< Más Articulos : Was Adam the first man? (Times of Israel - 01 Nov 2024)
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Was Adam the first man? (Times of Israel - 01 Nov 2024)
In Bereshit (Genesis), the Torah describes God's creation of humankind on the sixth day:
“And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27)
“And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)On the seventh day, God rested. Yet, as we continue reading in Genesis 2, we encounter a more detailed account:
“And the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)
This sequence raises intriguing questions. If Adam’s creation took place after God’s rest on the seventh day, could this imply that Adam was distinct from the humans created on the sixth day? One possible interpretation is that the "man" created on the sixth day represents an earlier humankind, who lacked the unique "breath of life" that God imparted to Adam. With Adam’s creation, it became widely believed that all humans are endowed with this divine “breath of life,” thus making each of us a "living soul."
This perspective offers an interpretation that reconciles the existence of humans prior to Adam’s creation 5,785 years ago, addressing questions that can help pragmatic individuals like myself find faith while also satisfying reason. For instance, how might we understand scientific evidence that points to humans existing hundreds of thousands of years before Adam? Or, if Adam and Eve were the only inhabitants on Earth, whom did their sons, Cain and Abel, marry and establish families with?
When discussing this interpretation with rabbis and Jewish scholars, most assert that Adam was indeed the first man, created on the sixth day. However, I believe the Torah—written under divine inspiration and meticulous supervision—contains layers of meaning, each with purpose. The midrashic phrase "Shivim Panim laTorah" (The seventy faces of the Torah) speaks to the rich diversity of interpretations within it. As Rabbi Shlomo Riskin explained, “Although the different interpretations often appear to be contradictory, when you view the totality, you begin to appreciate how complementary they really are.”
Before concluding, I would like to highlight a belief that the Torah also includes hints about where our story truly begins. For example, Bereshit (Genesis) is the first word of the Torah, beginning with the letter ב. Since Hebrew is read from right to left, the letter’s shape subtly suggests “start your reading from here on; don’t dwell on anything before this point.” In other words, “your history starts here—what came before is not your concern.”
Why mention this? Perhaps God intended to begin our recorded history 5,785 years ago, with Adam’s creation. Although the Torah mentions that He created man and woman on the sixth day, our collective story truly begins with Adam—making him, for us, the first man.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/was-adam-the-first-man/
( Por: Yehudi Sabbagh , 01/11/2024 )
