Creation
The Torah begins with Hashem’s creation of the world. It tells about each step of creation, but nothing about the thought process behind them. That is, until we get to the creation of man. Here, before describing the actual creation, the Torah first shares Hashem’s intention: “Na’aseh adam b’tzalmeinu k’dmuseinu v’yeirdu bidgat hayam…— Let us make man in our image and according to our likeness and let him dominate the fish of the sea…”[1] Man is different from the rest of G-d’s creations in both nature and mission. He is created in G-d’s image and given the ability and responsibility to control and direct the rest of His creations.
Chazal infer from Hashem’s plural formulation (na’aseh) that He discussed the plan to create man with the angels.[2] He discussed not only the nature of man but also whether to create him. Many angels objected by pointing to man’s dishonesty and fractiousness. Man has free will and often makes decisions that negatively impact the world.
Angels emanate from and inhabit pure spiritual worlds above. G-d’s presence and their mission are both clear to them. Understandably, they found G-d’s creation of and investment in man surprising. Hashem created man anyway. He believed in the world and our ability to manage it properly.[3]
Man is Hashem’s most incredible creation. In addition to fashioning him in His image, He imbued man with honor and glory and blessed him with creative ability. Man is a G-dly being who is just one step below G-d Himself; G-d’s creation of such a creature is the best testimony to His greatness.[4]
Answering the Angels
Chazal tell us that, even after man’s creation, angels continued to object to his existence.[5] They saw the failures of the generations of the Mabul and the Babylonian Tower as corroboration for their position. Hashem responded by patiently waiting for mankind to find the correct path.
Eventually, Avraham emerged as a faith leader.[6] His mission to connect mankind to G-d culminated with Moshe Rabbeinu‘s ascension to Har Sinai to receive the Torah. Once again, the angels objected. How could mortal man be allowed into the heavens among the celestial angels? How could the precious treasure of Torah be given to human beings? Rather than answering Himself, Hashem bade Moshe to respond.[7] Man is a noble and holy creature deserving of receiving the Torah — but only if he believes that he is worthy.
Emboldened by Hashem’s trust and support, Moshe answered by emphasizing that the Torah builds on man’s experiences and teaches how to face the challenges of life in this world. Angels do not live in this world and do not face these challenges. Moshe believed in his right to receive the Torah and was, therefore, worthy of the gift.[8]
The Torah is not about G-d and the heavens. It is written about man and meant to direct us. In the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: “The real subject of the Torah is not our faith in G-d, which is often faltering, but His unfailing faith in us. The Torah is not man’s book of G-d. It is G-d’s book of man. He spends a mere thirty-four verses describing His own creation of the universe, but more than five hundred verses describing the Israelites’ creation of a tiny, temporary, portable building called the Mishkan, the Sanctuary. G-d never stops believing in us, loving us, and hoping for the best from us.”[9]
Daily Reminders
Hashem reminds us of this belief and love every morning when He recreates us. We recognize this with the first words we recite when we awake: “Modeh ani l’fanecha…she’hechezarta bi nishmati b’chemlah. Rabba emunatecha — I thank before You (Hashem)… for returning my soul to me with mercy. Great is Your faith!”
By declaring our faith in Hashem,[10] we also recognize His faith in us. He returns our souls to us each morning because He believes we are up to the tasks He sets for us. If we believe that Hashem created and recreates us, we should appreciate the significance of our existence.
Faith in G-d and Man
Rav Tzadok HaKohen said it this way: “Just as man should believe in Hashem, so should he subsequently believe in himself.”[11] It is meaningless to believe in Hashem without believing in the significance of His creations, the greatest of whom is man.[12]
In fact, the strength of Hashem’s relationship with us hinges upon our faith in ourselves. The Sefat Emet explains that we refer to Hashem as faithful because His relationship with us depends upon our faith in our own G-dliness.[13] Rav Nachman MiBreslov[14] adds that Hashem only reveals Himself to those who see themselves as worthy of His revelation. The more significant we see ourselves, the more Hashem involves Himself in our lives.
Naturally, there are times when our foibles and failures cause us to lose faith in ourselves. We need to use Hashem’s faith in us to inspire our own faith in ourselves.
In the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: “There may be times in our lives — certainly there have been in mine — when the sun disappears, and we enter the cloud of black despair… We may lose heart; G-d never will. We may despair; G-d will give us hope. G-d believes in us even if we don’t believe in ourselves. We may sin and disappoint and come short again and again, but G-d never ceases to forgive us when we fail and lift us when we fall. Have faith in G-d’s faith in us and you will find the path from darkness to light.”[15] n
Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA.
His new book, Essentials of Judaism, can be purchased at rabbireuventaragin.com.
[1] Bereishit 1:26. We see the importance of man’s essence and mission from the fact that it is repeated two additional times (1:27, 28).
Hashem’s creation of man in His image reflects how beloved man is to Him (Avot 3:17). See also Sanhedrin 46b and Chagiga 16a.
[2] Sanhedrin 38b, Bereishit Rabbah 8:5.
[3] See Sifri, Haazinu 2.
[4] See Tehillim 8.
[5] Sanhedrin 38b.
[6] Avot 5:3; Mishneh Torah, Avodat Kochavim 1:2–3.
[7] Shabbat 88b.
[8] It was not only Moshe who was on the level of the angels at Har Sinai. Chazal (Shabbat 88a) tell us that the whole Jewish people emulated the angels by declaring “na’aseh v’nishmah.” In response, the angels themselves were sent to adorn each of the Jewish people with two crowns.
Hashem had asked whether ‘na’aseh adam”; the Jewish people gave the ultimate answer when they responded “na’aseh v’nishmah.”
[9] Judaism’s Life-Changing Ideas, pg. 5.
[10] See Bereishit Rabbah 78:1, which interprets the phrase “rabba emunatecha” as referring to our faith in Hashem.
[11] Tzidkat Hatzaddik 154.
See also Orot HaTorah 11:2, where Rav Kook asserts that a person who is yashar should believe in the value of his own life. See also Shemonah Kevatzim 1:331, where Rav Kook portrays belief in our (physical and spiritual) ability as Hashem’s blessing.
[12] See Be’er Hagolah, Choshen Mishpat 427:90.
[13] Shabbat Shuva 5662 D”H Shuvah, Shelach 5650 D”H B’parshat.
[14] Likutei Moharan 2:32.
[15] “The Faith of G-d,” Covenant and Conversation, Bereishit 5778.