The Torah begins with the dawn of Creation. To fully comprehend this narrative, a person must understand that history is not a series of coincidences. Rather, there is a purpose to existence and a mission incumbent upon Israel to bring the world towards this goal. Rashi explains from the first verse in the Torah that the entire reason for the description of Creation is to establish that the G-D of Israel is the Master of the universe, Who creates, sustains and affectionately empowers all that exists. Man’s function on earth is to perfect the physical world under the sovereignty of HaShem. This involves preparing and improving this world in order to uplift existence to its highest potential – the original ideal behind Creation from its inception.
Man’s function on earth is to perfect the physical world under the sovereignty of HaShem. This involves preparing and improving this world in order to uplift existence to its highest potential – the original ideal behind Creation from its inception
The goal of existence, which is only clearly revealed at the end, is what has pushed all of history from the start. All people and events up until today have only existed for the Divine goal that will be gloriously revealed through its ultimate fulfillment. Man – the crowning pinnacle of Creation – was not fashioned until the sixth day. Everything else appeared to have been set up in advance.
In fact, the only thing we see introduced after human beings is the Shabbat. While it could be assumed that something as important as mankind or Shabbat should have been fashioned before all else, an explanation is found in the Lecha Dodi song, which states sof ma'ase b'machashava t'chila – “last in deed, first in thought”. Shabbat was the last act of Creation, but primary in G-D’s Divine blueprint for the world. Whenever a great project is envisioned, several preparations must be made in order for that project’s goal to be attainable. That there would be a day of holiness in Creation was foremost in G-D’s plan. But the entire universe had to exist beforehand.
The same idea holds true for mankind. The finale reveals the original objective. In the Shabbat Musaf prayer, the first twenty two words of the paragraph Tikanta Shabbat begin with the letters of our alphabet in reverse order, going from Taf to Aleph. This concept is known as Tashrak (Taf, Shin, Reish, Koof…). Aleph symbolizes the One – the Divine Torah ideal of unity and perfection. Taf represents the illusion of multiplicity within existence. It symbolizes the base and mundane as oppose to the evident holiness represented by the Aleph. The closer something comes to the Aleph – to its ultimate goal – the more explicitly its holiness is revealed. While at the stage of Taf, the grandeur of a project is hidden as things appear mundane (or often iniquitous), the idea of Tashrak teaches that the ideal comes at the end of a development in order to reveal the holiness of the entire process from its beginning. Enterprises of great value are most often built from the bottom up with secure foundations that usually appear insignificant on their own.
In Netzach Yisrael, the Maharal of Prague explains that Creation begins with the most mundane and then leads up to the formation of man and eventually Am Yisrael. He points out that Israel was the last of the nations to enter the stage of history while every other people had previously existed. Israel was created last, but forever inherits the mission of man – the task of crowning G-D King over all of
The Kingdom of Israel will rise and – as the heart of mankind – pump Divine blessing to the rest of Creationexistence through perfecting and uplifting this world to His service.
It is the Hebrew mission to build a world of perfection. The purpose for Creation is to establish a world that is entirely righteous and just, free from suffering and deceit, through the universal recognition of Israel’s G-D.
“And G-D saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good.” (BEREISHIT 1:31)
The Rambam comments that everything was fit for its exact purpose and able to function appropriately in existence. He further teaches in the fifth chapter of his introduction to Pirke Avot that “Man should place one goal before his eyes: the comprehension of G-D – glorified be He – to the full extent of mortal potential. This means to know Him. One should divert all of his activities, endeavors and even his relaxation toward that goal, to the extent that none of his activities are purposeless – i.e., that they do not lead to this goal.”
The Divine Oneness of HaShem and harmonious unity of existence, which will be revealed to mankind through the Hebrew Nation, is the deterministic blueprint of all human history. The Kingdom of Israel will rise and – as the heart of mankind – pump Divine blessing to the rest of Creation. Jewish political sovereignty over Eretz Yisrael is the prerequisite for our bringing the world towards G-D’s Truth. The prevalent immoral doctrines – with all of their deceptions – will evaporate as the holy culture of Israel begins to shower humanity with the light of Torah. The full Redemption of the Jewish people in our land brings with it an entire revolution in the thinking of man. Concepts of morality, justice and truth will be redefined and clarified through Israel’s national ascension and shining example. This will occur through the Israeli Nation living a full national life of twenty-four-hour-a-day holiness and infusing all of life with meaning and blessing. HaShem’s Presence will be seen, felt and perceived in everything that exists as His chosen people is exalted and sovereign in full borders. The ultimate good pushing history forward from the start will be revealed through the Redemption of the Hebrew Nation.
Even that which appeared to be secular, or at times hostile to our Torah, has come only to prepare the way for the full expression of G-D’s Name
The Tur, commenting on the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 286), discusses the idea of Tashrak regarding Israel’s Redemption. The concept of the Divine Ideal becoming exposed in all of its glory at the end of a seemingly mundane process refers to the Redemption of the Hebrew Nation. History has begun to witness this process unfold through the Land of Israel – barren for so long – bringing forth abundant fruits. The world has experienced a revival of the Hebrew language and Jewish independence over much of Eretz Yisrael. The Israeli Nation has merited miraculous victories in war and tremendous innovations in the fields of medicine and technology.
While there are still those who doubt the holiness of what is transpiring, these skeptics can rest assured that when we reach the Aleph of the process, all will clearly see even the holiness of the Taf. Even that which appeared to be secular, or at times hostile to our Torah, has come only to prepare the way for the full expression of G-D’s Name. The strong secular body of the Hebrew Nation reborn in our land, erected by those who seem uninterested in Torah, has only been built in order to house the giant spirit that will come to bring all of Creation full circle to its ultimate goal – the Aleph that has been pushing since the beginning of time.