Ben Zoma and the Three Fingers Between the Waters

Another interpretation: And the spirit of God, this is the spirit of Adam the first man, as it is written (Psalms 139:5), Behind and before You have formed me, behind, for the work of the last day, and before, for the work of the first day. Rabbi Chaggai in the name of Rabbi Pedat says, And the spirit of God hovered, a covenant was made with the waters, that even in the hour of scorching heat a wind blows gently. And already Rabbi Shimon ben Zoma was standing and lost in wonder. Rabbi Yehoshua passed by and greeted him once and twice, and he did not answer. The third time he answered him in haste. He said to him, What is this, Ben Zoma? From where do the feet come [where are you]? He said to him, I was contemplating. He said to him, I call heaven and earth to witness against me that I shall not stir from here until you tell me from where the feet come. He said to him, I was gazing into the work of creation, and there is between the upper waters and the lower waters only three fingerbreadths, as it says, And the spirit of God hovered. It is not written here blowing but hovering, like this bird that flutters with its wings, touching and not touching, as it is written, He hovers over his fledglings. Rabbi Yehoshua turned and said to his disciples, Ben Zoma is gone. And not many days passed, and Ben Zoma was no longer in the world. Now this verse, And the spirit of God hovered, when is it written? On the first day. But the separation of the waters was on the second day, as it is written (verse 6), Let it divide between water and water. Rabbi Abbahu said, From the beginning of the world's creation the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw the deeds of the righteous and the deeds of the wicked. And the earth was formlessness, these are the deeds of the wicked. And God said, Let there be light, these are the deeds of the righteous. But I do not know in which of them He delights. From what is written, And God saw the light, that it was good, it follows that He delights in the deeds of the righteous and does not delight in the deeds of the wicked. Rabbi Chiyya the Great says, From the beginning of the world's creation the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw the Temple built and destroyed and rebuilt. In the beginning God created, and so on, behold it is built, as you say (Isaiah 51:16), To plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth. And the earth was formlessness, behold it is destroyed, as you say, I saw the earth, and behold, it was formlessness. And God said, Let there be light, built and perfected in the time to come, as you say (Isaiah 60:1), Arise, shine, for your light has come.