“Fill the World and Conquer It”

“G-d placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, to work and guard it.” Targum Yonasan ben Uziel explains that “work” refers to the positive commandments, and “guard” refers to the negative commandments. Although Adam was born without flaw – he was “G-d’s own handiwork” – and he had already brought all of creation to “prostrate, bow, and bend the knee before G-d,” still only then began his mission to “work and guard the garden.”

Even if you have already transformed the world around you into a “Garden of Eden,” a garden of delight for G-d, still you must “work and guard it” – enhance and improve it.

“Fill the world and conquer it.” This commandment is directed to every Jew: Do not think that only when you’re in the synagogue or Yeshiva are you on a mission from G-d, to study Torah and fulfill Mitzvos. The soul didn’t need to descend into the body for that – it had all that in heaven! When the soul is sent into the physical body, in this lowest of worlds, it has a new mission: To bring the word of G-d to every Jew and non-Jew, and fill this world with G-dliness.