Splitting the Adam

Creator of beginnings, as You created Your world on this day,
uniting fragments into a universe, so may it be Your will to help
unite my fragmented heart and the heart of all Your people
Israel to love and revere You. Illumine our lives with the light
of Your Torah, for in Your light do we see light. Grant us this
year a hint of the light of redemption, the light of healing and
of peace. May the words of my mouth and the meditations
of my heart be acceptable to You, ADONAI, My rock and my
redeemer. Amen.

(4) “And the stars” (Genesis 1:16) – Rav Aḥa said: This is analogous to a king who had two stewards, one ruled [only] over the city and one ruled over the [rest of the] province. The king said: ‘Since this one diminished himself [and consented] to be ruler over the city, I decree concerning him that whenever he goes out, a large crowd should go out with him, and when he enters, the city council and the multitudes should enter with him.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Since the moon diminished itself to rule at night, I decree concerning it that when it goes out, the stars should go out with it, and when it goes in,11When it sets. the stars should go in with it.’
Similarly, “the name of his brother was Yoktan” (Genesis 10:25) – Rabbi Aḥa said: Why was he named Yoktan? It is because he would minimize [maktin] his affairs.12He was humble. What did he merit? He merited producing thirteen great families.13See Genesis 10:26–29. Now, if Yoktan14Who was the younger brother (Genesis 10:25). received this because he minimized his affairs, if an important man minimizes his affairs, all the more so.
Similarly, “Israel extended his right hand, and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger” (Genesis 48:14) – Rabbi Ḥonya said: Do we not know from the accounts of the births that he was the younger? What, then, is “who was the younger [tza’ir]”? It is because he would minimize [matzir] his affairs. What did he merit? He merited the birthright. Now, if the young one merited the birthright because he minimized his affairs, an older person who minimizes his affairs, all the more so. This is astounding.15It is astounding how great the power of humility is.

“God blessed the seventh day [and sanctified it]” – ...

Rabbi Shimon bar Yehuda of Kefar Akko says in the name of Rabbi Shimon: Even though the lights were cursed on the day before Shabbat, they were not stricken until the conclusion of Shabbat. This is in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, and not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Ami, as Rabbi Ami said: Adam the first man, his glory did not spend the night with him. What is the source? “Man [adam] will not go to rest in his splendor; he is like the beasts that perish” (Psalms 49:13).

The Rabbis say: His glory did spend the night with him, and 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: “You alter his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20).
When the sun set on Shabbat eve, the Holy One blessed be He sought to put away the [primordial] light, but He accorded honor to Shabbat. That is what is written: “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” – He blessed it with light. When the sun set on Shabbat eve the [primordial] light continued to function. Everyone began praising [God]; that is what is written: “Under all the heavens they sing His praises, and His light is to the ends of the earth” (Job 37:3). Why was this? Because “His light is to the ends of the earth.”
Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon said: By the light that the Holy One blessed be He created on the first day, a person could look out and see from one end of the world to the other end. When the Holy One blessed be He looked at the people of the generation of the Flood and the people of the generation of the Dispersion, whose actions were to be corrupt, He arose and hid it away and designated it for the righteous in the future. From where is it derived that He hid it away? It is as it is stated: “Their light will be withheld from the wicked, and the upraised arm will be broken” (Job 38:15). And from where is it derived that He designated it for the righteous in the future? It is as it is stated: “But the path of the righteous is like a dawning light, growing brighter until the day is established” (Proverbs 4:18).

Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ze’eira: That [primordial] light functioned for thirty-six hours – twelve on the day before Shabbat, twelve on the night of Shabbat, and twelve on Shabbat. As the sun set at the conclusion of Shabbat, darkness began approaching, and Adam the first man became afraid, as it is stated: “And I said that darkness will envelop me [yeshufeni]; night for me is light,” (Psalms 139:11) – that 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. 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.” What blessing did he recite over it? [Blessed be God] Who creates the lights of fire. This is in accordance with the opinion of Shmuel, as Shmuel said: Why does one recite a blessing over light at the conclusion of Shabbat? It is because that time was the beginning of its creation. Rav Huna in the name of Rav and Rabbi Abahu 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 all that day.

Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe who has endowed all creation with distinctive qualities, distinguishing between sacred and secular time, between light and darkness, between the people
Israel and other peoples, between the seventh day and the six working days of the week. You have made a distinction between the sanctity of Shabbat and the sanctity of Festivals, and you have hallowed Shabbat
more than the other days of the week. You have set Your people Israel apart, making their lives holy through attachment to Your holiness. Praised are You, Lord who distinguishes one sacred time from another.

YE SHALL BE HOLY. .. it is rather the self-control mentioned throughout the Talmud, which confers upon those who practice it the name of P’rushim (Pharisees), [literally: “those who are separated” from self-indulgence, as will be explained, or those who practice self-restraint].

“The Lord God built the side that He had taken from the man into a woman, and brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:22).
“The Lord God built [vayiven] the side” – Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra: Understanding [bina] was inserted in her, more than in man

(6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat.