Two Sides of the Human Being

In The Lonely Man of Faith, the Rav reads the first two chapters of Bereishis as describing two types of person. The first Adam, the majestic man, uses his creative gifts to master his surroundings. The second Adam, the covenantal man, surrenders himself in submission to his Creator, tilling and preserving the garden instead of subduing it. He is introduced by the words "It is not good for man to be alone," and the community he forms requires the participation of the Divine. The man of faith, the Rav taught, joins both sides within himself.