The One Day When God Was Alone in His World

"And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Genesis 1:5). They are not cut off from one another. What does it say? Day and night are one day. "Let there be evening" is not written here, but "and there was evening," which tells that an order of times existed before this. "One day": on it four things were created, mountains, heaven, and earth, and light. Rabbi Yudan said: on it the Holy One, blessed be He, was alone in His world. This accords with Rabbi Yochanan, who said the angels were created on the second day, as it is written, "who lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters" (Psalms 104:3), and it is written, "who makes His angels of winds" (Psalms 104:4). It does not accord with Rabbi Chanina, who said they were created on the fifth, as it is said, "and let birds fly above the earth" (Genesis 1:20), and it is written, "and with two it would fly" (Isaiah 6:2). All agree that no angels were created on the first day, so that one should not say Michael was stretching out the south of the firmament and Gabriel its north while the Holy One, blessed be He, measured the middle. Rather, "I am the LORD who makes all, who stretches out the heavens alone, who spreads out the earth by Myself" (Isaiah 44:24). "Who was with Me" is written: who was a partner with Me in the creation of the world? From the beginning of the creation of the world the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to make a partnership with the lower beings. Consider it either way: if the verse means to count, it need not say "one, two, three" or "first, second, third"; perhaps "one, second, third." When did the Holy One, blessed be He, repay them? At the raising of the Tabernacle, as it is said, "And the one who brought his offering on the first day" (Numbers 7:12), first to the creation of the world.