The story goes that when the Holy One, Barukh Hu (blessed be He), decided to create Adam, the first human, it wasn't exactly a unanimous decision up in the heavenly realms. Rabbi Simon tells us, according to Bereshit Rabbah, that the ministering angels were all split into factions, some for and some against. It was a cosmic showdown!
Think of it like this: "Kindness and truth met; righteousness and peace touched" (Psalms 85:11). Kindness, naturally, was all for it: "Let him be created, as he performs acts of kindness!" But Truth? Truth was a tough sell. "Let him not be created, as he is all full of lies!" And Righteousness chimed in, "Let him be created, as he performs acts of righteousness," while Peace worried, "Let him not be created, as he is all full of discord."
So, what's a Creator to do when faced with such a deadlock? According to the story, God took Truth and cast it down to earth. Poof! Gone! As it says in Daniel 8:12, "You cast truth earthward."
Now, the angels weren't too happy about this. They protested, "Master of the universe, why are You demeaning Your very seal?" Because, you see, "Truth" is considered the seal of the Holy One, Barukh Hu. The angels pleaded, "Let Truth ascend from the earth!" This sets the stage for the verse in Psalms 85:12, "Truth will spring from the earth." A promise, perhaps, that truth, though temporarily banished, would eventually re-emerge from humanity itself.
But there's another layer to this. The Rabbis, in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina bar Idi, and Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥilkiya, citing Rabbi Simon, connect the word me'od (very) to Adam. You see, the Hebrew letters for adam (אדם) and me'od (מאד) are the same, just rearranged. So, when Genesis 1:31 says, "God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good," it's also hinting that Adam was good. The very essence of humanity, in its initial creation, was a force for good.
Rav Huna, the rabbi of Tzippori, adds a final, almost humorous note. While the angels were still debating and arguing, God just went ahead and created Adam anyway! He basically said, "Why are you deliberating? Man has already been created!" Talk about cutting through the red tape!
So, what does it all mean? Maybe it's a reminder that creation is messy, that even the divine plan can be subject to debate and disagreement. Maybe it's a reassurance that even though humanity is flawed, capable of lies and discord, we also possess the potential for kindness, righteousness, and, ultimately, truth. And maybe, just maybe, it's a cosmic wink, a reminder that sometimes, you just have to act, even when the angels are still arguing. What do you think?