Jewish tradition is rich with stories that delve into these mysteries, and one particular passage in Midrash Tehillim – a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms – offers some truly mind-bending perspectives on the creation of the first human, Adam.
Specifically, we're looking at Midrash Tehillim 139, which opens with the verse, "Back and forth You formed me." What does that even mean? The rabbis of old grappled with this, and their interpretations reveal fascinating insights into our dual nature, our purpose, and even the nature of God's creation itself.
The Midrash presents a disagreement between Rav and Shmuel. One says that Adam was created with two faces – a front and a back. The other says he was created with a face and… a tail. A tail! Now, that's a visual. According to the one who said "face," since it is written "back and forth you formed me," it makes sense. But according to the one who said "tail," what does "back and forth" mean?
Rabbi Ami, in the name of Rabbi Ami (yes, you read that right!) offers an alternative. "Back" refers to the act of Creation itself, that initial spark, and "forth" refers to punishment. Creation and punishment, inextricably linked. Granted, "back" refers to the act of Creation, as we say during Friday night prayers. But what does "forth" refer to? It refers to the punishment of the Flood, as it says (Genesis 7:23), "And He blotted out every living substance which was upon the face of the ground."
This idea of duality continues. The Midrash even touches on the relationship between men and women, with a somewhat… antiquated perspective. The Midrash says that a man should not follow a woman, and if he encounters her on a bridge, he should push her aside. But what the Midrash is getting at, underneath all of that, is the idea that the male aspect should be dominant. And it makes sense that the male aspect should be dominant, as it is taught that "A man should not follow a woman on the road, even if she is his wife. If he encounters her on a bridge, he should push her aside and anyone who follows a woman into a river has no share in the World to Come."
Rabbi Yochanan offers another interpretation of "back and forth you formed me," saying that if a person is worthy, he can enjoy both worlds, back and forth. But if not, he comes to give an account. And you laid your hand upon me, as you said (Job 13:21), "Your hand is heavy upon me." It’s a reminder that our actions have consequences, both in this world and the next.
Then we have Rabbi Eliezer the Androgynos (referring to someone of indeterminate gender), who offers a truly radical idea: that the first humans were created intersex! As it says (Genesis 1:27), "male and female He created them." This suggests a blurring of the lines, a unity of genders in the original human form. Rabbi Shmuel doubles down on this idea, saying, "Two faces were created, and he was made with a back and a front."
Perhaps the most intriguing image is presented by Rabbi Tanchuma, in the name of Rabbi Berechia in the name of Rabbi Elazar: Adam was created as a golem – an unformed, shapeless mass – and lay from the beginning of the world to its end. A giant, inert figure waiting for God to breathe life into him. A figure that lay from the beginning of the world to its end. This is what is written, "Your golems have seen" (Psalms 139:16).
The Midrash then expands outward, connecting Adam's creation to the creation of the entire world. Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Nachman in the name of Rabbi Shimon in the name of Rabbi Elazar said: "God created the whole world from east to west, as it is said, 'Behind and before you encircle me.' From north to south, as it is said, 'From one end of the earth to the other end of the earth.' And even in the space of the world, as it is said, 'Your hand is upon me.'"
Rabbi Elazar says that "Behind refers to the work of the first day of creation, and before refers to the work of the last day of creation," while Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish flips that around, saying "Behind refers to the work of the last day of creation, and before refers to the work of the beginning of creation."
What are we to make of all this? Tails, two faces, golems spanning millennia… Is this meant to be taken literally? Probably not. But these interpretations, these midrashim, offer us a glimpse into the ancient rabbis' attempts to understand the profound mystery of human existence. They explored the duality within us, the potential for both good and evil, the connection between creation and consequence.
Ultimately, the Midrash Tehillim 139 invites us to contemplate our own creation, our own purpose. To consider the "back and forth" within ourselves – the forces that shape us, the choices we make, and the legacy we leave behind. Even the word "Kluso" (a type of bird) only appears later in the Torah. As Rabbi Shemlai said: just as the physical characteristics of Klusso (an animal mentioned in the Talmud) are similar to those of a domesticated animal, a wild animal, and a bird, so too is the Torah of God similar, in that it contains laws for domesticated animals, wild animals, and birds. As it is written (Leviticus 11:2): "This is the animal that you may eat." And finally (ibid. 12:2): "When a woman conceives." Thus, you may derive from this analogy that both man and the Temple were created with two hands. It is written (Psalms 119:73): "Your hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments." And it is written (Exodus 15:17): "The sanctuary, O Lord, that Your hands have established." So, the next time you look in the mirror, remember Adam, remember the golem, remember the endless interpretations, and ask yourself: What am I creating "back and forth" in my own life?