Way back at the beginning of time—in fact, back before there even was such a thing as time—God created the heavens and the earth. As the story goes, the whole project was completed in six stages; and at the end of each stage, the divine stamp of approval is given. God steps back, looks at what has sprung forth into being, and with a heavenly smile, proclaims, “This is good!” (Or in the case of humankind, “Very, very good!”)

However, upon further reflection, there is one thing that God decides is not satisfactory. “It is not good that the man should be alone,” says God. “He needs a helper.” But alas, no suitable helper is found. The dog proves loyal and obedient, but not quite what God has in mind. The horse will allow the man to travel great distances, but the two won’t have much of a conversation along the way. The lion is too rambunctious, the bird too flighty, the sheep too prone to wandering off.

Eventually, God concludes that the “helper” required does not yet exist. Something—or better yet, someone—entirely new is called for. Thus, sleep falls upon the man and his flesh is opened. God literally takes a part of Adam’s own being, in order to create this new being.

Contrary to what many have claimed, this story says nothing about the primacy of one gender over another. “Adam’s rib” is not the punch line of a joke, but rather a statement of mutuality—how human life is intertwined at its very core.

Indeed, the word “helper” is instructive. For far too long, “helper” has been seen as inferring subservience, as if Eve is merely Adam’s assistant—a gofer, a lackey. However, the Hebrew word here is “ezer,” and it is found twenty-one times in the Old Testament. Two of those instances occur in this story; the other nineteen refer to the help that God provides. So, unless we are prepared to claim that God’s help is somehow subordinate or subservient, we had best rethink what it means for Eve to be designated as Adam’s “helper.”

Truth is, they are each other’s helper. They both bear God’s image, because they are bone of the same bone, and flesh of the same flesh. Hence, when Adam looks at Eve, and Eve at Adam, they help each other recognize their own sacred identity as children of God!