What the verse said: “I know that everything that God does, it will be forever; one cannot add to it…” (Ecclesiastes 3:14). Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra said: What is “one cannot add to it…”? So said the Holy One blessed be He, from the beginning of the creation of the world: “Let the water under the heavens be gathered to one place…” (Genesis 1:9). Why is it written: “Who summons the waters of the sea and pours them upon the face of the earth; the Lord is His name”? (Amos 5:8).
“So they would be in fear of Him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14) – so the people would be in fear of Him. To what is the matter comparable? It is to a province that revolted against the king. What did the king do?
He brought a mighty legion and surrounded it, so that the residents of the province would see it and be in fear of it. Another matter, thus the Holy One blessed be He created His world – day would be day and night would be night. Jacob came and rendered the day night, as the Holy One blessed be He set the sun for him not at its appointed time, as it is stated: “He encountered the place because the sun had set, and stayed the night there” (Genesis 28:11).
Joshua came and rendered the night day, as it is stated: “Sun, stand still at Givon” (Joshua 10:12). The righteous deduct and add to the words of the Holy One blessed be He, so that the people will be in fear of Him. Another matter, thus the Holy One blessed be He created His world – the sea would be sea and the dry land would be dry land. Moses came and rendered the sea dry land, as it is stated: “And the children of Israel went on the dry land in the midst of the sea” (Exodus 14:29).
Elisha came and rendered the dry land sea, as it is stated: “So said the Lord: I will make this ravine full of pools…but this ravine will be filled with water” (II Kings 3:16–17). Thus the Holy One blessed be He created the world – the winter would be winter and the summer would be summer. Elijah came and rendered the winter summer, as so it is written: “As the Lord…lives, there shall be neither dew nor rain during these years except by my word” (I Kings 17:1).
Samuel came and rendered the summer winter, as so it is written: “Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord and He will dispatch thunder and rain” (I Samuel 12:17). Another matter, thus the Holy One blessed be He created, the upper worlds for the residents of the upper worlds, and the lower worlds for the residents of the lower worlds, as so it is written: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, while the earth He has given to the sons of man” (Psalms 115:16).
Moses came and brought the residents of the lower worlds to the upper worlds, and the residents of the upper worlds to the lower worlds, as so it is written: “Moses ascended to God…” (Exodus 19:3), [and] “The Lord descended upon Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:20). Another matter, thus the Holy One blessed be He created the heavens and the earth, so that they would laud Him. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalms 19:2). When Moses came, he silenced them. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Listen, the heavens.”