Divine Plurals/2

Divine Plurals

Exegetical Approaches

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Partnership with Others

The plural form is used because Hashem either consulted or actively acted with others.

Sources:PhiloOn the Confusion of Tongues 35:179About Philo,¹ Bereshit Rabbah8:3-48:821:5About Bereshit Rabbah, Targum Pseudo-JonathanBereshit 1:26About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, RashiBereshit 1:26Bereshit 3:22Bereshit 11:7About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, RashbamBereshit 1:26About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraBereshit 1:26Bereshit 3:22Bereshit 11:7About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RadakBereshit 1:26Bereshit 3:22Bereshit 11:7About R. David Kimchi, Abarbanel #2, SefornoBereshit 1:26About R. Ovadyah Seforno

"נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם" – What did the angels do?

• According to Rashi, following Bereshit Rabbah, Hashem simply consulted with the angels regarding man's creation, but they did not actually do anything.  As evidence, he points to the verseוַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם" ‏,", which presents Hashem as the singular subject of the verb "ברא" and makes no mention of other beings.
• Philo, Ibn Ezra, Abarbanel and Seforno, in contrast, suggest that the angels played an active role in creating man.  Abarbanel asserts that just as Hashem had the land actively draw forth vegetation since the two were naturally similar, he had angels abet him in creating mankind, who, like them, have an intellect.

"הָבָה נֵרְדָה וְנָבְלָה" – What did the angels do?

• Most of these commentators suffice by saying that Hashem spoke with the angels, but do not elaborate as to whether they actively helped in dispersing the nations.
• Abarbanel, though, claims that after the sin of the generation of the tower,² God decided to remove His providence from the nations and give them into the hands of ministering angels instead.  It is this that Hashem tells the angels when He says, "let us go down".

Why work with angels?

• Moral lesson – According to Bereshit Rabbah and Rashi, Hashem consults with the angels to teach a lesson in humility to humans.  If even Hashem asks permission of those lesser than He before acting, all the more so should mankind.³
• Divine duties – Others might more simply suggest that Hashem often speaks to intermediaries to fulfill His will, and these cases are not particularly exceptional except in the fact that Torah shares His speech.
• Dirty work – According to Philo, Hashem had the angels participate in creating man, so that all the errors and wickedness of mankind could be attributed to these subordinate powers and not to Hashem.⁴

Why specifically in these verses?

"בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ"

Belief in angels

"כְּאַחַד מִמֶּנּוּ לָדַעַת טוֹב וָרָע"

Hashem Acting Alone

Utilized Earthly Elements

Sources:R. Yosef Kimchicited in Radak Bereshit 1:26About R. Yosef Kimchi, RambanBereshit 1:26About R. Moshe b. Nachman, Abarbanel #1, Maasei Hashem,

Rhetorical Flourish

Sources:R. Saadia GaonCommentary Bereshit 1:26HaEmunot VeHaDeot 2:6About R. Saadia Gaon, Lekach TovBereshit 1:26Bereshit 11:7About R. Toviah b. Eliezer, R"Y Bekhor Shor #1, Ibn Kaspi, ShadalBereshit 1:26About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, R. S"R HirschBereshit 1:26Bereshit 3:22About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch, R. D"Z Hoffmann, CassutoBereshit 1:26About Prof. Umberto Cassuto

¹ This is Philo's understanding in his work, On the Confusion of Tongues.  In On Drunkenness, however, he implies another reading, that Hashem created together with wisdom.

² Not all commentators agree that the people who built the tower sinned, nor that the dispersal was a punishment.  For elaboration regarding Abarbanel and others' approaches to the issue, see Deconstructing Migdal Bavel.

³ In his comments on the creation story Rashi stresses that, despite the consultation, the act of creation was Hashem's alone.  As proof he points to the very next verse, "וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם", which mentions only Hashem as creating mankind.

⁴ He does not address their necessity by the dispersal of the generation of the Tower of Bavel.