Tzelem Elokim (צֶלֶם אֱלֹקִים) — Created in “the Image of HaShem” (the Divine Image)?
“And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the bird of the heavens and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’”
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכָל־הָאָרֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל־הָאָרֶץ
What does this mean?
“Let us make man” (נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם / na’aseh adam).
The plural “let us make” hints that the Creator now consults all the levels already brought forth: the middot (attributes), the hosts of heaven, the earth, the waters, the angels—every aspect of the Divine unfolding. The human being will be a gathering of all worlds; therefore all worlds must be invited to consent.
“Adam” (אָדָם – human) is itself a mystery:
• א (alef – “the One, Master of the world”)
• דָּם (dam – “blood”)
The human is alef–dam: the One hidden in the blood; the Infinite contracted into a body; the Divine traced inside flesh and history.
“In our image, after our likeness” (בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ / be-tzalmenu ki-demutenu).
• Tzelem (צֶלֶם – “image”) is the inner pattern, the spiritual configuration that reflects the Divine attributes.
• Demut (דְּמוּת – “likeness”) is the capacity to resemble, to imitate, to walk in the ways of HaShem.
“In our image, after our likeness” =
“Let us fashion a being
whose inner pattern mirrors the structure
of the higher worlds,
and whose capacity is to resemble Us
through choice and action.”
“And let them rule over the fish of the sea… bird of the heavens… cattle… all the earth… every creeping thing.”
Yirdu (יִרְדּוּ – “let them rule”) can also be read as from יָרַד (yarad – “to descend”).
The teaching:
If the human stands in likeness to HaShem,
they rule (yirdu) over lower creations;
if they corrupt that likeness,
they descend (yardu) below them.
👉 So the human is given dominion—but [conditional], bound to staying faithful to the image and likeness.
I translate:
“And the measured Divine said:
‘Let Us—all My attributes, all My worlds—
join in fashioning the human,
a being of alef within dam,
in Our inner pattern and resembling Our ways,
and let them, if they hold to that likeness,
exercise wise rule
over the fish of the sea,
over the birds of the heavens,
over the cattle,
over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing
that moves upon the earth.’”