THE MAN: as we have explained, male and female, together and not separated, so as to turn face to face. Hence it is written DUST FROM THE GROUND. The use of the word “ground” (adamah) here must be explained. When the wife is joined with the husband she is called by the name of the husband; thus the correlatives ish (man) and ishah, zaddik (righteous one), and zedek, ‘ofer (buck) and ‘efar, zebi (hart), and zibia.
So, too, with the words asher (which) and asherah. It says, ‘Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah (grove) of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord thy God which (asher) thou shalt make thee.’ Are we to suppose that anywhere else it is permitted? The truth is that the He ‘ is called Asherah, after the name of its spouse, Asher, and the meaning of the verse is therefore: ‘thou shalt not plant another asherah by the side of the altar which is established upon this.’
Observe that throughout the Scriptures the worshippers of the sun are called servants of Baal and the worshippers of the moon servants of Asherah; hence the combination ‘to Baal and Asherah.’ If this is so (that Asherah is the name of the He’), why is it not used as a sacred name? The reason is that this name brings to mind the words of Leah, ‘happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy (ishruni)’, but this one is not ‘called happy’ by other nations, and another is set up in its place; nay more, it is written, ‘all that honoured her despise her’ (Lam. 1, 8). But the real altar is one that is made of earth, as it is written, ‘An altar of earth thou shalt make for me. Hence dust from the earth.
AND HE BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE. The breath of life was enclosed in the earth, which was made pregnant with it like a female impregnated by the male. So the dust and the breath were joined, and the dust became full of spirits and souls. AND THE MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL. At this point he attained his proper form, and became a man to support and nourish the living soul.
אֶת הָאָדָם הָא אוֹקִימְנָא. אֲבָל דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּחֲדָא (ד"א ולא הוו) מִתְפָּרְשָׁן לְמֶהוֵי אַפִּין בְּאַפִּין. מַה כְּתִיב עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה הַשְׁתָּא קָיְימָא לְאַתְקָנָא. תָּא חֲזֵי אִתְּתָא כַּד אִתְחַבְּרַת בְּבַעֲלָהּ, אִתְקְרִיאַת עַל שֵׁם בַּעֲלָהּ, אִישׁ אִשָּׁה, צַדִּי"ק צֶדֶ"ק, אִיהוּ עוֹפֶר וְאִיהִי עָפָר. (ד"א ל"ג) (וכדין) אִיהוּ צְבִי וְאִיהִי צְבִיָה (ד"א כמא דאת אמר) (יחזקאל כ׳:ו׳) צְבִי הִיא לְכָל הָאֲרָצוֹת.
THE MAN: as we have explained, male and female, together and not separated, so as to turn face to face. Hence it is written DUST FROM THE GROUND. The use of the word “ground” (adamah) here must be explained. When the wife is joined with the husband she is called by the name of the husband; thus the correlatives ish (man) and ishah, zaddik (righteous one), and zedek, ‘ofer (buck) and ‘efar, zebi (hart), and zibia.
כְּתִיב, (דברים ט״ז:כ״א) לֹא תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה כָּל עֵץ אֵצֶל מִזְבַּח יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ. אֵצֶל מִזְבַּח, וְכִי לְעֵילָא מִנֵּיהּ אוֹ בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא מָאן שַׁרְיָיה. אֶלָּא הָא אוֹקִימְנָא (קפ"ב ע"ב) אֲשֶׁר דָּא בַּעֲלָהּ דְּאִתְּתָא (ד"א ה"א) אִתְקְרִיאַת עַל שׁוּם בַּעֲלָהּ אֲשֵׁרָה. (נ"א הה הם אשר ה"א) וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (מלכים ב כ״ג:ד׳) לַבַּעַל וְלָאֲשֵׁרָה. בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב לא תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה כָּל עֵץ אֵצֶל מִזְבַּח יְיָ אֱלקֶיךָ. לָקֳבֵל (נ"א אשרה) אֲתַר דְּהַהוּא מִזְבַּח יְיָ, דְּהָא מִזְבַּח יְיָ אִיהוּ קָיְימָא עַל דָּא, וְעַל דָּא לָקֳבְלָה לֹא תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה אָחֳרָא.
So, too, with the words asher (which) and asherah. It says, ‘Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah (grove) of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord thy God which (asher) thou shalt make thee.’ Are we to suppose that anywhere else it is permitted? The truth is that the He ‘ is called Asherah, after the name of its spouse, Asher, and the meaning of the verse is therefore: ‘thou shalt not plant another asherah by the side of the altar which is established upon this.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּכָל אֲתַר כָּל אִנּוּן פָּלְחֵי שִׁמְשָׁא אִקְרוּן עוֹבְדִין לַבַּעַל, וְאִנּוּן דְּפָלְחִין לְסִיהֲרָא אִיקְרוּן עוֹבְדֵי אֲשֵׁרָה, וְעַל דָּא לַבַּעַל וְלָאֲשֵׁרָה, וַאֲשֵׁרָה אִתְקְרֵי עַל שׁוּם בַּעֲלָהּ אָשֵׁ"ר. אִי הָכִי אַמַּאי אִתְעֲבַר שְׁמָא דָא. אֶלָּא אֲשֵׁרָה עַל שׁוּם דִּכְתִיב (בראשית ל׳:י״ג) בְּאָשְׁרִי כִּי אִשְׁרוּנִי בָנוֹת וְהוּא (ד"א הא) דְּלָא אַשְׁרוּהָ שְׁאָר עַמִּין וְקָיְימָא אָחֳרָא תְּחוֹתָהּ, וְלָא עוֹד אֶלָּא דִכְתִיב (איכה א׳:ח׳) כָּל מְכַבְּדֶיהָ הִזִּילוּהָ, וּבְּגִין כָּךְ (נ"א אתעביד) אִתְעֲבַר שְׁמָא דָא, וּבְגִין דְּלָא יִתְתַּקְּפוּן אִנּוּן דְּעָבְדֵי שְׁאָר עַמִין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, וְקָרֵינָן מִזְבֵּחַ דְּאִיהוּ מֵאֲדָמָה, דִּכְתִיב, (שמות כ׳:כ״א) מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה וְגו' בְּגִינֵי כָּךְ עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה.
Observe that throughout the Scriptures the worshippers of the sun are called servants of Baal and the worshippers of the moon servants of Asherah; hence the combination ‘to Baal and Asherah.’ If this is so (that Asherah is the name of the He’), why is it not used as a sacred name? The reason is that this name brings to mind the words of Leah, ‘happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy (ishruni)’, but this one is not ‘called happy’ by other nations, and another is set up in its place; nay more, it is written, ‘all that honoured her despise her’ (Lam. 1, 8). But the real altar is one that is made of earth, as it is written, ‘An altar of earth thou shalt make for me. Hence dust from the earth.
וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים. (מלה אתכליל אבל ויפח באפיו) אִתְכְּלִיל נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים בְּהַהוּא עָפָר, כְּנוּקְבָא דְּמִתְעַבְּרָא מִן דְּכוּרָא דְּהָא מִתְחַבְּרָן וְאִתְמַלְיָיא הַאי עָפָר מִכֹּלָּא, וּמַאי אִיהוּ, רוּחִין וְנִשְׁמָתִין. וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, הַשְׁתָּא אִתְתַּקַּן וְקַיָּים אָדָם לְאַתְקָנָא וּלְמֵיזַן לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה.
AND HE BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE. The breath of life was enclosed in the earth, which was made pregnant with it like a female impregnated by the male. So the dust and the breath were joined, and the dust became full of spirits and souls. AND THE MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL. At this point he attained his proper form, and became a man to support and nourish the living soul.