The creation story, as we know it, unfolds over six days. But have you ever noticed how God seems to be balancing things? Like a cosmic choreographer, making sure everything is just so. We read, for example, in Midrash Tanhuma, Bereshit 15, that He created above and below on alternate days.
Think about it. Day One: heaven and earth. Day Two: the firmament, the sky above. Then, Day Three: He divides the waters, separating those above from those below. Day Four: the sun, moon, and stars are placed above. And Day Five? The waters below are gathered.
Leaving us with just one day left. One day to create.
Now, this is where it gets really interesting. God, facing the final act of creation, seems to pause. He considers the implications. "If I create only above," He muses, "the earth will be angry. But if I create only below, the heavens will be angry." It’s a fascinating image, isn’t it? The Divine weighing the cosmic scales, ensuring balance.
So, what did God do?
He created Adam. But not entirely from above, nor entirely from below. He drew from both realms. He formed Adam in the world below, using earth. But then, crucially, He breathed into him… breath from above.
As the Midrash Tanhuma suggests, this act demonstrates God’s evenhandedness in Creation. He alternated between creating above and creating below, ensuring neither the heavens nor the earth felt slighted. And when it came to creating humankind, He masterfully combined elements from both realms.
That breath, that divine spark… it's what makes us human. It's the neshamah, the soul, connecting us to something higher, something beyond the earthly. We are, in essence, a microcosm of the universe, a meeting point of heaven and earth.
So, the next time you feel torn between your earthly desires and your spiritual aspirations, remember Adam's breath. Remember that you are, by design, a blend of both worlds. And perhaps, that tension, that constant negotiation between above and below, is precisely what makes us… well, us.