The processes of the natural world faithfully reflect God‘s intention.

Repetitive cycles and predictable patterns set in motion in the moments of creation establish for us a reliable record of their creators’ ideal.

The natural world is- its’ being rooted in God’s Word- uninterrupted, untarnished by the passage of time; its’ essence not mutated by the vagaries of choosing.

Man interrupts the order of the universe. He is not a lonely observer in the world, acted upon from without but an active participant; a partner in creation. To create or to destroy.

God’s image: is free-will.

To be created in God’s image grants us the power and responsibility of choice. Free will allows us to assert our independence, imposing will on the world- in alikeness with God.

Creation responds to our actions reflecting and amplifying every tug at the string.

—— At the completion of each stage of Creation, God “looked” upon the world, an act which conveyed it its’ stability and permanence. (‏רמבן)

On the sixth day, God created man. He didn’t “look upon” him as He had done throughout the rest of creation. He leaves man unstable; allows him to stabilize himself through his own acts and choices.

—— At the completion of the Six days of creation God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good.

Meshech Chochma: It does not say about man “and God saw,” but includes him among “all that He had made.”

This alludes to the concept of free will. God’s knowledge doesn’t impact Man’s choices. Therefore, whereas God “saw” throughout creation, this seeing sees things “as they are” static and unchanging. Man, however is dynamic.

God restricts himself (tzimtzum) and doesn’t “look.” He allow man to be.

—— After the creation of man God looks again at “all that He had made,” because the earth is given to man to steward the “all” of creation.

/ Meshech Chochma 1,21 and 1,31. see also Sforno [tzelem elokim]; Likutei Torah (Ba’al haTanya) Emor 38b [Man’s free will is rooted in God’s free will]; Maharal, Derech haChaim 3,16; Rav Dessler, Michtav Eliyahu volume 5 p. 302 [Man as a partner in creation]; Ramban Breishis 1,4 [Permanence and stability]; Nefesh haChaim , Sha’ar 1 [the ”totality” of creation present within man and stewarded by him] /

Starters and Sides:

Infinity and the creation of finite worlds. A non-paradox. (1,1)

Place value: When counting years of life the Torah always counts the smallest number first (ones, tens, hundreds). Adam is the exception. His 9 (hundreds, tens, ones). Why? (5,5)

Role play: Chava becomes the “mother of all life“ only after the curse of mortality. An immortal man would have had no need of children to carry his legacy forward. What role was she supposed to play? (4,1)

The development of prayer as a replacement for sacrifice in the aftermath of the killing Abel. (4,26)