A guest post by Rabbi Aaron Fink (my father), Dean of Ateres Bais Yaakov on Monsey NY. Part of a weekly Dvar Torah (Torah “Thought”) series.
Looking Good
Upon the conclusion of the first six days of maasei b’reishis we are told vayar Elokim es kol ashar asah v’henei tov meod — “And Hashem saw all that He had fashioned and behold, it was very good.” This is a fascinating phrase. It is as if Hashem Yisborach, kivayachol, sits back and looks over His handiwork and proclaims – “good job—I did well.” This seems to be an odd comment from the Borei Olam. After all, He is omnipotent, all-knowing and the essence of a unity of perfection that we can barely begin to understand. Did He expect anything less than good?!
In addition, the refrain of ki tov already accompanied each act of creation. What is the message in this declaration being the final statement of the shehshes yimei hama’asseh?
Chazal teach us a valuable lesson here. The Ramban explains that when Hashem uses the word tov in the context of the briah, His proclamation of tov gives each object its eternal chiyus; ki tov infuses an inherent, lasting goodness into the creation. Without a sense of tov—intrinsic goodness, nothing could exist. Indeed, Chazal tell us that the second luchos were assured of their enduring vitality due to the fact that the word “tov” appears within them (l’maan yitav lach) unlike the first dibros, which Moshe shattered. The Midrash Tanchuma points out an additional insight. The Tanchuma explains that even more than intrinsic goodness imbued by the essence of Hashem Yisborach’s seeing good, was the pervasive sense of simcha that the Ribbono Shel Olam imbibed as a result of His creation. The resultant “Yismach Hashem B’maasav” —Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s rejoicing and taking pride in His creation is, kivayachol, a reflection of His “vayar Elokim ki tov” attitude.
Moreover, the midrash tells us that, tov meod —“very good” is referring to the crowning glory of the briah, the creation of Adam (the words meod and adam share the same letters – alef, daled and mem). We are being told that everything was created for Adam…for us. On the final day of creation, with the arrival of Adam Harishon, Hashem reiterates tov meod, it is very good; Adam, the entire world is here for you—it is intrinsically good. You as my cherished “child” created b’dmusi ub’tzalmi are equipped to continue to make this world even better.
How? We must live b’tzalmo ub’dimuso and emulate Hashem. Vayar Elokim es kol ashar asah v’henei tov meod — and Hashem saw all that He had fashioned and it was very good. We, too, must learn to see goodness, to look for it in our daily lives. We must find the positives and build on the opportunities they provide. When we have a “tov meod” attitude we can inject a positive light on all that we see and affect its development (and ours) thereafter. When we are “looking good” we see the best in everything and everyone. Then we can make the most of ourselves and enjoy it.
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