Achievement, Relationship, Purpose

The opening chapters of Bereshit offer two accounts of the creation of humanity. At first, they may appear to be variations of the same story. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, however, saw in them two enduring dimensions of human life: Adam I, the capable and productive person, and Adam II,  the reflective, relational person.

A similar contrast appears in David Brooks’ distinction between “résumé virtues” and “eulogy virtues.” Résumé virtues include intelligence, skill, discipline, ambition and professional achievement. Eulogy virtues are the qualities by which those closest to us remember us: kindness, integrity, humility, loyalty, generosity, courage and love.

Parshat Bereshit suggests that a rich and rewarding life needs both.

Adam I: Called to Build

In the first account of creation, humanity is instructed to “fill the earth and subdue it.” The language evokes the human capacity to build, discover, organize and create. We are meant to cultivate knowledge, heal illness, establish institutions, raise families, build businesses and improve the world around us.

This is Rabbi Soloveitchik’s Adam I. Adam I asks: What can I accomplish? How can I use my talents well? How can I make life more secure, productive and beautiful?

There is dignity in these questions. Creativity, curiosity, and initiative allow people to solve problems and contribute to the common good. The physician who heals, the teacher who educates, the entrepreneur who creates jobs, the artist who expands imagination and the communal leader who strengthens an institution all embody this constructive side of human life.

This is also the realm of résumé virtues. Skills, education, leadership, experience and achievement matter. Competence and effort enable people to support families, strengthen their communities and put their abilities to meaningful use.

Adam II: Called to Relate

The second account of creation offers a different picture. The human being is placed in a garden “to work it and to guard it.” The task is not simply to conquer or control, but to care for what has been entrusted to us as a legacy.

This is Adam II: the person defined not primarily by accomplishment, but by responsibility and relationship. 

Adam II is concerned with family, friendship, community, moral character, humility and gratitude. Love, loyalty, generosity, forgiveness and moral courage may not appear on a résumé, but they shape the quality of a life.

These are eulogy virtues.

At the end of a life, people rarely focus first on titles, salaries, credentials, or awards. They remember whether someone was present, trustworthy, kind, dependable and generous; whether that person strengthened a family, supported friends, respected colleagues and contributed to the wellbeing of the community.

Modernity’s Imbalance

Modern life often rewards Adam I almost exclusively. We are encouraged to optimize, compete, produce, accumulate and advance. Success can become defined by visible and measurable markers: income, promotions, status, influence, productivity and public recognition.

Technology has intensified this pressure. Attention becomes clicks, influence becomes followers and worth can seem tied to public metrics. Yet a person can be constantly connected while becoming less available to family, friends, neighbors, community and the inner life.

Achievement matters, but it cannot be the whole story. What counts most cannot be counted.

A person can build an impressive résumé while failing to build a satisfying life. One can be admired professionally while being absent at home, gain influence while losing the capacity for friendship and compassion or manage money and schedules effectively while failing to listen deeply to a spouse, child, friend or colleague.

The story of the Garden of Eden warns against a life built only on power, appetite, and self-definition. It reminds us that freedom without responsibility can become isolation, and knowledge without wisdom can leave us less, rather than more, human.

A Framework for Flourishing

The Torah does not tell us to reject Adam I in favor of Adam II. Both are necessary.

A life focused only on inner growth can become passive and unable to meet the practical needs of the world. A life focused only on achievement can become anxious and morally unmoored. Jewish life seeks a synthesis: competence joined to conscience, ambition joined to responsibility and accomplishment joined to service.

Jewish rhythms and values make room for questions that the marketplace often ignores:

• What do I owe my family, community, and future generations?

• How do I treat people when there is nothing to gain?

• What does it mean to use success responsibly?

• What will endure after the next promotion, purchase, or accomplishment?

Shabbat, family meals, communal responsibility, learning, generosity and time set aside from work do not deny ambition. They place it in a larger story. They protect space for reflection, relationships, memory, rest, contribution and joy.

A career becomes more rewarding when it supports rather than consumes the rest of life. Wealth becomes more meaningful when it creates security and enables generosity. Knowledge becomes more valuable when it is shared. Leadership becomes more honorable when it serves others.

The Measure of a Life

At the beginning of a new Torah cycle, Parshat Bereshit invites us to ask not only what we are building, but what our building is building within us.

The goal is not to choose between achievement and connection, but to ensure that our accomplishments serve lives of love, belonging, usefulness, moral depth and joy.

A résumé tells the world what we accomplished. A Judeo-centric life  leaves an inspiring bequest of purpose and impact. 

Selwyn Gerber is Founder and Chief Strategist of RVW Wealth LLC.