Genesis 2:7

"Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7 RSV).  

 

Question:

It is my understanding that Jews interpret this to mean life begins at birth—not at contraception or anytime prior to birth. I have subscribed to this understanding.

 

Comment:

The relationship between Jews and the Bible is, I think, quite different from that of many Christians. It's their story, after all, and like every great story it's open to a wide range of interpretation and argument. Unlike those Christians who insist on one—and only one—meaning for every word, Jews have historically found guidance and support by wrestling with the text.  

They especially study, argue, debate, and interpret the first five books that constitute their Torah. Their Midrash is a separate work that offers a variety of commentaries on just what each passage—each work, in fact—means. In this passage the important point—both spiritually and metaphysically—is the dual nature of humanity: Our physical forms are 'dust from the ground' and thereby related to all life on earth. And we are also something more—infused by divine Presence with a 'breath of life' that means, I think, that we truly are that divine energy expressing into the world through our human experiences. Some would insist the breath occurs at the moment of conception. Others believe it occurs at the moment of birth, as the child takes its first breath on its own. I would agree with the second understanding, as you do. But there's nothing in the passage that would allow me to claim that as the absolute Truth. It's actually a lovely example of the way the Bible can reflect back to us the preconceptions we bring to it.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed