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Why does Rashi (רש"י) say God was alone on day one, yet the Midrash claims God always wanted partners? Angels, despite their abilities, serve primarily for self-expression and might claim partnership with God. Humans with genuine free choice can act purely for God's sake rather than self-fulfillment, making them safe partners worthy of receiving divine authority.
Rabbi Zweig begins by analyzing a puzzling aspect of creation: why is the first day called "yom echad" (day one) using a cardinal number, while subsequent days use ordinal numbers (second, third)? Rashi (רש"י) explains this indicates God was "one" and alone that day, as angels weren't created until the second day. The Midrash presents an apparent contradiction - first stating God didn't want partners (hence no angels on day one), then saying God always wanted partners and rectified this on the day the Mishkan was established, changing "yom echad" to "yom rishon." The resolution lies in understanding the fundamental difference between angels and humans as partners. Angels, despite having limited free choice according to Rambam (רמב"ם), are programmed for specific functions and act primarily for self-expression. When angels perform their designated roles (like Refael healing), they're fulfilling their essential nature - doing what satisfies them most. This creates a partnership problem because they perceive themselves as contributors to God's work, making them dangerous partners who might claim "we destroyed" (as the angels said regarding Sodom).
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Midrash Bereishit Rabbah on Creation
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