(ד) אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם׃
(ט) וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ, תָּנֵי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי נָתָן, שְׁלשָׁה נִכְנְסוּ לְדִין וְאַרְבָּעָה יָצְאוּ מְחֻיָּבִין, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן: אָדָם וְחַוָּה וְנָחָשׁ נִכְנְסוּ לְדִין, וְנִתְקַלְּלָה הָאָרֶץ עִמָּהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ג, יז): אֲרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ, שֶׁתְּהֵא מַעֲלָה לְךָ דְּבָרִים אֲרוּרִים, כְּגוֹן: יַתּוּשִׁים וּזְבוּבִין, פַּרְעוֹשִׁין. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מִגְדָלָאָה, אַף הֵן יֵשׁ בָּהֶן הֲנָאָה, וְלָמָּה נִתְקַלְּלָה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי (שמעון) [שלום ורבי פנחס, רבי יהודה בן רבי (שמעון) שלום] אָמַר, שֶׁעָבְרָה עַל הַצִּוּוּי, שֶׁכָּךְ אָמַר לָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא וגו', מַה הַפְּרִי נֶאֱכָל אַף הָעֵץ נֶאֱכָל, וְהִיא לֹא עָשְׂתָה כֵן, אֶלָּא וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא וגו' הַפְּרִי נֶאֱכָל וְהָעֵץ אֵינוֹ נֶאֱכָל. רַבִּי פִּנְחָס אָמַר אַף הוֹסִיפָה עַל הַצִּוּוּי, סָמְכָה לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן בּוֹרְאָהּ. עֵץ עֹשֶׂה פְּרִי, אֲפִלּוּ אִילָנֵי סְרַק עָשׂוּ פֵּרוֹת, עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, נִיחָא, אֶלָּא עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי פִּנְחָס לָמָּה נִתְקַלְּלָה, אֶלָּא כְּאֵינַשׁ דַּאֲמַר יְהוֹן לָיְיטִין בִּיזַיָּא דְּהָדֵין מֵנִיק.
(9) “God said: Let the earth sprout grass, vegetation yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in their kind, in which there is its seed, upon the earth, and it was so” (Genesis 1:11).
“God said: Let the earth sprout grass” – it is taught in the name of Rabbi Natan: There were three who were brought to judgment, but there were four who emerged liable. They are as follows: Adam, Eve, and the serpent were brought to judgment, and the ground was cursed along with them, as it is stated: “Cursed is the ground on your account” (Genesis 3:17) – it will produce for you cursed items, such as gnats, flies, and fleas. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Even these are beneficial.14Even bugs serve a purpose in the world. Thus, the earth’s curse had a silver lining. See Bereshit Rabba 20:8. Why was it cursed? Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Shalom and Rabbi Pinḥas, Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Shalom said: Because it violated its command, as the Holy One blessed be He said to it: “Let the earth sprout grass, [vegetation yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in their kind]” – just as the fruit is edible, so should the tree be edible. But, it [the earth] did not do so, but rather, “The earth produced grass…[and trees bearing fruit]” (Genesis 1:12) – the fruit is edible but the tree is not edible. Rabbi Pinḥas said: [On the contrary,] it did even more than it was commanded, taking the initiative in fulfilling the will of its Creator. “Trees bearing fruit” – even the non-fruit trees produced fruit. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Shimon, all is well, but according to Rabbi Pincḥas, why was it [the earth] cursed? The explanation is that it is like a person who says [when cursing someone]: Cursed be the breasts from which this person nursed.The earth was the provider of sustenance for mankind, so it was cursed as part of their curse.
(The explanation that follows presumes that originally, the sun and the moon were equally bright.)
The moon said before the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the Universe, is it possible for two kings to share the same crown?”
God therefore said to [the moon], “Go and diminish yourself.”
She said before Him: “Master of the Universe, just because I made a correct observation before You, I should diminish myself?”
God said to her: “Go and rule during both the day and the night.”
She said to Him: “Of what use is a candle at midday?”
God said to her: “Go; let the Jewish People count the days and years by you.”
She said to Him: “But they will count by the sun as well, for it is impossible that they will not count seasons that way, as it is written: ‘And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years’ (Bereishit 1:14).”
God said to her: “Go; let righteous men be named after you [as the light that is ‘katan’ – smaller/lesser]: there will be Yaakov Ha-katan, i.e., Yaakov [our forefather; see Amos 7:2]; Shmuel Ha-katan [the Tanna, Shmuel); and David Ha-katan, [King David; see I Shmuel 17:14).”
God saw that the moon was not appeased. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: “Bring atonement for Me, since I diminished the moon.”
And this is as R. Shimon ben Lakish says: “What is distinct about the goat offering of Rosh Chodesh, concerning which we are told, ‘For the Lord’ (Bamidbar 28:15)? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: ‘This goat shall be an atonement for Me for having diminished the moon.’” (Bavli, Chullin 60b)
On the second day of creation, God tore the upper Waters from the arms of the lower Waters amidst great weeping, and the upper Waters were suspended in the heavens by the word of God. On the third day, when God said "let the waters be gathered together" Genesis 1:9 the mountains and hills were raised up and scattered, and deep valleys were dug in the earth, into which the waters rolled. As soon as they had gathered together, the waters became rebellious rising up almost to the Throne of Glory and covered the face of the earth, but God rebuked the waters and said "enough" and subdued them beneath the soles of his feet he trod down on them so that the air came out of them. When the rest of the waters saw how he had trampled the ocean, and heard it's terrible cry, they fled. Even though they were seething, there was nothing for them to do to go but to the sea. Therefore God surrounded the sea with sand, and measured it with the hollow of His hand, and made the sea swear that it would not go beyond the boundary he had set, as it is said "who set the sand as a boundary to the Sea". (Jeremiah 5:22) Some say that God not only circled the sea with sand, but caused it to dry up, in accord with the verse "he rebukes the sea and dries it up" Nahun 1:4.
Compiled from Talmudic and Midrashic sources by Howard Schwartz in Tree of Souls.
(1) In that day GOD will punish
With a great, cruel, mighty sword
Leviathan the Elusive Serpent—
Leviathan the Twisting Serpent;
The Dragon of the sea
The monster that GOD vanquished of old (cf. 51.9; Ps. 74.13–14) was the embodiment of chaos; here it stands for the forces of evil in the present world. will be slain.