The Genesis of Relationships In the beginning G-d created the heaven and the earth. A beautiful verse which begins with the description of the seven days of creation: light, sky, trees, fish, birds, and the human being. Yet, the big question, which surprisingly is not asked explicitly, is: what is the motivation for the entire enterprise? Why did G-d decide to create the world to begin with? G-d is perfect, but there is one thing that G-d did not have in the state of perfect oneness which existed before creation. G-d created the world because he desired a relationship. No surprise, then, that the need and desire for relationships is embedded deep within the human psyche, mirroring the idea that relationship is at the core of the purpose of creation. A relationship requires something outside of His own perfection. Indeed, the Hebrew word for create, Barah, is phonetically related to the Aramaic word for outside, Bar; just as the word existence is based on the Latin word ex, to emerge, to go out. Thinking of creation in terms of a relationship explains another big question about the world we live in, namely, why does a perfect G-d create an imperfect world, a world with pain, cruelty, suffering, temptation, and challenges; a world that spirals into moral decay, as we see from ‘the stories unfolding in the very first Parsha? The answer is alluded to in one word, in the description of Shabbat, the conclusion and the purpose of creation: And G-d blessed the seventh day and made it holy, for on it He rested from all His work that God created to do. (Genesis 2:3) What is the meaning of the words “that G-d created to do”? The sages explain that the Hebrew word for “to do”, Laasot, also meant to correct and to perfect. The purpose of creation then is that we partner with G-d and correct, perfect, and heal the world. The greatest gift that G-d gives us is that our efforts and struggles matter. When we “receive” we are a creation; when we “give” and create as a result of our own effort, we are partners with G-d in the act of creation. The perfect G-d creates in order to have a relationship with an entity that is outside Himself. The perfect G-d creates an imperfect world in order to allow the relationship to be not hierarchical but one of mutual contribution. To allow us, the creation, to partner and ultimately unite with His true oneness.
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