וַיַּפֵּל֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה עַל־הָאָדָ֖ם וַיִּישָׁ֑ן וַיִּקַּ֗ח אַחַת֙ מִצַּלְעֹתָ֔יו וַיִּסְגֹּ֥ר בָּשָׂ֖ר תַּחְתֶּֽנָּה׃
L’Éternel-Dieu fit peser une torpeur sur l’Homme, qui s’endormi; il prit une de ses côtes, et forma un tissu de chair à la place.
Guide for the Perplexed
One of these utterances is this: “Adam and Eve were at first created as one being, having their backs united: they were then separated, and one half was removed and brought before Adam as Eve.” The term mi-ẓal‘otav (lit. “of his ribs”) signifies “of his sides.” The meaning of the word is proved by referring to ẓel‘a, “the side” of the tabernacle (Exod. 26:20), which Onkelos renders setar (“side”), and so also mi-ẓal‘otav is rendered by him “mi-sitrohi” (of his sides). Note also how clearly it has been stated that Adam and Eve were two in some respects, and yet they remained one, according to the words, “Bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (Gen. 2:23). The unity of the two is proved by the fact that both have the same name, for she is called ishshah (woman), because she was taken out of ish (man), also by the words, “And shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh” (ii. 24). How great is the ignorance of those who do not see that all this necessarily includes some [other] idea [besides the literal meaning of the words]. This is now clear.