The Chumash explains that when G-d made the
world no plants had in fact grown. This is because there had been no rain and
this was because there was no man to work the ground. Rashi implies that
everything in the world was in anticipation of man. When G-d breathed life into man then
everything sprung up. After that G-d planted the Garden of Eden and placed man
in it.
This is also the first time in the Bible
that the four letter name of Hashem is used. During the story of the six days
of creation only the name used is Elohim. The Tetragrammaton tends to be the
essential name of the holy One blessed be He. It is often associated with the
characteristic of mercy. The name Elohim literally means “powers” and is
associated with the characteristic of law. The gematria of Elokim is 86 which
is the same as the gematria of nature. The implication is natural law; for
example chemistry, physics, and to a lesser extent biological instinct.
Mercy is a higher cerebral characteristic.
It starts with consciousness and includes emotions such as kindness, love,
concern, and fairness. If patience is added, one arrives at mercy. These are
the attributes that man adds to this lower world. So to speak these are the
qualities that Hashem really wants in the world. These are the breath of Hashem
which gives a man life. For this there is rain. For this there are plants and
animals. Without man all of the potentials concealed in the physical world are
never truly realized.
The Chumash continues that man was placed
in the Garden of Eden to work it and protect it. The Ibn Ezra comments that
this means to water the garden and guard it so wild animals do not enter and
dirty it. The word Eden (עֵדֶן) basically means
delights but also includes connotations of being refined, polite, and tender.
Tikkuney HaZohar expounds on this idea
commenting that it is a merit for a man to keep the faith in his heart and in
word and that this is the craft of Israel. It is a unification of Hashem and
particularly a merit when in exile. It notes that the Hebrew word for garden גן has a gematria of 63 which is the number
of tractates in the Talmud. It also explains working the garden refers to the
248 positive commandments and protecting it refers to the 365 negative
commandments. It comments they are the garden and
delights of the Torah.
One learns from this passage that the focus
of the world is the development of man. The vehicle for development is
pleasure. However it is a pleasure which comes from bringing out the best in
our surroundings as well as protecting them from harm. The tree of life is
mentioned before the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From this we can infer
that the first things a person should learn about are the things which make him
physically and mentally healthy. At some point later it is appropriate to focus
what is abstract right and wrong. The pleasures we enjoy should be pleasures
that are refined and come along with being polite and compassionate. And the
ultimate pleasure is knowledge of the breath of Hashem that is in us and seeing
the beauty from above that surrounds us.
לע"נ הדוד מאיר בן חיים ז"ל
נלב"ע כה בתשרי תשנ"ב
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