God speaks to all of Creation in the “royal we” and says “Let Us make Adam.” Just as a benevolent king directs his subjects for their betterment, so too God’s announcement in advance of creating Man tells Creation that the creation of Man is for its benefit, will bring it to a higher level.
The word for Man is אדם. The word for the earth,אדמה, is derived from the word אדם.
The color red is אדום. When one shines light on a prism, the least refracted ray of light through the prism is red. This is paralleled in Man’s existence on earth. The prism represents the physical realm we live in. The light shining on the prism represents God’s light. Man is red. Man is the being inhabiting this world nearest to revelation of the divine. Man’s task is to sense God and bring God into this world by living in accordance with His will, thereby infusing this world with Godliness. The world will happily respond and flourish when Man does so. Therefore the name for the earth is אדמה, the feminine form of אדם. (The feminine form being that which nurtures and develops that which it receives. GS) When Man brings God into the world, the world responds in kind.
There are a number of related Hebrew words that further develop this concept:
Man is God’s footstool – הדום- on earth.
Man is God’s seal – חתם- on creation.
Man’s mission can be understood in being created as a likeness – (דמ(ה- to God.
Based on the above, RSRH translates the word אדם to mean representative (of God in this world).
Beraishis 1:26, Pages 29-30
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