(כו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכׇל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכׇל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃ (כח) וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכׇל־חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(26) And God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.” (27) And God created humankind in the divine image, creating it in the image of God—creating them male and female. (28) God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.”
(18) God יהוה said, “It is not good for the Human to be alone; I will make a fitting counterpart for him.”
עזר כנגדו A HELP MEET FOR HIM — (כנגדו literally, opposite, opposed to him) If he is worthy she shall be a help to him; if he is unworthy she shall be opposed to him, to fight him (Yevamot 63a). (Bereshit Rabbah 17:3)
אֶעֱשֶׂה לוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, אִם זָכָה עֵזֶר, וְאִם לָאו כְּנֶגְדּוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר נְחֶמְיָה אִם זָכָה, כְּאִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר חֲכִינָאי, וְאִם לָאו, כְּאִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲוָה לֵיהּ אִנְתְּתָא בִּישָׁא, וַהֲוַת בְּרַתָּא דַּאֲחָתֵיהּ, וַהֲוַת בָּזֵית לֵיהּ קֳדָם תַּלְמִידוֹי
"I will make for him an opposite helpmate." [Gen 2:18] If he is worthy, she will be his help. If he is unworthy, she will be his opposition. Rabbi Yehoshua bar Nehemiya said: If he is worthy, his wife will be like Rabbi Haninah bar Hachinai (he goes away without permission but it turns out okay for the couple). If he is not worthy, his wife will be like Rabbi Yossi haGalili (he's actually a good guy, his wife was his niece and she belittled him in front of his students).
עזר כנגדו, a helpmate who will be equal to him, also reflecting the divine image. This is essential for him if he is to know what precisely his needs are and so that he can meet them in time. The reason why the Torah added the word k'negdo is that whenever one confronts someone of equal power, moral and ethical weight, such a confrontation is termed neged. It is a head-on collision of will. When the two parties disagreeing are not of equal power, or moral/ethical weight, the confrontation is termed as one being olah or yorad one of the adversaries either prevailing or losing in such an encounter...Hence the letter כ at the beginning of the word כנגדו somewhat tones down this equality.
“This one at last
Is bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh.
This one shall be called Woman,
For from a Human was she taken.” (24) Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh.
Alternatively, this duplication in the language of creation can be explained in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar, as Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: The Holy One, Blessed be God, created two faces [du partzufin] on Adam the first man; he was created both male and female in a single body, as it is stated: “You have formed me [tzartani] behind and before” (Psalms 139:5); tzartani is derived from the word tzura [face]. God formed two faces on a single creation, back and front.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ (בראשית א, כו), רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן פָּתַח (תהלים קלט, ה): אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אִם זָכָה אָדָם, אוֹכֵל שְׁנֵי עוֹלָמוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי, וְאִם לָאו הוּא בָּא לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קלט, ה): וַתָּשֶׁת עָלַי כַּפֶּכָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס בְּרָאוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית ה, ב): זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, דְּיוּ פַּרְצוּפִים בְּרָאוֹ, וְנִסְּרוֹ וַעֲשָׂאוֹ גַּבִּים, גַּב לְכָאן וְגַב לְכָאן. אֲתִיבוּן לֵיהּ וְהָכְתִיב (בראשית ב, כא): וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו, אֲמַר לְהוֹן מִתְּרֵין סִטְרוֹהִי, הֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (שמות כו, כ): וּלְצֶלַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן, דִּמְתַרְגְּמִינַן וְלִסְטַר מַשְׁכְּנָא וגו'.
(1) 'And Elohim said 'let's make Adam in our image, as our likeness' (Gen. 1:26) - Rabbi Yochanan opened with 'You hedge me before and behind; You lay Your hand upon me' (Ps. 139:5) and rabbi Yochanan said: 'if Adam had merits, he eats two worlds, as it's written 'You formed me before/achor and behind/kedem', and if not, he comes to receive judgment and accounting, as its written 'You lay Your hand upon me'. Said R. Yirmiyah ben Elazar: In the hour when the Holy One created the first human, God created him [as] an androgyne [androginos], as it is said, “male and female God created them”. Said Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: In the hour when the Holy One created the first human, God created him double-faced [du-par’tsufin], and sawed him and made him backs, a back here and a back [t]here, as it is said, “Before/achor and behind/kedem You formed me” [Ps. 139:5]. They objected to him: But it says, “God took one of his ribs [tsale'otav]” [Gen. 2:21]! God said to them: [It means, one of] his sides [sit’rohi], just as you would say, “And for the side [tsela] of the Tabernacle [mishkan]” [Ex 26:20], which they translate [in Aramaic] “for the side [setar] of the mishkan”.
לֹא טוֹב, תָּנֵי רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב כָּל שֶׁאֵין לוֹ אִשָּׁה, שָׁרוּי בְּלֹא טוֹבָה בְּלֹא עֵזֶר בְּלֹא שִׂמְחָה בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה בְּלֹא כַּפָּרָה... רַבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר אַף בְּלֹא שָׁלוֹם...רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר אַף בְּלֹא חַיִּים...רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר גַּמְדָא אָמַר אַף אֵינוֹ אָדָם שָׁלֵם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ה, ב): וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָם אָדָם, שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד קְרוּיִים אָדָם. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים אַף מְמַעֵט אֶת הַדְּמוּת..
Not good[, the adam being alone]” [Gn 2:18]: Taught [R’ Yaakov]: Anyone (man) that has no woman lives without good, without help, and without joy. WIthout Blessing and without forgiveness. . . . R’ Simon in the name of R’ Yehoshua ben Levi said: Even without peace . . . R’ Yehoshua of Sakhnin in the name of R’ Levi said: Even without life . . . R’ Chiya bar Gomdi said: He is not even a whole human / adam shalem, for it says: “And He blessed them and called their name Adam”. [Gn 5:2] And there are those who say it limits his personage...