The Seven Heavens

Why do I need the words "the earth" (Genesis 1:1)? To put the heavens before the earth. "And the earth was unformed and void" (Genesis 1:2): since He began first with the heavens, what is different that the verse goes on to recount the making of the earth? The school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: A parable of a king of flesh and blood who said to his servants, "Rise early and come to my gate." He rose early and found women and men there. Whom does he praise? The one for whom it is not his custom to rise early and yet he rose early. It was taught: Rabbi Yose says, Woe to the creatures who see and do not know what they see, who stand and do not know on what they stand. On what does the earth stand? On the pillars, as it is said, "He who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble" (Job 9:6). The pillars stand on the waters, as it is said, "To Him who spread out the earth above the waters" (Psalms 136:6). The waters stand on the mountains, as it is said, "The waters stood above the mountains" (Psalms 104:6). The mountains stand on the wind, as it is said, "For behold, He who forms the mountains and creates the wind" (Amos 4:13). The wind stands on the storm, as it is said, "Stormy wind fulfilling His word" (Psalms 148:8). The storm hangs upon the arm of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "And underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27). And the Sages say: It stands on twelve pillars, as it is said, "He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel" (Deuteronomy 32:8). And some say: Seven pillars, as it is said, "She has hewn out her seven pillars" (Proverbs 9:1). Rabbi Eleazar ben Shammua says: On a single pillar, and "Righteous One" is its name, as it is said, "And the righteous one is the foundation of the world" (Proverbs 10:25). Rav Yehudah said: There are two firmaments, as it is said, "Behold, to the LORD your God belong the heavens and the heaven of heavens" (Deuteronomy 10:14). Reish Lakish said: There are seven, and these are they: Vilon, Rakia, Shechakim, Zevul, Maon, Makhon, Aravot. Vilon ("Curtain") serves no purpose at all, but enters in the morning and goes out in the evening, and renews each day the work of creation, as it is said, "He who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to dwell in" (Isaiah 40:22). Rakia ("Firmament") is the one in which the sun, the moon, the stars, and the constellations are fixed, as it is said, "And God set them in the firmament of the heavens" (Genesis 1:17). Shechakim ("Skies") is the one in which millstones stand and grind manna for the righteous, as it is said, "And He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven; and He rained down manna upon them to eat" (Psalms 78:23-24). Zevul ("Habitation") is the one in which are Jerusalem and the Temple, and an altar is built there, and Michael the great prince stands and offers up a sacrifice upon it, as it is said, "I have surely built You a house of habitation, a place for You to dwell in forever" (1 Kings 8:13). And from where do we know that it is called "heaven"? As it is written, "Look down from heaven and see from Your holy and glorious habitation" (Isaiah 63:15). Maon ("Dwelling") is the one in which are companies of ministering angels who recite song by night and are silent by day, for the sake of the honor of Israel, as it is said, "By day the LORD commands His lovingkindness, and in the night His song is with me" (Psalms 42:9). Reish Lakish said: Whoever occupies himself with Torah by night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws over him a thread of lovingkindness by day, as it is said, "By day the LORD commands His lovingkindness." And what is the reason that "by day the LORD commands His lovingkindness"? Because of "in the night His song is with me." And there are those who say that Reish Lakish said: Whoever occupies himself with Torah in this world, which is like night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws over him a thread of lovingkindness in the world to come, which is like day, as it is said, "By day the LORD commands His lovingkindness, and in the night His song is with me." Rabbi Levi said: Whoever breaks off from words of Torah and occupies himself with words of idle talk is fed with coals of broom-wood, as it is said, "They who pluck saltwort by the bushes, and whose food is the root of the broom-shrub" (Job 30:4). And from where do we know that it is called "heaven"? As it is said, "Look down from Your holy dwelling, from heaven" (Deuteronomy 26:15). Makhon ("Foundation") is the one in which are the storehouses of snow and storehouses of hail, and the upper chamber of harmful dews, and the upper chamber of droplets, and the room of the whirlwind and storm, and the cave of vapor; and their doors are of fire, as it is said, "The LORD will open for you His good storehouse" (Deuteronomy 28:12). Are these in the firmament? These are upon the earth! As it is written, "Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea-monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and vapor, stormy wind fulfilling His word" (Psalms 148:7-8)! Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: David asked for mercy concerning them and brought them down to the earth. He said before Him: Master of the universe, "You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil shall dwell with You" (Psalms 5:5). You are righteous, O LORD; no evil shall dwell in Your dwelling. And from where do we know that it is called "heaven"? As it is written, "Then You shall hear in heaven, the foundation of Your dwelling place" (1 Kings 8:39). Aravot ("Plains") is the one in which are righteousness, justice, and charity, the storehouses of life, the storehouses of peace, and the storehouses of blessing, and the souls of the righteous, and the spirits and souls that are destined to be created, and the dew with which the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future revive the dead. Righteousness and justice, as it is written, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne" (Psalms 89:15). Charity, as it is written, "And He put on charity as a coat of mail" (Isaiah 59:17). The storehouses of life, as it is written, "For with You is the fountain of life" (Psalms 36:10). And the storehouses of peace, as it is written, "And He called it the LORD is peace" (Judges 6:24). And the storehouses of blessing, as it is written, "He shall receive a blessing from the LORD" (Psalms 24:5). The souls of the righteous, as it is written, "And the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD your God" (1 Samuel 25:29). The spirits and souls that are destined to be created, as it is written, "For the spirit should grow faint before Me, and the souls that I have made" (Isaiah 57:16). And the dew with which the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future revive the dead, as it is written, "A bountiful rain You poured down, O God; Your inheritance, when it languished, You Yourself established it" (Psalms 68:10). There also are the ophanim and the seraphim and the holy living creatures, and the ministering angels, and the throne of glory; the King, the living God, high and exalted, dwells over them in Aravot, as it is said, "Extol Him who rides upon the plains, by His name the LORD" (Psalms 68:5). And from where do we know that it is called "heaven"? It is derived by a verbal analogy of "riding" and "riding": here it is written, "Extol Him who rides upon the plains," and there it is written, "who rides upon the heaven as your help" (Deuteronomy 33:26). And darkness and cloud and thick gloom surround Him, as it is said, "He made darkness His hiding place, His pavilion around Him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies" (Psalms 18:12). But is there darkness before Heaven? Is it not written, "He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him" (Daniel 2:22)? This is not difficult: this [text uncertain]