וַיַרְּא אֱלֹהִׁים אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶר עָּשָּה, וְּהִׁנֵה-טוֹב מְּאֹד; וַיְּהִׁי-עֶרֶב וַיְּהִׁי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם הַשִׁשִׁי
Vayar Elohim et-kol asher asah, vehineh-tov me'od; vayehi-erev vayehi- boker, yom hashishi
“And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
The expression "טוֹב מְּ אֹד" (Tov Me'od): "Very good," "טוֹב" (Tov) means "good". When associated with the sefirah of Chesed, which represents kindness and grace, "מְּ אֹד" (Me'od) suggests that our fullness and perfection depend on embracing His will, the same will that created everything good and allowed us the freedom to choose whether or not to act according to it. Therefore, it is our duty to align with it, which was complete and balanced in every aspect, even without us.
The number 31: In gematria, 31 symbolizes the value of the word "אל" (El), which is one of the names of the Creator, associated with the attribute of power. This reminds us that the Creator's strength and authority are present in creation and that everything created is under His control and divine purpose.
This calls us to contemplate the entirety of creation and to recognize that everything He made is "very good", inviting us, as part of that creation, to view the world and our lives with eyes of gratitude and appreciation, reflecting on our own intrinsic goodness and our purpose in the world.
In every aspect of creation, from the grandest to the smallest, the divine strength and wisdom are present. This recognition can inspire us to live with greater awareness and respect for everything around us, knowing that everything is part of a divine plan that is "very good."
The concept of the Sixth Day: "Yom Shishi" (Sixth Day) - Animals and Humans also speaks to us of the sefirot Yesod (Foundation) and Malchut (Kingdom). The sixth day, as the culmination of creation, projects that once the animals were created, humanity, carrying the divine image, was finally made. Yesod represents the connection and foundation of creation, while Malchut is the manifestation in the physical realm, highlighting humanity's ability to connect the physical world with the divine.
The theme of evil is one of the most central and complex themes in Jewish thought, especially because we believers cry out for divine justice, since at the end of creation, it is clear that He “saw everything He had made, and behold, it was very good (טוֹב מְּ אֹד - tov me'od).”
Rabbinic tradition notes that it was not just “good” that was said, but “very good,” and the sages (as in Bereshit Rabbah) interpret this to include even things that seem negative: the instinct for evil (yetzer hara), death, and suffering.
Evil is not an autonomous creation, but rather part of a system in which human beings have free will (bechira chafshit). That is, the Creator created the possibility of evil so that the good chosen would have true value. If the option to do evil did not exist, good would have no merit.
In Kabbalah, especially in the teachings of the Ari (Isaac Luria), it is said that God "withdrew" (i.e., the Tzimtzum) to allow the world to exist. This contraction created a space where souls can choose, and where the kelipot (shells or impure forces) can exist.
Evil, then, is a distortion or concealment of the divine light. The kelipot have no real existence, but rather live by concealing God's light. However, this darkness is also part of the divine plan: it allows for the process of Tikkun Olam (repair of the world). The task of human beings is to discover the divine spark hidden even in the darkest places and elevate it.
The word "ra" (רע), meaning evil, has a value of 270 (ר = 200, ע = 70). The word "or" (אור), meaning light, has a value of 207 (א = 1, ו = 6, ר = 200).
The difference between the two is 63, which is the value of "ס "ג " (Sag), one of the names of God in Kabbalah associated with wisdom and reparation. Some Kabbalistic sages see in this difference a clue that evil is not an end in itself, but a distortion of the light, which can be rectified through knowledge, awareness, and purpose.
God Hides Himself (Hester Panim) – Sometimes, God "hides His face," allowing the world to appear governed only by natural causes and human choices. This concealment is part of the spiritual test.
Judgment Is Not Immediate – In Pirkei Avot, it is said: "Judgment is slow, but just." There is justice, but often it is not in this life or immediately. This is where the concept of olam habah (the world to come) and reincarnation (gilgul) come in, where the soul continues its process of correction.
Evil Will Ultimately Be Vanquished – The ultimate purpose of creation is for all evil to be transformed into good (vehaya Hashem leMelej al kol haaretz...), when the whole world recognizes the Creator and His unity.