Parshas Bereishis - The great heights man can reach

Mans supremacy in creation Welcome to תשפג. Time for Parsha. After the Pasuk describes the greatness of man being created בצלמנו כדמותנו, it immediately says וירדו בדגת הים – man will rule over all the animals. As if to say that man’s mission and sole purpose is to rule over all the fish, birds, animals and the insects. Its as if this is the mission statement of man. Rashi there says since we are created בצלם אלוקים – means we have a special ability in creation. Humanity can build or destroy all the עולמות. It is a special כוח that the רבונו של עולם gave us in creation. What is this כוח? Why is it that the מעשה of a human being is more “real” than that of a בהמה? Why is it that animals can never change anything above our world, whilst human beings can? The answer is that we have the ability to choose – בחירה. All the actions of animals work within instinct. They can repeat behavior based on conditioning. Repeat a good experience and not repeat a bad experience. Their actions are therefore limited in their effect to the lowest of the עולמות. But the human being chooses. His מעשים are therefore real! The Torah is introducing us to this idea as HKBH is about to create human beings. The entire טבע will recognize the fact that the human being is bigger if he so chooses. This is integral to the structure of the human being. either a ירדוor a ירוד. He can be so big – above all the animals. Or below. They say that it was ידוע that when R’ Elchonon would walk down the street the non-jews would cross over – there was a יראת הכבוד. For us, this means respecting our own צלם אלוקים and developing it further. These things involve middos, integrity, dignity and צניעות, The ability to keep a secret is a בין אדם לעצמו. This is your own stature! Real נכבדות is building your own stature and is an essential element in building your צלם אלוקים. All מדות are included in this. Not being anxious and impatient, and not getting angry. Honesty and integrity. The מהר"ל in his introduction to the Torah starts by explaining the word תורה as הוראה which is a guide to life. It is not a collection of stories or a history book – it is a guide to life. Torah is the guidebook to life. not just laws, of teaching us how to live, and how not to live. At the end of the Torah Moshe rabbeniu is described as a Ish Elokim. A person that reflected HKBH light into this world through the way that he lived. This is what Torah can do to a person. The great heights that are possible to reach. The Torah that we've have just danced with all our might – expressing that it takes us from the realms of Humans to an Ish Elokim.