God Asks the Angels: Should I Create Man?
Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim
And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth” (Gen. 1:26)
Rashi comments:
The Rabbis learned from here the humility of the Holy One, blessed be He. Because man is in the likeness of the angels and they might envy him. Therefore He took counsel with them [1]. And when He judges the kings He likewise consults His heavenly council, for thus we find in the case of Ahab to whom Micha said, “I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left [2].” Has God, then, a right hand and a left hand? But it means that some stood on the right side to plead in favor of the accused and others stood on the left side to accuse. And similarly we read, “The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones” [3].
Here also He consulted His heavenly council and asked permission of them, saying to them, “There are in the heavens beings after My likeness; if there will not also be on Earth beings after My likeness, there will be envy among creation” (Sanhedrin 38b).
Rashi’s quoted medrash above is quite an intriguing metaphor. We say this is metaphor, as the rabbis did not yet exist to witness such a literal conversation, that they should have a record of it. Furthermore, God and angels are not earthbound that such a conversation could be witnessed by man. So this conversation never occurred, but it was scripted by the rabbis to teach lessons about God’s creation.
There a number of questions here:
1) God need not consult with any being, as He has complete knowledge while all others do not. Thus, seeking counsel from the angels makes no sense literally. If so, what is meant by “Let us make man?” “Us” refers to God Himself, along with the angels.
2) What is meant by God’s “humility”?
3) What is meant by angels being “jealous”?
4) And what is meant by “envy” in creation?
Humility in human terms refers to a person who is concerned for others; he's not self-centered but humbles himself before others. So too, God’s humility refers to God's concern for the best existence for all beings. “Consulting with the angels first before creating man” metaphorically delivers this idea. Angels—like all creations—should exist in an optimal state. God consulting with them about creating man refers to God’s will that man’s creation compliments the angel’s existences. How so? This cannot be understood that God needs advice from any creature. But it means that the angels agree that man must be created, as if God received their approval. What is this agreement?
What is “envy in creation?” The absence of intelligent life in any region of creation would imply God’s indifference to that region, and preference for another…a wrong idea. God would not create any sphere of creation that could not recognize His greatness or contribute to it, for all which God created must contribute to intelligent beings being amazed at God and praising Him. Of course, such praise is for themselves, as God does not benefit from His creations. Creation embodies great brilliance, precisely so intelligent beings are impressed by God.
Thus, in the physical and metaphysical worlds, there are both men and angels respectively; the only beings with intelligence that can recognize God. God has no needs whatsoever. His creation of angels and mankind is pure kindness: He creates beings who can enjoy recognizing His greatness. We must be tremendously thankful to God for doing this, for creating us and giving us a soul through which we can thoroughly enjoy His wisdom for eternity.
Now, if God did not create man on Earth, Earth would be lacking a creature that could recognize God, for nothing else on earth has a soul through which to recognize God. This is what the rabbis mean by “envy in creation.” This envy refers to favoring one region of creation, and disparaging another part of creation bereft of beings that can recognize and praise God. Thus, Earth must not be without intelligent beings, as that would violate God’s will that there exist intelligent observers everywhere. Therefore “God consults with the angels” means the angels approve that God should be praised in all corners of the universe, demanding man must be created on Earth. Creating man, the angels recognize God’s will that He be recognized and praised on Earth–the universe—just as the angels recognize and praise God in the metaphysical world.
God presenting the angels with His plan to create man did not occur. It is an allegory teaching that God wishes all creation—angels included—to have perfect respect for all God creates, as if they gave God their approval for man’s creation. All God does must impress all intelligent life.
[1] Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 18 and see Genesis Rabbah 8
[2] 1 Kings 22:19
[3] Daniel 4:14