Pirkei Avot ends with a powerful and critical message. Building off Sefer Yeshaya, the mishnah writes, “Everything that Hashem created in His world, He created only for His honor.” Though we may not be able to fully understand Hashem’s intentions,^[1] we know that, at least on some level, all of creation exists to honor Him.

The Ba’al HaTanya^[2] links our mishnah to the midrash’s description of Hashem wanting His presence to reside in a world in which it is unclear.^[3] Our world allows Him to illuminate (through man) an otherwise dark reality.^[4]

Based on this mishnah, the Ramban saw man’s recognition of G-d as the world’s purpose: “The goal of all the mitzvos is for us to believe in our G-d and recognize that He created us. This, and only this, is creation’s intention. G-d above seeks from this world only that man should know Him and admit that He created him.”^[5] 

For Us?

Interestingly, another midrash^[6] uses the same formulation (“kol mah she’bara”) in a (seemingly) very different way. It explains that when Hashem showed the world to Adam HaRishon, He told him that He created it all for him. This medrash implies that everything Hashem created was for man’s use, not Hashem’s honor.

Rav Yosef Karo^[7] and the Ramchal^[8] take this idea further by explaining that Hashem created the world to allow people to develop their souls through personal choice and struggle. Instead of being naturally close to G-d within a reality devoid of alternatives, Hashem allows us to choose closeness to Him in a world where His presence is hidden.^[9] The Ramchal adds that our mission is to realize that real, meaningful pleasure is closeness to Hashem in the next world and (thus) a relationship with Him in this one.^[10]

These sources seem to imply that the world was created for us and our own personal development, not for Hashem’s honor.^[11] How can we reconcile these contradictory understandings of why Hashem created the world?

The Goal Versus the Means

Rav Chaim Freidlander^[12] explains the relationship between these two ideas by distinguishing between the goal and the means. Obviously, Hashem does not need this world nor the honor He “receives” from it. The world exists (as depicted by the medrash, Rav Yosef Karo, and the Ramchal) to allow us to develop ourselves.^[13]

The mishnah in Avot, on the other hand, is explaining the means — how we achieve this growth. The mishnah teaches that personal growth hinges on our appreciation that we and the world exist only to recognize and glorify G-d. Though the ultimate goal is personal growth, this growth occurs through committing ourselves to glorifying G-d.

The idea that our recognition and service to Hashem help us grow is emphasized by Moshe’s description of Yirat Shamayim (fear of heaven). On the one hand, he presents Yirat Shamayim (and mitzvah observance) as Hashem’s requests from us. On the other hand, he emphasizes that this “request” is made for our own good.^[14] Hashem does not need and gains nothing from our world.^[15] Yirat Shamayim and mitzvah observance are for our benefit.^[16]

The Universe and Man

The centrality of kavod Hashem as the world’s goal helps us understand why Hashem created such a vast and intricate universe. Dovid HaMelech exclaimed, “The heavens declare the glory of G-d; the sky proclaims His handiwork.”^[17] Pesukei D'zimra reinforces this idea with the pasuk, “Our Lord is great and full of power. His wisdom is beyond reckoning.”^[18] The universe reflects the G-d who created it. Only Hashem could have created the boundless, sophisticated world we can only scratch the surface of understanding.

Man, created in the image of G-d, is able to appreciate and express this recognition on a higher level than the rest of creation. That is why we exclaim in our tefillah: “Blessed is He, our G-d, Who created us for His honor.”^[19] Man is created for the glory of G-d, to recognize and appreciate Him.

That said, sometimes our unique, G-d-given abilities go to our heads, and we see our lives as about ourselves. This “forces” G-d to remind us of our rightful place in His world.

Whose Name?

The snake claimed that Hashem forbade eating from the Eitz Hada’at because He did not want man to be like Him.^[20] The snake was correct: Hashem does not want us to be like Him. We need to know that we exist to serve and glorify His name, not to focus on ourselves.

This problem continued in the generation after the flood with their tower building. The stated goal of the builders was to “make a name” for themselves.^[21] To keep them from focusing on themselves and their own name, Hashem dispersed them by introducing multiple languages.^[22] When man recognizes G-d and works on His behalf, he can enjoy the world and work with others on this sacred mission. When he focuses on his own name, Hashem foils his plans and breaks up the misguided unity. This is the backdrop to Hillel’s words at the end of Avot’s first perek: “One who advances his (own) name, destroys his name.”^[23]

The contrast to the tower builders was Shem ben Noach and his descendants. Shem facilitated the first kiddush Hashem (sanctification of Hashem’s name) when his noble actions caused Noach to exclaim, “Blessed is Hashem, the G-d of Shem.”^[24]

His descendant, Avraham Avinu, was the first to disseminate Hashem’s name among the masses.^[25] Avraham’s mission was to bring people close to Hashem. Understandably, Hashem promised to make Avraham’s name great.^[26] When we realize that we are here to serve and glorify Hashem’s name, the greatness of our name contributes to this higher goal.

The midrash^[27] attributes the contrast between focusing on our name versus Hashem’s name to Avraham himself. Avraham responded to those who asked for his help building the tower, “You've abandoned G-d's name, and you want me to help you make a name for yourselves?!”^[28]

Hashem chose Avraham’s descendants — the Jewish People — to be a nation focused on glorifying His name. Instead of being focused on a tower that celebrates our name and achievements, we build a Beis Hamikdash that marks Hashem’s name and centrality. Our next piece will elaborate further on our people’s unique role.

^[1] Yeshayahu Hanavi writes: “For My thoughts are not like your thoughts (Yeshayahu 55:8).” The Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuva 5:5) explains that “just as man lacks the ability to understand the true nature of the Creator…he is similarly unable to understand His thinking.”

In response to being asked why Hashem created the world, Rav Chaim Soloveitchik explained that we, of finite understanding and comprehension, are not able to know why; all we can know is what our purpose and goal ought to be. The Abarbanel explained that, at the most, we can look at the world and understand from it what our goal should be. Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik formulated it this way: “We can rarely ask why when it comes to G-d, but we can ask what.” This “what” is what the mishnah addresses.

^[2] Sefer HaTanya 36–37.

^[3] Midrash Tanchuma Naso 16, Bamidbar Rabbah 13:6.

^[4] The Ba’al HaTanya seems to utterly reject the idea that this world is an opportunity for us to reach a higher level in Olam Haba. See Tanya (Perek 4) and Likutei Torah (Behaalotecha 33:4) where he describes the relationship with Hashem in this world as higher than that in Olam Haba. For more on the approach of the Baal HaTanya and the contrast with that of the Ramchal, see Mataras Habriyah V’Tachlis Ha’Adam, Rav Yehudah Cohen, Maayanotecha- Riv’on L’Machsheves Chabad 48, pg. 16.

^[5] Ramban al HaTorah, Shemos 13:16.

^[6] Koheles Rabbah 7:19.

^[7] Maggid Meisharim, Parshas Bereishis.

^[8] Ramchal, Da’as Tevunos, os 18.

^[9] These meforshim use the term “nahama d’kisufa” (bread of shame) to describe the reality where souls enjoy spiritual closeness they have done nothing to earn.

^[10] Ramchal, Mesillas Yesharim 1. See also Ramchal’s Da’as Tevunos (18-24) and Derech Hashem (Perek 2) where he elaborates on these ideas.

^[11] See Ba’al Shem Tov (Lecha Lecha 3) who quotes Rav Sa’adyah Gaon as identifying people working on their middot as the purpose of creation. See also the Sefer HaChinuch (95) who explains that even the building of the Mishkan (which is the ultimate fulfillment of establishing Hashem’s Presence in this world) is aimed at developing man.

^[12] See his comment on Siman 58 (pg. 51–2) of Da'as Tevunos. On the other hand, see Likutei Torah 28:4, where the Ba’al HaTanya seems to disagree with this idea.

^[13] See Sha’arei Teshuva (3:17), who also links man’s personal development with the goal of the glorification of Hashem’s name.

^[14] Devarim 10:13.

^[15] See Ramban and Seforno, ibid.

^[16] Though the ultimate result is our personal growth, the ideal path to achieving this is to direct our focus toward enhancing kevod Shamayim. See Mesilas Yesharim (Chapter 19) who emphasizes (along the lines of Avos 1:3) that our Avodas Hashem should not be motivated by self-interest. See also Mishneh Torah L’HaRambam, Hilchos Teshuva 10:1.

^[17] Tehillim 19:2.

^[18] Tehillim 147:5.

^[19] Siddur Tefillah, U'va L’tziyon.

^[20] Sefer Bereishis 3:5.

^[21] In this way, they were a continuation of the problematic “anshei ha’shem” (Bereishis 6:4).

^[22] Note that the pesukim that describe this in Perek 11 parallel the pesukim that describe Adam being removed from Gan Eden.

^[23] Avos 1:13.

^[24] Bereishis 9:26.

^[25] Sefer Bereishis 12:8.

^[26] Sefer Bereishis 12:2.

^[27] Sefer Mishlei 18:10.

^[28] Yalkut Shimoni, ​​Tehillim 26, remez 703.