“Why hasn’t anyone told us this before? Why isn’t this discussed? What interests are behind the manipulation of the biblical text?” These were some of the questions raised by a group of young people from the Jewish community, in a debate I was part of. This followed a presentation by a rabbi about the nature of Adam and Chava, better known as Adam and Eve, described as the “first man” and “first woman,” respectively, in the biblical tradition of the Book of Genesis. What we didn’t know was that the creation myth was far more complex and interesting than we imagined, and could spark profound discussions for understanding the paradigms that shape our society today. The idea was to read the text less as a belief manual and more as a written source from its time, in order to understand its historical unfolding. Another important point was that we can respect the cultural and ritual relevance of a liturgical text while understanding that it can and should be questioned by the critical evolutions of humanity for the sake of life. One of the foundations of the Jewish religion is debate. Not even the Torah escapes being dissected through questioning. There is a Hebrew custom that says it is good to answer a question with another question. Therefore, debate functions as a mechanism of life, of movement. Without a doubt, would humanity drown in supposed affirmations? It is certain that there is a much greater interest for religious institutions to manipulate the biblical text and sweep “controversial” issues under the rug without exercising questioning and debate in order to structure their power over the masses with moralistic and apocalyptic arguments. Therefore, there is an imperative in a Christian society that the biblical text cannot be questioned, only followed; at most, “interpreted.” This premise can be frightening and resembles an ideological bridle. The subject explained by the rabbi was that, according to Jewish texts, upon creation, Adam was not a man of the male gender, but an androgynous being. Complete silence in the room. The binary division of gender, according to Jewish belief, comes later. And Chava (Eve) was not the first woman, but the second, as the first woman would have been Lilith. How is it that nobody has told us that there were debates like this in the canonical literature that structures Judaism? This is known by Jewish theologians. When Adam was created, the best translation for the word would not be “first man,” but rather “being of the earth.” Since from the earth (adamá) this being was sculpted. Is the use of the term “man” in the translation to other languages just a generalization of “humanity,” or a deliberate allusion to the male sex in order to hide its androgynous character? According to Jewish tradition, the God of the Hebrews is one and cannot be divided. The foundation of Judaism and its profession of faith is the “shema,” which says: “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” In other words, the deities of other nations may be various, but that of Israel is one. This premise is the basis of monotheism. Therefore, when God creates the first human being, God creates it in His image and likeness. For this reason, Adam, the first living being, could not be a man of the male sex; since the binary nature of gender comes afterwards; when God divides Adam into man and woman, thus losing his ‘one’ character and becoming binary. This happens because Jewish tradition does not base its beliefs solely on the written Torah, but also on the strength of oral tradition, which consists of the millennial compilation of commentaries by sages like the Talmud (called oral Torah), and the Midrashim (plural of Midrash), which are explanations of stories from Jewish oral tradition. The story of Lilith, for example, is in the Midrash. Lilith, for some reason, had her figure removed from the written Torah, but remained as an important character in the “Creation” in the Midrash and Talmud. The story of Lilith seems to be a doctrinal anecdote of how a woman should not be. Now, it seems that, in addition to being the first woman, Lilith questioned the man’s sexual position and refused to be subservient, or as some conservatives prefer to say, she refused to be “submissive.” For her insubordination, Lilith is expelled from Paradise and from then on Eve is created from Adam’s rib: “this is now bone of my bones.” What intrigued me in this debate was the ability of institutions (in this case, religious ones) to manipulate and omit essential information. The debate on sexuality and gender is still a colossal taboo for conservatives and reactionaries. It is certain that it is not in their interest that knowledge frees them from the constraints that structure their domains. It is certain that the astonishment that provoked the initial inquiries of the young people who were delving into the sources has more to do with a certain feeling of omission and even deception than with “what is curious.” What is really “curious” is that we are presented with translations that distance us from the primary sources of the biblical texts. The really curious thing is that hegemonic religious intuitions establish translations that suit them as something natural. It is not up to their faithful to question the accuracy of the “word.” It is quite curious that these passages are still used to humiliate, indoctrinate and control the so-called suitable ones and especially the “unsuitable” ones in their mannerisms, or people who feel an enormous discomfort with the gender assigned to them at birth. The foundation is the perpetuation of patriarchy. If these discoveries from the first excerpts of Genesis have already caused us astonishment, imagine what lies behind the entire Torah? Imagine the astonishment it would cause us to approach what is omitted between Genesis and Revelation? Note: This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Vogue Brasil. Just click on this link to join the channel and receive news first-hand. As soon as you enter, the common WhatsApp conversation template appears on your screen. From then on, just wait for the news to arrive!
The Hidden Story of Adam and Eve: A Jewish Debate on Gender and Creation
