GEN82 (Continued from [[EXOD208]] Exodus 15:2 adorn SPERO 86). It should be pointed out, however, that the essential sources of [the rabbinic teaching imitation dei] are not the commands to “walk in God’s ways” but rather the existential premises in the Bible concerning the nature of man that have already been treated: Man is created in the image of God. If we examine the relevant biblical passages, we find there the occurrence of two terms: “image” (tzelem) and “likeness” (demut). The passage reads: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” [this verse]. The rabbis saw the terms “image” as referring to a fixed universal component which confers irreducible value upon man, while the terms ‘likeness” refers to his destiny rather than to his origin, to a state to be achieved rather than to something already possessed. The rabbinic interpretation is to the effect that while God creates man in His "image,” the “likeness,” which is the process of becoming like, lies in the hand of man. Man can achieve this by walking in the ways of God, by clothing the naked and visiting the sick, by being merciful and kind.  Pesikta Rabbati 46b, Genesis Rabbah 49:29, Yalkut Reuveni on this verse  SPERO 86-7