We often think of creation as a solo act by the Almighty, but the ancient rabbis, wrestling with the very first verse of Genesis, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," dove deep into this question.

The book of Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of Genesis, opens with a fascinating discussion on this very topic. It begins with a verse from Psalms, "For You are great and perform wonders" (Psalms 86:10), and immediately connects it to the act of creation. Why?

Rabbi Tanhuma offers a beautiful analogy. He says, imagine a wineskin. Even a tiny hole, as small as a needle prick, will cause all the air to leak out. Yet, a human being is full of cavities and orifices, and yet… we hold our breath. What keeps us from leaking like that wineskin? The answer, Rabbi Tanhuma says, is the same reason God alone could create the universe: "You, alone, are God" (Psalms 86:10). It’s a testament to God's unique power and ability to create order from chaos, to contain the uncontainable.

Then, the rabbis get into a debate about the timing of angel creation. When did these celestial beings come into existence? Rabbi Yohanan suggests the second day, pointing to the verse, "He covers His upper chambers with water..." (Psalms 104:3), which describes God's actions on the second day. He connects this to another verse, "He makes the winds His messengers [malakhav]" (Psalms 104:4). Because the verse speaks of winds as messengers, and the Hebrew word for messengers, malakhav, sounds like angels (malakhim), the connection is made.

But Rabbi Hanina disagrees. He argues that angels were created on the fifth day. His proof? "Let birds fly [yeofef] over the earth..." (Genesis 1:20). The word yeofef, meaning "fly," is then linked to Isaiah 6:2, where it says of the angels, "And with two it would fly [yeofef]." So, birds fly, angels fly – a connection is drawn!

Now, here's where it gets really interesting. Rabbi Lulyana bar Tavrin, quoting Rabbi Yitzchak, makes a crucial point: Regardless of whether you follow Rabbi Hanina or Rabbi Yoḥanan, everyone agrees that angels were not created on the first day. Why does this matter? Because they didn't want people to think that the creation of the heavens was a group effort.

The fear was that people might imagine Michael holding up the south side of the heavens, Gabriel holding up the north, and God just straightening it out in the middle. The rabbis wanted to emphasize God's absolute sovereignty.

They cite Isaiah 44:24: "I am the Lord, who made everything; who stretched out the heavens alone…by Myself [me’iti]." The word "by Myself" is written in the Torah in a peculiar way – as two words, mi iti, which can be interpreted as "Who was with Me?". The message is clear: God was the sole architect of creation. No partners, no collaborators.

The Bereshit Rabbah then returns to the initial idea, expanding on the uniqueness of God's creation versus that of a human king. A human king might share the praise with those who helped him in his kingdom. But God? God alone is lauded, glorified, because He alone created the world. As Rabbi Tanhuma concludes: "For You are great and perform wonders – why? It is because You, alone, are God – You alone created the world."

So, what are we left with? A deeper appreciation for the concept of divine solitude in the act of creation. It's not about denying the existence or importance of angels. It's about affirming God's absolute power and uniqueness. It's a reminder that the universe, in all its complexity and wonder, sprang forth from a single, divine source. And perhaps, that's the greatest wonder of all.