Sanhedrin 38: The Creation Of Adam; Proving One G-d

The rabbis discuss a number of issues related to the Nature/ the Oneness of G-d:

• a story about Rabbi Chizikiyah and Yehuda got drunk with Rebbi and they stated that Moshiach will come only when the Roshei Galuta (Bavel) and the Nesi'im (Yisrael) are destroyed
• The Gematria of the words wine and secret are both 70 - when wine enters, secrets come out
• The rabbis explain that G-d brought evil on people quickly because He is a tzadik, righteous, and his acts are all acts of tzedaka

• Our Mishna taught that G-d created only one man
• A baraita teaches that this was to prevent people from saying that there might be another G-d
• It could be so that tzadikim don't think we descent from a tzadik and so we do not have to keep ourselves far from sin; it could be so that resha'im (bad people) do not believe that we descend from a rasha and thus there is no need to repent
• It could allow families to have less conflict
• It could discourage theft and extortion

• Our Mishna stated that this shows G-d's greatness; each of us looks different although we could have all been made to look the same
• This was done to minimize wrongful claims of ownership
• We are different in voice, appearance and thinking to ensure that men do not have intercourse with each others' wives, to better hide valuables and minimize crime
• We learn that man was created on erev Shabbat to ensure that we did not claim we participated in the creation of people
• We can remind haughty people that mosquitoes were created before him

• The rabbis repeat that a woman brought Adam down through her lack of intelligence
• The rabbis imagine that the dirt that created Adam was taken from all over the world: the dirt for his body - or perhaps his buttocks - was taken from Bavel, his head from Yisrael, his limbs - Rashi says his hands and feet - were from other places
• Rabbi Yochanan ben Chanina describes how Adam's body and his life were formed and progressed over twelve hours

• The rabbis continue to discuss the creation of 'man'
• wild animals only rule over people if they appear to be animals
• angels consulted on whether or not G-d should create 'man'
• the angels argued and G-d burned them with His finger, creating more angels who disagreed
• Perhaps Adam stretched from one end of the world to the other; from the ground to heaven
• Perhaps Adam spoke Aramaic or thought in Aramaic
• Perhaps Adam was shown every generation, its scholars, and its Sages
• He was happy with Rabbi Akiva's Torah but saddened by Rabbi Akiva's death

• Perhaps Adam was a min, heretic
• Adam's circumcision or lack thereof is discussed - he may have circumsized himself or been born circumcized and stretched his foreskin
• Our Mishna taught be diligent to learn Torah and know how to speak to a heretic

• Rabbi Yochanan teaches that a Yisrael Min, one who knows the truth and denies it, will deny it more when challenged
• The rabbis provide a number of responses when a heretic says that there is more than one G-d
• There is a verse that says "our image" but there is also a verse that says "My image"
• There is a verse that says "let us confuse" but there is also a verse that is singular
• There is a verse that says "G-ds appeared to him" but there is also a verse that is singular
• etc.
• But why were all of these verses written in plural?
• Rabbi Yochanan taught that G-d always consults with his Heavenly Court before doing anything, thus the use of plural
• Our daf ends with a discussion of G-d, thrones and footstools