Breisheet

In the Image of God - Actually and Potentially

Adapted from Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (the "Ramak")

The Torah portrays God as saying, "Let us create a human being "b'tzalmeinu, kidemuteinu" - in our image, in our likeness. Two words describe the nature of humanity, "image" and "likeness." Are they just poetic repetitions of the same idea? Or do they express two separate ideas?

According to traditional rules of reading Torah, no word is considered superfluous. So if Torah uses two different words to describe how we are created in God's image, it must be calling our attention to two different aspects of our nature.

Under one aspect, we are automatically like God. Every single one of us, by virtue of being human, has the same potential for Godly behavior. The ten sephirot - ten attributes of God as described by Kabbalah - are built into our hearts and minds. In particular, we all have the potential for learning to balance qualities that are at the heart of God: rachamim (compassion) and din (judgment).

Under the other aspect of our nature, we are not automatically like God at all. Instead, we must work to mold ourselves in the divine image. We must learn to actualize our potential, to consciously guide our actions so that they express the attributes of God. We must use every tool available to us - body, mind, and feelings - to learn how to extend compassion and how to set boundaries in ways that help us and help others grow.

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