Chapter One

ADAM AND EVE

Infancy

Erik Erikson: Stage One Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust

• The infant moves from a state of being merged with the mother to a state of being "in relation" to her. The mother's love affords the infant the security that enables him or her to move from dependence to autonomy.

• There is a mutuality of recognition between the mother and the child--recognition by touch, face, name, and voice. They both develop as a result of their interaction.

• The mother's task--to wean the child--leads to a sense of separation and abandonment, which the child never totally overcomes. Yet, if she acts in predictable ways, she can engender hope and trust in the infant. Separation helps shape the child's ego-identity; deprivation and the loss of the mother force the infant to distinguish himself or herself from her.

• Foundations of trust and mistrust are established through the presence or absence of the parents' care and nurturing.

• Parents guide the infant by the use of permission and prohibition. Infants tend to externalize their pain and discomfort by projecting them on to other objects.

• The infant begins to gain control over the surrounding environment as he or she interacts with it.

Jacob's mind wandered all the way back to the beginning. He pictured the womblike Garden into which God had placed Adam Ha-Rishon, the first human being, and he could even feel the afterbirth that had covered Adam's body as he was placed there. Jacob could hear Adam's voice in his head as if he were forcing himself to remember every detail:

Content and Protected in the Garden of Our Infancy

The texture of the dirt all over my body was rough and scratchy, and it was difficult to rub off. I tried using the leaves that I had plucked from the large fig tree nearby, but they lacked sufficient moisture. It was only after I dipped the leaves in the water of the river called the Pishon that I was able to remove most of the grime. An indentation was left near the middle of my stomach, which remains to this day. Perhaps it was meant as a reminder of how I came into being: the product of heaven and earth.

God created me from the soil of the earth, kneading it together and packing it as tight as possible. My body still aches from all the squeezing and pressing God had to do to shape me from the dirt. Yet, it was the breath God breathed into me that truly brought me to life. God's essence flowed into me. At the moment of my creation, when I was able to stand on my own two feet, I was at one with the Divine. Though created from the dust of the earth, like all subsequent offspring I was formed partly in the image of my Parent. It is true that I was created with two sets of characteristics, male and female, but like God I was one--a unity of different, perhaps complementary, parts.

In the time immediately following creation, all that I could focus on was the presence and nearness of God. It was as if God's spirit suffused all of creation and literally surrounded me. I could hardly tell the difference between myself and the Divine. God's presence was so total that in a sense I wasn't even aware of it.

To my surprise, I was lifted up by a powerful gust of wind, which carried me to what I still think of as the most beautiful place in all the world. It is a place to which I long to return someday, a lush Garden in which every kind of vegetation grew: all kinds of fruit trees, multicolored flowers, and fragrant herbs, as well as bushes and plants of every size and shape.

Adam was overwhelmed that this was the place God had prepared for him. By choosing Eden for Adam, God had displayed the love that most devoted parents have for their children in preparing the world for the arrival of their newborn. God not only made sure that Adam and Eve had enough food to eat, but also created a space in which the first human beings would be happy and secure. Jacob heard Adam's voice, a voice full of contentment and pleasure:

All that I need is right here in the Garden. I can eat whenever I am hungry. I can swim and bathe in the waters of the streams that irrigate the Garden. I can spend wonderful hours luxuriating in the beauty of the many plants, which thrill each of my five senses. I never feel bored. And I feel utterly safe here, since the Garden is hedged by huge trees, which prevent the animals outside from ever intruding upon me. The only animals I ever see are some harmless Garden snakes, who seem more interested in the fruit that falls from the trees.

Adam was placed in a nursery of green in which to work and play to his heart's content amid the wonders of God's creation. Sheltered, cared for, and coddled, he was able to curl up when he became tired and to fall into a deep, comforting sleep. Like all newborns, Adam was not afraid of ever being disturbed.

Becoming Aware of the Other

Adam was one with the earth, the adamah , and he was one with all creation. But he was also alone--solitary and single. As wonderful as his garden-like nursery was, God knew that it was not good for Adam to be alone. If he could relate to another creation similar to himself, he would better recognize who he was and the purpose of his life. He would also better understand his relationship with the Other in the universe, the Divine. Adam needed a mate, and Jacob remembered how it came to be.

God first brought several animals to Adam from outside the Garden so he could see that he was different from them. He was awed by their mammoth size and ferociousness. Yet, as he gazed at each of them he called them by unique names, just as children do when they lie in a crib and play with objects that seem to tower over them. Eventually, although the elephant and giraffe, the lion and the bear still made terrifying noises and threatened to devour Adam, they were no longer so frightening. After all, he had given them names to which they seemed to respond. It was almost as if he controlled them by calling them by name. He had power over all the animals, but it did not make him happy, and he expressed his sadness:

It's amazing! How do the tigers and the anteaters and the raccoons all know that each of them is meant for its own kind? They seem attracted to one another. In a sense, they seem to be created for each other! But they are all different from me. Their bodies, the way they walk, the sounds they make, even the manner in which they relate to the other creations are very different.

Adam was lonely and longed to have a partner like himself. And as he slept that night he dreamed of a creature like himself. He conceived of a being that would complement him--at would, in a sense, be a side of himself. He awakened in the morning to find the very creature of which he had dreamed: a wo(man). And he cried out in amazement, "This one is like me: she is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." By finding his partner, Adam recognized even more the creative power of God, the One Who had created both of them.

The Need for Guidance and Limitations

But on his deathbed, Jacob recalled that Adam and Eve's joy in their nursery-like Garden was short-lived. They awakened to the reality of God's expectations of them. In the beginning, God indicated to them that all of creation was made for them, that the world was theirs: "Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule over the fish ... the birds and all the living things that creep on the earth.... I give to you every seed-bearing plant upon the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit ... all the green plants for food." But when God placed Adam in the Garden, it was made clear that Adam could not simply enjoy the fruit of the Garden. Adam was given the responsibility of caring for it, and he wasn't pleased about this:

It wasn't easy for me to tend to all the plants and trees. Just to keep track of which needed watering and which needed fertilizing was enough to make my head spin. And the workload was immense. There were so many trees, shrubs, and plants that I literally had to work from sunrise to sunset in order to keep up with it all. Do you think pruning, feeding, and replenishing a nursery full of an infinite variety of vegetation is easy? We hardly had any time to enjoy the Garden and all its beauty. But it got worse. I don't understand how God, after saying that all of the trees in the Garden were given to us for food, could then command us not to eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the Garden. What was so special about this Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to cause God to make up a special rule about it? It was clear that God had an important stake in setting this prohibition, since God--for the first time--not only commanded us not to do something, but also said that we would die if we ate the fruit.

As he remembered how God had placed before creation that which was both permitted and forbidden, Jacob understood that the Divine served as a paradigm for every parent who must walk a tightrope between permissiveness and discipline, extending unconditional love to their children while also having expectations for them. He had struggled throughout his life with this very tension.

Yet, in presenting the human being with the permitted and the forbidden, God also gave Adam the gift of choice. This affirmed his freedom. The moment that Adam was told that he could not eat the fruit of the tree that was in the middle of the Garden was the instant that Adam became independent of God. Adam, like every child, now had the power to do what he wanted to do, irrespective of what had been told to him.

Testing the Limits: The Beginning of Growth

Adam told Eve that God had made it clear that they could eat fruit from all the trees in the Garden of Eden except for the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Every day as Eve passed the tree she stared at it, for it seemed to have the most luscious, tasty, and beautiful fruit of all. She couldn't help herself; it was almost as if the tree were drawing her to it.

One day, as she stood close to the tree, she heard a voice speaking to her. Or perhaps the voice came from within her. She looked around for Adam, but he wasn't in sight. The only thing she saw was a snake curled around a nearby bush. The voice assured her that if she ate the delicious fruit, not only would she not die, but her eyes would be opened and she would gain wisdom. In her heart of hearts, she knew that she and Adam would be punished if they ate the fruit. She even thought that perhaps they shouldn't even touch the tree lest they be drawn to the tempting fruit.

But the voice was very compelling. At that moment, she saw the serpent move toward the tree and touch the base of its trunk. Nothing happened to it. This only added to Eve's confusion as she struggled to make sense of her conflicting impulses.

The first seeds of doubt about God's command had already taken root. Did God really say, "You shall eat of any tree of the Garden?" Perhaps it was permissible to eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the Garden, since God had initially said that all the trees and vegetation were available for consumption. Jacob remembered that he had heard not only that the fruit was beautiful to look at and had a fantastic aroma, but that anyone who ate it would be wise like God.

Eve and Adam were like all children who begin to doubt their parents' rules while striving to be like them. They had to test just how far they could assert themselves while they were learning about their own power. Jacob did not find this surprising at all, since they were created in the image of their parent, God, who is unique and all-powerful.

And so Eve extended her hand toward one of the limbs. Ever so delicately, she removed a piece of fruit, trying not to disturb the branch at all--as if that would guarantee that God would not realize what she had done. She smiled as she enjoyed the delicious fruit, and she couldn't wait to share it with Adam.

And Their Eyes Were Opened;

Recognizing the Other in Us

Eve soon found Adam, and the two of them now ate the fruit. But they both sensed that something had changed. From the first moment they had gazed at each other, they knew that they were similar to each other and very different from all the other creatures they had seen lurking outside the Garden. Though in many respects they were absolutely naive as they witnessed each other's nakedness, now they saw each other through different eyes. Eve couldn't take her eyes off Adam, but she didn't want to be caught staring at him.

I can't believe how wonderful it is that our bodies seem to match; the parts complement each other. I wonder if Adam's body is as sensitive to touch as mine seems to be. I want to caress him and warm him with my body.

Eve was ashamed to think such thoughts and looked for something with which to cover herself. Adam suggested they use fig leaves, remembering how he had tried to clean himself with these leaves after his own creation. Eve ran and brought back a handful of leaves, which she quickly sewed together into cloths to cover the parts of their bodies that represented their uniqueness.

Shame occurs when someone is totally exposed and conscious of someone else's gaze. Before eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Eve had no self-consciousness. They did not fully know each other; in a way, they did not even know themselves. Only when they became totally visible to each other did they truly comprehend who they were. Only when they could share the totality of their being with each other could Adam and Eve develop their full individuality. They had finally become the helpmate for each other that God had spoken about by proclaiming, "It is not good for the human being to be alone; I will find a fitting helper for him."

Hiding from Responsibility

The embarrassment that Eve and Adam felt toward each other because of their nakedness did not compare to the shame they felt before God. Jacob could still feel their terror as they sensed God's presence in the Garden. Like all young children, Adam and Eve were more acutely aware of their Parent when they did something wrong.

The irony, of course, was that God was always present, but they could not be sure of that, since they had not seen God for what seemed to be an eternity. Their relationship to God was like a game of hide-and-seek or peek-a-boo--games that teach all infants not only basic trust but also that they can survive independently of their parents. God seemed to disappear--and not return. While God "was gone" they continued to live. As a result of the "game," Adam and Eve probably felt a greater sense of themselves and their own needs and power.

Yet, having tasted of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the first man and woman instinctively tried to hide among the largest trees. Suddenly, a booming voice pierced through the Garden and seemed to reverberate in their own heads: "Where are you?" The pair crouched down and didn't know what to do.

Do you think we should respond? The Divine is bound to find us. God probably knows where we are, anyway! We know that was not what God was asking: it was a question of what we have done.

Adam finally stammered to God: I ... I mean we heard You moving through the Garden ... and ... well ... we were afraid because we were naked, so we hid.

Eve thought to herself: We're not naked anymore: We're now covered with the fig leaves that I sewed together for us. But perhaps we are naked in God's eyes--or maybe in our own eyes--because of what we did, and we tried to avoid God's anger, just as the serpent here slithers away when danger approaches.

When God asked who told them that they were naked, or whether they had gained such knowledge by eating from the tree that was forbidden to them, Adam replied, "The woman made me do it," and Eve claimed, "The serpent duped me." Jacob could only imagine whom the serpent would blame!

It was so typically childlike to cast blame on others and not take responsibility for what they had done. It was much easier for Adam and Eve to say that the snake had been culpable, to project onto him their own desire (even if it was an unconscious desire) for independence and power, which could be attained by eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Leaving the Garden--the Womb

Jacob knew that God had searched through the Garden for Adam and Eve. Finally, God asked, " Aiyeka ," "Where are you?" Things seemed to have changed so much. God could no longer be sure of the creatures of creation, asking them not so much "where they were" but rather "who they were." It was almost as if the Divine, like all parents, no longer completely knew the very creatures that God had produced. God was dealing with growing progeny, who were developing personalities and wills of their own. As Adam and Eve began to assert their independence from the Divine, perhaps God also understood that it was time to withdraw from them. Parents also consciously contract somewhat, so they can give their children the space they need to fully develop.

But it is not easy for parents--or for God--to withdraw. This usually is done with great ambivalence. On one hand, God wanted them to live and flourish, and as a result they were not immediately stricken with death when the Divine realized that they had disobeyed the commandment against eating from the tree. Yet, God punished them for asserting their own independence. Doing this showed them the difficulty of childbearing and childrearing: "I shall make most severe your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring children into the world." God realized that Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden where they had been protected, since they could not grow in the confines of the womb. This is no different from children's need to leave the safety of their parents' house. However, as God was about to banish them, God reacted like every loving parent:

Wait! Don't go so fast. You cannot go like that: Without garments to protect you, you will not survive outside the Garden. The cold can be very biting; thorns and branches will tear at your skin; animals may sting or scratch or bite you. You have no idea what you will encounter out there. Please, put on these coverings, which I have sewn together from skins that the serpents have shed. In this way, I will be with you, protecting you at every step.

As God breathed in, Eden contracted like a womb and expelled Adam and Eve into the world. They could never return to the place where everything that was necessary for life had been provided. But the irony was that their lives were only now really beginning. By leaving the Garden, they took their first steps toward determining who they were, their first steps toward choosing freely their own path in the world.

After taking a few steps, Adam turned to gaze at the place where he and Eve had felt at one with the Divine--the place where he had been secure and at peace. As he turned, something in him wanted to run back, almost as if he had left a part of himself there. One part of him, indeed, would always dream of that place of his infancy and of the time that was so simple, so clear, so certain.

But there was no going back. Cherubim and a fiery sword prevented Adam and Eve from returning. They were destined to live in exile outside the Garden, in a place where creativity and hope would always have to battle limitation and anxiety. At best, all they could carry with them was the memory of Eden. This became their road map for an eventual return. The garden of their infancy became their dream of utopia and fulfillment.

Adam and Eve now began their journey to the wholeness and completeness they had known in the Garden. Much later, Jacob would long for this wholeness his entire life. As Adam and Eve remembered deep in their psyches the time when they were at one with God in the all-enveloping womb of Eden, they were already on their way back to the Divine, Whom they would encounter as adults in the garden of their maturity.

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Voices from Genesis

9781580231183

1580231187

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