1

Continuing my studies of Genesis, I'm curious what do the field animals represent? Man was placed in the Garden to cultivate and tend it, with the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil at its center. God sets out to create a helper for Adam, and he starts by creating the field animals. Only after Adam names and evaluates all of them, and doesn't find a suitable helper, does God subsequently make Eve.

Since these are specifically animals of the field (vs animals in general) it would seem that the type of help they provide is in cultivating and tending the Garden. That is man's job and so they are to help him do it. This would seem to also explain the presence of the serpent (eating rodents/pests/etc to protect the plants and produce); at least in terms of the picture being painted.

Assuming this is allegorical / metaphorical, what do the field animals represent generally? And what does the serpent represent specifically? How do they help to cultivate and tend the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil in the Garden?

Improve this question
3
  • 1
    I heard an idea from a Rabbi (Tovia Singer), based on Talmud Bavli Yevamot 63a, that the purpose of asking Adam to assess the animals of the field was in order to show him that none of them could make a help mate for him. It was only to help him recognise that he needed the bones of his bones and the flesh of his flesh.
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Commented Jul 19 at 10:13
  • 1
    Related to the title only: judaism.stackexchange.com/a/137632/31534. Doesn't answer the question proper, but of interest
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Commented Jul 19 at 10:36
  • 1
    Btw, Tovia takes it a bit further and says that's what upset the snake. The snake was the only animal that could talk, and therefore was offended and jealous when Adam didn't pick him as a help mate. Take from that what you will :)
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Commented Jul 19 at 11:47

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4

We find in Mishlei 30:24 - There are four are among the small creatures of earth who are wise having been made wise [by the Creator]. The ants are a nation that is not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer. Badgers are a nation that is not powerful, yet they make their abode in the rock. There is no king among the locusts, yet they all go in a single swarm. The spider seizes [its prey] with its handiwork, though it dwells in the king's palace (i.e. there's abundance of delicious food, yet it still makes a web to catch its own food).

Eruvin 100a. Rabbi Yochanan said: Had the Torah not been given, we would have learned modesty from the cat, [aversion to] theft from the ant, chastity from the dove, and [conjugal] manners from fowl.

While the first human was perfect, perhaps, animals were created in the world so that humans could learn proper character traits going forward.

Improve this answer
0

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .