THE PURPOSE OF CREATION
THE PURPOSE OF CREATION
WHY DID G-D CREATE THE WORLD? NOW THAT we are beginning to read the Torah again, in a new cycle, week by week, beginning with the first Sedra¹ and its famous description of Creation, we can ask: what is the purpose of existence, and how can it be achieved?
The Midrash² points out that in this Sedra the Torah depicts the goal of Creation: that there should be a physical world, with plants, fish, birds, animals and human beings, and that the Divine Presence should dwell in that world. This was the situation in the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve were physical people, but G-d's Presence was with them. This meant that their physicality was holy, their consciousness was holy. They also had a direct connection with G-d, through His Command to them: "You may eat from any tree in the Garden, but not from the Tree of Knowledge"³.
The Sedra describes how they broke this Command and therefore, unfortunately, broke this special connection. They ate from the Tree of Knowledge. The idyllic state of closeness to G-d was gone. The Divine Presence could not remain with them if they did not obey G-d's word. The result was that Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden.
As expressed in the Midrash, this meant that the Divine Presence ceased to dwell on this earthly, physical plane. It receded to a spiritual realm. Physicality was no longer obviously holy; instead, it was likely to cause many problems, such as lust, greed and so on.
Step by step, through murder and increasing violence, humanity became yet more remote from G-d. This led to the mass punishment of humanity through the Flood. The Divine Presence receded further and further away.
Then came Abraham. His task was to draw the Presence of G-d back towards the world. He succeeded partially. This endeavour was continued by Isaac, Jacob, their leading descendants in the following generations, and finally Moses.
Moses received the Torah at Sinai, at a unique event when G-dliness was revealed to the entire people. Later he built the Sanctuary, the prototype of the Temple. Here the Presence of G-d was revealed, in the Holy of Holies. This was a major climax in the history of the world. The Presence of G-d was again present on the physical plane, in the Holy of Holies, and potentially, through observance of the laws of the Torah, in the home and life of every Jew⁴.
This climax was not the end of the process, for a wider goal is that the Divine Revelation should relate to all humanity, that "the world should be filled with knowledge of G-d, as the waters cover the sea⁵". In order for this to take place, the Jewish people had to enter the Land of Israel, build the Temple there, and then go through the cycles of exile and redemption which will lead to the third and final Temple, which will be recognised by the whole world.
During our Exile there are tragedies like October 7, and also miracles such as the successful escape of the passengers on the Flydubai flight. We must hold on tight to our Jewish values, our Torah and Mitzvot.
This will bring the era of the ultimate Redemption, connecting with the Divine at every step in life, when again the Divine Presence will dwell in our physical world. Then, finally, the goal of Creation will be fulfilled!
1. Genesis 1:1-6:8. 2. Shir Hashirirn Rabbah. 5:1-3. 3. Gen.2:16-17. 4. Based on points from Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn's discourse Bati LeGani. 5. Isaiah 11:9.
