The Book of Rossina

Let us make man in our image (Genesis 1:26)—He took counsel with the Torah, which was with Him, to show an example to the world, that even if a person has authority to act, he should not do anything before seeking counsel from his friend. The sages had the following saying: “If your wife is short, bend down and whisper to her” [b. Bava Meẓi‘a 59b]—meaning, if your wife is of short stature, you should stoop—assuming you are tall—and lower yourself toward the ground so that you can whisper in her ear and take her advice, as you should not do anything without her guidance.

An alternative explanation is that He took counsel with the world, as man is considered like a microcosm. This is the meaning of the phrase after our likeness—the likeness of the Holy One and the likeness of the world. The phrase in our image alludes to the three partners in the formation of man: the Holy One, his father, and his mother [see b. Niddah 31a]. In what way does he resemble the world? The place of the skull is like the heavens of the firmament; the brain in the head is like the Holy One in the firmament; the palate above the teeth is like the firmament that divides between the waters [see Genesis 1:7]; the mucus above the palate is like the waters that gather above the firmament; the saliva that rises above the palate of the mouth is the great sea that is under the firmament [see Genesis 1:9]; the place of the body and the chest is comparable to the place of the world; the ribs resemble the earth, and the flesh covering the ribs is like the land that covers the water under the earth; his intestines resemble the deep; the lungs and the heart inside the body are like the animals in the world; the small, surrounding intestines are like the creeping creatures that swarm upon the earth; the bones of the chest are like the foundations under the earth of the world; his two eyes are like the two luminaries, the sun and the moon; his two ears, two nostrils, and mouth are like five stars; the spinal cord, in the spine, is like a slant serpent [see Isaiah 27:1], and just as the spinal cord extends to the skull, so, too the sea inclines from below to the heavens of the firmament; twelve appendages correspond to twelve: six are his forearms, arms, and hands—these make six; and with his thighs, shins, and feet, they are like the twelve signs of the zodiac, six to the north and six to the south, revolving around. The body is filled with wind that holds it together, just as the whole world is filled with His glory [see Isaiah 6:3].

R. Yoḥanan said: Wherever the heretics raised a difficulty, the answer to them is found nearby. Let us make man in our image, after our likeness—and God created man (Genesis 1:26).