nature
land
At a glance
In short
Eretz is land as territory: a country, a nation's settled land, and by extension the earth itself down to its core. Adamah is ground: the arable surface, the soil worked for crops. The Gra, Malbim and Rabbi Moravsky make eretz the broader word, and the last two confine adamah to the thin top layer. The Maharshal holds the reverse: eretz is limited to the surface, and adamah is the broader word, taking in the depths as well.
Distinctions
Eretz (ארץ)
- The Vilna Gaon: eretz connotes land as national settlement, and in the construct it names a particular nation's land, so "country" fits it well; an unqualified eretz often means Eretz Yisrael in particular.
- Malbim: eretz takes in the whole planet, from the surface down to the innermost core, while adamah generally means only the crust whose dirt is farmed.
Bereishis Rabbah 5:8 relates eretz to ratzon and ratz, running: when the world was created the land wanted to do Hashem's will, and ran to cover as much of the earth's surface as it could until Hashem told it to stop.
The berachos put the difference on display. Over bread one says that Hashem brings forth bread min ha'aretz, from the land; over vegetables, that He creates the fruit ha'adamah, of the ground.
- Rabbeinu Bachya and the Ritva: bread should by rights have taken the more specific adamah, the word for a field, and the reason it does not is that Chazal shaped the berachah on the language of the pasuk (Tehillim 104:14), which says bread comes from the eretz.
- Rabbi Yechiel Michel Moravsky of Lublin answers from the meanings themselves. Adamah is limited to the immediate top layer of dirt, while eretz reaches what lies underground; wheat, whose roots run deep (Yerushalmi Taanis 1:3 puts them at fifty handbreadths), is therefore said to come from the eretz, while vegetables, which do not necessarily need such depth, are fruit of the adamah. Rabbi Yisrael Lipschitz explains similarly.
Adamah (אדמה)
- The Gra: adamah denotes specifically uninhabited land set aside for agriculture, against eretz as settled national territory.
- The Pri Megadim adds a different axis entirely: eretz is land in its supernal, unblemished state, which is why it suits the Holy Land, while adamah is the stained and imperfect ground that Hashem cursed for Adam's sin (Bereishis 3:17). On his reading the vegetable berachah says adamah because it acknowledges Hashem's kindness now, growing produce out of cursed ground, while the bread berachah looks back before the sin, when whole loaves rose from the earth, and forward to the days of Mashiach when they will again (Shabbos 30b), and so says eretz, the land that will by then break free of its curse and return to its pure, unblemished state.
Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim derives adamah from the biliteral ד-ם, similarity, whence domem, inactive: the adamah is where plants grow and are active, while the adamah itself remains passive. Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg builds on this to explain why an unqualified eretz in the Torah often means the Holy Land and adamah the lands outside it. Eretz derives from ר-ץ, persistency, alluding to the earth's persistent motion, and in the Holy Land people must be constantly active to fulfill the agricultural mitzvos; outside it they remain inactive with respect to those mitzvos, and the land is adamah.
Shadal (to Bereishis 2:6): adamah is only the surface, which is why the fruit of the ground needs a berachah of its own.
The dissent
The Maharshal holds the reverse: eretz is limited to the surface and the topmost three cubits of soil (compare Rashi to Bereishis 6:13), while adamah is the more general word and takes in the depths as well. On his reading bread comes from the eretz because grain shoots up out of the surface, and vegetables are of the adamah because they draw their nourishment from deeper down. Rabbi Yitzchok Dov Bamberger, the Wurzburger Rav, follows him.
The word-switch at Korach
The Torah moves between the two words as the ground opens under Korach: Moshe warns that the adamah will open its mouth, the adamah under them splits, and then the eretz opens its mouth and swallows them, and the people flee lest the eretz swallow them too (Bamidbar 16:30-34). Where the episode is recalled it is the eretz that swallowed them (Bamidbar 26:10, Devarim 11:6). Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Sofer, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Kaf HaChaim in Yerushalayim, works from Rabbi Moravsky's distinction: the opening came in two stages, the surface layer first and then the subterranean depths, and the switch of words records it.
Also discussed in
- Land (running versus passive)ארץ / eretz, אדמה / adamah
- Manאדמה / adamah, אדם / adam (א-ד-מ)
Radak on these roots
Sefer HaShorashim
א-ד-ם
To be red, with אָדוֹם, red, and אֲדַמְדָּם, very red or red mixed with white; אֲדָמָה, land, field or dust; and אָדָם, man, called after the ground he was taken from.
Red
אָדְמוּ עֶצֶם מִפְּנִינִים (Eichah 4:7), they were ruddier of bone than pearls, and in the passive וְעֹרֹת אֵילִם מְאָדָּמִים (Shemos 25:5), rams' skins dyed red. So אִם־יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע (Yeshayahu 1:18), if they redden like crimson, and אַל־תֵּרֶא יַיִן כִּי יִתְאַדָּם (Mishlei 23:31), do not look at wine when it reddens. The adjectives are דּוֹדִי צַח וְאָדוֹם (Shir HaShirim 5:10), my beloved is white and ruddy, פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה (Bamidbar 19:2), a red cow, and אַדְמוֹנִי עִם־יְפֵה עֵינַיִם (Shmuel I 16:12), ruddy with fair eyes. The stone called אֹדֶם, in אֹדֶם פִּטְדָה (Shemos 28:17), odem and pitdah, is named so because it is red.
The doubled form
Where the second and third root letters are doubled, as אוֹ אֲדַמְדָּם (Vayikra 13:49), or very red, it means much redness; and Chazal in Sifra, on parshas Metzora, said ירקרק ירוק שבירוקים, yerakrak is the greenest of the greens, and אדמדם is אדום שבאדומים, the reddest of the reds. In נֶגַע לָבָן אֲדַמְדָּם (Vayikra 13:42), a white reddish affliction, and לְבָנָה אֲדַמְדֶּמֶת (Vayikra 13:24), white and reddish, it is blended and mixed of two appearances, white and red.
אֲדָמָה and אָדָם
Man is called after the אֲדָמָה, the ground, that he was taken from, and the species is called by his name, אָדָם. אֲדָמָה comes for land, עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה (Bamidbar 12:3), on the face of the earth; for a field, עֹבֵד אַדְמָתוֹ (Mishlei 12:11), one who works his field, and אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק (Iyov 31:38), if my field cries out against me; and for dust, וַאֲדָמָה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ (Shmuel I 4:12), and dust on his head. Joined to dust it is אַדְמַת־עָפָר (Daniel 12:2), the ground of dust, as טִיט הַיָּוֵן (Tehillim 40:3), miry clay.
One man, all men, and some of them
אָדָם stands for the individual, אָדָם כִּי־יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן (Vayikra 1:2), a man of you who brings an offering; for the whole, מֵאָדָם עַד־בְּהֵמָה (Bereishis 6:7), from man to beast; and for part of the whole, אֶת־הָאָדָם (Yeshayahu 6:12), the men. וְהוּא יִהְיֶה פֶּרֶא אָדָם (Bereishis 16:12), and he shall be a wild ass of a man, he glosses as a man of the wilderness, like a wild ass. In גַּם־בְּנֵי אָדָם גַּם־בְּנֵי־אִישׁ (Tehillim 49:3), both the sons of אָדָם and the sons of אִישׁ, the first are the common people and the second the great, as in גִּדְעוֹן בֶּן־יוֹאָשׁ אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל (Shoftim 7:14), Gideon son of Yoash, the אִישׁ of Israel, which means Israel's great one and its head. וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּבָאָדָם (Yirmiyahu 32:20), and in Israel and among mankind, means among the rest of mankind, that is, among the nations, and Yonasan renders פְּרִישָׁן בּגוֹ בְּנֵי אֱנָשָׁא, wonders among the sons of man.
אָדָם used of women alone
אָדָם is used of women alone: וְנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם מִן־הַנָּשִׁים (Bamidbar 31:35), and persons of the women, and כְּתִפְאֶרֶת אָדָם לָשֶׁבֶת בָּיִת (Yeshayahu 44:13), like the beauty of a person, to sit in a house. His father explains כְּתִפְאֶרֶת אָדָם: and for what? לָשֶׁבֶת בָּיִת, to sit in a house and for no other use, as וְיַנִּיחֻהוּ תַחְתָּיו, and they set it in its place, and מִמְּקוֹמוֹ לֹא יָמִישׁ, from its place it does not stir. הַרְחֵק מְאֹד בֵאָדָם (Yehoshua 3:16), very far off at Adam, is the name of a city.
אָדְמוּ עֶצֶם מִפְּנִינִים (איכה ד, ז) והפעול מן הדגוש [פֻּעַל] מָגֵן גִּבֹּרֵיהוּ מְאָדָּם (נחום ב, ד), וְעֹרֹת אֵילִם מְאָדָּמִים (שמות כה, ה). ופועל כבד אחר [הִפְעִיל] אִם־יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע (ישעיה א, יח). וההתפעל אַל־תֵּרֶא יַיִן כִּי יִתְאַדָּם (משלי כג, לא). והתאר דּוֹדִי צַח וְאָדוֹם (שיר השירים ה, י), וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה (במדבר יט, ב), אֲדֻמִּים כַּדָּֽם (מלכים ב' ג, כב), והתאר עוד אַדְמוֹנִי עִם־יְפֵה עֵינַיִם (שמואל א' טז, יב). ובהכפל העי"ן והלמ"ד ר"ל בו רוב האדמימות, אוֹ אֲדַמְדָּם (ויקרא יג, מט) וכן אמרו רבותינו ז"ל (ספרא פרשת מצורע פרק יד, ב) ירקרק ירוק שבירוקים, אדמדם .... אדום שבאדומים. נֶגַע לָבָן אֲדַמְדָּם (ויקרא יג, מב), לְבָנָה אֲדַמְדֶּמֶת (ויקרא יג, כד), פתוך ומעורב בשני מראים לובן ואודם. אֹדֶם פִּטְדָה (שמות כח, יז), נקראת כן האבן לפי שהיא אדומה וענינם ידוע. וענין אדם ואדמה גם כן ידוע, ואדם נקרא על שם האדמה אשר לוקח משם, והמין נקרא על שמו אדם. ויבא אדמה בענין ארץ, עַל־פְּנֵי הָֽאֲדָמָֽה (במדבר יב, ג) ועל השדה, עֹבֵד אַדְמָתוֹ (משלי יב, יא), אִם־עָלַי אַדְמָתִי תִזְעָק (איוב לא, לח), ועל העפר, וַֽאֲדָמָה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ (שמואל א' ד, יב). ונסמך לעפר אַדְמַת־עָפָר (דניאל יב, ב), כמו טִּיט הַיָּוֵן (תהלים מ, ג). ואדם יקרא על הפרט, אָדָם כִּֽי־יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן (ויקרא א, ב), ועל הכלל, מֵֽאָדָם עַד־בְּהֵמָה (בראשית ו, ז), אֶת־הָֽאָדָם אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָאתִי (בראשית ו, ז), ועל קצת הכלל, וְרִחַק י"י אֶת־הָאָדָם (ישעיה ו, יב), וְהוּא יִֽהְיֶה פֶּרֶא אָדָם (בראשית טז, יב), כלומר אדם מדברי כפרא. גַּם־בְּנֵי אָדָם גַּם־בְּנֵי־אִישׁ (תהלים מט, ג) בְּנֵי אָדָם הם המון העם, בְּנֵי־אִישׁ הם הגדולים, כמו גִּדְעוֹן בֶּן־יוֹאָשׁ אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל (שופטים ז, יד), ר"ל גדול ישראל וראשם. וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּבָֽאָדָם (ירמיה לב, כ), רוצה לומר ובשאר בני אדם, כלומר באומות. ויונתן תרגם וּלְיִשְֹרָאֵל עֲבַדְתָּא פְּרִישָׁן בּגוֹ בְּנֵי אֱנָשָׁא. וקראו לנשים בלבד אדם, כְּתִפְאֶרֶת אָדָם לָשֶׁבֶת בָּֽיִת (ישעיה מד, יג), וְנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם מִן־הַנָּשִׁים (במדבר לא, לה). ואדוני אבי ז"ל פירש כְּתִפְאֶרֶת אָדָם ולמה? לשבת בית לא לצורך אחר, כמו וְיַנִּיחֻהוּ תַחְתָּיו...מִמְּקוֹמוֹ לֹא יָמִישׁ (שם). הַרְחֵק מְאֹד בֵֽאָדָם [מֵֽאָדָם] הָעִיר (יהושע ג, טז), שם עיר.
א-ר-ץ
Earth, a name for the whole world or a part of it; wider than תֵּבֵל, the settled lands, since ארץ takes in the wilderness too; and, as the earth is low, a low place.
The word and its reach
אֶרֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם (Bereishis 2:4), earth and heaven, with its six vowel points, is known: a name for the whole world or for some of it. It is more general than תֵּבֵל, since תבל takes in all the settled lands and ארץ the wilderness and the settled together. Sometimes it is one particular land: אֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם (Bereishis 41:41), the land of Egypt, and הִנֵּה אַרְצִי לְפָנֶיךָ (Bereishis 20:15), behold, my land is before you.
A derivation some give
Some say the root of ארץ is רץ, runs, and the alef is added, and that it is called so because the sphere is over it and goes round it continually.
Masculine and feminine
It is used both as masculine and as feminine, mostly feminine. Masculine: וְלֹֽא־נָשָׂא אֹתָם הָאָרֶץ (Bereishis 13:6), and the land did not bear them; נֶעְתַּם אָרֶץ (Yeshayahu 9:18), the land is darkened; אַךְ־בְּגוֹרָל יֵֽחָלֵק אֶת־ הָאָרֶץ (Bamidbar 26:55), only by lot shall the land be divided; שָׁרַץ אַרְצָם צְפַרְדְּעִים (Tehillim 105:30), their land swarmed with frogs. אָבַל אֻמְלְלָה אָרֶץ (Yeshayahu 33:9), the land mourns, it languishes, has both in one. The plural: וּמֵֽאֲרָצוֹת קִבְּצָם (Tehillim 107:3), and He gathered them from the lands, and אַרְצוֹת גּוֹיִם (Tehillim 105:44), the lands of nations.
A low place
Because the earth is low, a low place is called ארץ: רֻקַּמְתִּי בְּֽתַחְתִּיּוֹת אָֽרֶץ (Tehillim 139:15), I was wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, which is the womb; and like it אוֹפַן אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ (Yechezkel 1:15), one wheel upon the earth, meaning low against the ofanim above it.
בְּיוֹם עֲשׂוֹת י"י אֱלֹהִים אֶרֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם (בראשית ב, ד), בשש נקדות ידוע, והוא שם על תבל כלה או על קצתה, והוא יותר כולל ממלת תֵּבֵל כי תבל כולל כל ארצות הישוב וארץ כולל המדבר והישוב. ופעמים הוא פרט אֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם (בראשית מא, מא), הִנֵּה אַרְצִי לְפָנֶיךָ (בראשית כ, טו). ויש אומרים כי שרש ארץ רץ והאל"ף נוספת, ולפי שהגלגל עליה וסובב אותה תמיד נקראת כן ונהגו בו לשון זכר ולשון נקבה, לשון נקבה ברוב, ולשון זכר וְלֹֽא־נָשָׂא אֹתָם הָאָרֶץ (בראשית יג, ו), נֶעְתַּם אָרֶץ (ישעיה ט, יח), אַךְ־בְּגוֹרָל יֵֽחָלֵק אֶת־הָאָרֶץ (במדבר כו, נה), שָׁרַץ אַרְצָם צְפַרְדְּעִים (תהלים קה, ל), אָבַל אֻמְלְלָה אָרֶץ (ישעיה לג, ט), זכר ונקבה. והקבוץ וּמֵֽאֲרָצוֹת קִבְּצָם (תהלים קז, ג), אַרְצוֹת גּוֹיִם (תהלים קה, מד). ולפי שהארץ שפלה יקרא המקום ארץ, רֻקַּמְתִּי בְּֽתַחְתִּיּוֹת אָֽרֶץ (תהלים קלט, טו), והוא הרחם, וכמוהו אוֹפַן אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ (יחזקאל א, טו), רוצה לומר שפל כנגד האופנים שלמעלה ממנו.
Radak, Sefer HaShorashim, Berlin 1847. Public domain, digitised by Sefaria from the National Library of Israel.
Sources
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "The Land Down Under," What's in a Word?, Ohr Somayach, 24 June 2017.
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Seasoning the Land," What's in a Word?, Ohr Somayach, 28 August 2021.
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "The Land Down Under," What's in a Word? Synonyms in the Hebrew Language (book manuscript).
Cited in the essay: Bamidbar 16:30-34, 26:10; Devarim 11:6; Tehillim 104:14; Bereishis 3:17; Rashi to Bereishis 6:13; Yerushalmi Taanis 1:3; Shabbos 30b; the berachos of hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz and borei pri ha'adamah; Bereishis Rabbah 5:8; Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim, Cheshek Shlomo s.v. דם and רץ; Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg, HaKsav VeHaKabbalah to Devarim 12:1; Shadal to Bereishis 2:6.