Is this the real life

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When God created the universe, the life it contained was not equally instructed. The amphibians and birds were told:

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם אֱלֹהִים, לֵאמֹר: פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ, וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הַמַּיִם בַּיַּמִּים, וְהָעוֹף, יִרֶב בָּאָרֶץ – God blessed them saying, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the waters of the seas, and multiply the land”. (1:22)

In contrast, mankind was told:

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם, אֱלֹהִים, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וְכִבְשֻׁהָ – God blessed them; and God said to them to be fruitful and multiply; fill the land and conquer it… (1:28)

The Netziv points out that while both are blessed to be populous, man had a personal instruction – וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם – it was said to them directly, and not just about them.

Rav Hirsch notes that nature serves God by its intrinsic existence. It cannot be otherwise because there is no deviation in how it relates to God. Mankind however, is spoken to, and must choose to listen. Free will is the צלם אלוקים that distinguishes humanity from other creatures. Allowing instinct and nature to run wild is to surrender to the animal within; the charge is to subjugate it and listen to God’s instruction.

The Netziv explains that the animal instinct within us must be channeled a particular way, as evidenced by the origin of humanity:

וַיִּיצֶר יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם, עָפָר מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו, נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים; וַיְהִי הָאָדָם, לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה – God formed man from the dust of the earth, and breathed into him a living soul, and the man became alive (2:7)

Animals are simply called נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה – they are living things. But mankind is made of more – a balance of mundane matter, pumped with soul. It is with this equilibrium that man becomes truly alive. The word חַיָּה means alive, but it also means happy. The happiness is found in the balance. This is the choice on offer – וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם.

This is reflected in their respective developments too; a newborn calf can stand not long after birth, and while it will get bigger, it is born as it will always be; whereas humans are born helpless, defenceless, and pretty useless for a relatively large part of their lives. Clearly then, mankind are intended for greater aspirations than cattle.

The body is the container of the soul. The soul has to operate the system, or it withers away. Think about the nature of consumerism; endless consumption of media, entertainment and pleasure. Is that not already dead..?

We’re meant for more. To truly live.

Shabbos, Rest, and Chasing Perfection

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Before the first Shabbos, where Hashem stopped creating things, the concluding overview sums up how Hashem related to His handiwork, finally complete:

וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וְהִנֵּה-טוֹב מְאֹד; וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי – And God saw all that He had done, and it was very good. With an evening and a morning, the sixth day. (1:31)

The Ramban teaches that everything in the universe, כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה including the less pleasant things in life, is brought together into what Hashem calls טוֹב מְאֹד – excellent. Ultimately – everything is for the best. With a greater perspective, everything turns out for the best.

The Netziv further adds that this was not just true of that moment – that unique point in existence where Hashem created things – from then on, all potential futures were dormant, awaiting their moment. Developing the Ramban’s concept, all latent potential is positive.

Rabeinu Bachye notes how at the conclusion of every other day, the Torah describes it as כי טוב – it was “good”. But on the final day, where all the different aspects of existence had been formed and came together, it became something else; טוֹב מְאֹד – “very” good. The creation itself was truly greater than sum of its parts; like a sophisticated machine, all the various levers, gears and cogs came together to become something utterly incredible.

The Kli Yakar points out the contrast between calling the first five days כי, and the conclusion of events is called וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד. The Kli Yakar explains that כי is a term of clarification – that there is a deliberation weighing towards טוב with the other days. But when everything comes together, it is וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד – it is clear and absolutely good.

The Sforno explains that the conclusion of creation achieved a balance, an equilibrium; existence was literally “at rest” – precisely the definition of Shabbos, which is itself the state of perfection. With the acceptance and absorption of the imperfections in the world, which the Torah calls טוֹב מְאֹד – then וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי – the sixth day – with the definite article, begins. Existence becomes whole, complete, and it is truly Shabbos. On such a sixth day – הַשִּׁשִּׁי – “the” perfect sixth day, Shabbos commences.

Indeed, the Torah continues;

וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, וְכָל-צְבָאָם – And the heavens and earth were completed…

The incorporation of the negative into the positive is truly the epitome of perfection.

Great Aspirations – the nature of marriage

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R’ Shamshon Refael Hirsch relates a concept where the first use of something in the Torah enlightens how it is used everywhere else. He cites the blessing by a Pidyon Haben as an example; זה קטן, גדול יהיה – “this little one, may he become great”. He explains that the first instances of the words קטן/גדול in the Torah are in reference to the luminaries, the sun and moon. The moon only reflects light, whereas the sun actually produces light.

The blessing thus means that the baby – at the time helpless and reliant on others – should become an independent and great person.

Adam has a problem of finding his עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, partner, and this problem is solved when Hashem completes his surgery; וַיִּסְגֹּר בָּשָׂר, תַּחְתֶּנָּה – and He closed the flesh in its place. (2:21)

This is the first time the letter ס – “samech” – is used in a verb in the Torah – it’s appearance was limited to nouns and names until this juncture. The Torah is hinting that there is some kind of relationship between the letter and women getting married.

The letter ס, when spelt out, reads סֶמֶך, a support, meaning that Eve was intended to assist the Adam and be there for him.

The letter ס is circular, and in Kabbalah, a woman is likened to a circle, and a man to a square. The woman is meant to be an עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, around him always. Incidentally, old rings in the cities of mekubalim like Tzfat used rings that have a square surrounded by a circle, illustrating this concept. This is partly why the bride circles the groom under the chupa.

This circular idea is further demonstrated by the numerical value of עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, which equals 360, which happens to be the amount of degrees in a circle.

How we have a Yetzer Hara

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Before man ate from the tree, we are told:

וַיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם עֲרוּמִּים, הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וְלֹא יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ – They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they weren’t embarrassed. (2:25)

Rashi points out that they were not ashamed because they did not know about modesty – they were literally being “natural”. They could not distinguish between good and evil; and although a degree of knowledge was initially granted to man, ie enabling Adam to name all the animals, nonetheless they were not imbued with the evil inclination until they ate of the tree, after which he knew the difference between good and evil.

The purpose of creation is to grow close to Hashem by resisting the natural tendencies and inclinations that prevent us from fulfilling our duties, thereby overcoming them. This being the case, what function would creation have served if there were no inclination for evil?

R’ Chaim Volozhin explains that Adam had all faculties, particularly free will, instilled within him before the original sin, to enable to him to do as he saw fit. What he didn’t have though, was an internal urge to sin or do evil. The snake/Satan figure, the personification and embodiment of evil, was an external being to Adam, and had to physically manifest itself as the snake to ensnare Adam and Eve – unlike today, where this battle is an internal battle, choice, decision.

The original quote from Rashi implies this: that the Evil Inclination only became an innate thing in man once he consumed the fruit and it became part of him.

The Pardes Yosef adds that the Gemara concludes that the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil was an Esrog tree – a פרי עץ הדר – the final letters of the words are י – צ – ר – יצר! When the פרי עץ הדר entered their bodies, the יצר did too!