The Book of Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, grapples with just that question in section 28. It all stems from God’s statement, "I will obliterate man [haadam]" (Genesis 6:7). It’s a pretty strong statement. But what does "obliterate" really mean?

Rabbi Levi, quoting Rabbi Yoḥanan, takes it to an almost comical extreme: "Even the lower millstone was obliterated!" Okay, so maybe that's a hyperbole to illustrate the utter devastation. But then Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon, also in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan, suggests something even more profound: "Even the dust of Adam, the first man, was obliterated." Wow. for a second. The very building blocks of humanity, wiped clean.

Apparently, this idea was a bit too much for some people. Bereshit Rabbah tells us that when Rabbi Yehuda shared this teaching publicly in Tzippori, a major Galilean city, they “did not accept it from him.” It seems some lines are hard to cross, even when contemplating divine destruction.

But the rabbis didn’t stop there. Rabbi Yoḥanan, this time quoting Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak, takes it a step further: "Even the sacrum… was obliterated." The sacrum? What's so special about the sacrum?

Well, according to Jewish tradition, the sacrum – a bone at the base of your spine – is indestructible. It's the seed from which the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause man to sprout in the future, when the dead are resurrected. It’s the ultimate human starting point. If that was obliterated… what hope is there?

The text then launches into a fascinating anecdote involving the Roman Emperor Hadrian, infamous for his persecution of the Jews. Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, challenges Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya, a prominent sage, asking him: "From where will the Holy One, blessed be He, cause man to sprout in the future?"

Rabbi Yehoshua, without missing a beat, replies: "From the sacrum."

Hadrian, ever the skeptic, demands proof. "From where do you know this?"

Rabbi Yehoshua's response is classic rabbinic: "Bring one to me and I will show you." What follows is a little like a Jewish Mythbusters episode! They take a sacrum and put it through the wringer. They grind it in a mill, but it won't grind up. They soak it in water, but it won't dissolve. Finally, they place it on an anvil and start hammering away. And what happens? The anvil splits, the hammer breaks… and the sacrum remains untouched!

This story, found within Bereshit Rabbah, is more than just a curious legend. It's a testament to the enduring nature of the human spirit, the unyielding spark of life that even a catastrophic flood – or a Roman emperor – cannot extinguish. The sacrum, that tiny, resilient bone, becomes a symbol of hope, a promise of renewal, and a reminder that even in the face of utter devastation, something of us always remains.