Parshas Bereishis 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Oct 17
- 2 min read
ויאמר אלקים נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו וירדו בדגת הים ובעוף השמים ובבהמה ... (א-כו)
Chazal teach us that prior to the creation of our current world, the Almighty brought other worlds into existence which were destroyed. The reason they are not mentioned is illustrated through a mashal. A king who builds a magnificent palace upon a garbage dump would certainly not highlight the refuse buried beneath his royal edifice. The Vilna Gaon zt”l explains that all the previous creations were characterized by such overwhelming evil they could not endure, comparable to the discarded trash. The remnants of these destroyed worlds became the very source of evil that exists in our current world. As humans with a unique blend of Guf and Neshama, it is our responsibility to vanquish the evil and elevate our existence through Avodas Hashem. The question is: Why create this complex universe, with such a struggle to achieve shleimus?
When Hashem was creating man, He “sought advice” from the Malachei Hashares who questioned whether it would be worthwhile. Hashem then asked them to name the animals and they could not. Man, Hashem pointed out, knew how to name them. Why is this item used to prove that human intellect is worthy of creation?
R’ Aharon Lopiansky shlita uses this to explain that real value isn’t found in effortless perfection. The Ribono Shel Olam desired to create a world where people choose to serve Him. Certainly there would be imperfections, but through our struggle we create a world striving toward Avodas Hashem. The best rebbi is not necessarily the one born brilliant, but rather the one who worked hard and persevered through his own challenges. Similarly, the Malachim who automatically serve Hashem could never lead this mission. Man - who was able to name the animals precisely because he shares their chumriyus - would be the one entrusted with this task. Our connection to the physical world, positions us to elevate creation through conscious choice.
As we start the new year, acutely aware of our imperfections, we may feel down. Remember, Hashem specifically created an imperfect world for He loves the struggle. Remember His love and rise to the occasion.