Derasha 2 on Bereishis 5:1

TT #181 · Parashas Bereishis · Fifth Aliyah · Passuk 1

Complete Passuk

זֶ֣ה סֵ֔פֶר תּוֹלְדֹ֖ת אָדָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם בְּרֹ֤א אֱלֹהִים֙ אָדָ֔ם בִּדְמ֥וּת אֱלֹהִ֖ים עָשָׂ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:4 (verified).

Core Text

Core Textתַּנְיָא, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ — כְּלָל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה. בֶּן עַזַּאי אוֹמֵר: זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם — כְּלָל גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה.
English of Core Text: It was taught: Rabbi Akiva says: “And you shall love your fellow as yourself” is a great principle in the Torah. Ben Azzai says: “This is the book of the generations of Adam” is a greater principle than that.
On the daf / in context: Ben Azzai elevates the recognition of a common human origin (the book of Adam’s generations) above even the love-of-neighbor command as the more fundamental principle.
Type of Learning: Custom (great principle of the Torah)
What Is Learned: “This is the book of the generations of Adam” is regarded by Ben Azzai as a principle even greater than “love your fellow as yourself.”