We look up, we see them... but where are they situated in the grand scheme of the cosmos?
Well, according to Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of Rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, the sun and moon reside in the second firmament. As it says in Genesis 1:17, "God set them in the firmament of the heavens.” Simple enough, right?
But wait, there's more! Rabbi Pinchas, quoting Rabbi Abahu, goes even further. Referencing Nehemiah 9:6 – "You, the Lord, alone, You made the heavens, the heaven of heavens, and all their host…" – they ask: where is all that heavenly host actually located? The answer? In the firmament above the heavens! Layers upon layers, a celestial onion, if you will.
And these firmaments aren't exactly next door to each other either. We're told the distance from the earth to the first firmament is a staggering five hundred years’ walk. And the thickness of that firmament? Another five hundred years’ walk! Then, from that firmament to the next, you guessed it: another five hundred years’ walk. It really makes you think about the sheer scale of it all.
Think about the summer solstice. Bereshit Rabbah notes that on the first day of the summer solstice, there's no shade to be found anywhere. The sun is directly overhead, and as Psalms 19:7 says, "Nothing can shelter from its heat.” Intense, right?
And here’s an interesting tidbit: the orb of the sun has a sheath, like a protective covering. As Psalms 19:5 puts it, "In a tent within, He placed the sun.” And there's a pool of water in front of it! The Zohar tells us that when the sun emerges from this sheath, God mitigates its strength with that water, preventing it from incinerating the world. Imagine the power contained within that star!
But, the text hints, things will change in the future. The Holy One, blessed be He, will strip the sun of its sheath and use its full power to burn the wicked, as Malachi 3:19 prophesizes: "The day that is coming will burn them.” Yikes.
This leads to a debate about Gehenna, often translated as Hell. Rabbi Yanai and Rabbi Shimon argue that there won't be a Gehenna in the future. Instead, there will be a single, scorching day that burns up the wicked, drawing again from Malachi 3:19: "For, behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace…"
But the Rabbis disagree. They maintain that there will be a Gehenna, a real fire, pointing to Isaiah 31:9: "The utterance of the Lord, for whom there is fire in Zion…"
Then Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai offers a third perspective: there will be neither a scorching day nor a Gehenna. Instead, a fire will emerge from the bodies of the wicked themselves and consume them, citing Isaiah 33:11: "Conceive stubble, give birth to straw, your spirit is a fire that will consume you.” A rather poetic, if terrifying, image.
Rabbi Yehoshua bar Avin adds a final thought: "The heavens will declare His beneficence" (Psalms 50:6). He suggests that in the future, the heavens will testify to God's kindness in not placing them in the first firmament. Because if they had, no living creature could have withstood the sun's fiery heat.
It really gives you pause, doesn't it? To consider the delicate balance of the cosmos, the layers of protection, and the sheer power that's being carefully managed. It makes you appreciate the world around us – and perhaps inspires a little bit of awe for the One who created it all.