The Literal Meaning of Genesis
BOOK ELEVEN 167
CHAPTER 34
Adam, hiding himself in shame, is called forth by God.
45. And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: "Where are you?'19 This question is uttered by One who is admonishing, not by one who is ignorant. And there is surely some special meaning in the fact that just as the command was given to the man, and through him transmitted to the woman, so the man is questioned first. For the command came from the Lord through the man to the woman, but sin came from the Devil through the woman to the man. This is full of mystical meanings, not intended by the persons in whom these actions took place, but intended by the all-powerful Wisdom of God.!2° Our purpose now, however, is not to unfold hidden meanings but to establish what actually happened.
46. Adam, then, replied, / heard Thy voice in Paradise, and I was afraid because I am naked, and I hid myself:'?} It is quite probable that God was accustomed to appear in human form to these first two human beings, using a creature appropriate for such an action. But He raised their attention to higher things and never permitted them to notice their nakedness until after their sin, when they felt a movement in their members of which they were ashamed, in accordance with that law of the members which is punishment for sin.!?? They felt as men normally feel before the eyes of others; and, as a punishment of their sin, they had a desire to hide from Him from whom nothing can be hidden and to conceal their bodies from Him who sees the heart.
But what wonder is it if proud men, wishing to be like gods, became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened?
In their prosperity they said that they were wise, and when God turned His face away they became fools.1?> If they felt shame in the presence of one another—and this is why they had made aprons for themselves—they were all the more deeply afraid, even with this covering, to be seen by God, who benevolently condescended to confront them with a visible creature having the likeness of human eyes by which they would be seen. Indeed, if God appeared to them thus in order to let them speak