BAIS HAVAAD'S PARSHA PERSPECTIVES Parshas Bereishis:Becoming A Partner By: Rabbi Shmuel Lichtenstien

Every judge who judges with complete fairness, it is considered as though he had become a partner to Hakadosh Baruch Hu in the creation (Shabbos 10A). This week’s parsha begins with a remarkable description of Hashem creating the universe, culminating in the creation of man. The piyut recited on Yom Kippur in mussaf (Seder avoda), when describing the world before man’s creation, compares it to a banquet with no guests. So the tachlis hab’ria, the purpose of the creation was for the arrival of man. Yet sadly, man is unable to live up to his expectations and almost immediately begins a downward trend, until finally at the end of the parsha, Hashem is preparing to flood the world and wipe out all living creatures. What happened and how did things go so badly?