Rav Leibowitz
We have identified man’s sophisticated intellectual faculty
- his ability to “understand” and “conceptualize” - as the “image of God.” This
is the force that provides man with his elevated capabilities and procures for
him an exalted level in the hierarchy of creation. But
there is another significant human capability that we must address. Interestingly, this capability is itself a
product of man’s unique intellectual abilities described thus far.
Let’s return to the verse in Bereshis that teaches us that man was created in the “image of God.” Unlike Rashi, R. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (d. 1926) provides a different explanation of this unique quality given to man at creation.
The “image of God” is the ability to make completely free willed decisions – without instinctual
influences, rather based on will and unhindered intellect (Meshech Chochmah,
Bereshis 1:26).
According to R. Meir Simcha, the “image of God” is man’s
free will. But where does man’s free will come from?
In our discussion above regarding man’s intellect, we noted that two of the most significant elements of man’s intellectual faculty are (1) his ability to use his mind consciously, i.e. not only instinctually, and (2) his ability to think abstractly and theoretically, i.e. not only practically. It is these two elements that provide man with his free will.
To explain: The abstract mind has the ability to discern
differences. “Without intellect, differentiating
is impossible.”[1] Discerning differences, man can distinguish
between things he encounters and classify things he studies. As the only creation possessing the ability
to differentiate, only man can consciously apply his intellect to situations
and choose – free of his instincts – how to act. In other words, Man is unique in creation in
his ability to consider different options, something which by definition
requires abstract thinking, and then actually make a conscious decision based
on his intellect. Hence, a direct
outgrowth of man’s elevated intellect is that he is a free willed being.
But the relationship between the intellect and free will is not
only one directional. It is certainly true that the gift of intellect begets
free will. But with free will, man is
then empowered, and challenged, to choose what to do with his intellect. Man must choose what to do with his time, and
most significantly – where to invest his intellectual capabilities? Toward achievement of which goals should man
dedicate his intellectual faculties?
The decision where to invest his intellect is an integral
part of man fulfilling his elevated role in the world and assuming his elevated
position in the hierarchy of creation. We
noted earlier how man can easily be mistaken for a sophisticated animal due to
similarities in anatomical makeup and instinctual behavior. However, this error is perhaps more
forthcoming when one observes man’s free-willed decisions, that is, his volitional
actions and pursuits.
What are the pursuits of man? If one’s primary focus in life is the
consumption of food and drink, or preoccupation with sleep or carnal pleasure, or
the building and remodeling of his shelter, it is hard to identify mankind as
occupying a distinct level of creation. Such
behavior indicates that a human being is merely a sophisticated member of the
animal kingdom, but not a human that is essentially unique and elevated.
To truly be unique and elevated man must make decisions to
pursue elevated pursuits. It cannot be
that mankind was granted an elevated intellect to solely function as a more
sophisticated animal. Rather he was
given elevated capabilities so that he can make decisions and engage in
pursuits that far transcend those of the animal kingdom.
Common sense dictates that it is absurd and simple false to
claim that the purpose of man is merely to eat, drink, have marital relations,
or build shelter… for these actions are also performed by many of the other
creations. (Rambam, Hakdamah
la-Mishnah).
If man chooses to use his intellectual abilities to merely
pursue the actions engaged in by the animals, so then he is squandering his
elevated faculty.
Man is not just a better animal. He is an inherently different creation. His elevated capabilities are there to
distinguish him as an inherently unique creation.
What emerges, then, is an extremely significant point. Man’s raw intellect is not enough to secure
him an inherently elevated level in creation.
If he is to use his intellect simply for “animal pursuits,” so then he
has not distinguished himself as a being that occupies an inherently elevated
position in the world. For sure, man’s intellect
can lead him to engage in those pursuits that are not unique to mankind – such as
consumption of food, reproduction, amassing of property, and building shelter -
in a way that is far more sophisticated
than when animals engage in such activity. But perfecting these “shared” pursuits cannot procure
for man a distinct level in creation.[2]
Rather, man must use his free will to choose to dedicate his
intellect towards fields of study and activities that transcend the animal
kingdom. He must chose to use his
elevated faculties for elevated purposes.
Man’s True Elevation
Accordingly, we see that R. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk does not
actually disagree with Rashi. Rashi’s
focus was on the immediate result of man being blessed with the “image of
God.” He correctly identifies that man
was given unique intellectual faculties.
But R. Meir Simcha simply takes this one step further. He adds that with all of its elevation
notwithstanding, the engagement of the intellect alone is not enough. The intellect alone is not man’s elevation,
but it rather empowers man to be elevated.
With his free will man must choose where to invest his intellect, and if
he chooses to invest it in areas that will propel him to transcend the animal
kingdom, so then, and only then, he is truly elevated.
Our suggestion that the combination of intellect and free
will are man’s true elevation is stated by R. Yitzchak Arama in his Akedas
Yitzchak,
[Man] was originally created from the dirt of the earth… Then
[God] blew into him the “breath of life” – which is the Godly intellect that
gives [man] intellectual abilities in order to choose good. (Akedias Yitzchak,
Sha’ar 8)
We thus emerge with two important conclusions. The first:
Man’s elevation is not only his intellectual faculties, but also the
result of his intellectual faculties: free will. The second is that man is not simply
elevated. Rather, he is equipped
to be elevated. He has the potential to
be elevated. But to truly assume his
elevated position in the hierarchy of creation he must utilize his elevated
capability of free will to choose to be elevated.
This is what the Torah teaches, “Behold I have placed before
you today life and goodness, or death and evil... You shall choose life!” (Devarim 30, 15-19). Man is charged by God to choose. It is incumbent upon man to utilize his free
will to choose to pursue human life and assume his elevated
position in the hierarchy of creation.
[1] Talmud Yerushalmi, Berachos, 39b . This
is the reason that at Maariv following Shabbos or Yom Tov we recite Havdalah
during the beracha of “Ata Chonen le-Adam Da’as.” Man’s intellect is the source
of his ability to differentiate.
[2] This
does not mean that attainment of food, reproductive activity, and construction
of shelter are not vital necessities for man.
Indeed, they are absolutely necessary and indispensable to human
life. Moreover, these activities
certainly require intelligence. Animal
also perform them using their instinctual intelligence. Yet, hopefully, when man eats, drinks, procreates,
and build shelter it is done in a more sophisticated fashion than when members
of the animal kingdom engage in such activities. When man chooses to use his abstract and
theoretic mind toward these same “animal” activities, his eating habits and
food choices are healthier, his constructed shelter is more practical and
comfortable. But if obtaining such
results were the reason man was granted his elevated intellect, then he simply
would be a more sophisticated animal. He
would be one who engages in “animal pursuits” – better.
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