In parshat Bereishit, each verse describing a new part of the creation concludes with the words:
וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃
And G-d saw that this was good.
Finally, on the sixth day it goes even further:
וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד
And G-d saw all that He had made, and found it very good.
Not wishing to go into the philosophical maze of Hashem’s absolute knowledge of the future, vis a vis our choice of decisions, obviously, Hashem knew in advance that his creation is going to be very good, and if so, – how can the Torah describe it as “being found to be good” after it was created ?
Many Chasidim say (daily) the prayer composed by Rebbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, who was a well-known Tzadik, the student of Dov Ber of Mezeritch, and the brother of Reb Zushia of Anipoli.
The prayer concludes with the following “request“:
תן בליבנו שנראה כל אחד מעלת חברינו. ולא חסרונם
“Make it so that each of our hearts will see the good points in our friends, and not their faults.”
Perhaps, rather than telling us about Hashem’s knowledge, the phrase is an integral part of the creation itself.
Although any matter created in this world has good as well as bad qualities, it is a special blessing which Hashem “implanted” in us – to be able to identify and adopt a positive approach, in which we can “see” the good in each other, and indeed, in everything…
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Chaim Michael Biberfeld