Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Bereshit Reader

(Gen. 1:1:) IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. It is written (in Ps. 104:3): WHO ROOFS HIS UPPER ROOMS IN THE WATERS, WHO SETS THE CLOUDS AS HIS CHARIOT…. R. Johanan said: Heaven and earth were created on the first day, and on the second the Holy One created the firmament and the angels. Where is it shown that they were created on the second day?

Where it is stated: WHO ROOFS HIS UPPER ROOMS IN THE WATERS, WHO SETS THE CLOUDS AS HIS CHARIOT, WHO WALKS ON THE WINGS OF THE WIND. And what is written next? WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS. R. Hanina said: The angels were created on the fifth day.

Thus it is written concerning the fifth: AND LET FOWL FLY ABOVE THE EARTH. Now the word ye'ofef only refers to the flying of angels, as it is used: AND WITH TWO HE DID FLY. And why were the angels not created on the first day? So that the heretics would not say: Michael was standing in the north with Gabriel in the south, and together they spread out the heavens and the earth.

So who did create them? The Holy One by himself, as stated: IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah disagree. R. Judah says: The world was being created for six days. That is R. Judah's opinion, but R. Nehemiah says: The whole world was created on the first day.

There was once a certain matron who asked R. Jose ben Halafta: In how many days did the Holy One create his world? He said to her: He did it on the first day. She said to him: How do you teach me that? He said to her: Have you never made a banquet? She said to him: Yes. And how many missus did you have? She said to him: Thus and so. He said to her: Did you set all of them before them simultaneously? She said to him: No, I cooked all the foods simultaneously, but only brought them in before them missus by missus. And all of them are from a single scripture, as stated (in Jer. 10:16): FOR HE IS THE ONE WHO FORMS THE ALL.

R. Judah bar Shallum said: The world was created for the sake of Israel. "From of old" is not written here (in Gen. 1:1), nor is "from the start" written here, but IN THE BEGINNING. What is the meaning of IN THE BEGINNING? This is Israel, which is called BEGINNING. It is so stated (in Jer. 2:3): ISRAEL IS HOLY TO THE LORD, THE BEGINNING OF HIS HARVEST. Where is the original proposition shown? From what we read on the subject: IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED.

(Gen. 1:1:) IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED. This text is related (to Ps. 18:36 = II Sam. 22:36): AND YOU GAVE ME YOUR SHIELD OF YOUR SALVATION. The words speak of Israel. What is written?

HE IS A SHIELD FOR ALL WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM. AND YOUR RIGHT HAND SUSTAINS ME. This is Torah according to what is stated (in Deut. 33:2): AT HIS RIGHT HAND IS A FIERY LAW. AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME.

Now is anyone more humble than the Holy One? R. Abba bar Aha said: The student sits before his master. When he is finished, the student says to the master: How I have tired you! But Israel was learning from the Holy One.

When they are departing, he says to them: How I have tired you! It is so stated (in Deut. 1:6): THE LORD OUR GOD SPOKE TO US IN HOREB, SAYING: YOU HAVE SAT LONG ENOUGH AT THIS MOUNTAIN.

Another interpretation: AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME: R. Simeon ben Zera said: Who is as humble as the Holy One? The student says to his master: Rabbi, teach me one chapter. Then he says to him: Go on ahead to such and such a place. But the Holy One said to Ezekiel (in Ezek. 3:22): GO OUT INTO THE PLAIN. Then Ezekiel went out and found the Holy One, who had gone there ahead of him. It is so stated: THEN I AROSE AND WENT OUT TO THE PLAIN; AND, LO, THERE WAS THE GLORY OF THE LORD. Ergo: AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME.

Another interpretation: AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME: R. Julianus ben Tiberinus said in the name of R. Isaac: See the humility of the Holy One. See what is written (in Exod. 19:19): MOSES SPOKE, AND GOD ANSWERED HIM OUT LOUD. Should it not rather have said, "God spoke, and Moses answered him out loud"? He did not do that. Instead, MOSES SPOKE, AND GOD ANSWERED HIM. Ergo: AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME.

R. Abba bar Kahana said: Come and see the humility of the Holy One. What is written (in Ezek. 44:2)? AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ME: THIS EAST GATE WILL BE CLOSED AND WILL NOT BE OPENED … FOR THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, HAS ENTERED IN BY IT. A King of flesh and blood has the glory of entering by a main gate and not by a lesser one, but the Holy One in his glory entered by a lesser gate. Ergo, it says (in Ps. 18:36): AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME.

R. Judah bar Shallum the Levite said: The students proceed first and after that, the master; but the Holy One does not act so. Rather, for the sake of Abraham, who was sitting in pain (due to his recent circumcision in Gen. 17:26), the Holy One said to his angels: Let us go and visit Abraham. While they were proceeding, first God appeared to him and after that, the angels. It is so stated (in Gen. 18:1): THEN THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM BY THE TEREBINTHS OF MAMRE, and after that (in vs. 2): RAISING HIS EYES, HE LOOKED; AND HERE WERE THREE MEN. Ergo: AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME.

R. Simon said: See what is written (in Gen. 18:22): AND THE MEN TURNED FROM THERE AND WENT TO SODOM, BUT ABRAHAM WAS STILL STANDING BEFORE THE LORD. Should it not rather have said, "And God was still standing"? There is here, however, a scribal emendation. Ergo it says (in Ps. 18:36): AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME.

Ben 'Azzay said: Come and see the humility of the Holy One. The matter is comparable to a king of flesh and blood who mentions his name and, afterwards mentions his creation. But the Holy One is not like that. Rather, when he mentioned his works, it was afterwards that he mentioned his name. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 1:1, following the Hebrew word order): IN THE BEGINNING CREATED GOD.

IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED: This text is related (to Prov. 8:30): AND I WAS WITH HIM AS A CONFIDANT. What is the meaning of CONFIDANT 'MWN? R. Judah bar Il'a'y said: That he was an expert 'WMN in the Torah. The Holy One would scrutinize the Torah as he was creating the world. Ergo: AND I WAS WITH HIM AS A CONFIDANT. What is written (in Gen. 1:1)? IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED. There is no BEGINNING but Torah, as stated (in Prov. 8:22): THE LORD ACQUIRED ME AS THE BEGINNING OF HIS WAY. Ergo: IN THE BEGINNING (i.e., in Torah) GOD CREATED.

R. Simeon ben Johay said: Woe to blasphemers who take the name of the Holy One lightly, for one should not say: To the LORD an offering, to the LORD a burnt offering. Rather, use the biblical wording (as in Lev. 1:2): WHEN ONE OF YOU PRESENTS AN OFFERING TO THE LORD; (or as in Numb. 8:12): A SIN OFFERING TO THE LORD; (or as in Lev. 23:18; Numb. 8:12; 28:11, 19; 29:8; Jud. 13:16; etc.): A BURNT OFFERING TO THE LORD; (or as in Gen. 4:3; Is. 66:20; Ezek. 46:14; Mal. 2:12; II Chron. 33:23): A MEAL OFFERING TO THE LORD. Learn (from the Hebrew word order in Gen. 1:1): IN THE BEGINNING CREATED, and after that, GOD. When he mentions his creation, it is only afterwards that he mentions his name.

The minim questioned R. Simlay. They said to him: How many deities created the world? He said to them: Let us, me and you, inquire of the Torah. They said to him: See, it written (in Josh. 24:19): FOR … HOLY GODS.

He said to them: Read the rest of the verse, where "they" is not used but HE. R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Abba the Edomite: Why is HOLY plural (in Josh. 24:19)? Because he is holy in all categories of holiness. R. Aha bar Hanina said: In regard to the Holy One, his way is in holiness; he processes in holiness; he is seen in holiness; his speech is in holiness; the uncovering of his arm is in holiness; he is beautiful and glorious in holiness.

Hence the plurals (in Josh. 24:19): FOR HE IS HOLY GODS, in the sense that he is holy in all types of holinesses. The minim said to him: But he caused to be written (in Gen. 1:1): IN THE BEGINNING GOD (in the plural) CREATED. He said to them: The plural form of "created" is not written here, but CREATED in the singular to agree with the singular subject.

R. Ishmael questioned R. 'Aqiva, who was interpreting the words akh ("but") and raq ("only") as indicating exclusions, with et (either the sign of a definite accusative or the preposition "with") and gam ("also") as indicating inclusions. R. Ishmael said to him: "In the beginning God created heaven and earth" is not written here but ET THE HEAVEN AND ET THE EARTH. The use of ET is simply a clarification of Scripture. R. 'Aqiva said to him: It is written (in Deut. 32:47): FOR IT (the Torah) IS NO EMPTY THING FOR YOU. If "heaven and earth" had been stated (in Gen. 1:1), we should have said: They are two deities. But ET THE HEAVEN AND ET THE EARTH means those two creations and what was created along with them.

R. Huna says in the name of R. Eliezer the son of J. Jose the Galilean: He created the new heavens and the new earth ahead of time. Thus it is stated (in Is. 66:22): FOR AS THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH WHICH I MAKE REMAIN BEFORE ME. David said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World, I offer you praise for the wonders which you have done in the world. It is so stated (in Ps. 104:1): BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL. O LORD, MY GOD, YOU ARE VERY GREAT. YOU HAVE PUT ON HONOR AND MAJESTY. How do the great ones of the world expound this verse? R. Eleazar and R. Joshua: You were great before you created, but you became very great after you created your world. YOU HAVE PUT ON HONOR AND MAJESTY.

R. Nathan ben Eleazar questioned R. Samuel. He said to him: How did the Holy One create the world? R. Samuel said to him: When the Holy One desired to create the world, he wrapped himself in light, as stated (in Ps. 104:2): PUTS ON LIGHT LIKE A GARMENT. He said to him: You have told me in a whisper. Why in a whisper? He said to him: Just as I received this tradition in a whisper, so I have transmitted it to you in a whisper. R. Tanhuma bar Abba said to him: Have we not already heard R. Isaac expounding it publicly?

When did the Holy One become magnified? When he had created heaven and earth. And for whose sake did he create it? For the sake of Israel, of whom it is said (in Jer. 2:3): ISRAEL IS HOLY FOR THE LORD, THE BEGINNING OF HIS HARVEST. R. Abba bar Kahana said: The written text spells HIS HARVEST tevu'atoh. Why do we read (qorin) tevu'ato (with a final waw instead of a final he)? Because we only eat from the tevu'atoh (i.e., the interest of the written text) and not from the principal (qeren), since it is preserved for us for the world to come.

R. Isaac said: It was only necessary to write the Torah from the words (in Exod. 12:2): THIS MONTH SHALL BE FOR YOU. Why did he write from the words (in Gen. 1:1): IN THE BEGINNING? To make known his mighty power. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 111:6): HE HAS DECLARED TO HIS PEOPLE THE POWER OF HIS WORKS IN GIVING THEM THE HERITAGE OF THE GENTILES.

Resh Laqish said: A word, as it were, came from the mouth of the Holy One (according to Ps. 33:6): BY THE WORD OF THE LORD WERE THE HEAVENS MADE. It is also written (in Gen. 1:1-27) that by it he CREATED. This account was simply for exacting retribution from the wicked who destroy the world, which was created with toil and wearisome labor, and to give a good recompense to the righteous who preserve the world, which was created by the word of the LORD. Ergo (in Gen. 1:1): IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS.

R. Aha said: When the Holy One spoke to the heavens that they should be created, they went on expanding. If he had not said: Enough, they would have gone on expanding out until the dead arose.

IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS: These are heavens. From what was the earth created? From a lump of snow, as stated (in Job 37:6): FOR TO THE SNOW HE SAYS: BECOME EARTH. So the Holy One blessed them, and they became fruitful and multiplied. David said (in Ps. 134:3): MAY THE LORD WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH BLESS YOU FROM ZION.

(Gen. 2:4:) THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHEN THEY WERE CREATED. Let our master instruct us: When someone sees shooting stars and lightnings, what blessing does he say over them? Thus have our masters taught (in Ber. 9:2): OVER SHOOTING STARS, EARTHQUAKES, LIGHTNINGS, AND THUNDERS ONE SAYS: BLESSED BE THE ONE WHOSE POWER FILLS THE WORLD. Elijah, of blessed memory, asked Rav Mari: Why do earthquakes come upon the world?

He said to him: When the Holy One sees Israel not separating their tithes as they should, earthquakes come upon the world. Elijah said to him: Upon your life, that is the apparent reason for the phenomenon, but the root of the phenomenon is this: When the Holy One looks at his world and sees temples of star worship sitting upon their tells in safety, security, and serenity, while his Holy Temple is destroyed, at that time he wants to overthrow the world and shakes it.

The Holy One said: All this quaking is for the sanctification of my name, as stated (in Is. 43:7): EVERY ONE THAT IS CALLED BY MY NAME. Also, through that for which I deserve to be praised, the nations provoke me to anger. Therefore, I bring earthquake into the world. Although the heavenly bodies did not sin, because people provoke me to anger through them, they are also stricken along with them. So it is stated (in Joel 3:4): THE SUN WILL BE CHANGED TO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON, TO BLOOD.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 2:4): THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHEN THEY WERE CREATED. This text is related (to Job 25:2): DOMINION AND AWE ARE WITH HIM. Thus Job had said (in 23:3): OH THAT I KNEW WHERE I MIGHT FIND HIM THAT I MIGHT COME TO HIS ABODE. R. Abba bar Kahana said: If he is in a temple above, I will come to his abode; and if he is in a temple below, I will come to his abode.

Now HIS ABODE is nothing but a temple, as stated (in Ezra 3:3): AND THEY SHALL SET THE ALTAR UPON ITS BASE. (Job 23:8:) SEE, I GO EAST, AND HE IS NOT THERE; AND WEST, BUT I DO NOT PERCEIVE HIM. R. Johanan said: You learn from here that the Divine Presence is in the west. I went south and north without finding him. Why? (Job 23:10:) BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE WAY I TAKE.

WHEN HE HAS TRIED ME, I SHALL COME FORTH LIKE GOLD. His friends said to him: Job, how long will you pester with words? Are we not telling you that you cannot go out to meet him and speak insolently with him? They said to him: Can you speak insolently with Michael?

R. Jacob of Kefar Hanin says: (Job 25:2:) DOMINION AND AWE ARE WITH HIM. DOMINION: This is Michael. AND AWE: This is Gabriel. (Ibid., cont.:) HE MAKES PEACE IN HIS HIGH PLACES. Even the heavenly beings need peace. The constellations rise up. Taurus says: I am first, and does not see what is in front of him. Gemini says: I am first, and does not see what is in front of him. And so each and every one says: I am first. Ergo, it says: The heavenly beings need peace.

In every place you find Moses preceding Aaron, but where is it shown that both of them were equal? Where it is stated (in Exod. 6:26): IT IS THE SAME AARON AND MOSES. In every place you find Joshua preceding Caleb, but where is it shown that both of them are equal? Where it is stated (in Numb. 32:12): EXCEPT CALEB BEN JEPHUNNEH THE KENIZZITE AND JOSHUA BEN NUN. In every place you find the father's honor preceding the mother's honor, but where is it shown that both of them are on a par? Where it is stated (in Lev. 19:3): EACH ONE SHALL FEAR HIS MOTHER AND HIS FATHER. In every place you find the heavens preceding the earth, but where is it shown that they are on a par? Where it is stated (in Gen. 2:4, end): IN THE DAY THAT THE LORD GOD MADE EARTH AND HEAVEN.

(Gen. 2:4:) THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. This text is related (to Prov. 3:19): THROUGH WISDOM THE LORD FOUNDED THE EARTH. You find that through wisdom the Holy One created heaven and earth. R. Azariah said in the name of Resh Laqish: On the first day he created heaven and earth.

Five days were left over. He created above and below on alternate days. On the second day he created the firmament above. On the third day: LET THE WATERS BE GATHERED below.

On the fourth day: LET THERE BE LIGHTS above. On the fifth day: LET THE WATERS SWARM below. The sixth day remained for creating. The Holy One said: If I create above, the earth will be angry; but if I create below, the heavens will be angry.

What did the Holy One do? He created Adam below with breath from above. Thus it says: THROUGH WISDOM THE LORD FOUNDED THE EARTH.

(Gen. 2:4:) THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHEN THEY WERE CREATED. R. Abbahu said in the name of R. Johanan: He created them with the letter he. What is the connection here with the letter he? When one brings all the letters out from his mouth, he compresses his mouth; but when one brings the letter he out from his mouth, he does not compress his mouth. Thus the Holy One created his world without toil. It is so stated (in Is. 40:28): HE NEITHER BECOMES WEARY NOR DOES HE TOIL.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 2:4): WHEN THEY WERE CREATED. R. Tahalifa said: Through Abraham (B'BRHM). These are the letters in WHEN THEY WERE CREATED (BHBR'M). They were created through the merit of Abraham. It is so stated (in Gen. 2:4).

(Gen. 2:4, end:) IN THE DAY THAT THE LORD MADE EARTH AND HEAVEN. The Bet Shammay say: The conception of creation came by night; and the doing, by day. The Bet Hillel say: The conception came either by day or by night, and he completed work with the sun on the horizon. R. Levi said in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina: On every day the Holy One created three creations.

On the first he created heaven, earth, and the light. On the second he created the firmament, Gehinnom, and the ministering angels. On the third, trees, herbs, and rivers. On the fourth, sun, moon, and stars.

On the fifth, fish, Leviathan, and fowl. Now on the sixth, there were six things to create, those for the Sabbath eve and those for the Sabbath. These were the following (according to Gen. 1:24): LET THE EARTH BRING FORTH (1) THE LIVING CREATURE AFTER ITS KIND, (2) CATTLE, (3) CREEPING THINGS, AND (4) BEAST OF THE EARTH, plus Adam and Eve. The work of Adam, Eve, and of the beasts was completed.

Then, when he had completed these, he wanted to create the rest; but the Sabbath was holy, as stated (in Gen. 2:1-3): THEN THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WERE FINISHED…. SO GOD FINISHED ON THE SEVENTH DAY.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 2:3): WHICH HE CREATED "and made" is not written, but TO MAKE, because the Sabbath preceded the completion of the work. R. Bannaya said: These are the demons (mazziqin), whose souls he had created. While he was creating their bodies, the Sabbath commenced. So he left them alone and they survive to the present as spirit with no body.

They are fruitful and multiply like humans, and they die like humans. So, when one comes upon a female demon (shedah), he will have demon (shedin) children. Now, from whom did you learn this fact? From the first Adam, who had children from spirits.

Should anyone come upon such a spirit, there is nothing against him, because they seem to one like a nocturnal pollution. There are also some who say: WHICH GOD HAD CREATED TO MAKE: This is the Temple which is going to be.