Allusions in rabbinic literature to the Biblical figure Adam, created according to the Book of Genesis by God in the Garden of Eden as the first man, expand and elaborate and draw inferences from what is presented in the text of the Bible itself.
To teach us that he who destroys a single soul destroys a whole world and that he who saves a single soul saves a whole world; furthermore, so no race or class may claim a nobler ancestry, saying, 'Our father was born first'; and, finally, to give testimony to the greatness of the Lord, who caused the wonderful diversity of mankind to emanate from one type.
[1]In a dispute, therefore, as to which Biblical verse expresses the fundamental principle of the Law, Simeon ben Azzai maintained — against Rabbi Akiva, who (following Hillel the Elder) had singled out the Golden Rule (Leviticus 19:18) — that the principle of love must have as its basis in Genesis 5:1, which teaches that all men are the offspring of him who was made in the image of God.
[2] God took dust from the site of the Temple in Jerusalem[3] and the four parts of the world, mingling it with the water of all the seas, and made him red, black, and white.
Johanan bar Nappaha interprets Adam's name as being an acrostic of אפר, דם, מרה "ashes, blood, gall".
"[10] A midrashic legend relates that the angels were so filled with wonder and awe at the sight of Adam, the image of God, that they wanted to pay homage to him and cry "Holy!"
[11] Another version is that all other creatures, marveling at Adam's greatness, prostrated themselves before him, taking him to be their creator; whereon he pointed upward to God, exclaiming: "The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with majesty!"
But while sin was of fatal consequence, and the effect of the poison of the serpent is still felt by all following generations, unless they should be released from it by the covenant of Sinai.
On account of the Sabbath the sun retained its brightness for the day; but as darkness set in Adam was seized with fear, thinking of his sin.
Then the voice of God came reassuringly: "With the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread!"