From Primordial Being into Genders: Ecofeminist Reading of the Biblical Human Creation Narratives in Rabbinic Literature

Abstract

This article examines the biblical narrative regarding human creation in the light of rabbinic literature, contesting its hierarchical interpretations and calling for ethical rereading of the text. The novel reading is guided by fundamental Jewish principles—bal tashḥit (“not destroying”), tsaʻar baʻlei ḥayyim (“distress of living creatures”), and tiqqun ha-ʻolam (“repair of the world”)—promoting all-encompassing justice. Seeking support from ancient Near Eastern myths, the paper presents a systematic ecofeminist analysis of the biblical narrative describing, as is argued, the creation of a primordial being (Gen. 1:26–28), the formation of humanity into a sustainable part of the ecosystem (Gen. 2:7), and the construction of genders (Gen. 2:18–23). The close reading of the creation story is informed by postmodern hermeneutics emphasizing reader response and meaning making.