The Heavens That Set Firm Like Milk Turning to Curd

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 3:8

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

Another interpretation: 'Lift up (se'u) the waters' means 'laden with water.' A parable: like milk placed in a bowl. So long as no drop of rennet has fallen into the bowl, it quivers; but once a drop of rennet falls into it, at once it congeals and stands firm. So too 'the pillars of heaven tremble' (Job 26:11), as in what Rav said: the heavens were moist on the first day, and on the second they congealed.

Themes

CreationCosmologyMiracles

Continue Reading

Yalkut Shimoni on TorahThe Upper Waters Held Aloft by the Divine WordThe psalm says God roofs His upper chambers with water, and the midrash marvels at the impossibility of it. A human king roofs his palace with wood, stone, or eBook of JubileesSabbath — Hidden Secrets of CreationThe Book of Jubilees, a text that dances on the edge of the biblical canon, gives us a breathtakingly detailed account. It’s a story of creation, but also so muBook of JubileesHow the Firmament Divided the Waters on Day TwoThat’s where texts like the Book of Jubilees come in. It's a fascinating ancient Jewish work, considered scripture by some, that expands on the Genesis account.Book of JubileesThe Sun as a Great Sign Upon the EarthBook of Jubilees turns to The Sun as a Great Sign Upon the Earth. Specifically, the text emphasizes their role “to rule over the day and the night, and divide tBook of JubileesGod Finishes Creation and Rests on the Seventh DayThe sheer magnitude of creation, neatly organized into a divine schedule. It’s mind-boggling, isn't it? Our little peek into that schedule comes from the Book oBook of JubileesPassover at the Dawn of CreationIt’s a story etched in blood and freedom, a tale not just of liberation, but of divine protection. And it’s a story that gets even richer when we explore texts