October 31, 2024|כ"ט תשרי ה' אלפים תשפ"ה Standing Together - Hashem's Lesson on Humanity and Humility By Rabbi Jonathan Muskat

We know the famous midrash that God turns to us at the end of Sukkot and tells us ikvu imi od yom echad – stay with me for one more day, kasheh alai preidatchem – separating from you is so difficult. Yes, God tells us to stay with Him for one more day, but here’s the thing. He never told us to stay with Him for a three-day Yom Tov. And yet we are here. Final day of the third three-day Yom Tov. And we return to the beginning, to the creation of the world and the creation of mankind and every time I return to Parshat Breishit, I always learn something new about the nature of mankind.

Let’s begin with perhaps one of the most if not the most theologically challenging pesukim in the entire Torah. It’s the sixth day and God is almost done creating. He makes the following declaration. נעשה אדם בצלמינו  –"Let us make man in our image" (Breishit 1:26). This statement has sparked centuries of theological debate. The plural "us" suggests the possibility of multiple divine powers, that God needs others to help create man. This notion is at odds with Judaism's fundamental principle of monotheism.

To resolve this, many commentators have offered explanations that balance theological precision with moral and philosophical insights. These interpretations reveal profound lessons not only about God but about human nature, humility, and perhaps the essence of what makes us human.

One explanation offered by the Ibn Ezra is that מנהג המלכים לאמור היחיד נעשה – the practice of kings to is say the singular as “let us make.” In other words, the phrase "Let us make man" reflects the "royal we," also known as the majestic plural or pluralis majestatis. This concept was documented in ancient Rome, where emperors, such as Augustus, used plural forms when referring to themselves to emphasize the idea that they ruled on behalf of the state or a higher divine authority. By using the plural pronoun, the monarch symbolically included their role as the representative of the collective body, be it the state, the people, or even divine will. Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch expands upon this idea by suggesting that the creation of humanity was not solely for God’s sake, but for the benefit of humanity. In turn, the plural pronoun emphasizes that humanity’s existence and mission are fundamentally communal, tied to serving the world around beyond oneself.

A second interpretation comes from the Vilna Gaon in Aderet Eliyahu, who argues that God consulted all of His creations before creating man because humanity contains qualities derived from every part of creation. For example, human strength mirrors that of a lion, speed parallels the agility of a deer, and cunning reflects the trickiness of a fox. Humanity, in essence, is the culmination of the best qualities of all living creatures. This consultation was symbolic, indicating that man is a microcosm of the universe, possessing a blend of characteristics from, and has dominion over, all other forms of life.

A third approach stems from the Midrash (Midrash HaGadol on Breishit 1:26), which presents the consultation as a model for leadership. The Midrash likens God’s consultation to that of a king who seeks the advice of his advisors before making a major decision, not because the king lacks the power to act alone, but because consulting with others is the proper protocol. According to this Midrash, God consulted three groups of angels before creating man. The first group asked what will man’s deeds be and after God described them, they advised against creating man. So God burned them with His little finger.  The same exchange occurred with the second group of angels, who also advised against humanity’s creation and, guess what? He burned them with His little finger, as well. When the third group saw what happened to the first two groups, you can only imagine that these angels eagerly agreed to God. This is like when my wife asks me if I like her outfit. I need to ask myself does she really want my opinion, or is there only one right answer? And we all know that there is only one right answer. God was always going to create mankind, so why consult the angels? 

And the answer is that this consultation was not for the purpose of acquiring advice, but to model the behavior of seeking input from others, even those of lower status. The Midrash thus portrays God’s actions as an example for humanity: although God did not need the angels' approval, He modeled consultation as a form of humility.

The value of consultation as a form of humility is compelling, but is it more important than avoiding heresy? During the second Temple period, when King Ptolemy ordered the Torah to be translated into Greek, the Gemara states that 70 scholars translating it all rendered this pasuk as אעשה אדם  -  “I will make man” rather than נעשה אדם - “Let us make man.” This alteration was made to preempt any misunderstanding that might lead to heretical beliefs.

However, the Gemara addresses this concern by pointing out that the very next pasuk clarifies that God alone created man: ויברא אלוקים בצלמו – “And God created man” (Genesis 1:27). Thus, the Torah itself dispels any notion of duality or multiplicity by explicitly stating that God was the sole creator. This clarification mitigates the risk of heresy, allowing us to focus on the deeper moral lessons of consultation and humility. However, if the Torah wanted to teach us these lessons, couldn’t the Torah have found another place to teach us these values rather than include it in a pasuk which could easily be misunderstood as the possibility of multiple divine powers?

Perhaps the point of teaching us this value specifically here is that humility is not only a moral virtue but it is a defining characteristic of humanity itself. Man is called Adam because he comes from the ground, adamah. This etymological link emphasizes that human beings must remain grounded and humble, recognizing their origin from the earth. The Latin root of the word "humility" is humus, meaning “of the earth” or “grounded,” not to be confused with hummus, the Middle Eastern dip that we eat with our pitas. Just as the earth is lowly and humble, so too should man view himself with a sense of humility, even as he strives for greatness. After all, man was about to be created in the image of God, with an intellect, the power of speech and the power of creativity. These qualities are definitional to the nature of man, but so is humility.

In the ancient world, particularly among the Greeks and Romans, humility was often seen as a negative quality, associated with humiliation and subservience. Only slaves or conquered peoples were expected to be humble. But in Jewish thought, humility is an ennobling trait. To fear God, to recognize one’s limitations, and to consult others, are not signs of weakness but of moral strength. The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers 4:1) teaches: איזהו חכם הלומד מכל אדם - “Who is wise? He who learns from every person.” Consultation and humility are signs of wisdom.

In today’s society, individualism and self-reliance are often seen as the pinnacle of human success. People pride themselves on their ability to think independently, defy conventional wisdom, and express unique opinions. While independent thinking and sechel (intellect) are indeed important and definitional to the nature of man, the Torah teaches us that naaseh—consultation—is equally critical. Just as God consulted before creating humanity, we too must be willing to seek advice, collaborate with others, and show humility.

Consultation is not a sign of weakness or indecisiveness. It is a recognition that we, like God, are part of a broader community and that our decisions affect more than just ourselves. True wisdom lies in balancing independent thought with the humility to seek advice and learn from others.

In a world that often values individualism and self-reliance above all else, the Torah reminds us that humility and consultation are not signs of weakness but of wisdom. As beings created from the earth, we are called to remain humble, to consult others, and to recognize that true greatness lies not in standing alone, but in standing together. Through this balance of humility and intellect, we fulfill the potential of what it means to be human, created in the image of God.