The Unformed Earth Read Through Generations and Empires

Rabbi Berekhyah said, (Proverbs 20:11) Even by his doings a child makes himself known. While she was still unripe she put forth a thorn. This is what the prophet was destined to prophesy about her in the end (Jeremiah 4:23), I saw the earth, and behold, it was formlessness and void. And the earth was formlessness. Rabbi Abbahu says, A parable: to a king who bought two slaves, both at one price and on one bill of sale. Concerning one he decreed that he should eat from the treasury, and concerning the other he decreed that he should toil and eat. The one decreed to toil and eat sat dismayed and astonished [tohe and bohe], saying, The two of us were bought at one price and one bill, yet this one is fed from the treasury, and I, if I do not toil, I do not eat. So too the earth sat dismayed and astonished, saying, The upper and lower beings were created as one; the upper ones are fed from the radiance of the Divine Presence, while the lower ones, if they do not toil, do not eat. Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon says, A parable: to a king who bought two maidservants at one price and one bill. Concerning one he decreed that she not stir from the palace, and concerning the other he decreed banishment. She sat banished, dismayed and astonished, saying, The two of us were bought at one price and one bill; this one does not stir from the palace, and over me he decreed banishment. So too the earth sat dismayed and astonished, saying, The upper beings live and the lower beings die; therefore the earth was formlessness. Rabbi Tanchuma said, A parable to a prince who was sleeping upon his cradle while his nurse sat dismayed and astonished, for she knew that she was destined to take her due from his hand [her wages, or that he would die]. So too the earth waited to take her due from the hand of Adam, as it says (Genesis 3:17), Cursed is the ground because of you; therefore the earth was formlessness and void. Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon interpreted the verse concerning the generations. And the earth was formlessness, this is Adam the first man, who was reduced to nothing. And void, this is Cain, who sought to return the whole world to void. And darkness, this is the generation of Enosh, as it says, And their deeds shall be in darkness. Over the face of the deep, this is the generation of the flood, as it says (Genesis 7:11), All the fountains of the deep burst forth. And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters, on account of, And God made a wind pass over the earth. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, How long shall the world be conducted in gloom? Let light come. And God said, Let there be light, this is Abraham, as it says (Isaiah 41:2), Who has roused one from the east. And God called the light day, this is Jacob. And to the darkness He called night, this is Esau. And there was evening, this is Esau. And there was morning, this is Jacob. One day, that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him one day, and which is it? The Day of Atonement. Resh Lakish interpreted the verse concerning the kingdoms. And the earth was formlessness, this is Babylon, as it is written (Jeremiah 4:23), I saw the earth, and behold, it was formlessness. And void, this is Haman [Media], as it is written (Esther 6:14), And they hurried to bring Haman. And darkness, this is Greece, which darkened the eyes of Israel with its decrees, for it would say to them, Write on the horn of the ox that you have no portion in the God of Israel. Over the face of the deep, this is the wicked kingdom [Rome], which has no fathoming, like this deep that has no fathoming. And the spirit of God hovered, this is the spirit of the Messiah, as it is written (Isaiah 11:2), And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him. By what merit does it come and draw near? By the merit of repentance, which is likened to water, as it says, Pour out your heart like water.