Genesis 5 – Sexual Origins
Genesis 5, discusses the origins of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transsexuals. Our discussion’s goal is to share an explanation from The Torah about sexual origins that some in the theological community have avoided.
Leaders in my community taught me that the acts of the LGBTQ community are an abomination. LGBTQ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. Spiritual leaders from my community taught that God Intends for everyone to be straight. I would say that overall, their position is unnecessarily harsh and insensitive. As a result, there are times I will be tedious.
Genesis 5.1 says, זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֹת אָדָם This Book is the history of Adam [humankind]. Translators tend to translate תּוֹלְדֹת Toh Lihl Doht as descendants or generations rather than ‘history.’ In so doing, they bypass explaining the history.
Translators that render תּוֹלְדֹת Toh Lihl Doht as history may still bypass the record in Genesis 5.1 – 2. Many translations render אָדָם – Adam as a man. In that instance, using Adam is the better choice. Why? Holy Scripture reveals it does not conceal. The psalmist wrote, ‘Your Word [Torah] is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. In other words, The Torah is a light to our path means the purpose of The Torah is to enlighten. How does translating Adam as man enlighten us? We already have a Word for ‘man’ – אִישׁ Eesh.
Genesis 5.1
בְּיוֹם בְּרֹא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֹתוֹ
Genesis 5.1-2
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created Adam, in the [Spiritual] semblance of God, He made him; male and female. He created them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
Genesis 5.1 reveals the Spiritual semblance of Adam before The Lord God separated Chavah from him. Originally they were one soul. When The Lord God separated them, they became soulmates. Kabbalah teaches that all souls come from Adam. What is it like to be like God? The Torah states, we are made in the Spiritual semblance of God. What does that mean? We know that God is Spirit. When we think of God’s Semblance, perhaps we think of God as Spirit, Wind, or Breath, where His Presence is seen or felt.
We can deduce from the above information that we were not created in the physical image of God. God does not have a physical image. We were created in God’s Spiritual Image. Our likeness to God is Spiritual. We were created in His Spiritual Likeness.
Genesis 5.2 says He Created them as זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם Male and Female. So originally, a male Adam and a female Adam shared the same body. Rabbi Jeremiah ben Leazar said: When the Holy One, blessed be He, created Adam, He created him as a hermaphrodite [bi-sexual], for it is written, ‘Male and Female Created He them and called their name Adam.’ Bereisheit Rabba 8
Adam and Chavah were created androgynous. That means Adam was partly male and partly female in appearance. Chavah was partly male and partly female in appearance. How do we know this? The Holy Scripture says, ‘He Created them as Male and Female. He Called their name, Adam.’ So Adam was called Adam, and Chavah was also called Adam. Why? The Lord God Formed their body as one with a combination of masculine and feminine sexual organs into one body. They were created androgynous. Rabbi Moshe Weissman, The Midrash Says (Brooklyn, New York: Benei Yakov Publications 1980), p. 33
That is significant because Holy Scripture does not describe God as being androgynous. Being created androgynous should help each of us understand physical and sexual attractions experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. Those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer may appear different from heterosexuals. Yet who can say what is in each of our gene pools? We need to be very careful about branding other humans as evil or sinful because of their sexual choices.
Rabbi Samuel ben Nahman said: When The Lord Created Adam He Created him double-faced, then later He split him and made him with two backs, one back on this side and one back on the other side. He acknowledges a possible objection in Genesis 2.21, וַיִּקַּח אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו And He took one from his ribs and closed up the flesh. And the rib, which The Lord God took from Adam He made a woman and brought her to the man. מִצַּלְעֹתָיו – Mee Zah Lih Ooh Thaw means from one of his sides.
So our first Parents were created androgynous. וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם and [then] He blessed them. Does that seem strange or awkward? Perhaps those that, adhere to strict positions, need to explain how is it that The Lord God created our first parents androgynous and then וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם The Lord God Blessed them. That does not give the impression that The Lord God is unhappy with those who are struggling with their sexuality. The Lord God knows us better than we know ourselves.
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם and He Blessed them. וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמָם אָדָם and He Called everything from Aleph to Tav of their name Adam.
Male and female created He them; and Blessed them, and Called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמָם אָדָם and He Called everything from Aleph to Tav of their name Adam.
Study partners, once we saw the correct translations of Genesis 5.1 – 2 we were able to discuss the history of human sexuality. There are other Scripture Passages that reveal Light on human sexuality.
God Willing, we will continue to stay within the Torah’s Guidelines of righteous living and repentance. May we help others, May we bring peace and healing to our world. May this coming Sabbath and every Sabbath be a blessed Day.
Good Sabbath!
Dr. Akiva George Belk
