tohu vavohu

(1) When God began to create heaven and earth— (2) the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water—

(2) And the earth was desolate and empty, and darkness came off the face of the water, and a wind from God blew over the face of the water.

Four entered the orchard: Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, another, and Rabbi Akiva. One looked and died. One looked and was harmed. One looked and cut down the trees. And one went up in peace and went down in peace. Ben Azzai looked and died. Scripture says about him (Psalms 116, 15): "Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints". Ben Zoma looked and was harmed. Scripture says about him (Proverbs 25, 16): "Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee" and the continuation. [Cont. of the verse: "Lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it." Elisha looked and cut down the trees. Scripture says about him (Ecclesiastes 5, 5): "Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt" etc. Rabbi Akiva went up in peace and went down in peace. Scripture says about him (Song of Songs 1, 4): "Draw me, we will run after thee" etc. They gave a parable: What is this similar to? To the orchard of a king and there is an attic above it. It is upon [the man] to look so long as he does not move [his eyes] from it. Another parable was given. What is this similar tp? To [a street] that passes between two paths, one of fire, and one of snow. If it leans one way, it gets burned [by the fire]. If it leans the other way it gets burned by the snow. A man must walk in the middle and not lean to or fro. A story of Rabbi Yehoshua [Who was walkin in the street and Ben Zoma came opposite him] he reached him and did not greet him. He said to him [from where and to where] Ben Zoma? He said to him: I was watching the creation, and there is not between the upper waters and the lower waters even a handbreadth. As it is written (Genesis 1, 2) "and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters". And it says (Deuteronomy 32, 11): "As a vulture that stirreth up her nest" etc. Just as the vulture flies over the nest, touching and not touching, so too there is not even a handbreadth between the upper waters and lower waters. Rabbi Yehoshua said to his students: Ben Zoma is already outside. In a few days, Ben Zoma passed away.