Irving Greenberg
Genesis is not so much an account of creation as a statement of Gods plan. It answers the question: What kind of world did God intend to create? Breshit describes the world as it will be when God and humanity finish their work. Subsequently in the Bible, we learn that in the process of perfecting the world, Jews will lead the way, teaching, setting an example, working alongside others, serving as witness to Gods purpose and as a light unto the nations.
What then is the trueDivinepattern of the world? The Torahs threefold answer cuts through a welter of conflicting evidence and surface contradictions:
To emphasize this, God repeats this commandment /blessing to humanity. According to the Talmud, that means parents are obligated to have two children. But it then cites Isaiahs view of the creation story: The world was created not to be empty but to be settled. So the rabbis add an obligation to go further: Only if two parents have three or more children will the surplus of life over death grow.
This is the source of humanitys mission. Because human beings are Godlike, God calls them into partnershipto rule this world and shape it. To this end, humans are given control over the earth and over other forms of life as well. But as the Torah makes clear, the human is to work and guard it. The human must not abuse the world or kill. Since God wants life to win out, ideally all living creaturesincluding human beingsshould be vegetarians. And to all the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is the breath of life, [I give] all the green plants for food (Genesis 1:30). No life should exist by killing other life.
