Chapter 02 - Rashi
(To Chumash Text)

Verse 2: El-him completed by the seventh day.94

R. Shimon said,95 [man who is] flesh and blood who cannot [precisely] know his times and moments must add from the profane to the holy.96 G-d, who [precisely] knows His times and moments can enter into it by a hairbreadth, and it appears as if He concluded [His work] on that very day [i.e., the Sabbath].97 Another explanation: [At this point in time,] what was the world [still] lacking? [The concept] of rest. With the coming of Shabbos came rest,98 [i.e.,] the work was completed and finished.

Verse 3: Blessed ... sanctified.99

He blessed it through the manna.100 Whereas during all the weekdays there descended for them an omer of manna per person, but, on the sixth day [Friday]; a double portion.101 He sanctified it through the manna for it did not descend at all on Shabbos.102 This verse is written with reference to the future.103

Which El-him had created to do.

The work which was to have been done on Shabbos He doubled and did on Friday, as is explained in Bereishis Rabbah.

Verse 4: This.

["This" refers to] those mentioned previously.104

The history of the heavens and the earth when they were created on the day when Ad-noy made.105 This teaches you that they were all created on the first day.106 Another explanation [of the word] {Hebrew Ref} . He created them with the letter hey [ {Hebrew Ref} ], as it is said, "In G-d, Ad-noy, is the strength of the worlds107 [which can also be interpreted as:] with these two letters yud [ {Hebrew Ref} ] and hey [ {Hebrew Ref} ] of the Name He created two worlds. Here it teaches you that this world was created with the letter hey [ {Hebrew Ref} ]. (In other versions [the following is added], this symbolizes: that just as the {Hebrew Ref} is open at the bottom the world, too, is open to those who return through repentance. The World to Come was created with the letter yud [ {Hebrew Ref} ] to relate that the righteous of that [future] time [will be] few as a yud [ {Hebrew Ref} ], which is the smallest of the letters.) This symbolizes that the wicked will descend to behold the abyss [of hell] like [the letter] {Hebrew Ref} which is closed on all sides and open [only] at the bottom, for them to descend there.

Verse 5: Were not yet on the earth.

Every time the word {Hebrew Ref} appears in Scripture it means 'not yet.' It does not mean 'before' and cannot form a verb saying {Hebrew Ref} as can be said of {Hebrew Ref} [meaning preceded].108 This verse proves this.109 And another [proof of this:] is the verse {Hebrew Ref} 110 which is rendered "For you do not yet fear." This verse, too should be explained thus: [No tree] was as yet upon the earth when the creation of the world was completed on Friday before man was created.

And all the herbal vegetation of the field had not yet sprouted.

[And all vegetation] did not yet sprout. [The fact that] on the third day it is written: "Let the earth sprout forth"111 [should be interpreted:] they did not protrude but they remained at the surface of the ground112 until the sixth day [when man was created]. Why?

For [He] had not brought rain.113

And what was the reason that he did not cause it to rain? Because "There was [yet] no man to work the soil," and there was no one to appreciate the rain. When man appeared and recognized their need for the world he prayed for it and it descended and the trees and vegetation sprouted

Ad-noy El-him.114

Ad-noy is His name. El-him [signifies] that He is Ruler and Judge over everything.115 This is the plain explanation everywhere:116 Ad-noy who is El-him [i.e., Ruler and Judge].

Verse 6: A mist rose.

It was for the purpose of creating man that He brought up [the waters of] the deep and moistened the clouds in order to soak the earth and to create man, like the kneader [of dough] who adds water [to the flour] and then proceeds to knead the dough. Here, too, He [first] "moistened" [the earth] and afterwards "created" [man].

Verse 7: Formed.

[ {Hebrew Ref} with two yuds refers to] two creations. One creation for this world and one creation for when the dead will be resurrected. Whereas animals which will not be judged,117 two yuds are not written [in the word {Hebrew Ref} ].118

Dust from the ground.119

He gathered dust from all four corners of the earth so that wherever [man] may die it [the earth] will receive him for burial.120 Another explanation [for {Hebrew Ref} ]. He took the dust from the place of which it is written: "Make an altar of earth for Me."121 Would that it be an atonement for him so that he may survive.122

And He blew into his nostrils.

He made him of earthy matter and of heavenly matter. His body [is made] from earthy matter and his soul from heavenly matter. [This was so] because on the first day heaven and earth were created. On the second day He created a canopy for the heavens. On the third day the land appeared on earth. On the fourth day He created luminaries for the heavens. On the fifth day the water swarmed [to produce creatures] for the earth.123 It was [therefore] necessary that on the sixth day to create [something] from heavenly and earthly matter. If this were not so124 there would be jealousy in creation for these would outnumber those by one day's creation.

A living soul.125

Animals and beasts are also called living souls. But, the one of man is the most alive for he additionally was given intelligence and speech.

Verse 8: To the east.

East of Eden was where He planted the Garden. Should you ask, it has already been written: "And He created man, etc."126 [The answer is based on that which] I saw in the B'rayso of R. Eliezer the son of R. Yosi Hagalily. The Torah is expounded through thirty-two principles and the following is one of them: A general statement followed by an action are the specifics of the first [statement].127 [Thus,] "He created man" is the general statement leaving from whence he was created obscure [as well] as obscuring what was done. It then repeats and clarifies: "G-d formed man, etc." and caused the Garden of Eden to sprout for his benefit "and placed him in the Garden of Eden" and put him into a deep sleep. The one who hears this may think that this is a different story, but, in reality, it is the details of the first. Similarly, concerning the animals. He again writes:128 "G-d created from the earth all animals of the field" for the purpose of clarifying [the verse] "And He brought them to the man so that he may name them" and to teach concerning the birds that they were created from the swamp.

Verse 9: Made grow.

This verse relates to the Garden.

In the middle of the Garden.129

[Meaning] in the center of the Garden.

Verse 11: Pishon.

This is the Nile, the river of Egypt. Because its waters are bountiful and rise to irrigate the land it is called Pishon [from the same root] as [the word {Hebrew Ref} ] [in the verse] {Hebrew Ref} [His riders increased.]130 Another interpretation: [It is called] Pishon because it causes flax [ {Hebrew Ref} ] to grow as it is said concerning Egypt, "And the flax workers shall be shamed."131

Verse 13: Gichon.

[It is so called] because it flows and roars and its roar is very great as [is written]: "If [an ox] gores,"132 for he gores and goes on to roar.133

Verse 14: Chidekel.

[It is so called] because its waters are pungent and light.134

P'ras.

[It is so called] because its waters increase abundantly135 and have healing qualities for man.

Kush ... Asshur.

[Kush and Asshur] did not yet exist [as countries], but Scripture writes [these names] based on [the fact that they will be so called in] the future.

To the east of Asshur.

[Means] on the eastern side of Asshur.

Is P'ras.

It is the most important of all [the rivers] [because] it is mentioned in conjunction [with] the Land of Israel.136

Verse 15: Took.137

He "took" him with kind words and persuaded him to enter.

Verse 18: It is not good for, etc.138

So that they [the heretics] not claim that there are two dominions, G-d, above, is alone, without a mate and this one [man], below without a mate.

A helper for him.139

If he is worthy then [she is] a helpmate, if he is not worthy then [she is] opposite him, to fight him.

Verse 19: Formed from the ground.

This "creating" is the same as "the making" which was stated above: "And G-d made the animals of the earth, etc."140 However, here it comes to explain that the fowl was created from the swamps.141 Since above it stated that they [the fowls] were created from water and here it states that they were created from the earth.142 Also, it teaches you that immediately, on the day they were created He brought them to man to call them by name. According to Aggadah,143 the word {Hebrew Ref} here has the meaning of dominating and subjugating as [in the verse:] "When you will besiege a city;"144 [accordingly, here it means] that He subjugated them under the domination of man.145

Whatever the man called [each] living creature, etc.146

You must transpose [the words] and explain it: All living souls that were given a name by Adam will retain that name forever.

Verse 20: But the man did not find a helper... Ad-noy El-him caused unconciousness to fall.147

When He brought them [the animals] before him He brought the male and female of each specie. [Adam] said: They each have a mate but I have no mate; immediately: "And G-d put [Adam]..."148

Verse 21: Of his ribs.

[Has the literal meaning] from his sides as [in the verse] "The sides of the Tabernacle."149 This [coincides with] what we said:150 that they were [first] created with two faces.151

And closed-over.

The place of the cut.

And he slept...and He took.

So that he not see the piece of flesh from which she was created and be repulsive to him.

Verse 22: [He] built.152

Like a building, broad at the bottom and narrow at the top so that she can carry the child. [Just] as a wheat silo which is broad at the bottom and narrow at the top so that its weight not be a strain on its walls.153

[He] built the rib ... into a woman.154

[Meaning:] so that it should become a woman as [in the verse]: "And Gidon made it to an ephod,"155 [meaning] so that it should become an ephod.

Verse 23: This at last.

This teaches that Adam attempted to find [a mate] amongst all the animals and beasts and he was not satisfied with them until he discovered Chavah.

This shall be called Woman, for from Man, etc.156

[The words {Hebrew Ref} and {Hebrew Ref} ] have the same root. From this [we derive] that the world was created with the Holy Tongue.157

Verse 24: Therefore, a man shall leave.

The Divine Spirit is saying this prohibiting to the "sons of Noach" forbidden marital relations.158

One flesh.

The child is formed by both [parents] thereby becoming unified as "one flesh."

Verse 25: And they were not ashamed.159

They did not know the ways of modesty to distinguish between good and evil.160 Although he [Adam] was given the wisdom to call [all the creatures] by name, he was not imbued with the evil inclination until he ate from the tree and the evil inclination entered him and he was able to distinguish good and evil.161