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Parshat Bereshit
2004
A Whole New World
The opening portion of the Torah, at first glance, seems like a gripping movie with too many subplots. In just six chapters, we witness the six days of creation, the debut of Shabbat, the narrative of the Garden of Eden - including man's first sin and its dire consequences - and the story of Cain and Abel.
These snapshots are expertly linked, however, with the common thread of one of the most profound verses in the Torah: "And God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him." Many interpret this line to suggest that man, unlike other animals, possesses free will, morality and the ability to reason.
There is no story that demonstrates the nature and ramifications of free will as starkly as the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve, the first humans on earth, are given the freedom to choose between good and evil. Almost immediately, they make the "evil" choice by eating the forbidden fruit from a certain tree.
By making this choice, Adam and Eve change the nature of human life forever. Suddenly they are no longer "perfect" and are cast out of the Garden of Eden and into a world filled with struggle and pain.
This new "world" that exists after the sin is dramatically different. Adam and Eve are now faced with the burden of "toiling," the pains of childbirth, and the decree "by the sweat of your brow shall you eat your bread." They transform from pure, unadulterated images of God to nothing but "dust," with the understanding that "unto dust you shall return."
The distinction between these two "worlds" has powerful implications for our life's mission and our opportunities for leadership.
There is a Hasidic teaching that suggests there are two approaches to leadership, two different ways to elevate one's surroundings: from above or from within. One type of leader might lead from above, in saintly isolation, by inspiring others to reach his or her level. Such a leader might try to create a model society to motivate others to emulate this model.
An entirely different type of leader might try to lead from within by reaching others on their level - by speaking their language and understanding who they are. This leader might adopt the lifestyle or traditions of his or her people in order to effect necessary change.
The difference between these two leadership styles, according to Hasidic teaching, is similar to the distinction between the nature of life before and after man's first sin. Before the sin, man was considered perfect and lived in a perfect world. This world, it seems, was the model society that acted as a "light unto others." Once God subjected Adam and Eve to a different, more difficult lifestyle, they were "exiled" to another world where they had to struggle to survive.
The nature of man, as defined by his creation in the image of God, includes both elements. Man has the potential to emulate God's various characteristics but also has the free will to sin and disappoint God. God, as our ultimate leader, employs both styles of leadership. He exists in saintly seclusion and inspires us to reach his level but also enters our world every day and affects our mundane lives.
Those of us in the Hillel world are constantly faced with different approaches to leadership. While attempting to affect the lives of our thousands of students, we can either work from "above" and inspire our students to reach our level of Jewish appreciation, or we can work from within by speaking their language and relating to them as peers.
Prepared by Naomi Korb, Bronfman fellow.
Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Parshat Bereshit at MyJewishLearning.com.
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