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In the television show All in the Family, Archie Bunker (portrayed by the actor Carroll O’Connor), once remarked that women couldn’t be equal to men because Eve was taken from Adam’s rib – you know, the second cut. Leaving aside his objectionable view, Archie’s reading of the text of Genesis is not necessarily wrong. Many of us were taught that Eve was created from Adam’s rib, as stated in Genesis 2:22 – “And the Lord G-d fashioned the rib that He has taken from the man into a woman…”
But it should be noted that this isn’t the only possible way to understand the creation of women. Another text in Genesis 1:27 states, “And G-d created man in His image, in the image of G-d he created him, male and female he created them.” Notice that the pronoun switches, midsentence, from singular to plural. This leads to a famous midrash found in Genesis Rabbah 8:1 (5th century CE), which suggests that Adam was essentially an androgynous person, i.e., both male and female. G-d then split him into two halves, male and female, resulting in two complementary humans. In the words of the midrash:
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Said R. Yirmiyah ben Elazar: In the hour when the Holy One created the first human, He created him [as] an androgynous [androginos], as it is said, “male and female He created them”. Said Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: In the hour when the Holy One created the first human, He created him double-faced [du-par’tsufin], and sawed him and made him backs, a back here and a back [t]here, as it is said, “Before/achor and behind/kedem You formed me” [Psalms 139:5].
We look at notions of gender fluidity as strictly a modern invention. That isn’t, as this passage demonstrates, entirely true. In fact, a number of passages in the Mishna (c. 200 CE) debate the male/female gender identity of both hermaphroditic (to appearances, neither male nor female) and androgynous (both male and female) individuals. To the rabbinic mind, these were cases where it was complicated to assign male or female obligations and privileges, and so they attempted to sort things out.
So next time someone tries Archie’s argument, you’ll know how to respond. Even if the “Archie” in your life is unlikely to change his mind.
- Rabbi Scott Hoffman
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