{"versions": [{"status": "locked", "priority": 3.0, "license": "CC-BY-NC", "versionNotes": "", "formatAsPoetry": "", "digitizedBySefaria": true, "method": "", "heversionSource": "", "versionUrl": "", "versionTitleInHebrew": "", "versionNotesInHebrew": "", "shortVersionTitle": "H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004", "shortVersionTitleInHebrew": "", "extendedNotes": "", "extendedNotesHebrew": "", "purchaseInformationImage": "", "purchaseInformationURL": "", "hasManuallyWrappedRefs": "", "language": "en", "versionSource": "https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001102376/NLI", "versionTitle": "Ibn Ezra's commentary on the Pentateuch, tran. and annot. by H. Norman Strickman and Arthur M. Silver. Menorah Pub., 1988-2004", "actualLanguage": "en", "languageFamilyName": "english", "isSource": false, "isPrimary": false, "direction": "ltr", "text": [["IN THE BEGINNING. Our wise men taught that the letter bet (of bereshit, in the beginning) is superfluous. They compare it to the bet in the word ba-rishonah (at the first) (Genesis 13:4). We know the bet in ba-rishonah to be superfluous for we find they shall set forth first (rishonah) (Numbers 2:9). However, if this were so the bet (of bereshit) would be vocalized with a long kamatz. Other scholars maintain that the word bereshit is always in the construct and its meaning in our verse is: “In the beginning of the evening, or of the night, or of the darkness.” However, they have overlooked And he chose a first part (reshit) for himself (Deuteronomy 33:21). Others say that the bet of bereshit is a preposition. They explain that Scripture intends to preclude the thought that heaven and earth were preexisting. Hence it states, In the beginning. I believe that bereshit is in the construct, as in In the beginning of (bereshit) the reign of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 26:1). Don’t ask, how can a word in the construct be connected to a verb in the perfect. This presents no problem, for we find that very case in the verse When the Lord spoke at first with Hosea (Hosea 1:2), and in the verse the city where David encamped (Isaiah 29:1). The meaning of bereshit will be explained in our comments on the next verse.", "CREATED. Most Biblical commentators explain that the word bara (created) indicates creation ex nihilo. But if the Lord make (yivra) a new thing (beri’ah) (Num. 16:30) is similar. However, they have overlooked And God created (va-yivra) the great sea monsters (Gen. 1:21) and the three times the word created is used in one verse, viz., And God created (va-yivra) man in His own image, in the image of God created (bara) He him; male and female created (bara) He them (Gen. 1:27). They also failed to consider I form the light, and create darkness (Is. 45:7) wherein darkness, which is the opposite of light, an existing entity, is described by the prophet as being created. The following is the precise explanation of the word bara. Bara has two meanings, one of which has been noted above. The second is found in the verse neither did he eat (bara) bread with them (II Samuel 12:17). However, in the latter case, an alef has been substituted for a heh. The reason is that bara (in I Sam. 12:17) is similar to le-havrot (to urge to eat) in And all the people came to cause David to eat (le-havrot) bread (II Sam. 3:35). The verb le-havrot appears in the hifil (and its root ends with heh), for if it ended with an alef, Scripture would have read le-havri, as in to make yourselves fat (le-havri’achem) with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel (I Sam. 2:29). We also find bara conjugated in the pi’el, as in and cut down (u-vereta) for thyself (trees) (Joshua 17:15). This is not like the similar word beru in choose (beru) you a man for you (I Sam. 17:8) but rather like bare (hack, dispatch) in and dispatch them (u-vare) with their swords (Ezekiel 23:47). The meaning of bara is to cut or to set a boundary. The intelligent person will understand what I am alluding to.", "GOD. Elohim (God) is a plural. We know this because we come across the singular form Elo’ah. Elohim is employed stylistically. Every language has honorific terminology. In the non-Hebrew tongues when an inferior addresses a superior he employs the plural. In Arabic it is customary for a dignitary such as a king to speak in the plural. In Hebrew, too, it is considered a sign of dignity to employ the plural when speaking of a superior. Such is the case with the words adonim (lords) and be’alim (owners). Thus Scripture says, a cruel lord (adonim) (Is. 19:4), and and the owner thereof (be’alav) shall accept it (Exodus 22:10). The terms alav (upon him), elav (to him), and adav (unto him) are similar. It is for this reason that Scipture reads bara Elohim and not bare’u Elohim. We know from the study of logic that speech is called safah because it is seen to come from the lips. Similarly man’s highest soul is called heart (lev) even though the soul itself is incorporeal while the heart is corporeal. It is referred to in this manner because the heart is its first resting place. Similarly God is called Elohim because His actions are executed via angels who do His will and who are referred to as Elohim. I will explain part of the secret of God’s name when I comment on for My name is in him (Ex. 23:21). Pay no heed to the opinion of Rabbi Saadiah Gaon who holds that man is superior to the angels. I have already explained to you in The Book of Foundation that all of his proofs are wrong. We know that the prophets are the most exalted human beings. Nevertheless, the prophet Joshua fell upon his face and prostrated himself before God’s angel and said to him, What saith my lord unto his servant (Josh. 5:14). The same is true of the prophets Zechariah and Daniel. Why should I elaborate when this point is so elementary?The meaning of Lord of Hosts (Elohe ha-tzeva’ot) is the same as God of gods (Elohe ha-Elohim) (Deut. 10:17). The definition of elohim (lord) is angels. People engaged in the dispensation of God’s justice are also called elohim. Elohim is an adjective, not a proper noun. It is not found conjugated in the perfect or imperfect. One should not assume that angels are composed of fire and air because Scripture states, Who makest winds Thy messengers, The flaming fire Thy ministers (Psalms 104:4). This is not the literal meaning of this verse. David (in Psalm 104) speaks first of creation. He starts with light and says, Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment (Ps. 104:2). He then goes on to say, Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain, heaven referring to the firmament upon which is water, fire, snow and wind. David next says that the wind serves as God’s agent; i.e., it goes wherever God sends it. He speaks in a similar vein of fire as one of God’s ministers. David then says, Who didst establish the earth upon its foundations (Ps. 104:5), which refers to dry land. Similarly it is written, Stormy wind, fulfilling His word (Ps. 148:8).", "Et indicates the very thing. It signifies the direct object, as in the heaven (et ha-shamayim). However, sometimes it is omitted, as in that God created man (Deut. 4:32). It is also found placed before the subject, as in and when there came a lion, or (ve-et) a bear (I Sam. 17:34). However, the latter usage is very rare. Furthermore, et is used in place of with or from.", "THE HEAVEN. The definite article (ha) is placed before heaven (shamayim) to indicate that Scripture speaks of the heaven visible to man. Heaven (shamayim) is always written in the plural. It is possible that its dominion in Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish its dominion over the earth? (Job 38:33) refers to the dominion exercised by each one of the heavenly spheres. The meaning of shamayim (heaven) is high and above, as it is in Arabic, a language akin in form to Hebrew. There is also a heaven of heavens. The word for heaven (shamayim) is never written in the singular. It is like the words millstone (rechayim) and noon (tzohorayim). Those who are well-versed in geometry will understand these secrets. Saadiah Gaon says that the earth may be compared to a point and the heaven to a thread circling it. Since Scripture tells us that heaven and earth were created, we deduce from this that all their contents, such as fire and water, were also created. Others say that the earth includes water and the heaven air. However, in my opinion the heaven and earth spoken of in our verse refer only to the firmament and the dry land. For only one thing was created on each day. Thus light was created on the first day, the firmament on the second, plants on the third, luminaries on the fourth, and living creatures on the fifth and the sixth. This interpretation is borne out by the psalm quoted above (Psalm 104). It is impossible to maintain that the line circling the dot was created before the dot, or the dot before the circle. Hence our sages say that heaven and earth were created simultaneously. They offer as proof of their viewpoint, Yea, My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand hath spread out the heavens; When I call unto them, They stand up together (Is. 48:13). However, this proof is questionable. The plain meaning of this verse is not so, for how could God address that which was not yet created? How could He call to that which was in a chaotic state? The explanation of this verse is as follows: I, God, created heaven and earth. When I call them, they stand before Me as servants ready to do My will. The meaning of this verse is similar to that of Thy word standeth fast in heaven (Ps. 119:89). After stating this the Psalmist makes mention of the earth (Ps. 119:90). He then goes on to say that heaven and earth stand ready to execute any commands that God will direct to them (Ps. 119:91)."], ["NOW THE EARTH. The word ha-aretz (the earth) is irregular in that it is always vocalized with a kamatz beneath both the heh and the alef. It is unlike the word ha-elef (the thousand) in Thou, O Solomon, shall have the thousand (ha-elef) (Canticles 8:12); or ha-even (the stone) in and this stone (ha-even) (Gen. 28:22).", "UNFORMED. Saadiah Gaon claims that the word tohu (unformed) is a derivative of tehom (the deep). This explanation is incorrect because the mem of tehom is a root letter like the mem of hadom (footstool). The Sefer Yetzirah explains tohu (unformed) and bohu (void) as follows: Tohu refers to the green line; bohu alludes to the smooth stones. However, the correct meaning of these terms is found in the Aramaic translation of the Pentateuch. We similarly read, And in the waste (tohu), a howling wilderness (Deut. 32:10), and go after vain things (tohu) (I Sam. 12:21), which means worshipping things that have no substance.", "[VOID.] Bohu is a synonym of tohu. The vavs of tohu and bohu are in place of a heh. They are like the vav in (va-yishtachu) (and he bowed) and the vav of achu (reed-grass) in They fed in the reed-grass (achu) (Gen. 41:2). The meaning of our verses is this: When the creation of the firmament and the dry land took place, the earth was uninhabited because it was covered with water. God created the earth in such a way that by the laws of nature it would be below the waters. Do not reject this interpretation because of the vav that is placed before the words the earth (ve-ha-aretz), for its meaning is identical to that of the Arabic fa. The vav placed before the word mist (ed) in but there went up a mist (ve-ed) from the earth (Gen. 2:6) is analogous. Our verses are to be so interpreted because Moses did not speak of the eternal world, which is the world of the angels; he spoke only of the transient world. How can those who say that the word heaven in the first verse refers to the highest heavens explain the presence of the earth in the same verse? Intelligent people have reputable proof that there is only one earth. As to the Midrash, when it says that there are seven earths it means that the area of the world inhabited by human beings is divided into seven sections. The Holy Temple was in the center of the inhabited world. It was not in the center of the earth because we know that it was far from there.", "AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Ru’ach (wind) is in the construct with Elohim (God) because it was the medium employed by God to dry the land.", "[THE WATERS.] Mayim (waters) is in the plural. It does not come in a singular form. It belongs to the dual forms, the latter being either masculine or feminine. Mayim is also found used in the singular in the water of sprinkling was not dashed against him (Num. 19:13).", "[HOVERED.] Merachefet (hovered) means “blowing above the waters.” As an eagle…Hovereth (yerachef) over her young (Deut. 32:11), is similar."], ["AND GOD SAID. Saadiah Gaon interprets va-yomer Elohim (and God said), as and God wanted. However, if this were the case Scripture should have stated God wanted (said) light to be. Therefore va-yomer Elohim is to be rendered “and God said.” We similarly read, By the word of the Lord were the heavens made (Ps. 33:6), and For He commanded, and they were created (Ps. 148:5). Scripture describes creation as coming about by God’s word because it wants to teach us that heaven and earth came into being without any labor on God’s part. We may compare this to a king assigning certain tasks to his servants.", "[LIGHT.] The light spoken of in this verse was above the air."], ["AND GOD SAW THE LIGHT. “Saw” is to be understood here as perceived. Compare, Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly (Ecclesiastes 2:13).", "The meaning of divided is: He divided them by naming one, day and the other, night."], ["AND GOD CALLED. The heh of laylah (night) is superfluous, because the word is penultimately accented. It is always a masculine noun.", "EVENING. Erev (evening) is close in meaning to choshekh (darkness). Erev is so called because forms are then intermingled. The opposite of evening is called boker (morning) because one can then distinguish between various forms. One day refers to the movement of the sphere. There is a secret meaning to the Midrashic statement to the effect that the world will exist for six thousand years. Once it is stated that God called the light “day,” it is impossible to maintain that the evening, too, is considered part of the day. ", "The correct interpretation of And there was evening and there was morning, one day is that evening passed and the morning of the first day also came. If the intention of this verse is to teach that evening and morning make a day, then what is the meaning of And there was evening and there was morning, a second day (v. 8)?"], ["AND GOD SAID. Saadiah Gaon says things about the firmament that are not so. The correct interpretation of firmament (raki’a) is something spread out, as in And they did beat (va-yirakke’u) the gold into thin plates (Ex. 39:3); Then did I beat them (erka’em) (II Sam. 22:43); and similarly, And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in (Is. 40:22). How precious are the words of he who said that the firmament begins at the point where the sun and the ocean merge. The firmament is the air because when the light shone very strongly upon the earth and a wind dried off from the earth, the flame turned into the firmament. Similarly the Psalmist states, Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain; Who layest the beams of Thine upper chambers in the waters (Ps. 104:2 and 3). The Psalmist then makes mention of the clouds and the wind and the establishment of the earth. The latter is above the waters. We thus read, For He hath founded it (the earth) upon the seas (Ps. 24:2), and To Him that spread forth the earth above the waters (Ps. 136:6). Similarly whoever goes to the ocean is said to be going down. The meaning of (He) That calleth for the waters of the sea, And poureth them out upon the face of the earth (Amos 5:8) is that God commands the waters of the sea to give birth to clouds, and, afterward, And (He) poureth them out upon the face of the earth."], ["AND GOD MADE. Dividing one thing from another is expressed by placing the preposition ben (between) before the first object and a lamed before the second, as in And let it divide the waters (ben mayim) from the waters (la-mayim) (Gen. 1:6) and between the holy (ben kodesh) and the common (le-chol) (Ezek. 44:23). It may also be expressed by placing the preposition (ben) before each one of the objects, as in our verse and divided the waters (ben ha-mayim) which were under the firmament from the waters (u-ven ha-mayim) which were above the firmament. And it is found with the word ben repeated and a lamed before the second object, as in But your iniquities have separated Between you (benekhem) and your God (le-ven elohekhem) (Is. 59:2).", "[AND IT WAS SO.] This phrase is connected to the verse which follows it: When it was so, God called the firmament heaven."], ["AND GOD CALLED. There are five things which God named because there was then no man to name them. They are: light, darkness, heaven, earth and the seas. In addition, God named man."], ["AND GOD SAID. I believe that this chapter is connected to the one preceding it because the firmament did not come into being until the land dried. Proof of this is Scripture’s statement, In the day that the Lord God made earth (dry land) and heaven (the firmament) (Gen. 2:4). Thus they were made on the same day. The revelation of something which had previously been hidden (the land) or the gathering of something which was scattered (the water) into one place is not a creation. The meaning of our verse is: now God had said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered. There are hundreds of similar instances in the Torah. I will offer two examples from the portion of Bereshit. One is: And the Lord God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed (Gen. 2:8). After stating this, Scripture goes on to say, And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight (v. 9). However, God caused vegetation and trees to sprout before the creation of man. The second example is when God commanded man not to eat from the tree of knowledge (Gen. 2:16). However, immediately after this it is written, And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man, etc. (Gen. 2:19). The meaning of formed thus is had formed. According to this interpretation it follows that And God saw that it was good (Gen. 1:10) is connected to the act of creation which took place on the second day. The account of the creation which took place on the third day thus begins with And God said: Let the earth put forth grass (Gen. 1:11).", "[LET…BE GATHERED.] The meaning of yikkavu is let them come together. Ve-nikvu in At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all nations shall be gathered (ve-nikvu) unto it (Jer. 3:17) is similar."], ["[SEAS.] Scripture employs the term seas (yammim) because there is no one name for the sea that surrounds all of the earth."], ["AND GOD SAID. Scripture states, Let the earth put forth grass (Gen. 1:11); Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures (Gen. 1:20); Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind (Gen. 1:24). This teaches that God placed in the earth and in the water the power to bring forth these things at God’s command. These are the generations (offspring) of the heaven and the earth (Gen. 2:4).", "[LET THE EARTH PUT FORTH GRASS.] Tadshe means let it put forth.", "WHEREIN IS THE SEED THEREOF. Wherein the seed is in the fruit and each one produces its own kind."], [], [], ["AND GOD SAID. Yehi (let there be) is short for yiheyeh. Due to the frequency with which this term is used, it is employed before both the singular and the plural. It is also employed in Scripture with the feminine as in, If there be a damsel (yiheyeh) that is a virgin (Deut. 22:23).", "FOR SIGNS AND FOR SEASONS. For signs, i.e., for minutes, and for seasons, i.e., for hours. For signs may also be interpreted as referring to the eclipse of the moon and the sun and also to shooting stars. The last-mentioned phenomena are to be included among the signs produced by the lights of the firmament because they are caused by the stars. This meaning of signs is like signs in And be not dismayed at the signs (omens) of heaven (Jer. 10:2). Anyone who explains the lamed of le-otot (for signs) as superfluous is mistaken.", "AND LET THEM BE FOR SIGNS. A prominent Spanish sage stated that the firmament is divided into eight parts, seven for the seven spheres of the seven stars and one for the constellations. However, this cannot be so because we know there is no body above the sphere of the constellations. Behold, Scripture explicitly states, And God set them in the firmament of the heaven, which clearly indicates that there is a heaven above the firmament. The heaven of heavens (Nehemiah 9:6) and To Him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens, which are of old (kedem) (Ps. 68:34) are similar. Note that the word kedem in the verse quoted above does not mean east but ancient. Indeed, Rabbi Saadiah Gaon, may the righteous be remembered for a blessing, was afraid to comment on this verse. It appears to me that the sun, the moon and other luminaries are called lights in the firmament because they are visible there."], [], ["AND GOD MADE. The sun and the moon are called the great lights in contradistinction to the stars. Similarly the first three sons of Jesse are called the elders, in contrast to their younger brothers. In reality, Eliab, the first born, was the oldest of them all. As to the Midrash, which states One was not greater than the other, there is a secret meaning to it.", "[TO RULE THE DAY.] The sun rules during the day and not at night because it is not seen. Conversely, the light of the moon and stars are not seen during the day. One may ask, do not the astronomers teach that Jupiter and all the stars, with the exception of Mercury and Venus, are larger than the moon? Why, then, is it written the great lights? The answer is that the term great does not refer to size but to light, and the light of the moon is many times greater than their light because of its proximity to the earth. Thus we see that Scripture describes them as lights."], ["AND GOD SET. Do not be surprised that Scripture states, And God set, for the Bible also says, I have set My bow in the cloud (Gen. 9:13)."], ["AND TO RULE. The day spoken of in the Torah begins at sunrise and lasts until sunset. Night begins when the stars are first visible. Those who say that night begins with the appearance of three stars are correct. Know that evening begins at sunset and lasts for one and a third hours, during which time a light-like appearance is seen in the clouds. Similarly morning dawns before sunrise. When the light of the sun shines during the day and the light of the moon at night, they separate between the light and the dark."], [], ["AND GOD SAID. Yishritzu (let it swarm) is a transitive verb, as is sharatz (swarm) in And the river shall bring forth swarms of frogs (ve-sharatz) (Ex. 7:28). The meaning of Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures and let fowl fly above the earth is that the waters shall produce living beings that will immediately fly. The verse And let fowl fly…in the open firmament of heaven proves my interpretation of the firmament. Saadiah Gaon explains al pene (in the open) to mean with the face of. Hence, according to the Gaon, the heavens face down. The feh of ye’ofef (let fly) is doubled like the nun in yekhonen (till He establish) (Is. 62:7)."], ["AND GOD CREATED. The meaning of romeset (creepeth) is walks. Some are of the opinion that the sin of romeset is in place of a samekh."], ["AND GOD BLESSED. The meaning of Be fruitful, and multiply is, “You shall be fruitful and you shall multiply.” And die in the mount (Deut. 32:50) is similar because it is not in one’s power to determine the time of one’s death."], [], ["AND GOD SAID. Living creature is a general term for what the fire, water and earth gave birth to. It also includes man.", "CATTLE. Domesticated beasts that are utilized by man for their needs, for riding and for food.", "AND CREEPING THING. Small animals that walk upon the earth.", "AND BEAST OF THE EARTH. Animals that are in the wilderness where there are no human settlements. The vav at the end of ve-chayeto (and beast of) is superfluous. It is like the vav of le-mayeno (into a fountain) in into a fountain (le-mayeno) of waters (Ps. 114:8), and the vav in the son of (beno) Beor (Num. 24:3)."], [], ["LET US MAKE MAN. Some are of the opinion that na’aseh (let us make) is a nifal participle and is to be compared to the same word in Now that which was prepared (na’aseh) for one day (Neh. 5:18). They further say that in our image, after our likeness are the words of Moses. They also explain the pronominal suffix “his” in And God created man in His own image (v. 27) as referring to man, and connect God (in Gen. 9:6) to made rather than to image. They read this verse as follows: “For God made man in an image,” rather than “for in the image of God made He man.” Now this interpretation is absurd. According to it the first quoted verse should have read, “Let a man be made.” Similarly Scripture should have read, “He made him in his image.” Furthermore, how can the his in His image (v. 27) refer to man? If this were the case then man had an image before he was created. Finally, what sense would there be to Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed (Gen. 9:6), if the reason for the above is that man was made in an image? All living things have an image. Saadiah Gaon explains in our image, after our likeness as referring to the dominion man exercises on earth. He explains His image as the image that God in His wisdom chose for man because He saw that this image was good for man. The Gaon further notes that Scripture connects image to God (be-tzelem Elohim) to stress man’s glorified state. Similarly Scripture states, and are gone forth out of His land (Ezek. 36:20). The Bible says this to emphasize the importance of the land of Israel because, in reality, The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof (Ps. 24:1). The Gaon also says that the word na’aseh (let us make) has the meaning of the singular even though it is in the plural because it is the plural of majesty. He offers as proof, and we will give thee the other also (Gen. 29:27); and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king (Daniel 2:36); peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite (nakkeh) them (Num. 22:6). However, these witnesses are false witnesses. First of all, and we will give thee (ve-nittenah) (Gen. 29:27) is a nifal and its meaning is “the other will also be given thee.” It is like the word nittenah (is given) in and the city is given (nittenah) (Jer. 32:24). The vav conversive changes nittenah (she was given) to “she will be given (ve-nittenah),” as is the case with every verb in the perfect which becomes an imperfect when a vav conversive is prefixed to it. Similarly nakkeh bo (we may smite them) (Num. 22:6) means, “I and my army will smite them.” Further, nakkeh may be a pi’el infinitive meaning to smite, like nakeh (destroy) in But will not utterly destroy thee (ve-nakkeh lo anakkekah) (Jer. 46:28). The latter interpretation is supported by the fact that Scripture employs the phrase lo nukku (were not smitten) (Ex. 9:32), and a verb cannot come in the pu’a l unless it also comes in the pi’el. Rabbi Moses Ha-kohen, the Spaniard, errs in his book. Similarly we will tell (Dan. 2:36) is Aramaic. For if we will tell is a plural of majesty, how would Daniel dare to speak in such haughty terms before Nebuchadnezzar who was the “King of Kings”?I will now explain. Note that all the works of creation came into being by God’s command for the sake of man. Scripture relates that the earth and water brought forth plants and all living creatures. After all plants and living creatures had been created, God said to the angels, Let us make man; i.e., We, rather than the earth and water, will occupy ourselves with his creation. We know that the Torah spoke the language of man, for it was given to humans who speak and hear. Now a human being cannot speak of things above or below him without employing human terminology. Hence Scripture uses such terms as the mouth of the earth (Num. 16:30), the hand of the Jordan (Num. 13:29), and the head of the dust of the world (Proverbs 8:26). Far be it from us to believe that God has an image. Scripture clearly refutes such a notion by stating, To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be equal (Is. 40:25). It is because man’s upper soul is eternal and is compared in its existence to God and because man’s soul is incorporeal and fills the body, which is a microcosm, in the same way that God fills the universe that Scripture states, in our image, after our likeness. May God’s name be blessed. He commenced with the macrocosm and concluded with the microcosm. The prophet also says that he saw God’s glory appear in human form (Ezek. 1:26). God is one. He is the creator of all. He is all. I cannot explain further. Man was originally created with two faces; man is thus one but also two. In the image of God means in the image of the angels. Man was created both male and female. The words Be fruitful, and multiply are a blessing not a command, just as they are with regard to the creatures brought forth by the waters (Gen. 1:22). Nevertheless, there is in fact a commandment to be fruitful and multiply transmitted by our sages, of blessed memory, which they attached to this verse in order to remember the commandment."], [], [], ["AND GOD SAID: BEHOLD I HAVE GIVEN YOU. God permitted mankind and every living thing to eat all herbs. He also permitted man to eat the fruits of the trees and limited the animals and creeping things to green herbs. At this point in time the consumption of flesh was not permitted. That came after the flood."], [], ["THE SIXTH DAY. Some say that the word yom (day) is in the construct with sixth, and the meaning of yom ha-shishi (the sixth day) is the day of the sixth sphere. They say the same with regard to yom ha-shevi’i (the seventh day). However, they are wrong. Proof of their error is found in the teaching of the astrologers who tell us who the lord of the sixth day is. The meaning of yom ha-shishi, then, is the sixth day from day one. This is also the meaning of the seventh day. We similarly find ish ha-yisraeli (the Israelite man) (Leviticus 24:10) and many such cases, among them reki’a ha-shamayim (Gen. 1:20), which should be rendered as “the firmament which is heaven.”"]]}], "available_versions": [{"status": "locked", "priority": 6.0, "license": "Public Domain", "versionNotes": "", "formatAsPoetry": "", "digitizedBySefaria": true, "method": "", "heversionSource": "", "versionUrl": "", "versionTitleInHebrew": "", "versionNotesInHebrew": "", "shortVersionTitle": "", "shortVersionTitleInHebrew": "", "extendedNotes": "", "extendedNotesHebrew": "", "purchaseInformationImage": "", "purchaseInformationURL": "", "hasManuallyWrappedRefs": "", "language": "he", "title": "Ibn Ezra on Genesis", "versionSource": "https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH990020973480205171/NLI", "versionTitle": "Piotrkow, 1907-1911", "actualLanguage": "he", "languageFamilyName": "hebrew", "isSource": true, "isPrimary": true, "direction": "rtl"}, {"status": "locked", "priority": 3.0, "license": "CC-BY-NC", "versionNotes": "", "formatAsPoetry": "", "digitizedBySefaria": true, "method": "", "heversionSource": "", "versionUrl": "", "versionTitleInHebrew": "", "versionNotesInHebrew": "", "shortVersionTitle": "H. 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