Why does Genesis (2:7) say "Then the Lord G-d veyetzer, formed, man using a double yud? We look at Genesis (2:22): "And the tzela which the Lord, G-d, had taken from the man, He made a woman, and brought her unto the man". What does tzela mean? Rav says it means face, so that Eve was originally one face or side of Adam. Shmuel says it means tail, meaning that the tzela was an appendage of Adam, perhaps his rib. The rabbis consider other related verses that make more senses when using the first definition. The rabbis then speak of punishments, which proceed from the least significant to the most significant. First the snake was cursed, then Eve was cursed, and finally Adam was cursed. This is compared with the punishments of the flood.
And how could it be written "Male and female, He created them" (Genesis 5:2) if Eve was made from a tail and did not begin with her own face? Was she to be brought to Adam so that "... the Lord G-d built the tzela", where braiding hair was called building? And is woman built like a storehouse, narrow on top and wide on the bottom so that she can produce children without collapsing?
The rabbis suggest that G-d was the first best man, as Adam was the first groom. We are then subjuct to several lessons about modesty, including the fact that a man should not walk behind a woman for he will look at her constantly. Further, a man should catch up to his wife so that she will not walk ahead of him. If a man walks behind a woman in the river to see her exposed skin when she lifts her skirts has no portion in the World to Come. A man cannot pass money to a woman, either.
Then we are told about exceptions. Rav Nachman ben Yichtzar notes that Elkana, Samuel's father, walked after and with his wife; he was known to consult with her. We are told that we have two kidneys, one advises us to do good and the other to do evil. Understanding is at our right hands and fools' understandings are at our left. On a tangent: the kidneys advise, the heart understands, the tongue shapes the sounds, the mouth shapes the voice, the esophagus allows food in and out, the trachea produces the voice, the lungs draw liquids, the liver becomes angry, the gall bladder injects a drop of gall into the live and allays anger, the spleen laughs, the maw grinds the food, the stomach brings sleep, the nose awakens, If these were to reverse, eventually the person sleeping would die. If both bring sleep or both awaken, the person immediately dies.
Rabbi Yosei HaGelili says that the good inclination rules the righteous ("And my heart is dead within me", Psalms 109:22). At the same time, the evil inclination has been completely banished from his heart. Middling people are ruled by both the good and evil inclinations. This is proven through Psalms 109;31, "Because He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from them that rule his soul". Rabbi states that he is a middling person . Abaye notes that if the Master is middling, others have no room to live. Rava, however, believes that the world was made only for those who are fully righteous; Rav says the would was created for the wicked. And perhaps, say other rabbis, the world was created for those who will or will not access the World-to-Come.
Deuteronomy (6:5), "And you shall love the Lord you G-d with all your heart and all your soul and all your might" is explained. Soul refers to the ultimate possession that G-d could take from us. Might speaks to our monetary possessions.
We are told the story of Ravvi Akiva who studied Torah in groups in pubic after the bar Kocheva rebellion. Others asked him how he could take this risk. He relayed .a parable: a fox on a riverbank who sees fish fleeing from nets people have set. He offered the fish to come on dry land where they might be safe together. The fish relied that humans cannot be the cleverest of animals; instead we are fools. If fish are afraid int eh water, wouldn't they be even more afraid in an unnatural habitat? The moral of the story is that Jews engage in Torah because that is our natural habitat (Deuteronomy 30:20); we may fear the Roman empire, but we must do what we naturally do in our own habitat.
Rabbi Akiva was then imprisoned along with other rabbis. The other rabbis were impressed with Akiva who was arrested for engaging in Torah while they were arrested for idle matters. Akiva was executed by "raking his flesh with iron combs". He recited Shema, and his students asked him how he could do that while he was suffering. Akiva said that he was always troubled by the verse "With all your soul". How could that be fulfilled? He prolonged the word "One" and at that moment, his soul left his body. A Divine Voice said "Happy are you Rabbi Akiva as you are destined for life in teh World-to-Come".
Our daf ends with a conversation about in which direction one can defecate while the Temple is standing. This would depend on in which town one was living. All of the rabbis agree that when the Temple isn't standing, one can face any direction while defecating.
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