מִכֹּל עֵץ-הַגָּן, אָכֹל תֹּאכֵל וּמֵעֵץ, הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע--לֹא תֹאכַל, מִמֶּנּוּ: כִּי, בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ--מוֹת תָּמוּת. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים, לֹא-טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ; אֶעֱשֶׂה-לּוֹ עֵזֶר, כְּנֶגְדּוֹ. וַיִּצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, כָּל-חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וְאֵת כָּל-עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וַיָּבֵא אֶל-הָאָדָם, לִרְאוֹת מַה-יִּקְרָא לוֹ...
Of every tree in the garden you are free to eat; but as for the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you must not eat of it, for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die. The Lord God said, “It is not good for adam to be alone; I will make a helper opposite him.” And the Lord God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the adam creature to see what s/he would call them. [Translation by Rabbi Steve Greenberg]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. We are told that it is not good for adam to be alone. Is that a comment by God on something that occurred just then?
2. Why did it take till this moment for adam to feel alone or for God to take note of it?
3. What is an "ezer kenegdo", a helper opposite him?
4. Why are the animals created now?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)