In Parshas Noach (9:6), man is again referred to as being made in the Divine Image, בצלם אלקים. Yet the presentation here is different than it was in the original account (1:26-27), in the creation narrative. There, when Adam was created, it describes how he was created in the Divine Image, implying his own significance within the world. Here, on the other hand, man is told how he must not spill the blood of another man because the other is created in God’s image.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, suggests the following brilliant insight: There is great value in reflecting upon our own significance and potential. But it is not without danger. In focusing on our own potential, we can remain self-centered, potentially leading to a generation like that of the flood, characterized by self-centeredness and a lack of consideration of others. It is after the failed generation of the flood that God taught us to focus on the Divine in others, to recognize their greatness and potential. It is then, by transcending the self and focusing our attention on others that we can heal and receive the Divine assurance that the world will never again need to be destroyed.

Rabbi Moshe Hauer is executive vice president of the Orthodox Union (OU), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization.

By Rabbi Moshe Hauer