Parshat Breishit
This week, we start reading the Torah from its beginning, and the parshah of the week discusses how the world was formulated at its beginning. On the first day of the world’s creation, the Torah states:
“God said ‘Let there be light’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated between the light and the darkness” [Genesis: 1: 3-4]
It’s very interesting to note that although the Torah speaks of the manner in which God created light, it does not recount how God created darkness! Why is this so?
One may suggest that God did not create darkness because darkness is merely a “lack of light” and was always there. Therefore there is no reason that God needed to create darkness. However, this is false. Just as God made light, so too did he make darkness; this concept is highlighted in our prayers everyday, in which we say:
“Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the Universe, Who forms light and creates darkness, makes peace and creates all” [Morning service: In the blessings of the Shema]
So what was the Torah hinting at by omitting God’s creation of darkness? (*See footnote)
Our Rabbis tell us, that on a conceptual level “light” always refers to goodness, while “darkness” always refers to evil. By leaving out the creation of darkness, the Torah is perhaps telling us an extremely profound idea, relating to “light” and “darkness” on this conceptual level. Everything in this world of course originates from God; everything. And being that God is perfect in every which way, it is impossible that anything that emanates from His presence can be defected or “evil” in any fashion. Therefore, the Torah only describes how God fashioned “light” because only goodness (light) can come from Him.
However, the concept of evil in this world is not something created by God, but by man.
On a simple level: God created a world for us containing only good. He has bestowed this good upon us and has made it our responsibility to preserve it. Therefore, it is only through man’s actions that the world can remain good or become evil.
On a deeper level, this idea can be understood by the recognition that no matter what happens in this world is done for the good. Even when the world has been steeped in corruption and has reached a damaged state, we have to understand that it is only damaged in our eyes. No matter how horrible a situation may be, we must understand that it is really for our benefit, and the only reason it may seem “evil” is because that is how we categorize it. According to this explanation, “evil” is created in this world only through man’s thoughts and perceptions.
This concept is so vital for our relationship with God and our (limited) understanding of His ways, that it is conveyed to us on the very first day of creation. May we merit to “see the light” in every corner of our lives, and be able to abolish the darkness that may have been created through our own doings.
Good Shabbos,
NZL
*According to the scope of this essay, the omission of God’s creation of darkness is only in order to relate the idea which we will further develop. However, as indicated by the verse, God indeed “creates darkness”. The actual meaning of this is rather complex and steps way beyond the scope of this essay. If anyone is interested in understanding the meaning behind how “God creates evil” please contact me and I will do my best to explain it according to my limited level of understanding.
Tzipiyah.com - Parshat Breishit
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