בראשית רבה י׳Bereshit Rabbah 10

Parashah 10 of 100 in Bereshit Rabbah — 9 sections

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Section 1א׳

וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם (בראשית ב, א), כְּתִיב (תהלים קיט, צו): לְכָל תִּכְלָה רָאִיתִי קֵץ רְחָבָה מִצְוָתְךָ מְאֹד, לַכֹּל יֵשׁ סִיקוּסִים, שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ יֵשׁ לָהֶם סִיקוּסִים, חוּץ מִדָּבָר אֶחָד שֶׁאֵין לוֹ סִיקוּסִים, וְאֵי זוֹ, זוֹ הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב יא, ט): אֲרֻכָּה מֵאֶרֶץ מִדָּהּ וּרְחָבָה מִנִּי יָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לְכָל תִּכְלָה רָאִיתִי קֵץ, זוֹ מְלֶאכֶת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ.

“The heavens and the earth and their entire host were completed” (Genesis 2:1). “The heavens and the earth and their entire host were completed.” It is written: “I see an end to all great things, but Your commandments are exceedingly broad” (Psalms 119:96). Everything has boundaries, the heavens and earth have boundaries, with the exception of one matter that does not have boundaries. Which is that? That is the Torah, as it is stated: “Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea” (Job 11:9). Another interpretation: “I see an end to all great things” – this is the work of the creation of the heavens and the earth, as it is stated: “The heavens and the earth…were completed.”

Section 2ב׳

רַבִּי חָמָא פָּתַח (משלי כה, ד): הָגוֹ סִיגִים מִכָּסֶף וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב, מָשָׁל לְאַמְבַּטִּי שֶׁהָיְתָה מְלֵאָה מַיִם, וְהָיוּ בָהּ שְׁנֵי דְּיוֹסְקוֹסִים נָאִים, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיְתָה מְלֵאָה מַיִם לֹא הָיְתָה מְלֶאכֶת דְּיוֹסְקוֹסִים נִרְאֵית, כֵּיוָן שֶׁפָּסְקָה וְנִעֵר הַמַּיִם שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ, נִרְאֵית מְלֶאכֶת דְּיוֹסְקוֹסִים. כָּךְ, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיָה הָעוֹלָם תֹּהוּ וָבֹהוּ, לֹא נִרְאֵית מְלֶאכֶת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנֶּעֱקַר תֹּהוּ וָבֹהוּ מִן הָעוֹלָם, נִרְאֵית מְלֶאכֶת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ. (משלי כה, ד): וַיֵּצֵא לַצֹּרֵף כֶּלִי, נַעֲשׂוּ כֵּלִים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם.

Rabbi Ḥama began: “Remove the dross from silver [and a vessel will emerge for the smith] (Proverbs 25:4) – Rabbi Eliezer said in the name of Rabbi Yaakov: This is analogous to a bathtub that was filled with water, and there were two ornamental bowls in it. As long as it was full of water, the handiwork of the bowls was not visible. Once someone opened the drain and emptied the water from it, the handiwork of the bowls became visible. So, too, as long as the world was emptiness and disorder, the labor of the heavens and the earth was not visible. Once the emptiness and disorder was uprooted from the world, the handiwork of the heavens and the earth became visible. “A vessel [keli] will emerge for the smith” (Proverbs 25:4) – they [the heavens and earth] became [finished] vessels. That is what is written: “The heavens and the earth and their entire host were completed [vaykhulu].”

Section 3ג׳

כֵּיצַד בָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן נָטַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁתֵּי פְּקָעִיּוֹת, אַחַת שֶׁל אֵשׁ וְאַחַת שֶׁל שֶׁלֶג, וּפְתָכָן זֶה בָּזֶה וּמֵהֶן נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אָמַר, אַרְבַּע, לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם. רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא אָמַר, שֵׁשׁ, אַרְבַּע לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת, וְאַחַת מִלְּמַעְלָן וְאַחַת מִלְּמַטָּן. אַדְרַיָּינוּס שְׁחִיק עֲצָמוֹת שָׁאֲלֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר חֲנַנְיָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ כֵּיצַד בָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ. אָמַר לֵיהּ כְּהַהוּא דְּאָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ אֶפְשָׁר כֵּן, אֶתְמְהָא. הִכְנִיסוֹ לְבַיִת קָטָן, אָמַר לֵיהּ, פְּשֹׁט יָדֶךָ לְמִזְרָח וּלְמַעֲרָב לְצָפוֹן וּלְדָרוֹם. אָמַר לֵיהּ, כָּךְ הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא.

How did the Holy One blessed be He create His world? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be He took two skeins, one of fire and one of snow, mixed them with one another, and from them the world was created. Rabbi Ḥanina said: Four, for the four directions of the world. Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: Six, four for the four directions and one for above and one for below. Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, once asked Rabbi Yehoshua bar Ḥananya, saying to him: ‘How did the Holy One blessed be He create His world?’ He said to him in accordance with what Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said. He said to him: ‘Is it possible that it was so?’ This was a rhetorical question. He took him into a small house and said to him: ‘Extend your hand to east, west, north, and south.’ He said to him: ‘Such was the action done by the Holy One blessed be He.’

Section 4ד׳

אָמַר רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא, דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי אָפֵס בְּאַנְטוֹכְיָא, אֵין לָשׁוֹן וַיְכֻלּוּ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן מַכָּה וּלְשׁוֹן כְּלָיָה. מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁנִּכְנַס בִּמְדִינָה וְקִלְּסוּ אוֹתוֹ בְּנֵי הַמְדִינָה, וְעָרַב לוֹ קִלּוּסָן, הִרְבָּה לָהֶן בְּדִיצָה, הִרְבָּה לָהֶן בְּהִדְיוֹכִין. לְאַחַר זְמַן הִכְעִיסוּ אוֹתוֹ, וּמִעֵט לָהֶן בְּדִיצָה וּמִעֵט לָהֶן בְּהִדְיוֹכִין. כָּךְ עַד שֶׁלֹא חָטָא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן הָיוּ הַמַּזָּלוֹת מְהַלְּכִין דֶּרֶךְ קְצָרָה וּבִמְהִירוּת, מִשֶּׁחָטָא סִבְּבָן דֶּרֶךְ אֲרֻכָּה וּבִמְתִינוּת. יֵשׁ מַזָּל שֶׁגּוֹמֵר הִלּוּכוֹ לְי"ב חֹדֶשׁ, כְּגוֹן כּוֹכָב חַמָּה. וְיֵשׁ מַזָּל שֶׁהוּא גּוֹמֵר הִלּוּכוֹ לִשְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, וְהִיא לְבָנָה. וְיֵשׁ מַזָּל שֶׁגּוֹמֵר הִלּוּכוֹ לִשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, וְהוּא צֶדֶק. וְיֵשׁ מַזָּל שֶׁהוּא גוֹמֵר הִלּוּכוֹ לִשְׁלשִׁים שָׁנָה, וְהוּא שַׁבְּתָי. חוּץ מִן כּוֹכָב נֹגַהּ וּמַאְדִּים, שֶׁאֵין גּוֹמְרִין הִלּוּכָן אֶלָּא לְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וּשְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה. (ובעי שאלה שנגה מהלכת י"ב מזלות לעשרה חדשים, כל מזל כ"ה יום, ומאדים חדש וחצי, בל מזל מהלך י"ב שנה ומחצה, והיאך אומר כן נגה ומאדים אין גומרין הלוכן אלא לארבע מאות ושמונים שנה, חזינא תמיהה לפיכך בעי שאלה). רַבִּי פִּינְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חָנָן דְּצִפּוֹרִין תָּנֵי, בְּנוֹת שׁוּחַ בְּשָׁנָה שְׁנִיָּה שֶׁל שְׁמִטָּה נוֹהֵג קְדֻשַּׁת שְׁבִיעִית שֶׁלָּהֶן, לְפִי שֶׁעוֹשׂוֹת פֵּרוֹת לְשָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים, וְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם עָשׂוּ פֵּרוֹת בֶּן יוֹמָן. אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְרַפֵּא אוֹתָהּ מַכָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ל, כו): וּמַחַץ מַכָּתוֹ יִרְפָּא, מַחַץ מַכָּתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, יִרְפָּא.

Rabbi Hoshaya said: Rabbi Afes expounded in Antioch: “Vaykhulu” is nothing other than an expression of a delivering a blow and an expression of destruction [kelaya]. This is analogous to a king who entered a province and the residents of the province lauded him. Their lauding pleased him, and he provided them with encouragement and incentives. Sometime later, they angered him, so he minimized encouragement and incentives for them. So, too, until Adam the first man sinned, the celestial bodies would move in a short path, and quickly. After he sinned, He diverted them into a roundabout path, and they went at a slow pace. There are celestial bodies that complete their circuits in twelve months, such as Mercury. And there are celestial objects that complete their circuit in thirty days, namely, the moon. And there are celestial objects that complete their circuits in twelve years, namely, Jupiter. And there are celestial objects that complete their circuits in thirty years, namely, Saturn. This is all besides Venus and Mars, which complete their circuit only in four hundred and eighty years. <The question arises: Venus traverses twelve constellations in ten months, each constellation in twenty-five days; Mars in a month and a half, and traverses twelve in one year and a half. How, then, does it say that Venus and Mars complete their circuit only after four hundred and eighty years? I encountered this difficulty; therefore, I raised a question). Rabbi Pinḥas taught in the name of Rabbi Ḥanan of Tzippori: Regarding white fig trees, their Sabbatical Year sanctity takes effect in the second year of the Sabbatical cycle, because they produce fruit after three years, whereas on that day, they produced fruit in one day. But in the future, the Holy One blessed be He will heal that impairment, as it is stated: “He will heal the wound of his injury” (Isaiah 30:26) – He will heal the wounds of injuries of all the world.

Section 5ה׳

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי נִשְׁתַּכְלְלוּ שָׁמַיִם בְּחַמָּה וּלְבָנָה וּבְמַזָּלוֹת, וְנִשְׁתַּכְלְלָה הָאָרֶץ בְּאִילָנוֹת וּבִדְשָׁאִין וְגַן עֵדֶן. רַבִּי סִימוֹן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, מְכוּלָלִים הָיוּ הַמַּעֲשִׂים, וְהָיוּ מוֹתְחִין וְהוֹלְכִין. וְכָל צְבָאָם, אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שְׁלשָׁה צְבָאִים הֵן, צָבָא לַשָּׁמַיִם וְלָאָרֶץ, וְצָבָא לַתַּלְמִידִים, וְצָבָא לַיִּסּוּרִין. צָבָא לַשָּׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם. צָבָא לַתַּלְמִידִים מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב יד, יד): כָּל יְמֵי צְבָאִי אֲיַחֵל עַד בּוֹא חֲלִיפָתִי עַד יָקוּם חִילוּפִי. וְצָבָא לַיִּסּוּרִים מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב ז, א): הֲלֹא צָבָא לֶאֱנוֹשׁ עֲלֵי אֶרֶץ, וְכָל צִבְיוֹנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עַל הָאָרֶץ, וּמַה הַנָּיָה לוֹ (איוב ז, א): וְכִימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָיו. נַחְמָן בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר, אִם זָכָה צָבָא לוֹ, וְאִם לָאו צָבָא עָלָיו. בָּנָה בִּנְיָן, עָלָה בְּיָדוֹ, צָבָא לוֹ, נָפַל מִמֶּנּוּ וָמֵת, צָבָא עָלָיו. אָכַל פִּתּוֹ וְהַנָּיָתוֹ, צָבָא לוֹ. עָמְדָה בְּתוֹךְ גְּרוֹנוֹ וְחִנַּקְתּוֹ, צָבָא עָלָיו. הַרְבֵּה צְבָאִים מִנָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לָאָדָם הַזֶּה לִתְבֹּעַ דִּקָּיוֹן שֶׁלּוֹ, הַרְבֵּה דֻּבִּים, הַרְבֵּה אֲרָיוֹת, הַרְבֵּה נְחָשִׁים, הַרְבֵּה שְׂרָפִים, הַרְבֵּה עַקְרַבִּים, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא כִּימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָיו.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The heavens were perfected [nishtakhlelu] through [the addition of] the sun, moon, and constellations, and the earth was perfected through [the addition of] trees, vegetation, and the Garden of Eden. Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: The creations were all made in generic form [mekhulalim], and they gradually expanded. “And their entire host [tzevaam]” – Rabbi Elazar said: There are three kinds of tzava: The tzava of the heavens and the earth, the tzava of the students, and the tzava of suffering. The tzava of the heavens and the earth, as it is stated: “The heavens and the earth and their entire host [tzevaam] were completed.” The tzava of the students, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “All the days of my teaching students [tzeva’i], I wait until my replacement comes” (Job 14:14) – until my replacement arises. The tzava of suffering, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Behold, there is suffering [tzava] for man upon earth” (Job 7:1). [Another interpretation of this last verse:] All a person’s aspirations [tzivion] are only on the earth. But of what benefit is it for him, since “his days are like the days of a hired laborer” (Job 7:1). Naḥman son of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: If one merits, tzava will be his, but if not, the tzava will be upon him. When one builds a building, if he is fortunate, the tzava is his. If he falls from it and dies, the tzava overcomes him. If one eats his bread and enjoys it, tzava is his. If it gets stuck in his throat and chokes him, the tzava overcomes him. And the Holy One blessed be He has appointed many kinds of tzava for man in order to collect His due – many bears, many lions, many snakes, many fiery serpents, many scorpions. Moreover, “his days are like the days of a hired laborer.”

…and 4 more sections in this chapter.

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Bereshit Rabbah — Midrash Rabbah, TE edition, via Sefaria

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