Today, let's delve into the second day, a day of division, fire, and angels, as described in Legends of the Jews by Ginzberg.
According to tradition, on the second day, God brought forth four distinct creations: the firmament (rakia in Hebrew), hell, fire, and the angels. Now, the firmament isn't just the heavens we saw on day one. Think of it as a crystalline structure, a shield stretched above the celestial beings known as Hayyot, which gives light to the heavens, much like the sun gives light to the earth.
Its primary function? To separate the waters above from the waters below. A cosmic divider, if you will. Ginzberg explains that this firmament, though only three fingers thick, manages to keep apart these immense bodies of water – the lower waters that form the foundations of our world and the upper waters that underpin the seven heavens, the Divine Throne, and the abode of the angels.
But this separation wasn't exactly smooth sailing. Midrash Rabbah tells us that when God commanded the waters to gather in one place so dry land could appear, some waters resisted! They clung to each other even more tightly. Imagine the audacity! This act angered God so much that He considered undoing all of creation, plunging everything back into chaos.
He even summoned the Angel of the Face to destroy the world! But then, according to Legends of the Jews, an angel began to sing praises to God, reminding Him of the future generations who would worship Him, of Abraham and his descendants who would accept the yoke of His kingdom. The angel pleaded for mercy, asking, "If Thou destroyest it, who will fulfil Thy will?"
And God relented. He withdrew the command, but the rebellious waters? He placed them under the mountains, where they remain to this day. Interestingly, the waters below didn’t just rebel because they were told to separate. They were also upset because the waters above rejoiced at being closer to God and His Holy Throne. The waters below, feeling unworthy, tried to rise, but God pushed them down.
Yet, they weren't forgotten. The Zohar tells us that whenever the waters above want to praise God, they must first ask permission from the waters below. A fascinating reminder that even in division, there's interconnectedness.
Now, here's a somber detail. Unlike the other days of creation, God didn't declare the second day "good." Why? Because it introduced division where there was once unity, and it also saw the creation of hell. Yes, on the second day, hell, or Gehenna, came into being.
According to Legends of the Jews, hell is a multi-layered abyss with seven divisions: Sheol, Abaddon, Beer Shahat, Tit ha-Yawen, Sha'are Mawet, Sha'are Zalmawet, and Gehenna. Each division takes hundreds of years to traverse, filled with rivers of fire and hail, guarded by countless Angels of Destruction, and teeming with scorpions bearing deadly venom. A truly terrifying image, right?
Finally, the third creation of the second day: the angels. Both ministering angels and angels of praise. Why weren't they created on the first day? To prevent the misconception that they assisted God in creating the heavens and the earth.
Angels, fashioned from fire, take on fiery forms in heaven. But when they descend to earth, they transform into wind or assume human guises to carry out God's will. There's a celestial hierarchy, with archangels like Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael leading the ranks around the Divine Throne.
All the angels praise God, proclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts." But here's where it gets interesting: humans, specifically Israel, take precedence! According to Legends of the Jews, God silences the angels until He has heard the songs, praises, prayers, and melodies of Israel. Only then do the angels join in the chorus.
Before their glorification, the ministering angels purify themselves in a stream of fire and flame, ensuring they are free from any earthly taint before ascending to the seventh heaven. Adorned with fiery crowns and garments, they then join the other celestial beings in praising God in unison.
So, the second day of creation wasn't just about separation and division. It was also about loyalty, praise, and the unique role of humanity in the cosmic order. It reminds us that even amidst division and judgment, there's always room for redemption and the power of praise to shift the course of the Divine. What do you think this teaches us about our role in the world today?