The book of Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of Rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, dives deep into this very idea, and it’s wild.
Our entry point is a seemingly minor detail: the Hebrew word toledot, meaning "outgrowths" or "generations." Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman points out that, throughout the Torah, this word is usually written in a shortened, or "defective," form. But there are two exceptions: "These are the offspring [toledot] of Peretz…" ((uth 4:1)8) and one other instance we'll get to. So, why the missing letters in most cases?
Rabbi Yudan, quoting Rabbi Avin, offers a stunning explanation: these "defective" spellings correspond to six things that were taken away from Adam after his sin. Six glorious things, lost in that single bite. What were they?
First, his radiance. Remember how Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed? After they sinned, "You alter his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20). Something about their very being, their presence, was diminished.
Second, his eternal life. Harsh. "For you are dust, [and to dust shall you return]" (Genesis 3:19). Mortality entered the picture.
Third, his stature. This one's fascinating. "The man and his wife hid" (Genesis 3:8). Rabbi Abahu says that at that moment, Adam's height was reduced to a mere hundred cubits. That’s still pretty tall, but it’s a far cry from what he once was!
Fourth and fifth, the extraordinary produce of the earth and the fruit of the tree. "Cursed is the ground on your account" (Genesis 3:17). The abundance and ease of the Garden were gone, replaced by toil and struggle.
And finally, the lights. This is perhaps the most mystical and intriguing loss of all. Rabbi Shimon ben Rabbi Yehuda of Kefar Akko, quoting Rabbi Meir, says that the lights—cursed the day before Shabbat (the Sabbath)—were only truly stricken at the conclusion of Shabbat. There’s a debate, though. Rabbi Yosei believed Adam’s glory didn’t even last the night of his creation, citing (Psalms 49:13): “Man [adam] will not go to rest in his splendor…”
Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon adds that with the original light of creation, Adam could see from one end of the world to the other! But when God saw the corruption of later generations – Enosh, the Flood, the Dispersion – He hid that light away. "Their light will be withheld from the wicked" (Job 38:15). But don't despair! It wasn't destroyed, but hidden away for the righteous, as (Proverbs 4:18) tells us: “But the path of the righteous is like a dawning light.”
Rabbi Levi, in the name of Rabbi Gezeira, even specifies that this primordial light functioned for thirty-six hours before Adam's sin. Imagine! Twelve hours before Shabbat, twelve during the night, and twelve during the day. Then, darkness.
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) describes Adam's fear as darkness approached. He wondered if the serpent was coming to confront him, representing death. So, what did he do? He struck two flint stones together, creating fire and reciting a blessing over it. This is why, according to the school of Rabbi Yishmael, we recite a blessing over light at the conclusion of Shabbat: because that was the beginning of its re-creation.
So, what about that other instance of the word "toledot" written in its full form? Rabbi Berekhya, quoting Rabbi Shmuel, says that these six lost aspects of Adam will be restored when the descendant of Peretz – the Messiah – arrives. The full spelling of toledot in (Ruth 4:18) hints at this coming restoration.
His radiance? "May all those who love Him be like the sun coming out in its might" (Judges 5:31). Eternal life? "For like the days of a tree will be the days of My people…" (Isaiah 65:22). Stature? "I caused you to walk upright [komemiyut]" (Leviticus 26:13). The produce of the earth and fruit of the tree? "For the seed is of peace: The vine will yield its fruit, [and the land will yield its produce]" (Zechariah 8:12). And the lights? "The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun [and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of the seven days]" (Isaiah 30:26).
Wow. It's a powerful and hopeful message. Even in the face of loss and darkness, the tradition suggests that redemption, restoration, and a return to a state of wholeness are possible. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What "lights" can we ignite in our own lives, even in the face of darkness?
The outgrowths [toledot]” – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: All toledot that are stated in the Torah are written defectively388Toledot may be written in full form, with two vavs, but usually it is written missing one or both of the vavs. except for two: “These are the offspring [toledot] of Peretz…” (Ruth 4:18), and this one. Why are those [others] defective?13Specifically, “This is the book of the offspring [toledot] of Adam” (Genesis 5:1), where toledot is missing one vav. Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Avin: They are corresponding to the six things that were taken away from Adam the first man [after he sinned].14The numerical value of vav is six. They are: His radiance, his [eternal] life, his stature, the [extraordinary] produce of the earth, the [extraordinary] fruit of the tree, and the lights. His radiance, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “You alter his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20). His life, from where is it derived? “For you are dust, [and to dust shall you return]” (Genesis 3:19). His stature, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “The man and his wife hid” (Genesis 3:8). Rabbi Abahu said: At that moment, the stature of Adam the first man was reduced and [he] became a [mere] hundred cubits. The produce of the earth and the fruit of the tree, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Cursed is the ground on your account” (Genesis 3:17). As for the lights, Rabbi Shimon ben Rabbi Yehuda of Kefar Akko said in the name of Rabbi Meir: Although the lights were cursed on the day before Shabbat,15When Adam sinned. they were stricken only at the conclusion of Shabbat. This is in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis and not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yosei, as Rabbi Yosei said: Adam the first man, his glory did not spend the night with him.16It was removed from him on the day of his creation, before Shabbat. What is his source? “Man [adam] will not go to rest in his splendor…” (Psalms 49:13). The Rabbis say: [His glory did spend the night with him; ] only at the conclusion of Shabbat was his radiance taken from him as He expelled him from the Garden of Eden. That is what is written: “He banished the man” (Genesis 3:24), and it is written: “You alter his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20). Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon said: By the light with which the world was created, Adam the first man could look out and see from one end of the world to the other. When the Holy One blessed be He looked ahead at the actions of the generation of Enosh, the actions of the generation of the Flood, and the actions of the generation of the Dispersion, [and saw] that they were corrupt, He arose and hid it away from them, as it is stated: “Their light will be withheld from the wicked” (Job 38:15). Why did He hide it away? The explanation is that he hid it away for the righteous in the future, as it is stated: “God saw that it [light] was good [tov]” (Genesis 1:4). Tov is nothing other than the righteous, as it is stated: “Say of the righteous one that he is good [tov]” (Isaiah 3:10). From where is it derived that He hid it away for the righteous? It is as it is stated: “But the path of the righteous is like a dawning light” (Proverbs 4:18). When he saw that the light was hidden away for the righteous, He rejoiced, as it is stated: “At the light of the righteous He will rejoice” (Proverbs 13:9). Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Gezeira: That [primordial] light functioned for thirty-six hours – twelve on the day before Shabbat, twelve on the night of Shabbat, and twelve on Shabbat [day]. When Adam the first man sinned, He sought to hide it away [immediately], but He accorded deference to Shabbat, as it is stated: “God blessed the seventh day” (Genesis 2:3). With what did He bless it? It was with light. When the sun set on Shabbat eve the light continued to function. Everyone began praising the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Under all the heavens they sing His praises” (Job 37:3).17The Midrash interprets yishrehu as being related to shira, song. Why? It is because “His light is to the ends of the earth” (Job 37:3). That light illuminated all day and all night. As the sun set at the conclusion of Shabbat, darkness began approaching, and at that time Adam the first man became afraid. He said: ‘Is it possible that the one [the serpent] in whose regard it is written: “He will strike you [yeshufekha] with his head, and you will strike him [teshufenu] with your heel” (Genesis 3:15), is now coming to confront me,18The serpent represents death, as it was through its evil machinations that Adam sinned and was condemned to death. as it is stated: “And I said that darkness will envelop me [yeshufeni]”?’ (Psalms 139:11). He said this with bewilderment. What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He prepared for him two flint stones, and he struck them one against the other. Light emerged from them and he recited a blessing over it. That is what is written: “Night, for me, is light” (Psalms 139:11). This is in accordance with the opinion of what was taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael: Why does one recite at the conclusion of Shabbat the blessing over light: ‘[Blessed be God] Who creates the lights of fire?’ It is because that time was the beginning of its creation. Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Aivu in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One recites a blessing over it [light] at the conclusion of Yom Kippur, as well, because fire rested on that day.19It is forbidden to make a fire all day on Yom Kippur. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: Although the [six] items were created in their complete form,20This is derived from the fact that toledot here (Genesis 2:4) is written complete, with both vavs. when Adam the first man sinned they were ruined, and they will not be restored to their completeness until the descendant of Peretz [the Messiah] comes, as it is stated: “These are the offspring [toledot] of Peretz” (Ruth 4:18) – in its complete form,21With both vavs. for the six things [taken away from Adam] that will be restored: His radiance, his [eternal] life, his stature, the produce of the earth, the fruit of the tree, and the lights. His radiance, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “May all those who love Him be like the sun coming out in its might” (Judges 5:31). His [eternal] life, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “For like the days of a tree will be the days of My people…” (Isaiah 65:22), and it is taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: “Tree” is nothing other than Torah, as it says: “It is a tree of life for those who grasp it” (Proverbs 3:18).22“Like the days of a tree” means like the days of the Torah, meaning forever. His stature, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “I caused you to walk upright [komemiyut]” (Leviticus 26:13). Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: With upright stature and not in fear of any creature. Rabbi Yudan said: [Their stature will be] one hundred cubits23Komemiyut is interpreted as koma meyot – stature of hundreds. like Adam the first man. Rabbi Shimon said: Two hundred cubits.24Because meyot (hundreds) is in plural. Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon said: Three hundred: Koma refers to one hundred,25As that was the stature (koma) of Adam. and meyot – refers to [another] two hundred. Rabbi Abahu said: Nine hundred cubits. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Dosa: Rabbi Abahu’s source is from here: “For like the days of a tree will be the days of My people” – like a sycamore that grows in the ground for six hundred years. An offspring emerges from its mother’s womb a bit more than a cubit long.26And by the end of the first year after conception (when the baby is three months old), it reaches a length of one-and-a-half cubits. Go out and calculate one-and-a-half cubits per year,27Since man’s growth is compared to the growth of a sycamore, that means he will grow at a constant rate for six hundred years. that is nine hundred cubits. The produce of the earth, the fruit of the tree, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “For the seed is of peace: The vine will yield its fruit, [and the land will yield its produce]” (Zechariah 8:12). The lights, from where is it derived? It is as it is written: “The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun [and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of the seven days]” (Isaiah 30:26).
