It might just be written in our origin story.
Think about the very beginning. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Bereshit Rabbah, that incredible collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, suggests that everything we see flows from one of these two sources. Heaven. Earth. Simple, right?
But then it gets interesting. The second day, God creates from the heavenly realm: "Let there be a firmament" (Genesis 1:6). The third day? Earth gets its turn: "Let the earth sprout grass" (Genesis 1:11). It goes back and forth. Fourth day, heavenly again: "Let there be lights" (Genesis 1:14). Fifth day, earthly: "Let the water swarm" (Genesis 1:20).
So, what happens when it's time to create MAN?
According to Bereshit Rabbah, God faced a dilemma. "If I create him from the heavenly realm," He pondered, "the heavenly will outnumber the earthly by one creation, and there will not be peace [equilibrium] in the world. If I create him from the earthly realm, the earthly will outnumber the heavenly by one creation, and there will not be peace in the world. Rather, I will create him from both the heavenly and the earthly realms for the sake of peace."
Think about that for a moment. Shalom, peace, equilibrium, balance – it's not just a nice-to-have. It's fundamental to creation itself.
And that's precisely what we find in Genesis 2:7: "And the Lord God created man… out of dust from the ground," – the earthly part, – "and He blew into his nostrils a living spirit" – the heavenly part.
We’re a blend. Dust and divine breath.
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish brings further insight, referencing Job 25:2: "Dominion and fear are with Him; He makes peace in His heights." "Dominion," he says, "this is Gabriel;" "and fear," "this is Mikhael." These two archangels, often seen as representing opposing spiritual forces, are held in balance by God.
The idea is that just as God creates balance between the forces represented by Mikhael and Gabriel, so too did He create balance within humanity by combining the earthly and the heavenly.
So, the next time you feel torn between your aspirations and your…well, your more basic instincts, remember that this tension is woven into the very fabric of your being. It's not a flaw, but a reflection of the divine plan for balance. Maybe the key isn't to eliminate either side, but to find the shalom, the peace, within the tension.