Parshat Bereshit4 min read

The Lower Waters Protested Their Distance From God

When God split the waters, the lower waters wept and surged toward the Throne. God rebuked them, but the grief of that first separation never fully ended.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Wound of the Second Day
  2. The Waters That Rushed Upward
  3. A Cosmic Pool Above and Below
  4. What the Waters Remembered

The Wound of the Second Day

On the second day of creation, God placed a firmament between waters above and waters below. The separation was necessary. Without it, the world could not hold any shape. But necessity does not always feel like comfort to the ones divided.

The lower waters did not accept their place quietly. Some Jewish sources remember the second day of creation as a wound, the first moment in the universe when something was separated from what it had been joined to, and felt the distance as real, and protested.

The Waters That Rushed Upward

When the lower waters were gathered into seas, they surged. They pushed upward, nearly reaching the Throne of Glory before God rebuked them and held them in place. The image is dramatic, and the Talmudic tradition in Tractate Taanit preserves it without embarrassment. The sea does not want only its basin. It wants nearness. The creature wants to return to the source it was separated from, and the separation was not the creature's choice.

This is not evil. The lower waters are not rebel angels. They are creatures grieving distance from the one who made them. Their rebellion is dangerous because water without boundaries destroys the world, and the world requires the distinction between the deep and the dry land. But the desire underneath the rebellion is recognizable. It is the desire to be close to God, the same desire that drives prayer, that fills the Psalms, that keeps a person returning to Torah long after the obligation has been technically fulfilled.

A Cosmic Pool Above and Below

The firmament itself, in the Zoharic reading, is not a neutral membrane. It is a cosmic pool, a vast expanse of water held between upper and lower, suspended by divine decree against the desire of the lower waters to rejoin what is above them. The firmament does not resolve the grief. It holds the grief in place so that the world can be inhabited.

This reading turns the sky into a sustained act of restraint. Every day that the firmament holds its position is another day in which the lower waters are kept from their rush upward, another day in which the desire for union is contained in the form of an ordered world. The sky is not emptiness. It is the shape that God's restraining presence takes when the waters want to collapse the distinction between earth and heaven.

What the Waters Remembered

A verse in the Psalms reads: the waters saw You and quaked. The Mekhilta and related midrashic sources hear that verse differently from its plain sense. The waters saw God at the sea of reeds when Israel crossed and the Egyptians drowned. But behind that crossing lay the original separation: waters that had once been close to God, had been divided from what was above them, and recognized at the moment of the Exodus something in the divine presence that moved through them like memory.

The lower waters quaked at the sea not only because God was powerful. They quaked because they remembered what they had once been near and were near again, briefly, in the moment when creation's purpose momentarily concentrated itself into the rescue of a people walking through on dry ground.

CreationMysticismWaterFirmamentZoharMidrash
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From the tradition

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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Zohar 1:17aZohar

We look up and see blue, maybe clouds, but according to ancient Jewish wisdom, it's so much more than that. It’s a carefully maintained separation, a cosmic balancing act between the "waters above" and the "waters below."

Think about the very beginning. (Genesis 1:6) tells us, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." Simple enough. Except, it wasn't. These waters, these primal forces, didn't want to be separated. They clung to each other, resisting the Divine decree. Imagine the push and pull, the yearning to reunite!

How did God manage it? Some say He used His little finger, yes, His little finger!, to tear them apart, forcing half of the waters downward. Others suggest a fiery force intervened, separating them with weeping. Either way, the separation wasn’t easy. It was a cosmic struggle, a wrenching apart of two things deeply connected.

So, what are these “waters above” and “waters below?” Well, Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) tradition sees them as masculine and feminine energies, irresistibly drawn to one another. The upper waters are considered masculine, and the lower waters, feminine. Think of the rain falling, fertilizing the earth – a classic image of union.

And what about that firmament, that rakia, the expanse we call the sky? It’s not just empty space. It’s the meeting place, the grand arena where the upper waters gather, ready to nourish the earth. When the time is right, they call out to the lower waters, "Receive me!" And just as a female receives a male, the earth welcomes the rain, and life flourishes.

But here’s the really part: this separation isn’t just a one-time event. It’s an ongoing process, a constant balancing act. If that firmament, that division, were to disappear for even a moment, the world would dissolve back into chaos, as if it had never existed! The sky, therefore, isn't just a pretty backdrop; it's a vital cosmic separator, maintaining order and life as we know it.

The Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mysticism, takes this idea even further. It identifies the upper waters with Elohim, one of God's names, and the lower waters with Yahweh, another, more intimate name. (Zohar 1:17b). This is a deeply mystical reading, suggesting a complex interplay between different aspects of the Divine.

The Zohar connects the upper waters to Hesed, Lovingkindness, and the lower waters to Gevurah (Severity), Power (Zohar 1:17b). These are two of the ten Sefirot, the emanations of divine energy through which God manifests in the world. Lovingkindness and Power – perfectly balanced, eternally yearning for each other.

And that fire that separated the waters? According to the Zohar, it's linked to the fire of Gehenna, often translated as Hell, providing this as the origin of that fire. (Zohar 1:17b). Heavy stuff!

The Zohar (1:18a) also highlights the importance of diversity. "As long as the upper and lower waters were commingled, there was no production in the world. This could only take place when they were separated and became distinct." In other words, creation itself depends on differentiation, on the tension and interplay between opposing forces.

So, the next time you look up at the sky, remember: it's not just empty space. It's a evidence of the power of separation, the yearning for connection, and the delicate balance that sustains all of existence. It’s a reminder that even in division, there is potential for incredible creation. What separations are in your own life right now that may be creating space for something new? Something amazing?

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Ta'anit 10aTalmud Bavli, Ta'anit

verse deals with the creation of the world, when all the water was contained in the deep.

The Sages taught in a baraita: Eretz Yisrael was created first and the rest of the entire world was created afterward, as it is stated: “While as yet He had not made the land, nor the fields” (Proverbs 8:26). Here, and in the following statements, the term “land” is understood as a reference to the Land of Israel, while “the fields” means all the fields in other lands. Furthermore, Eretz Yisrael is watered by the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself, and the rest of the entire world is watered through an intermediary, as it is stated: “Who gives rain upon the land, and sends water upon the fields” (Job 5:10).

Additionally, Eretz Yisrael drinks rainwater and the rest of the entire world drinks from the remaining residue of rainwater left in the clouds, as it is stated that God is He “who gives rain upon the land” and only afterward takes what is left “and sends water upon the fields.” Eretz Yisrael drinks first, and the rest of the entire world afterward, as it is stated: “Who gives rain upon the land and sends water upon the fields.” There is a parable that illustrates this: A person who kneads his cheese after it has curdled takes the food and leaves the refuse.

The Master said above: The ocean waters are sweetened in the clouds. The Gemara asks: From where does Rabbi Eliezer derive this? The Gemara answers that Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said that it is written: “Darkness [ḥeshkhat] of waters, thick clouds of the skies” (Psalms 18:12). And it is written, in a similar verse: “Gathering of [ḥashrat] waters, thick clouds of the skies” (II Samuel 22:12).

The Gemara explains the significance of this minor variation. These two phrases vary in only one word, which themselves differ by only one letter, a kaf for a reish. If you join the two versions together, and take the letter kaf from the first version and place it with the second version of the word, which has a reish, you can read into the verse a new word meaning rendering fit [ḥakhsharat]. Accordingly, the verse can be interpreted as: The rendering fit of water is performed in the clouds of the sky.

The Gemara asks: And Rabbi Yehoshua, with regard to these verses, what does he learn from them? The Gemara answers that Rabbi Yehoshua holds in accordance with the opinion of this Sage, Rav Dimi. As when Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he said that they say in the West, Eretz Yisrael: When clouds are bright, they have little water; when clouds are dark, they have much water. Accordingly, Rabbi Yehoshua explains that when there is “a darkness of waters” in the clouds, there is also “a gathering of waters,” as rain will fall from them.

The Gemara asks: In accordance with whose opinion is that which is taught in a baraita: The upper waters do not stand in any defined place; rather, they are suspended by the word of God, and their fruit is rainwater, as it is stated: “Who waters the mountains from His upper chambers; the earth is full of the fruit of Your works” (Psalms 104:13). In accordance with whose opinion is this statement? It is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua. And Rabbi Eliezer, how does he explain this verse? Rabbi Eliezer could say: That verse from Psalms is written with regard to the handiwork of the Holy One, Blessed be He, not the upper waters.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The entire world drinks from the runoff of the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden” (Genesis 2:10). It was taught in a baraita: From the runoff of a beit kor, a field in which a kor of seed can be planted, which is approximately seventy-five thousand square cubits, a field in which a half-se’a [tarkav], of seed can be sown, i.e. one-sixtieth the size of a beit kor, can be watered. If the runoff from a beit kor is sufficient for a field one-sixtieth its size, it can be inferred that the rest of the world is one-sixtieth the size of the Garden of Eden.

The Sages taught in a baraita: The area of the land of Egypt is four hundred parasangs [parsa] by four hundred parasangs. And this is one sixtieth the size of Cush, and Cush itself is one sixtieth the size of the rest of the world. And the world is one sixtieth of the Garden of Eden, and the Garden of Eden is one sixtieth of Eden itself, and Eden is one sixtieth of Gehenna. You find that the entire world is like a pot cover for Gehenna, as Eden, which is far larger than the rest of the world, is only one sixtieth the size of Gehenna. And some say: Gehenna has no measure. And some say that Eden has no measure.

Rabbi Oshaya said: What is the meaning of that which is written about Babylonia: “You who dwells on many waters, abundant in storehouses” (Jeremiah 51:13)? What caused Babylonia to have storehouses full of grain? You must say that it is due to the fact that it resides on many waters, the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, which render its land easy to irrigate. Similarly, Rav said: Babylonia is wealthy since it can grow crops for harvest even without rain. Abaye said: We hold that it is better for a land to be swampy like Babylonia, and not dry, as crops in Babylonia grow all year.

MISHNA: On the third of the month of Marḥeshvan one starts to request rain by inserting the phrase: And give dew and rain, in the blessing of the years, the ninth blessing of the Amida. Rabban Gamliel says: One starts to request rain on the seventh of Marḥeshvan, which is fifteen days after the festival of Sukkot. Rabban Gamliel explains that one waits these extra four days so that the last pilgrim of the Jewish people, who traveled to Jerusalem on foot for the Festival, can reach the Euphrates River without being inconvenienced by rain on his journey home.

GEMARA: Rabbi Elazar said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabban Gamliel, that one does not begin to request rain until the seventh of Marḥeshvan. It is taught in a baraita that Ḥananya says: And in the Diaspora one does not begin to request rain until sixty days into the season, i.e., sixty days after the autumnal equinox. Rav Huna bar Ḥiyya said that Shmuel said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Ḥananya.

The Gemara asks: Is that so? But they raised a dilemma before Shmuel: From when does one mention: And give dew and rain? He said to them: From when they bring wood into the house of Tavut the bird hunter [rishba]. This is apparently a different date than that mentioned by Ḥananya. The Gemara suggests: Perhaps this and that are one measure of time, i.e., Shmuel merely provided a sign of sixty days after the autumnal equinox.

A dilemma was raised before the Sages: Is the sixtieth day itself treated as part of the period before the sixtieth day or is it included in the period after the sixtieth day? The Gemara answers. Come and hear that there is a dispute in this regard. Rav said: The sixtieth day is part of the period after the sixtieth day, and Shmuel said: The sixtieth day is part of the period before the sixtieth.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: And your mnemonic to remember the divergent opinions is: Those above require water; those below do not require water. Since water flows downward, those who live in low places receive their water from above and are generally in less need of additional water. Accordingly, Shmuel, who lived in the lowlands of Babylonia, ruled that one begins to request for rain later, whereas Rav, who studied in Eretz Yisrael, which is higher in elevation and has a greater need for rain, stated an earlier date. Rav Pappa said: The halakha is that the sixtieth day is part of the period after the sixtieth day, as stated by Rav, and therefore one begins to mention the request for rain on the sixtieth day after the autumnal equinox.

MISHNA: If the seventeenth of Marḥeshvan arrived and rain has not fallen, individuals, but not the entire community, begin to fast three fasts for rain. How are these fasts conducted? As the fast begins in the morning, one may eat and drink after dark, and one is permitted during the days of the fasts themselves to engage in the performance of work, in bathing, in smearing oil on one’s body, in wearing shoes, and in conjugal relations. If the New Moon of Kislev arrived and rain has still not fallen, the court decrees three fasts on the entire community. Similar to the individual fasts, everyone may eat and drink after dark, and they are permitted to engage in the performance of work, in bathing, in smearing one’s body with oil, in wearing shoes, and in conjugal relations.

GEMARA: The Gemara asks: Who are these individuals mentioned in the mishna? Rav Huna said: This is referring to the Sages, who are held to a higher standard and are expected to undertake fasts even when ordinary people do not. And Rav Huna further said: The individuals who fast the three fasts do so on a Monday, and on the next Thursday, and again on the following Monday.

The Gemara asks: What is Rav Huna teaching us? We already learned this (15b): The court may not decree a fast on the community starting from a Thursday, so as not to cause an increase in prices. Rather, the first three fasts are established on Monday, and Thursday, and Monday. What does Rav Huna’s statement add to this ruling?

The Gemara answers: Rav Huna’s comment is necessary, lest you say that this applies only to a community, but that in the case of an individual, no, the series of three fasts does not have to start on a Monday. This opinion is also taught in a baraita with regard to those mentioned in the mishna: When the individuals begin to fast, they fast on a Monday, a Thursday, and a Monday. And if one of the fast days occurs on a day with special observances, they interrupt the sequence for New Moons,

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Bereshit Rabbah 4:5Bereshit Rabbah

The rakia, the firmament – that expanse we see as the sky – is like a gigantic pool of water. Above that pool, there's a dome, and because of this cosmic pool, you get condensation, thick droplets forming. These drops then fall into the saltwater below, but here's the kicker: they don't mix!

It sounds crazy. But Rabbi Yona tells us not to be so surprised. Think about the Jordan River flowing right through the Sea of Tiberias (the Kinneret), and somehow, miraculously, its waters don't mingle. There's something…else at play here. A divine hand, perhaps?

This leads us to pondering the very nature of rainfall. Consider this: If you're sifting wheat or even stubble, the moment those particles start to fall, even a short distance, they're all jumbled together. Yet, raindrops travel vast distances, sometimes what feels like years, and they remain distinct! It's mind-boggling.

Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Shimon offers another perspective. He says that God rains them down by measure, citing the verse in (Job 36:27), "For He deducts [yigara] drops of water." He connects this to (Leviticus 27:18), "It will be deducted [venigra] from your valuation," pointing out that all deduction is done with precision. Meaning, God isn't just throwing water willy-nilly; there's a careful calculation happening with each and every drop.

But that's not all! The text then draws a comparison between the earth and the heavens. It states that the thickness of the earth is equivalent to the thickness of the firmament. How do we know this? Through a verbal analogy! (Isaiah 40:22) says, "It is He who sits over the circuit [ḥug] of the earth…" and (Job 22:14) says, "in the circuit [ḥug] of the heavens He makes His way." The repetition of ḥug, ḥug, links them, establishing the comparison.

However, Rav Aḥa, quoting Rabbi Ḥanina, complicates things a bit. He suggests that the firmament is actually like a thin sheet of metal, not as thick as the earth. Rabbi Yehoshua bar Rabbi Neḥemya chimes in, estimating its thickness to be only about two or three fingerbreadths. Suddenly, the image shifts from a massive pool to something far more delicate.

Then Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi throws in a numerical observation. He says the upper waters contain approximately thirty kesustas (a certain measure of volume) more than the lower waters. His proof? The phrase "and let it divide between water and water [lamayim]". The numerical value of the Hebrew word lamayim is 30 more than the numerical value of mayim (water)! It's a clever, intricate interpretation.

But wait, there's more debate! The Rabbis have another opinion: it's half and half. So, even they couldn't agree on the exact proportions of the upper and lower waters.

What does it all mean? Well, maybe the point isn't to have a definitive scientific explanation of rainfall, but rather to marvel at the sheer complexity and mystery of creation. To recognize the divine artistry in every raindrop, and to appreciate the intricate connections between the heavens and the earth. The ancient rabbis weren't just describing the weather, they were inviting us to contemplate the very nature of God's creation, and the hidden wonders woven into the fabric of our world.

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Mekhilta Tractate Vayehi Beshalach 5:19Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael

Whence do you derive (the same for) the upper and the lower waters and the depths? From (Psalms 77:17) "The waters saw You, O G–d; the waters saw You and quaked. The depths quaked as well." "The waters saw You". These are the waters crossed by Israel, which dried up at the word of the Holy One Blessed be He, viz. (Ibid. 114:3) "The sea saw and fled." "the waters saw You and quaked". These are the upper waters. "The depths quaked as well". These are the lower waters. And thus is it written (Ibid. 77:18) "Clouds streamed water; the heavens rumbled". These are the upper waters. (Ibid.) "Your gravels, too, went out". These are the lower waters. And it is written (Habakkuk 3:10) "The depths have raised their voice, etc." And when they (the waters of the Red Sea) returned to their place, all the waters of the world followed suit, as it is written (Exodus 14:28) "And the waters returned". All of the waters in the world returned to their places.

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Legends of the Jews 1:27Legends of the Jews

It wasn't all smooth sailing, that's for sure. In fact, according to some fascinating threads in Jewish tradition, there was a bit of a rebellion right at the start.

the separation of the waters – dividing them into upper and lower realms – was a unique act in the creation story. Unlike other acts which unified things, this one separated. And, as Ginzberg retells it in Legends of the Jews, that caused some, shall we say, difficulties.

When God commanded, "Let the waters be gathered together, unto one place, and let the dry land appear," not all the waters were thrilled. Some clung to each other, refusing to part. Imagine the scene! God, in His divine displeasure, was ready to throw the whole project back into chaos!

He even summoned the Angel of the Face (an angel who is said to be closest to God), ordering him to destroy the world. Picture this angel opening his eyes wide, scorching fires and thick clouds rolling forth as he cried out, "He who divides the Red Sea in sunder!" – a reference to a future miracle. Yet, even with this display of power, the rebellious waters stood their ground. The world teetered on the brink of annihilation.

But then, a voice rose in praise. It was the singer of God's praises, pleading: "O Lord of the world, in days to come Thy creatures will sing praises without end to Thee.. Thou wilt set Abraham apart.. and his descendants will take the yoke of Thy kingdom upon themselves.. Thou wilt bestow Thy Torah (teaching, law) upon them, with the words, 'I am the Lord your God,' whereunto they will make answer, 'All that God hath spoken we will do.' And now I beseech Thee, have pity upon Thy world, destroy it not, for if Thou destroyest it, who will fulfil Thy will?"

Talk about high stakes! Luckily, God was appeased. He withdrew the command to destroy the world, but, as a compromise, He placed the rebellious waters under the mountains, where they remain to this day.

Now, why were these waters so resistant to being separated? It wasn't just about being contrary. The waters, had been the first to praise God. When the decree came to divide them, the upper waters rejoiced, exclaiming, "Blessed are we who are privileged to abide near our Creator and near His Holy Throne!" They flew upward, singing and praising.

But the lower waters? They were heartbroken. "Woe unto us," they lamented, "we have not been found worthy to dwell in the presence of God, and praise Him together with our companions." Driven by longing, they tried to rise, but God pushed them back, securing them beneath the earth.

However, their loyalty wasn't forgotten. They received a special reward. As the story goes, whenever the waters above desire to praise God, they must first seek permission from the waters below. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, even in their "lower" position, they maintain a vital role in the divine chorus.

Isn't that a beautiful image? Even in separation, there's connection, a constant interplay. It makes you wonder about the things in our own lives that feel like "lower waters", the challenges, the perceived shortcomings. Maybe, just maybe, they too have a unique role to play in the grand scheme of things, a hidden voice waiting to be heard.

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