HEAVEN AND EARTH: WHICH WAS CREATED FIRST, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN? A GREAT HILLEL AND SHAMMAI DEBATE

This is an argument between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel.

Beit Shammai said that the heavens were created first, and afterwards, the earth.

And Beit Hillel said that the earth was created first, and afterwards, the heavens.

These bring support for their positions

and these bring support for their positions.

As to the opinion of Beit Shammai

who say that the heavens were created first and then the earth,

this can be compared to a king who first made himself a throne

and afterwards made himself a footstool.

for indeed God said (Isa. 66:1):

The heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool...

And according to Beit Hillel

who say that the earth was created first

and then the heavens

this an be compared to a king who built a palace, when he finished building the lower parts he then built the upper parts,

for indeed (Torah says, Gen. 2:4) .

..When God made earth and heaven.

R. Yehuda bar Ilai said:

This text also supports Beit Hillel,

(Psalm 102:26):

Of old You established the earth;

and then it says,

the heavens are the work of Your hands.

R. Hanin said:

From the same text that supports Beit Shammai, from that text, Beit Hillel refutes him (Gen. 1:2): And the earth was... ["was" presupposes] that it was already in existence [prior to the heavens].

R. Yohanan said in the name of the Sages:

In creation, the heavens were first.

and in the assembly,

the earth was first.

R. Tanhuma said:

I will give my reason to support that

in creation, the heavens were first,

as it is said (Gen. 1:1)

In the beginning God created [the heavens and the earth]

and in the assembly the earth was first

as it is said (Gen. 2:4),

..When God made earth and heaven.

R. Shimon ben Yohai said:

I am amazed that the 'fathers of the world', Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel

were divided on the [question of the order] of the creation of heaven and earth

because I say that they were created like a pot and a lid [together simultaneously]

as it is said (Isa. 48:13): (My own hand founded the earth, My right hand spread out the skies.) I call unto them, let them stand up.

R. Elazar ben R. Shimon said:

If [creation occurred] in accordance with my father's opinion, why is it that the text at times puts earth before heavens and at times puts heavens before earth? Except to teach that both area equal to one another.

In every place the text places Abraham before Isaac and Jacob,

but in one place it says (Lev. 26:42)

Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob; (I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham...) this teaches that the three of them were equal to one another.

In every place the text places Moses before Aaron, but in one place it says (Exod. 6:26), It is the same Aaron and Moses (to whom the LORD said, “Bring forth the Israelites from the land of Egypt, troop by troop.”) this teaches that the two of them were equal to one another.

In every place the text places Joshua before Caleb, but in one place it says (Num. 14:30), not one shall enter the land in which I swore to settle you—save Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun, this teaches that the two of them were equal to one another.

In every place the text places Joshua before Caleb, and in one place it says (Num. 14:30), not one shall enter the land in which I swore to settle you—save Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun, this teaches that the two of them were equal to one another.

In every place the text places the father before the mother regarding respect but in one place it says (Lev. 19:3) You shall each revere his mother and his father. This teaches that the two of them are equal to one another.

But the Sages said that the father precedes the mother because the son and his mother are both obligated to respect his father.

In every place the text places the creation of the heavens before the earth but in one place it says (Gen. 2:4) ..When God made earth and heaven... this teaches us that the two of them are equal to one another.