Desirable donation or procreative proposition?

At Avot 3:18 Rabbi Akiva waxes lyrical about God’s love for humanity, and for His profound affection for His chosen people. The mishnah concludes with the following words:

חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהֶם כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה, חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַֽעַת לָהֶם שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהֶם כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי לֶֽקַח טוֹב נָתַֽתִּי לָכֶם, תּוֹרָתִי אַל תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ

Beloved are Israel, for they were given a desirable article; it is a sign of even greater love that it has been made known to them that they were given a desirable utensil, as it says: "I have given you a good purchase; My Torah, do not forsake it" (Mishlei 4:2).

The version we have quoted above is one of two that are commonly found.  I’ve taken it from Chabad.org; it is also found in all ArtScroll’s siddurim and commentaries on Avot. In the Koren Pirkei Avot and the British Authorised Daily Prayer Book, however, we find three extra words: the precious article is described as a כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה שֶׁבּוֹ נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם – a precious article with which the world was created.

The addition of these three words has great significance. There is a tradition that the Torah was both created before the world and used as a blueprint, as it were, for its creation. This tradition is supported by verses from Proverbs (Mishlei 3:19 and 8:22 et seq). While there are later texts that unequivocally support the proposition that the Torah is ante-mundane, including the Gemara (Shabbat 88b) and the Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer, this reference in Avot appears to be its first mention in rabbinic literature.

Of the early commentators who have the text which includes the words שֶׁבּוֹ נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, Rabbenu Yonah and the commentary ascribed to Rashi simply endorse the notion that the Torah was used for the creation of the world. Meiri accepts both this position and the explanation that the world was created for the sake of the Torah (the explanation subsequently endorsed by the Bartenura). Rambam does not however give the additional words their literal meaning. In his view, they teach only that everything that happens is foreseen by God, who knows of its occurrence—a message repeated and reaffirmed in the next mishnah (Avot 3:19) where he teaches that, even though everything is foreseen, we are still given free will.

What I want to know is why these words are here at all? What do they mean to us in our daily lives? Most of us, perhaps to our discredit, are not greatly concerned with the question of whether the Torah was used in the creation of the world at all. We have our Torah mitzvot, our rabbinical mitzvot, our regular habits, customs and practices, which we balance against our need to feed and clothe ourselves and our families, to keep a roof over our heads and to guard against unforeseen contingencies. So what is with this כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה and why should we need to be told that it is something שֶׁבּוֹ נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם?

In searching for a plausible answer to these questions, I spotted the suggestion of Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski (Visions of the Fathers) that we take the words כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה to mean not “desirable utensil” but “utensil for desire”.  On this basis, God has given us a utensil through which we may channel our desires in a constructive and legitimate manner.

Now the words שֶׁבּוֹ נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם have a greater significance. The Maharal (Derech Chaim, Avot 1:2) draws on the significance of our teaching that every human being is an olam katan, a small world in his or her own right.  The creation of a world to which our mishnah now refers is the creation of that olam katan that is a new human life, and the appropriate way to create it is given by the Torah itself when it lays down parameters for sexual gratification.  Because of God’s great love for us, He provides the channel for creating the next generation.

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