Small World or Large?
(ו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֔ים יְהִ֥י רָקִ֖יעַ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַמָּ֑יִם וִיהִ֣י מַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין מַ֖יִם לָמָֽיִם׃ (ז) וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֱלֹקִים֮ אֶת־הָרָקִיעַ֒ וַיַּבְדֵּ֗ל בֵּ֤ין הַמַּ֙יִם֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ מִתַּ֣חַת לָרָקִ֔יעַ וּבֵ֣ין הַמַּ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר מֵעַ֣ל לָרָקִ֑יעַ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃ (ח) וַיִּקְרָ֧א אֱלֹקִ֛ים לָֽרָקִ֖יעַ שָׁמָ֑יִם וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם שֵׁנִֽי׃ (פ)
(6) God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, that it may separate water from water.” (7) God made the expanse, and it separated the water which was below the expanse from the water which was above the expanse. And it was so. (8) God called the expanse Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
(ג) וַֽיְרַקְּע֞וּ אֶת־פַּחֵ֣י הַזָּהָב֮ וְקִצֵּ֣ץ פְּתִילִם֒ לַעֲשׂ֗וֹת בְּת֤וֹךְ הַתְּכֵ֙לֶת֙ וּבְת֣וֹךְ הָֽאַרְגָּמָ֔ן וּבְת֛וֹךְ תּוֹלַ֥עַת הַשָּׁנִ֖י וּבְת֣וֹךְ הַשֵּׁ֑שׁ מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה חֹשֵֽׁב׃
(3) They hammered out sheets of gold and cut threads to be worked into designs among the blue, the purple, and the crimson yarns, and the fine linen.
(יח) תַּרְקִ֣יעַ עִ֭מּוֹ לִשְׁחָקִ֑ים חֲ֝זָקִ֗ים כִּרְאִ֥י מוּצָֽק׃
(18) Can you help him stretch out the heavens, Firm as a mirror of cast metal?
(כב) הַיֹּשֵׁב֙ עַל־ח֣וּג הָאָ֔רֶץ וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ כַּחֲגָבִ֑ים הַנּוֹטֶ֤ה כַדֹּק֙ שָׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּמְתָּחֵ֥ם כָּאֹ֖הֶל לָשָֽׁבֶת׃
(22) It is He who is enthroned above the vault of the earth, So that its inhabitants seem as grasshoppers; Who spread out the skies like gauze, Stretched them out like a tent to dwell in.
(טז) וַיֵּ֤רָא֨וּ ׀ אֲפִ֥יקֵי מַ֗יִם וַֽיִּגָּלוּ֮ מוֹסְד֪וֹת תֵּ֫בֵ֥ל מִגַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ֣ ה' מִ֝נִּשְׁמַ֗ת ר֣וּחַ אַפֶּֽךָ׃
(16) The ocean bed was exposed; the foundations of the world were laid bare by Your mighty roaring, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
(יא) עַמּוּדֵ֣י שָׁמַ֣יִם יְרוֹפָ֑פוּ וְ֝יִתְמְה֗וּ מִגַּעֲרָתֽוֹ׃
(11) The pillars of heaven tremble, Astounded at His blast.
(ד) הַֽ֭לְלוּהוּ שְׁמֵ֣י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְ֝הַמַּ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ מֵעַ֬ל הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
(4) Praise Him, highest heavens, and you waters that are above the heavens.
(א) הַגַּלְגַּלִים הֵם הַנִּקְרָאִים שָׁמַיִם וְרָקִיעַ וּזְבוּל וַעֲרָבוֹת. וְהֵם תִּשְׁעָה גַּלְגַּלִּים. גַּלְגַּל הַקָּרוֹב מִמֶּנּוּ הוּא גַּלְגַּל הַיָּרֵחַ... וְזֶה שֶׁתִּרְאֶה כָּל הַכּוֹכָבִים כְּאִלּוּ הֵם כֻּלָּם בְּגַלְגַּל אֶחָד וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶן זֶה לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַגַּלְגַּלִּים טְהוֹרִים וְזַכִּים כִּזְכוּכִית וּכְסַפִּיר לְפִיכָךְ נִרְאִים הַכּוֹכָבִים שֶׁבַּגַּלְגַּל הַשְּׁמִינִי מִתַּחַת גַּלְגַּל הָרִאשׁוֹן:
(ב) כָּל גַּלְגַּל וְגַלְגַּל מִשְּׁמוֹנָה הַגַּלְגַּלִּים שֶׁבָּהֶן הַכּוֹכָבִים נֶחְלָק לְגַלְגַּלִּים הַרְבֵּה זֶה לְמַעְלָה מִזֶּה כְּמוֹ גִּלְדֵי בְּצָלִים... וְכֻלָּן אֵין בֵּינֵיהֶם מָקוֹם פָּנוּי:
(1) As to the Orbs, these are called Shamayim Heaven, Rakiah the Expansion, Zebul the Habitation, and Araboth the Darkness (of the Ether). Now these consist of nine Orbs; the orb that is nearest to us is the orb of the Moon... The reason why, you see all the stars as if they were all of them in the same orb, though some among them are one above the other is, because the orbs are pure and transparent, like crystal and sapphire; therefore, the stars which are in the eighth orb are seen beneath the first orb.
(2) Every one of the eight orbs, in which are the planets, contains many more orbs, one above the other, like the skins of onions.... Moreover none of them have any empty space between them.
(ה) ... וְזוֹ הִיא חָכְמַת חֶשְׁבּוֹן תְּקוּפוֹת וּמַזָּלוֹת. וּסְפָרִים רַבִּים חִבְּרוּ בָּהֶן חַכְמֵי יָוָן:
(5) ...This is the science of the calculation of the revolutions and of the planets (Astronomy). Many books were composed about these matters by the sages of Greece.
(ח) ...וְהָאָרֶץ גְּדוֹלָה מִן הַיָּרֵחַ כְּמוֹ אַרְבָּעִים פְּעָמִים. וְהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ גְּדוֹלָה מִן הָאָרֶץ כְּמוֹ מֵאָה וְשִׁבְעִים פְּעָמִים. ...:
(8) ... the earth is greater than the moon by about forty times, and the sun is again greater than the earth by about a hundred and seventy times...
Young World or Old?
(ב) מאדם עד המבול אלף ותרנ"ו שנים, וזה פרטן, אדם ק"ל, שת ק"ה, אנוש צ', קינן ע', מהללאל ס"ה, ירד קס"ב, חנוך ס"ה, מתושלח קפ"ז, למך קפ"ב, ונח בן שש מאות שנה וגו' (בראשית ז ו). חנוך קבר את אדם, וחיה אחריו נ"ז שנה, מתושלח מיצה ימיו עד המבול, מן המבול עד הפלגה ש"מ שנה, נמצא נח חיה אחר הפלגה עשר שנים, אבינו אברהם היה בפלגה בן מ"ח שנה....
(2) From Adam to the Flood was 1656 years, and this is their enumeration: Adam 130, Seth 105, Enosh 90, Kenan 70, Mahalalel 65, Jared 162, Enoch 65, Methuselah 187, Lamech 182, and Noah was six hundred years old, etc." (Genesis 7, 6). Enoch buried Adam, and lived after him 57 years. Methuselah exhausted his days just before the Flood. From the Flood to the division [of languages] was 340 years. Noah lived ten years after the division [of languages]. Our father Abraham was at the division [of languages] 48 years old. ...
דרוש אור החיים, ר' ישראל ליפזיץ (חוהמ"פ תר"ב)
דאמרי' בב"ר. ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר [דק' וכי מאחר שלא היה עדיין שמש בעולם, ערב ובוקר מניין] א"ר אבהו מכאן שהי' סדר זמנים קודם לזה וכו', מלמד שהי' הקב"ה בונה עולמות ומחריבן, בונה עולמות ומחריבן ואמר דין הניין לי ודין לא הניין לי: [ראה ב"ר ט:א] ...
מכל האמור נראה ברור שכל מה שמסרו לנו המקובלים זה כמו מאות שנים, שכבר היה עולם פ"א ושוב נחרב וחזר ונתקומם זה ארבע פעמים, ושבכל פעם העולם התגלה בשלימות יתירה יותר מבתחלה, הכל התברר עכשיו בזמנינו באמת וצדק.
Rabbi Israel Lifschitz (1782-1860, Dessau and Danzig), Or HaChaim (1845; based on a sermon of 1842)
Quoted in "Jurassic Judaism," at the website of Ohr Somayach, https://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/238/Q1/, visited 7/2017). See also the discussion of Aryeh Kaplan in his Immortality, Resurrection, and the Age of the Universe: A Kabbalistic View, 1993.)
…As regards the past, Rabbi Abahu states at the beginning of Bereishet Rabbah that the words "and it was evening, and it was morning" (in the apparent absence of the sun) indicate that "there was a series of epochs before then; the Holy One created worlds and destroyed them, approving some and not others." (Compare Bereishit Rabbah 9:1.). The Kabbalists expanded upon this statement and revealed that this process is repeated seven times, each Shemita achieving greater perfection than the last…They also tell us that we are now in the midst of the fourth of these great cycles of perfection…
We are enabled to appreciate to the full the wonderful accuracy of our Holy Torah when we see that this secret doctrine, handed down by word of mouth for so long, and revealed to us by the Sages of the Kabbalah many centuries ago, has been borne out in the clearest possible way by the science of our generation.
The questing spirit of man, probing and delving into the recesses of the earth, in the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, the Rocky Mountains in America, and the Himalayas, has found them to be formed of mighty layers of rock lying upon one another in amazing and chaotic formations, explicable only in terms of revolutionary transformations of the earth's surface... Furthermore, they found in Siberia in 1807, under the eternal ice of those regions, a monstrous type of elephant, some three or four times larger than those found today... Similarly, fossilized remains of sea creatures have been found within the recesses of the highest mountains, and scientists have calculated that of every 78 species found in the earth, 48 are species that are no longer found in our present epoch. ... From all this, we can see that all that the Kabbalists have told us for so many years about the repeated destruction and renewal of the earth has found clear confirmation in our time.
Our Access to a Small World: Mishkan, Mikdash & Synagogue
כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר ה' הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם כִּסְאִ֔י וְהָאָ֖רֶץ הֲדֹ֣ם רַגְלָ֑י אֵי־זֶ֥ה בַ֙יִת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּבְנוּ־לִ֔י וְאֵי־זֶ֥ה מָק֖וֹם מְנוּחָתִֽי׃
Thus said the LORD: The heaven is My throne And the earth is My footstool: Where could you build a house for Me, What place could serve as My abode?
אֵיכָה֩ יָעִ֨יב בְּאַפּ֤וֹ ׀ ה' אֶת־בַּת־צִיּ֔וֹן הִשְׁלִ֤יךְ מִשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ אֶ֔רֶץ תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְלֹא־זָכַ֥ר הֲדֹם־רַגְלָ֖יו בְּי֥וֹם אַפּֽוֹ׃ (ס)
Alas! The Lord in His wrath Has shamed Fair Zion, Has cast down from heaven to earth The majesty of Israel. He did not remember His Footstool On His day of wrath.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת הַקְּרָשִׁים לַמִּשְׁכָּן, אָמַר רַבִּי אָבִין מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ אִיקוֹנִין נָאֶה, אָמַר לְבֶן בֵּיתוֹ עֲשֵׂה לִי כְּמוֹתָהּ. אָמַר לוֹ אֲדוֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵיךְ יָכוֹל אֲנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּמוֹתָהּ, אָמַר לוֹ אַתָּה בְּסַמְּמָנֶיךָ וַאֲנִי בִּכְבוֹדִי. כָּךְ אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, (שמות כה, מ): וּרְאֵה וַעֲשֵׂה, אָמַר לְפָנָיו רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָם אֱלוֹהַּ אֲנִי שֶׁאֲנִי יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּאֵלּוּ, אָמַר לוֹ (שמות כה, מ): כְּתַבְנִיתָם, בִּתְכֵלֶת וּבְאַרְגָּמָן וְתוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי, וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה לְמַעְלָה כָּךְ עֲשֵׂה לְמַטָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כו, טו): עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עֹמְדִים, כַּנָּתוּן בָּאִיסְטְרַטְיָא שֶׁל מַעְלָה, וְאִם תַּעֲשֶׂה כְּאוֹתָהּ שֶׁל מַעְלָה לְמַטָּה, אֲנִי מֵנִיחַ סַנְקְלִיטִין שֶׁל מַעְלָה וּמַשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתִי בֵּינֵיכֶם לְמַטָּה, מַה לְּמַעְלָן (ישעיה ו, ב): שְׂרָפִים עֹמְדִים, אַף לְמַטָּה עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים עֹמְדִים, מַה לְּמַעְלָה כּוֹכָבִים, אַף לְמַטָּן כֵּן. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ קַרְסֵי זָהָב נִרְאִין בַּמִּשְׁכָּן כְּכוֹכָבִים הַנִּרְאִים בָּרָקִיעַ.
Another word: "You shall make the planks for the Tabernacle..." (Exodus 26:15). Said R. Avin: mashal le- / [This may be illustrated with] a parable about a king who had a beautiful picture (ikonin). He said to his steward, "Make he a copy of it." He said, "My Lord King, how am I to make a copy of it?" He said, "You [will paint] with your paints (dyes) and I [will appear] with my glory." Thus said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moses, "See and make" (Exodus 25:40). [Moses] said to him, "Sovereign of the world, am I God that I can make these?" He said, "according to their pattern" (Exodus 25:40), with blue and purple and crimson. Just as you see above, so make below, as it is said, "[You shall make the planks for the Tabernacle of] acacia wood, standing" (Exodus 26:15), as set in the forces above. If you will make a copy of what is above below, I will leave the Council above and make my presence among you below. Just as above "Seraphs stood..." (Isaiah 6:2), so below "acacia wood, standing"(Ex. 26:15). Just as above, stars, so below. Said R. Hiyya bar Abba, this teaches that the golden clasps visible in the Tabernacle were like the stars visible in the firmament. (Transl. D. R.)
Cherubim
וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֥ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה עֶ֣שֶׂר יְרִיעֹ֑ת שֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֗ר וּתְכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י כְּרֻבִ֛ים מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חֹשֵׁ֖ב תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָֽם׃
As for the Tabernacle, make it of ten strips of cloth; make these of fine twisted linen, of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, with a design of cherubim worked into them.
(ג) כרבים מעשה חשב. כְּרוּבִים הָיוּ מְצֻיָּרִין בָּהֶם בַּאֲרִיגָתָן...פַּרְצוּף אֶחָד מִכַּאן וּפַרְצוּף אֶחָד מִכַּאן – אֲרִי מִצַּד זֶה וְנֶשֶׁר מִצַּד זֶה – כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹרְגִין חֲגוֹרוֹת שֶׁל מֶשִׁי שֶׁקּוֹרִין בְּלַעַז פיישי"שא:
(3) כרבים מעשה חשב WITH CHERUBIM, THE WORK OF AN ARTIST — Cherubim were figured on them (on the curtains) in the process of weaving them, not afterwards by embroidery ... a lion on one side and an eagle on the other side, just as the silken girdles are woven which are called in old French faisee (Yoma 72b, Jerusalem Talmud Shekalim 8:4 = 32b).
וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ פָרֹ֗כֶת תְּכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֣שׁ מָשְׁזָ֑ר מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה חֹשֵׁ֛ב יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֖הּ כְּרֻבִֽים׃
You shall make a curtain of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, and fine twisted linen; it shall have a design of cherubim worked into it.
(כח) וְזֶ֛ה מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה הַמְּכוֹנָ֖ה מִסְגְּרֹ֣ת לָהֶ֑ם וּמִסְגְּרֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין הַשְׁלַבִּֽים׃ (כט) וְעַֽל־הַמִּסְגְּר֞וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ בֵּ֣ין הַשְׁלַבִּ֗ים אֲרָי֤וֹת ׀ בָּקָר֙ וּכְרוּבִ֔ים וְעַל־הַשְׁלַבִּ֖ים כֵּ֣ן מִמָּ֑עַל וּמִתַּ֙חַת֙ לַאֲרָי֣וֹת וְלַבָּקָ֔ר לֹי֖וֹת מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה מוֹרָֽד׃
(28) The structure of the laver stands was as follows: They had insets, and there were insets within the frames; (29) and on the insets within the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. Above the frames was a stand; and both above and below the lions and the oxen were spirals of hammered metal.
(ה) וּמִ֨תּוֹכָ֔הּ דְּמ֖וּת אַרְבַּ֣ע חַיּ֑וֹת וְזֶה֙ מַרְאֵֽיהֶ֔ן דְּמ֥וּת אָדָ֖ם לָהֵֽנָּה׃ (ו) וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ת וְאַרְבַּ֥ע כְּנָפַ֖יִם לְאַחַ֥ת לָהֶֽם׃ ...
(י) וּדְמ֣וּת פְּנֵיהֶם֮ פְּנֵ֣י אָדָם֒ וּפְנֵ֨י אַרְיֵ֤ה אֶל־הַיָּמִין֙ לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֔ם וּפְנֵי־שׁ֥וֹר מֵֽהַשְּׂמֹ֖אול לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֑ן וּפְנֵי־נֶ֖שֶׁר לְאַרְבַּעְתָּֽן׃ ...
(כב) וּדְמ֞וּת עַל־רָאשֵׁ֤י הַחַיָּה֙ רָקִ֔יעַ כְּעֵ֖ין הַקֶּ֣רַח הַנּוֹרָ֑א נָט֥וּי עַל־רָאשֵׁיהֶ֖ם מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃ ...
(כו) וּמִמַּ֗עַל לָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־רֹאשָׁ֔ם כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה אֶֽבֶן־סַפִּ֖יר דְּמ֣וּת כִּסֵּ֑א וְעַל֙ דְּמ֣וּת הַכִּסֵּ֔א דְּמ֞וּת כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה אָדָ֛ם עָלָ֖יו מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃
(5) In the center of it were also the figures of four creatures. And this was their appearance: They had the figures of human beings. (6) However, each had four faces, and each of them had four wings; ...
(10) Each of them had a human face [at the front]; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right; each of the four had the face of an ox on the left; and each of the four had the face of an eagle [at the back]. ...
(22) Above the heads of the creatures was a form: an expanse, with an awe-inspiring gleam as of crystal, was spread out above their heads....
(26) Above the expanse over their heads was the semblance of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and on top, upon this semblance of a throne, there was the semblance of a human form.
(א) וָאֶרְאֶ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֶל־הָרָקִ֙יעַ֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַכְּרֻבִ֔ים כְּאֶ֣בֶן סַפִּ֔יר כְּמַרְאֵ֖ה דְּמ֣וּת כִּסֵּ֑א נִרְאָ֖ה עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ ... (יד) וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ד פְּנֵ֨י הָאֶחָ֜ד פְּנֵ֣י הַכְּר֗וּב וּפְנֵ֤י הַשֵּׁנִי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אָדָ֔ם וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ פְּנֵ֣י אַרְיֵ֔ה וְהָרְבִיעִ֖י פְּנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃
(1) I looked, and on the expanse over the heads of the cherubs, there was something like a sapphire stone; an appearance resembling a throne could be seen over them. (14) Each one had four faces: One was a cherub’s face, the second a human face, the third a lion’s face, and the fourth an eagle’s face.
(יא) וַיִּרְכַּ֣ב עַל־כְּ֭רוּב וַיָּעֹ֑ף וַ֝יֵּ֗דֶא עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רֽוּחַ׃
(11) He mounted a cherub and flew, gliding on the wings of the wind.
(יח) וּלְמִזְבַּ֧ח הַקְּטֹ֛רֶת זָהָ֥ב מְזֻקָּ֖ק בַּמִּשְׁקָ֑ל וּלְתַבְנִ֣ית הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֗ה הַכְּרֻבִ֤ים זָהָב֙ לְפֹ֣רְשִׂ֔ים וְסֹכְכִ֖ים עַל־אֲר֥וֹן בְּרִית־ה'
(18) the weight of refined gold for the incense altar and the gold for the figure of the chariot—the cherubs—those with outspread wings screening the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD.
Columns
(21) He set up the columns at the portico of the Great Hall; he set up one column on the right and named it Jachin, and he set up the other column on the left and named it Boaz.