According to Legends of the Jews, a monumental work compiled by Rabbi Louis Ginzberg, God actually created and destroyed several worlds before He finally settled on this one! Apparently, He wasn’t quite satisfied with the earlier models. Imagine that! A divine beta test, if you will.
But even this world, the one we're currently inhabiting, wasn't a sure thing. Ginzberg tells us that God initially planned to rule it with strict justice, pure and unadulterated. But He quickly realized that unwavering justice alone would lead to its downfall. Think about it: no room for forgiveness, no second chances. It's a pretty bleak picture.
So, what did He do? He combined justice with mercy. Rahamim, compassion. He made them rule together, a divine balancing act. And it’s this blend, this constant interplay between justice and mercy, that allows our world to endure. It's a powerful thought, isn't it?
The Zohar, a central text of Kabbalah, echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the primordial nature of Divine goodness. Without it, nothing could continue to exist.
And it doesn't stop there. The Legends of the Jews goes on to describe how Divine goodness actively protects us from all sorts of threats, both seen and unseen.
For instance, without God's intervention, the myriads of evil spirits would have wiped out humanity long ago. But every Nisan, the month of the spring equinox, the seraphim – fiery angelic beings – approach the spirit world and intimidate the evil spirits, preventing them from harming humans. That's right, angelic crowd control!
And what about the natural world? The text explains that if God didn’t protect the weak, the tame animals would have been devoured by the wild ones ages ago. In Tammuz, the summer solstice, the mighty behemot (often interpreted as a primeval beast of immense power) lets out a roar so loud that all the animals hear it. This roar instills fear and timidity in them for an entire year, curbing their ferocity. Talk about a natural alarm system!
Then, in Tishri, at the autumnal equinox, the enormous bird ziz (another mythical creature, a colossal bird) flaps its wings and cries out. This causes the birds of prey, the eagles and vultures, to hesitate and refrain from annihilating the smaller birds out of greed. It's like a divine check on predatory behavior.
And even the underwater world isn't exempt! Without God's goodness, the big fish would have quickly devoured all the little ones. But in Tebet, during the winter solstice, the sea grows restless as leviathan (a massive sea monster) spouts water, unsettling the larger fish and causing them to restrain their appetites. This gives the smaller fish a chance to escape.
These aren't just quaint stories. They are ancient ways of understanding the delicate balance of the world and the constant presence of Divine intervention, of Divine goodness, in maintaining that balance. They remind us that even when things seem chaotic or unfair, there’s a deeper order at play, a constant effort to protect and preserve.
So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by the world's challenges, remember the Legends of the Jews and the multiple worlds that came before. Remember the interplay of justice and mercy. Remember the seraphim, the behemot, the ziz, and the leviathan, all playing their part in maintaining the delicate balance of creation. It’s a comforting thought, isn’t it? That we're not alone, and that even in the face of immense forces, there’s a power working to protect and sustain us.