the hope that mankind would be awestruck at the phenomenon and repent.Another interpretation: The words teach that the Holy One, blessed be He, spread His table before them and showed them His bounty of the kind to be enjoyed in the world to come, so that they might scrutinize themselves and say, ‘Woe to us for all this good which we shall have lost!’ But they corrupted their way upon the earth,5The text is in disorder and the translation follows Schechter’s text which gives the MS. reading. V reads ‘and [woe to us] for having destroyed our seed from the earth’. as it is stated, And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; [for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth].6ibid. VI, 12.

R. Eleazar b. Parṭa said: It is written, My spirit shall not judge man for ever.7ibid. 3. The verb yadon, translated in the Versions as ‘abide’ or ‘contend’, is here given the meaning ‘judge’. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘I shall not judge them until I shall have first doubled their reward’,8This is in agreement with the Rabbinic doctrine (cf. Ḳid. 40b, Sonc. ed., p. 202) that God bestows prosperity upon the wicked in this world, paying them a double reward for the few good deeds to their credit in this world (cf. B.B. 15b, Sonc. ed., p. 75), in order to deny them the world to come. as it is stated, They spend their days in prosperity, and peacefully they go down to the grave.9Job 21, 13. Their reward is thus double: they live in prosperity and die in tranquillity without suffering; cf. Sanh. 108a (Sonc. ed., p. 739) where the verse is explained as referring to the generation of the flood.R. Jose the Galilean said: Scripture states, Shall not judge. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘I shall not regard the evil impulse as equal to the good impulse’. When is this so? Before the decree has been sealed; but once the decree has been sealed, both impulses bear equal responsibility for sin.10The intention of this passage is obscure. Perhaps the meaning is: because the evil impulse enters man at birth (Gen. 8, 21) and the nature of man is prone to fall under its sway (ibid. VI, 5), God will not judge it on the same footing as the good impulse, but make allowance for human frailty. Once man has been sentenced at the seat of judgment, both impulses are on equal footing as regards responsibility for sin. Cf. the somewhat similar statement by the same author in Midrash Rabbah, Genesis, XXVI, §6 (Sonc. ed., pp. 216f).

He used to say: From the righteous the evil impulse is removed11lit. ‘he takes away from them’. and they are left with12lit. ‘and he gives them’. the good impulse only, as it is stated, My heart is slain within me.13Ps. 109, 22, E.V., is wounded. By heart is meant the desires of the heart, i.e. the evil impulse. [According to Bacher, Ag. d. Tannaiten, I, p. 361, n. 3, the interpretation is based on the use of leb for heart instead of lebab both here and in the next quotation. The latter is explained by the Rabbis as the two impulses while the former denotes only one of them.] From the wicked the good impulse is removed and they are left with the evil impulse only, as it is stated, Transgression speaketh to the wicked, methinks, there is no fear of God before his eyes.14ibid. XXXVI, 2. Transgression speaketh is interpreted as ‘the evil impulse prompts’. Average people are left with both impulses: he who draws near to the evil impulse is swayed by it, and he who draws near to the good impulse is swayed by it, as it is stated, Because He standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from them that judge his soul.15ibid. CIX, 31. The needy are the average persons who are lacking in good deeds. Them that judge his soul are the two impulses in man which control him. On the passage, cf. Ber. 61b (Sonc. ed., p. 385).R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: Scripture states, Shall not judge. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘I will not judge them until I have rewarded the righteous’. This is so only in this world;16The punishment of the wicked will be the more poignant when they see the bliss of the righteous. This, however, can only happen in this world and not in the world to come, because the generation of the flood will not stand in the judgment in the world to come; cf. Sanh. 107b (Sonc. ed., p. 737). but as for the world to come Scripture declares, His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his dust.17ibid. CXLVI, 4. Consequently the wicked will not see anything of the reward granted to the righteous in the hereafter.R. ‘Aḳiba said: Scripture states, My spirit shall not judge man for ever. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘They did not scrutinize themselves as mortals,18According to this interpretation the subject of yadon, here understood as ‘they did not judge themselves’ is the generation of the flood. but displayed an arrogant spirit towards the Most High’, [as it is stated,] Yet they said unto God: Depart from us.19Job 21, 14.R. Meir said: Scripture states, Shall not judge. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘That generation declared, “The Lord shall not judge” [meaning,] there is no Judge in the world; the All-present has abandoned the world’.Rabbi [Judah the Prince] said: Scripture states, Shall not judge. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘They do not set up courts of justice on earth, so I will set up20There is a variant, ‘I, too, will not set up’; i.e. I will punish them without recourse to judicial procedure. against them courts of justice on high’.

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