בראשית רבה ט״זBereshit Rabbah 16

Section 1א׳

וְנָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן (בראשית ב, י), רַבִּי סִימוֹן פָּתַח (איוב יד, כ): תִּתְקְפֵהוּ לָנֶצַח וַיַּהֲלֹךְ מְשַׁנֶּה פָנָיו וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵהוּ, תֹּקֶף שֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, לָנֶצַח, לְעוֹלָם הָיָה. וַיַּהֲלֹךְ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִנִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְהָלַךְ אַחַר דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ, מְשַׁנֶּה פָנָיו וַתְּשַׁלְּחֵהוּ. רַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר (איוב יב, יג): עִמּוֹ חָכְמָה וּגְבוּרָה, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה מֻשְׁלָם לְבוֹרְאוֹ אַרְבָּעָה רָאשֵׁי נְהָרוֹת הָיָה פּוֹתֵק בְּמַגְרוֹפִית אַחַת, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן אַרְבָּעָה רָאשֵׁי נְהָרוֹת, וְנָהָר יֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן וגו'.

“A river emerged from Eden to water the garden; and from there it parted and became four headwaters” (Genesis 2:10). “A river emerged from Eden to water the garden” – Rabbi Simon began: “You grant him power [titkefehu] forever, and he went; You alter his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20) – the power [tokef] that the Holy One blessed be He gave to Adam the first man “forever” should have been for all time. “And he went” – because he forsook the directive of the Holy One blessed be He and went after the directive of the serpent, “You alter his countenance and send him away.” Rabbi Simon said: “Wisdom and might with Him” (Job 12:13) – when he [Adam] was still innocent vis-a-vis his Creator, he could unleash the water of four riverheads with a single spade. These are the four riverheads: “A river emerged from Eden to water the garden [and from there it parted and became four headwaters, etc.].”

Section 2ב׳

שֵׁם הָאֶחָד פִּישׁוֹן (בראשית ב, יא), שֶׁהוּא מְגַדֵּל פִּשְׁתָּן וּמֵימָיו מְהַלְּכִין בְּשֹׁפִי, הוּא הַסֹּבֵב אֵת כָּל אֶרֶץ הַחֲוִילָה, עֲדַיִן לֹא הָיְתָה חֲוִילָה וְאַתְּ אוֹמֵר הוּא הַסֹּבֵב, אֶתְמְהָא, אֶלָּא (ישעיה מו, י): מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית. אֲשֶׁר שָׁם הַזָּהָב, זָהָב וַדַּאי. וּזֲהַב הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא טוֹב (בראשית ב, יב), אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק טוֹבוֹי דְּהוּא בְּבֵיתֵיהּ, טוֹבוֹי דְּהוּא בְּלִוְויָתֵי. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ טוֹבָה גְדוֹלָה חָלַק הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְעוֹלָמוֹ, אָדָם פּוֹרֵט זָהוּב אֶחָד וְהוּא מוֹצִיא מִמֶּנּוּ כַּמָּה יְצִיאוֹת. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ לֹא הָיָה עוֹלָם רָאוּי לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בַּזָּהָב, וְלָמָּה נִבְרָא בִּשְׁבִיל בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּזֲהַב הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא טוֹב, הֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (דברים ג, כה): הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה וְהַלְּבָנוֹן. שָׁם הַבְּדֹלַח וְאֶבֶן הַשֹּׁהַם (בראשית ב, יב), אָמַר רַבִּי אַיְבוּ אַתְּ סָבוּר כַּבְּדֹלַח הַזֶּה שֶׁל פַּטָּמִים, יַגִּיד עָלָיו רֵעוֹ (במדבר יא, ז): וְעֵינוֹ כְּעֵין הַבְּדֹלַח, מַה זֶּה אֶבֶן טוֹבָה, אַף זֶה אֶבֶן טוֹבָה.

“The name of the one is Pishon; it is that which encircles the entire land of Ḥavila, where the gold is” (Genesis 2:11). “The name of the one is Pishon” – because it causes flax [pishtan] to grow and its water flows smoothly [shofi]. “It is that which encircles the entire land of Ḥavila” – Ḥavila did not yet exist, and yet you say: “It is that which encircles [the entire land of Ḥavila]”? This is bewildering. The explanation is that “He tells the outcome from the outset” (Isaiah 46:10). “Where the gold is” – pure gold. “And the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium there, and onyx stone” (Genesis 2:12). “And the gold of that land is good” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is good when it is in his house; it is good when it accompanies him on the road. Rabbi Abahu said: The Holy One blessed be He afforded a great favor to His world, as a person makes change from a single gold piece and he can spend it on several expenditures. Reish Lakish said: The world should not have been worthy of using gold [for secular purposes]. Why was it created? For the Temple, as it is stated: “And the gold of that land is good” – just as it says: “This good mountain and Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:25). “There is bdellium [bedolaḥ] there, and onyx stone” – Rabbi Aivu said: Do you think that this bedolaḥ is the one that spice-mixers use? Let its counterpart tell about it: “And its appearance was like the appearance of bdellium [bedolaḥ]” (Numbers 11:7). Just as that is a gem, so, too, this is a gem.

Section 3ג׳

וְשֵׁם הַנָּהָר הַשֵּׁנִי גִיחוֹן וגו' (בראשית ב, יג), עֲדַיִן לֹא עָמַד כּוּשׁ, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר: אֵת כָּל אֶרֶץ כּוּשׁ, אֶתְמְהָא. אֶלָּא (ישעיה מו, י): מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית. וְשֵׁם הַנָּהָר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי חִדֶּקֶל (בראשית ב, יד), שֶׁהוּא חַד. פְּרָת אַוְתִּינְטִין שֶׁל נְהָרוֹת. רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר אָמֵי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר (דניאל ח, ג): אוּבָל, אַוְתִּינְטִין שֶׁל נְהָרוֹת, וְהָכְתִיב (דניאל י, ד): וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי עַל יַד הַנָּהָר הַגָּדוֹל הוּא חִדָּקֶל, אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁדָּנִיֵּאל רָאָה שְׁנֵי חֲלוֹמוֹת, אֶחָד בְּחִדֶּקֶל וְאֶחָד בְּאוּבָל, וְחִדֶּקֶל גָּדוֹל מֵאוּבָל לְפִיכָךְ הוּא קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ גָּדוֹל, וַהֲלוֹא הוּא בִּבְרִיָּתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אֵינוֹ קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ גָּדוֹל, אֶלָּא שֶׁעָלָה וְהִקִּיף אֶת כָּל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ (דברים ד, ז): כִּי מִי גוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ אֱלֹהִים, מָשָׁל הֶדְיוֹט אוֹמֵר עַבְדָא דְמַלְכָּא, מַלְכָּא. הִדָּבֵק לְשִׁיחֵין וְיִשְׁחוּן לָךְ. רַב אָמַר לְחִיָּא בְּרֵיהּ בְּנֵה לִי בַּיִת בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לְהֵיכָן, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַעֲבַרְתְּ נַהֲרָא בְּנֵהּ. שְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר עַד מָקוֹם שֶׁהַנָּהָר מְהַלֵּךְ שָׁם הִיא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאֵי זוֹ זוֹ תַּרְבַּקְנָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי הוּנָא, רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר הוּא פְּרָת, וְהוּא (יחזקאל א, א): נְהַר כְּבָר. פְּרָת, שֶׁפָּרָה וְרָבָה עַד שֶׁעוֹבְרִין אוֹתוֹ בִּסְפִינוֹת. פְּרָת שֶׁמֵּימָיו פָּרִין וְרָבִין. פְּרָת שֶׁמְפָרֵשׁ וְהוֹלֵךְ עַד שֶׁכָּלָה בְּמַגְרֵיפָה. כְּבָר שֶׁמֵּימָיו כָּלִין. כְּבָר שֶׁפֵּרוֹתָיו גַּסִּין וְאֵינָן יוֹרְדִין בִּכְבָרָה. רַבִּי הוּנָא אָמַר כְּבָר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, פְּרָת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר, אוֹמְרִים לַפְּרָת לָמָּה אֵין קוֹלְךָ הוֹלֵךְ, אָמַר לָהֶם אֵינִי צָרִיךְ מַעֲשַׂי מוֹדִיעִים אוֹתִי, אָדָם נוֹטֵעַ בִּי נְטִיעָה וְהִיא עוֹשָׂה לִשְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, זוֹרֵעַ בִּי יָרָק, וְהִיא עוֹמֶדֶת לִשְׁלשָׁה יָמִים. אוֹמְרִים לַחִדֶּקֶל לָמָּה קוֹלְךָ הוֹלֵךְ, אָמַר לָהֶם הַלְּוַאי נִשְׁמַע קוֹלִי וְנִרְאֶה. אוֹמְרִים לְאִילָנֵי מַאֲכָל לָמָּה אֵין קוֹלְכֶם הוֹלֵךְ, אָמְרוּ לָהֶם אֵין אָנוּ צְרִיכִים, פֵּרוֹתֵינוּ מְעִידִין עָלֵינוּ. אוֹמְרִים לְאִילָנֵי סְרַק לָמָּה קוֹלְכֶם הוֹלֵךְ, אָמְרוּ לָהֶם הַלְּוַאי נִשְׁמַע קוֹלֵנוּ וְנִרְאֶה. אָמַר רַב הוּנָא לֹא מִשּׁוּם הַטַּעַם הַזֶּה, אֶלָּא אִילָנֵי מַאֲכָל עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהֵם כְּבֵדִים בְּפֵרוֹתֵיהֶם לְפִיכָךְ אֵין קוֹלָן הוֹלֵךְ, אֲבָל אִילָנֵי סְרַק עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהֵן קַלִּים בְּפֵרוֹתֵיהֶם קוֹלָן הוֹלֵךְ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ישעיה ז, ב): וַיָּנַע לְבָבוֹ וּלְבַב עַמּוֹ כְּנוֹעַ עֲצֵי יַעַר מִפְּנֵי וגו'.

“And the name of the second river is Giḥon; it is that which encircles the entire land of Kush” (Genesis 2:13). “And the name of the second river is Giḥon…[the land of Kush]” – Kush did not yet exist, and it says: “The entire land of Kush”? This is bewildering. It is because, “He tells the outcome from the outset.” “And the name of the third river is Tigris; it is that which goes east of Ashur. And the fourth river, it is Euphrates” (Genesis 2:14). “And the name of the third river is Tigris [Ḥidekel]” – because it is harsh [ḥad] in its sound [kolo]. “It is that which goes east of Ashur – but Ashur did not yet exist. It is because “He tells the outcome from the outset.” “And the fourth river, it is Euphrates” – Rav said: Euphrates is the foremost of the rivers. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ami in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi said: “Uval” (Daniel 8:3) is the foremost of the rivers. But is it not written: “I was alongside the great river, that being Tigris”? (Daniel 10:4). The explanation is that Daniel saw two prophetic dreams, one on the Tigris and one on the Uval, and the [vision on the] Tigris was greater than [the vision on] the Uval, and that is why he calls it [Tigris] great. But is it not so, that at the creation of the world, it [Euphrates] is not called great? [Why is that?] The reason is because it went up and encircled the Land of Israel, in whose regard it is written: “For who is a great nation that has God [close to it]” (Deuteronomy 4:7). The folk saying says: A king’s slave is [himself] a king; attach yourself to an officer and people will bow to you. Rav said to his son Ḥiyya: ‘Build me a house in the Land of Israel.’ He said to him: ‘Where?’ He said to him: ‘Build it as soon as you cross the River [Euphrates].’ Shmuel said: ‘Up to the place where the River flows, that is the Land of Israel.’ Where is that? It is Tarbakna. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Huna, Rabbi Yudan said: The Euphrates and the Kevar River (Ezekiel 1:1) are one and the same. “Euphrates [Perat]” – because it broadens [para verava] to the point that it can be crossed [only] by boat. “Euphrates [Perat]” – because its water brings fertility [parin] and abundance [to the surrounding soil]. “Euphrates [Perat]” – because it gradually branches out [mefaresh] [into smaller and smaller streams] until it is possible to stop it with a spade. Kevar – because its produce [its grains] are large and do not fall through a sieve [kevara]. Rabbi Huna said: Kevar is a river unto itself, and Perat is a river unto itself. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: They said to the Euphrates: ‘Why do you not emit a loud sound?’ It responded to them: ‘I do not need [to show off], as my actions make me known: A person plants a sapling near me, and it produces [fruit] in just thirty days; he sows a vegetable near me, and it grows in just three days.’ They said to the Tigris: ‘Why do you emit a loud sound?’ It responded to them: ‘Would that my sound might be heard and I be noticed.’ They said to the fruit trees: ‘Why do you not emit a loud sound?’ They responded to them: ‘We do not need [to show off], as our fruits attest to our [importance].’ They said to the non-fruit bearing trees: ‘Why do you emit a loud sound?’ They responded to them: ‘Would that our sound might be heard and we be noticed.’ Rav Huna said: It is not for that reason. Rather, fruit trees, because they are weighed down with their fruit, that is why they do not emit a loud sound. But non-fruit bearing trees, because they are not weighed down with their fruit, do emit a loud sound. That is what is written: “His heart and the heart of his people trembled, like the trembling of the trees of the forest from [the wind]” (Isaiah 7:2).