Áfár min háádámá

Bereshit Rabbah 14,7 addresses the repetitive wording עפר מן האדמה by saying that this is to tell us that earth is composed of male and female matter. The male matter is known as עפר, the female matter as אדמה. Not only earth, but all phenomena on earth, be they inert vegetable matter or animals, are composed of male and female parts. Another reason cited by the Midrash for the repetition of the word עפר, i.e. the addition of the word אדמה, is that this word refers to a special earth, the earth from the site of the Holy Temple. This is important as it reminds us that G-d created us from the source of our eventual atonement, the Temple being the source of our atonement. The Torah in Deut. 32,43 specifically mentions that the earth of that site brings atonement, וכפר אדמתו עמו, “its earth will bring atonement for His people.” Another allusion to this atonement is the fact that the Jewish people were commanded in Exodus 20,24 to construct their altar out of earth, אדמה, to drive home the point that the altar which is the instrument of our atonement was capable of doing this thanks to it being constructed out of אדמה.

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