I believe, with complete faith, that the Creator, blessed be His name, He creates and guides for all of creation, and He alone made, makes, and will make all things. (Thirteen Principles of Faith: 1)
Where Judaism Begins
Judaism’s Thirteen Principles of Faith begin with the need to recognize Hashem as the world’s Creator. This philosophical focus on creation not only deepens our understanding but also enlightens us on why the Torah begins with this topic. Creation is not just the historical beginning of our world, but also the philosophical starting point. Recognizing Hashem as Creator provides us with a profound perspective on the world and everything in it, inspiring us with the depth of our faith and understanding and enlightening us with a perspective that transcends our everyday experiences.
Most significantly, this recognition helps us appreciate that Hashem is the world’s true owner.
The Land
Rashi begins his commentary on the Torah with this idea. He explains that the Torah begins with the creation narrative (rather than the first mitzvah) to teach us the basis of our rights to Eretz Yisrael. The response to those who brand our settlement of Israel as thievery is that Hashem created and, therefore, owns the world and thus rightfully distributes lands as He sees fit.
Hashem’s ownership over the land has halachic implications as well. It is how the Torah (Vay. 25:23) explains why the Yovel year keeps us from selling land permanently. The land is Hashem’s; we are merely subletters.
Its Contents
Dovid HaMelech (DH”Y I 29:14-16) used this idea to explain why he and the others collecting money for the building of the Beit HaMikdash should not consider themselves “giving” anything to Hashem. Since Hashem created and owns all metals and money, “we are merely subletters.”
This is why Hashem formulates the donations to the Mishkan as “v’yikchu li terumah.” (Shemot 25:2) It is Hashem taking what is His, not us donating. When we donate our money, time, or effort to Hashem, we naturally assume that we are giving Him something that is our own. In truth, we merely give Him what is (already) His.
Man
We, too, were created and are thus owned by Hashem. Rebbi Elazar Ish Bartuta inferred this additional point from Dovid HaMelech’s words: “Give Him (Hashem) what is His, because you and that which is yours are His. (Avot 3:7) As Dovid said, “Because all is from you and from your hand, we give it to you.” Since we belong to Hashem, Hashem already owns what we create or acquire. Our hand is a mere extension of His.
Hashem’s ownership of man also has halachic implications. The Radvaz (Sanhedrin 18:6) uses this idea to explain why people are unable to convict themselves of a capital crime. Our fate is not a mere private matter. Our bodies and souls are Hashem’s, not our own.
The Be’er Hagolah (C”M 427:90) adds that this is why we are expected to guard our health. Hashem put us in this world for a reason. One who endangers himself shows disregard or even disgust for Hashem’s plans. The Be’er Hagolah adds that “there is no denigrative heresy worse than this.” Heresy is not just the denial of G-d’s existence. It also includes denying the significance of His existence – His creation of man, whom He intends to live a meaningful life.
Our lack of ownership over ourselves also inspired Rav Aharon Lichtenstein to object to the claim “My Body; My Decision” made regarding the question of abortion. Rav Lichtenstein responded by rejecting the notion of “my body”:
Leaving aside the significant question of whether it is the woman’s body only or whether the fetus has some rights as well, there is a more fundamental problem. Even if we were to accept that, indeed, it is the woman’s own body, we totally reject the conception that she can do with it as she pleases.
This is a completely anti-halachic perception. It rests in a secular assumption that, as it were, ‘My Nile is my own; I made it for myself’ (Eze. 29:3), as if we are the source of our own existence and, therefore, masters of our own being.
This is assuredly not the case. In absolute terms, a person does not own himself. (By His Light, pg. 6)
Our Recognition
We summarize and reaffirm our recognition of Hashem’s ownership of the land, its contents, and humanity each Yom Rishon (which parallels the first day of creation) with the pasukim “LaHashem ha’aretz u’meloah teivel v’yoshvei vah. Ki Hu al yamim yisadah v’al neharot yichonenehah” (Tehillim 24:1-2) as part of that day’s Shir Shel Yom. These pasukim recognize Hashem’s ownership over two distinct components of the world: the frameworks (aretz and teivel) and the content (melo’ah and yoshvei vah). During the first three days of creation, Hashem created the frameworks; during the last three, he filled them with content and inhabitants.
We express and reinforce our appreciation of Hashem as Creator and thus owner by reciting berachot before deriving pleasure from His world. These berachot all describe Hashem as the Creator of the type of food we are about to eat. Our recognition of Hashem as Creator permits us to partake of and enjoy His creations.
We also recognize G-d as the entire world’s owner in the first beracha of every Shemoneh Esrei when we refer to Him as “Koneh hakol.” G-d’s ownership over “everything” is essential to how we relate to Him.
The Basis of All Biblical Law
Hashem’s ownership of the world also gives Him the right to set the conditions for its existence. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks described it this way:
The Torah is not a book of science. It is a book of law. That is what the word ‘Torah’ means. It follows that the opening chapter of the Torah is not a scientific account but a legal one. It is not an answer to the question, ‘How was the universe born?’ It is an answer to a different question entirely: ‘By what right does G-d command human beings?’ The answer is: because He created the universe. Therefore, He owns the universe. Therefore, He is entitled to lay down the conditions on which He permits us to inhabit the universe. This is the basis of all Biblical law. G-d rules not by might but by right – the right of a creator vis-à-vis his creation, and He has the right to give direction to those living in the world as to how to live their lives. (Covenant and Conversation, Behar 2018)
Many assume that our responsibility to G-d’s mitzvot began at Matan Torah or Yetziat Mitzrayim. In truth, they started with creation. May appreciating the reality of Hashem as Creator help us see our lives from a proper perspective.