בראשית, פרק ב׳, פסוק ז׳

The creation of humanity stands as the ultimate climax of the natural world, a unique masterpiece designed to bridge the highest spiritual realms with the lowest physical matter. God shaped the human form from existing materials rather than creating it out of nothing [מלבי״ם, רש״ר הירש, קאסוטו]. This formation points to a profound duality inherent in human nature. One perspective suggests this duality reflects two distinct phases of human existence: life in this world and a future revival during the resurrection of the dead, a destiny unique to humanity, as animals do not face ultimate judgment [רש״י, שפתי חכמים, מנחת שי, גור אריה, פרדס יוסף]. Another approach views this dual nature as the presence of two internal inclinations—the urge for good and the urge for evil—which together grant humans the profound gift of free will [בעל הטורים, תורה תמימה, אדרת אליהו, צאינה וראינה].

Unlike the creation of animals, where the earth actively brought forth life, the ground remained completely passive during human creation as God personally sculpted the physical body [רש״ר הירש, קאסוטו, מלבי״ם]. The material used was a combination of soft dust and hard ground. Some explain that the loose dust was used to form the flesh, while the solid ground was used to construct the bones [הכתב והקבלה, אדרת אליהו]. Others understand this material simply as the purest, most refined elements the earth had to offer [ספורנו, רד״ק]. There are two primary traditions regarding the exact origin of this soil. The first maintains that God gathered earth from all four corners of the globe. This ensured that human beings could physically adapt to any climate and guaranteed that, upon death, the earth would accept their bodies for burial no matter where they passed away [רש״י, העמק דבר, רבינו בחיי, גור אריה, לבוש האורה]. The second tradition asserts that the soil was taken from a single, highly specific location: the future site of the altar on the Temple Mount. By being formed from the very place of atonement, humanity was endowed from inception with the inherent capacity to repent and find forgiveness for future failures [רש״י, מזרחי, תורה תמימה, שפתי כהן].

Once the physical vessel was complete, God breathed life into its face, animating the respiratory system and setting the body in motion [שד״ל, רד״ק, רבינו בחיי, רש״ר הירש]. The act of breathing life carries a profound theological principle: one who exhales, exhales from deep within Himself. Therefore, the human soul is not made of earthly elements, nor was it created out of nothing; it is a direct extension of the divine essence [רמב״ן, שד״ל, רבינו בחיי, מלבי״ם, אלשיך, חומש קה״ת]. Fusing a physical body from the lower realms with a spiritual soul from the upper realms established a perfect harmony within creation, preventing any jealousy between heaven and earth [רש״י, צאינה וראינה, גור אריה, הדר זקנים].

With the infusion of this divine breath, the human became a living being. Because animals are also considered living beings, it is necessary to understand what makes human life distinct. The primary approach among commentators is that humans were transformed into a speaking spirit, gaining the intellect, reason, and power of speech that elevate them above the animal kingdom [רמב״ן, רש״י, רד״ק, רלב״ג, פענח רזא, שטיינזלץ]. While philosophers debate whether humans possess separate vegetative, animal, and intellectual souls, the Torah tradition stresses that this single divine soul is the unified source of all physical and mental faculties [רמב״ן, מזרחי, מלבי״ם, אדרת אליהו]. Furthermore, this new life was immediately physically capable; the first human stood upright and walked right away, unlike a helpless newborn [אבן עזרא, רד״ק]. Yet, on a spiritual level, this life is granted only as raw potential. While animals are born entirely complete in their nature, humans begin as basic living beings who must toil, apply their intellect, and actively choose good to actualize their spiritual perfection [כלי יקר, ספורנו, הכתב והקבלה]. Ultimately, because this soul is a breath of the divine, it remains eternal, continuing to live and exist long after the physical body returns to the earth [שד״ל, רבינו בחיי, חזקוני, ביאור יש״ר].