There are several ways in which people communicate with me. Some call in to my radio show on Sundays (415) 808-5600 at KSFO San Francisco, while others email me from either www.rabbidaniellapin.com or from www.towardtradition.org Either way, I do get the email, read it all, and respond to about 25% even if the response is very brief. Below is an example of a letter that arrived today which I answered. Between working on the newest volume of Genesis Journeys (Clash of Destiny: Decoding the Secrets of Israel and Islam) and my other writing, there is limited time particularly since I greatly enjoy whatever time with my family I can have. The second volume of Genesis Journeys, The Gathering Storm-Decoding the Secrets of Noah will be available on the website very soon…probably within a couple of weeks. Anyway, back to this question I was just asked below….interesting that just this morning, the New York Times (why I read it is the subject of another story) published a front page story about couples who sleep in separate bedrooms! Very interesting. The point is that the couples who do have separate sleeping quarters are, on some level, uncomfortable about it. I am not saying there is anything terrible with the idea as I’d say about shall we say, a bi-coastal marriage or a marriage in which the partners live in different cities and see one another every weekend or every second weekend. That would be a real question mark for me. However, this story describes a way couples adapt to some of the stresses of modern life particularly with two spouses working out of the home. Still, most couples doing this, feel the need to explain it. My point is that deep down, we all know that marriage means being together. It is not merely a socio economic classification. I have to go now, my wife is calling….
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Dear John,
An honor to hear from you. No, that is not a correct translation. One of the next volumes in my audio series Genesis Journeys (www.rabbidaniellapin.com) is entitled Madam I’m Adam–Decoding the Marriage Secrets of Eden in which I explain in detail. Suffice for now to say that the Hebrew means not rib but ‘side’…God took the female side of Adam and formed it into a separate being, Eve. He originally made them united in order to teach the lesson forever that marriage is like no other relationship…..my sister is my sister even if she lives on another continent…my mother and father are my parents no matter how much geography divides us, but my wife and I must be close in proximity.
More later…
Sincerely
Rabbi Daniel Lapin
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Dear Rabbi Lapin
I was listening to Native America Calling recently. A woman on the program stated that a Rabbi said to her that in Genesis where “G_d” took a rib from Adam was a wrong translation.
She said the Rabbi told her it was from his penis that Eve came.
Please tell me if that is a true translation.
John
Dear Rabbi Lapin
I was not aware that the translation of rib from genesis was meaning female side.
It makes so much sense and makes gen 2:24,25 meaning clearer.
Could I ask you when replying to these type of questions to put the hebrew word=english word so that we can go look it up.
Thank you for this.
MikeNZ