Jewish tradition has some pretty profound, even mind-blowing, answers. One of the most powerful is this idea: the entire universe, everything in it, was created for the sake of Israel.
Think about that for a moment. All the galaxies, all the stars, all the tiny little microbes… all brought into being for the sake of one people. It's a staggering thought, isn't it?
The tradition doesn't shy away from making this claim explicitly. As it says in the Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mysticism, all worlds above and below were created for the sake of Israel. Everything that God brought forth, created, formed, and made—it was all for the sake of His holy people.
So, where does this idea come from? Well, it starts with the very beginning. The sages, commenting on the verse "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), suggest that "beginning" actually refers to Israel. Rashi, the great medieval commentator, echoes this idea in his commentary on Genesis 1:1. The very first thought in God's mind, before anything else existed, was of Israel.
Why? What makes this particular group so special? Well, according to tradition, after the souls of Israel were created, God had to create and maintain the universe. It was the whole reason for bringing those souls into being in the first place! It's like the universe is a stage, and Israel is the main act.
Now, this isn't about some kind of arrogant claim of superiority. It's about the potential for relationship, the possibility of divine pride and delight. God foresaw the pride and delight He would receive from Israel, and it was because of this that God created the world, according to the Midrash Rabbah.
Think about Abraham, for example. God perceived that Abraham would be born and perform acts of love and kindness. And so, out of love for Abraham, God created a world of love. The Sefer Ba'al Shem Tov and other sources elaborate on this. Every detail of creation was brought into being because of some element of pride that God would have from His people.
What's truly remarkable is that this pride extends even to the sinners of Israel. Every single Jew, even those who stumble, is a garment for the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence. It's a powerful image, isn't it?
The Maggid of Mezritch beautifully compares the relationship of God and Israel to that of a father and child, a relationship of love, pride, and delight. "When a father loves his child," he says, "this great love causes the child's image to be engraved on the father's mind... Israel rose first in God's thought. This means that it is constantly engraved in the Supernal thought, just as a child is in his father's mind," as found in Maggid Devarav le-Ya'akov.
There's a fascinating analogy in Numbers Rabbah. The stars in the sky appear small, but in heaven, they're actually quite large. The same is true of Israel. In this world, Israel might appear small or insignificant. But in the world on high, it's actually quite large, quite powerful.
And here's perhaps the most profound idea of all: when God created the world, it didn't have the power to endure on its own. God created Israel so that the world would be able to endure. Israel is the sustenance of all universes. Without Israel, everything would revert to its original state of nothingness, as we find in B. Sanhedrin 44a and other sources.
This elevates the role of the Jewish people to something far beyond simply being "chosen." It suggests that the very fabric of reality is intertwined with their existence.
This concept positions Israel as the First Created Being, a role also attributed to figures like Adam Kadmon and the Shekhinah. But here, it's not an individual, but an entire nation whose destiny is interwoven with God's.
So, what does this all mean for us today? It’s a call to recognize the profound significance of our actions, our choices, and our connection to this ancient lineage. It's a reminder that we are part of something much, much bigger than ourselves. We are, in a sense, sustaining the universe. Pretty wild, huh?