Rule Two: Leave and Join (Genesis 2:24)

And the man said, This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh: let her name be Woman because she was taken out of Man. — Genesis 2:23 (BBE)

For this cause will a man go away from his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they will be one flesh. — Genesis 2:24 (BBE)

The BBE says “go away from” and “be joined to”, where most Bibles say “leave” and “cleave”. This is the rule for taking on a new identity. It has three steps:

1. Leave. You step away from the old, familiar state. The “father and mother” stand for the state you came from.
2. Join. You are joined to the wife, who is the identity you are taking on. The two become “one flesh”.
3. Enforce. Elohim keeps that union in place.

The framework gives these examples: Abraham leaves his father’s house, Israel leaves Egypt, and in the Song of Solomon “sister” is left behind and “spouse” is joined.

A question to ask of any story: which state is being left, and which state is being joined? If a character goes toward the father’s ground instead of away from it, the story is running the rule backwards.

See leave and cleave and the woman as the assumed identity.

Remember: leave the old state, join the new identity, and Elohim keeps the union.