Chagigah

But why do we have ‘[Eth] the earth’?1 — To put heaven before earth.2 ‘And the earth was unformed and void’.3 Consider: [Scripture] began at first with heaven, why then does it proceed to relate [first] the work of the earth?4 — The School of R. Ishmael taught: It is like a human king5 who said to his servants: Come early to my door. He rose early and found women and men. Whom does he praise? The ones who are not accustomed to rise early but yet did rise early.6 It is taught: R. Jose says: Alas for people that they see but know not what they see, they stand but know not on what they stand. What does the earth rest on? On the pillars, for it is said: Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.7 The pillars upon the waters, for it is said: To Him that spread forth the earth above the waters.8 The waters upon the mountains, for it is said: The waters stood above the mountains.9 The mountains on the wind, for it is said: For, lo, He that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind.10 The wind upon the storm, for it is said: The wind, the storm maketh its substance.11 Storm is suspended on the arm of the Holy One, blessed be He, for it is said: And underneath12 are the everlasting arms.13 But the Sages say: [The world] rests on twelve pillars,14 for it is said: He set the borders to the peoples according to the number [of the tribes] of the children of Israel.15 And some say seven pillars, for it is said: She hath hewn out her seven piliars.16 R. Eleazar b. Shammua’ says: [It rests] on one pillar, and its name is ‘Righteous’, for it is said: But ‘Righteous’ is the foundation of the world. 17 R. Judah said: There are two firmaments, for it is said: Behold, unto the Lord thy God belongeth heaven, and the heaven of heavens.18 Resh Lakish said: [There are] seven, namely, Wilon,19 Rakia’,20 Shehakim,21 Zebul,22 Ma'on,23 Makon,24 ‘Araboth.25 Wilon serves no purpose except that it enters in the morning and goes forth in the evening26 and renews every day the work of creation, for it is said: That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,27 and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.28 Rakia’ is that in which sun and moon, stars and constellations are set, for it is said: And God set them29 in the firmament [Rakia’] of the heaven.30 Shehakim is that in which millstones stand and grind31 manna for the righteous for it is said: And He commanded the skies [Shehakim] above, and opened the doors of heaven; and He caused manna to rain upon them for food etc.32 Zebul is that in which [the heavenly] Jerusalem33 and the Temple and the Altar are built, and Michael, the great Prince,34 stands and offers up thereon an offering, for it is said: I have surely built Thee a house of habitation [Zebul], a place for Thee to dwell in for ever.35 And whence do we derive that it is called heaven? For it is written: Look down from heaven, and see, even from Thy holy and glorious habitation.36 Ma'on is that in which there are companies of Ministering Angels, who utter [divine] song by night, and are silent by day for the sake of Israel's glory,37 for it is said: By day the Lord doth command His lovingkindness,38 and in the night His song is with me.39 Resh Lakish said: Whoever occupies himself with [the study of] the Torah by night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws over him a chord of lovingkindness40 by day, for it is said: ‘By day the Lord doth command His lovingkindness’? Because ‘by night His song41 is with me’. And there are some who say: Resh Lakish said: Whoever occupies himself with the study of the Torah in this world, which is like the night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws over him a chord of lovingkindness in the world to come, which is like the day,42 for it is said: ‘By day the Lord doth command His lovingkindness, for by night His song is with me’. R. Levi said: Whoever leaves off the study of the Torah and occupies himself with idle talk, he is made to eat coals of broom,43 for it is said: They pluck salt-wort through idle talk,44 and the roots of the broom are their food.45 And whence do we derive that it46 is called heaven? — For it is said: Look forth from Thy holy habitation [ma'on], from heaven.47 Makon48 is that in which there are the stores of snow49 and stores of hail, and the loft of harmful dews and the loft of raindrops,50 the chamber of the whirlwind and storm,51 and the cave of vapour, and their doors are of fire, for it is said: The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure,52 But are these to be found in the firmament? Surely, they are to be found on the earth, for it is written: Praise the Lord from the earth, ye sea-monsters, and all deeps; fire and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind, fulfilling his word!53 — Rab Judah said in the name of Rab: David entreated concerning them, and caused them to come down to the earth. He said before Him: Lord of the universe, Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; let not evil sojourn with Thee;54 righteous art Thou, O Lord, let not evil sojourn in Thy abode.55 And whence do we derive that it56 is called heaven? For it is written: Then hear Thou in heaven, Thy dwelling place [Makon].57 ‘Araboth is that in which there are Right and Judgment and Righteousness,58 the treasures of life and the treasures of peace and the treasures of blessing, the souls of the righteous and the spirits and the souls59 which are yet to be born, and dew wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead. Right and Judgment, for it is written: Right60 and judgment are the foundations of Thy throne.61 Righteousness, for it is written: And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail.62 The treasures of life, for it is written: For with Thee is the fountain of life.63 And the treasures of peace, for it is written: And called it, ‘The Lord is peace’.64 And the treasures of blessing, for it is written: he shall receive a blessing from the Lord.65 The souls of the righteous, for it is written: Yet the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God.66 The spirits and the souls which are yet to be born, for it is written: For the spirit that enwrappeth itself is from Me, and the souls which I have made.67 And the dew wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead, for it is written: A bounteous rain didst Thou pour down, O God; when Thine inheritance was weary, Thou didst confirm it.68 There [too] are the Ofanim69 and the Seraphim,70 and the Holy Living Creatures,71 and the Ministering Angels,72 and the Throne of God; and the King, the Living God, high and exalted, dwells over them in ‘Araboth, for it is said: Extol Him that rideth upon Araboth73 whose name is the Lord.74 And whence do we derive that it75 is called heaven? From the word ‘riding’, which occurs in two Biblical passages. Here it is written: ‘Extol Him that rideth upon Araboth’. And elsewhere it is written: Who rideth upon the heaven as thy help.76 And darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him, for it is said: He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of skies.77 But is there any darkness before Heaven?78 For behold it is written: He revealeth the deep and secret things; He knoweth, what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.79 — There is no contradiction: the one [verse]80 have thought that heaven and earth were created at the same time. position of one not accustomed to rise early; furthermore, all the work of the earth is slow, whilst the work of heaven is swift. Nevertheless, the earth appeared equally early with heaven, for they were created at the same time (according to the view of the Sages, v. p. 66), therefore Scripture begins to relate the work of the earth first. But Maharsha explains that the earth obeyed God's will first and came into being before heaven (according to the view of Beth Hillel, ibid.) just as the women in the parable actually came before the men. or suspended upon the latter. of the pillars with the discussion of the number of the precepts in Mak., Sonc. ed., pp. 169f. especially Temple’. darkness, heavy cloud, in which God dwells; cf. Ex. XX, 18). in the evening it draws out and hides the daylight. This process constitutes the renewal of the work of creation. But Tosaf. explains that Wilon produces the light of day, and when it withdraws at night darkness prevails. pulverize, grind’ (cf. Ex. XXX, 36 and Job, XIV, 19). Jerusalem which is below’. divine grace by their prayer. Cf. also A.Z. 3b on the same verse. CXX, and Gen. Rab. 98. to some, ‘wormwood’) which is the natural meaning here, the other means ‘complaint, musing, talk’, which is the sense in which it is homiletically understood by R. Levi. benefit, but for retribution, Tosaf., however, holds that the contents of Ma'on are used for good as well as evil, and compares Ta'an. 3b and Isa. LV, 10. Jer. L, 25. changes (‘with Thee’ into ‘in thy abode’ to prevent any misconception about God's perfection. (ectoplasm?). children of Israel momentarily left their bodies, but God with His bounteous rain or dew of resurrection revived them. Cf. Cant. Rab. to Cant. V, 6.