By Steve Lipman and Hershey Friedman
Adam HaRishon would not fare well in a U.S. Senate hearing.
His name, Hebrew for the first Adam, is how the first Man created by G-d in the Torah is known in Jewish tradition. Adam, in short.
Adam, according to the biblical text, had a limited number of communications from the Creator. First, on the sixth day, came a positive Divine command: "Be fruitful and multiply ... " (Genesis 1:28) Then, a status report. "I have given you every herb yielding seed " " (Genesis 1:29) Then, a negative command. "Of every tree of the garden you may eat; but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat of it " " (Genesis 2:16)
Then, came a question: "Where are you?" Ayecha, in Hebrew. (Genesis 3:8)
The question was directed at Adam after he and his wife, Eve (Chava in Hebrew) had eaten from the forbidden fruit (often identified as an apple). They had acted in violation of G-d's command. Then, newly aware that they were unclothed, they tried to hide themselves. So G-d asked about Adam's whereabouts.
In other words, the fourth communication between G-d and the founder of Mankind was a question. A rhetorical question. Omniscient G-d knew where Adam was - why did He ask? It was not really a question; G-d was making a statement about Adam's spiritual location; He was making Adam aware of his disobedience, which led to the couple's eventual exile from the idyllic garden.
Did Adam give a literal answer to G-d's question? Did he state, "I am where I always have been, in the garden You created"? Did he mention his location? Did he take G-d's question literally? Did he admit his guilt or apologize?
No. Adam, according to biblical commentators, understood the implied meaning of G-d's simple question. Instead, Adam changed the subject. And he rationalized his (mis)behavior. "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." (Genesis 3:10) He blamed Eve for biting into the forbidden item. "The woman You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate." (Genesis 3:12)
In other words, Adam, understandably, evaded giving a direct answer to what G-d had asked. In other words, Adam revealed his character through his response that really wasn't an answer; in doing so, he established a precedent for many men and women, faced with an embarrassing question, who gave evasive, often-blame-shifting answers, through the rest of history. In other words, they tried to escape consequences. In other words, questions, and evasive answers, are as old as the original Day of Creation.
This phenomenon has become pronounced in the last few years in one of the most public settings in this country - a series of congressional hearings, part of the legislature's constitutional duties, which are designed to investigate presidential actions, and to determine the fitness of people nominated by the President to serve in his Cabinet, various judicial positions, and other jobs that require the Senate's "advise and consent." Based on the nominees' answers, the Senators vote yea or nay.
To an increasing degree, the Senators, both Democrats and Republicans - when either party has the chamber's majority of seats - engage in posing rhetorical questions, with the usual goal of badgering or embarrassing or stumping the nominees in a "got'cha" manner, rather than objectively determining fitness for office.
The result: questions turned into weapons.
One of the most recent questions asked of many of the potential Trump appointees has been about the results of the 2020 presidential election, which put Joe Biden in the White House.
"Who won the 2020 election?" nominee after nominee - including, among others, Jay Clayton: National Intelligence, and Justin Smith: U.S. Court of Appeals -- was asked, typically by Democratic Senators.
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