We often read the Creation story in Genesis and think we understand it. But what if there's a deeper layer, a secret code waiting to be unlocked?
Let's look at the verse, "And to rule during the day and at night, and to divide between the light and the darkness, and God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:18). Seems straightforward, right? But hold on. Rabbi Ilfa asks a crucial question in Bereshit Rabbah, a classical collection of Rabbinic homilies on the Book of Genesis. If this verse is about the sun and moon ruling, hasn’t that already been stated earlier, "The greater light to rule the day"? (Genesis 1:16). So, what’s really going on here?
Rabbi Ilfa suggests that this verse isn't just about the celestial bodies. It's also about the righteous. The righteous have a unique power: they can exert control over their physical selves – the "body that was created to illuminate during the day and the body that was created to illuminate at night." They have the power to transcend the limitations of the physical world.
This idea is then connected to the story of Joshua, who famously made the sun and moon stand still (Joshua 10:13). The verse states, "The sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance against their enemies. Is it not written in the book of the upright?” What is the book of the upright? It is the book of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Why is it called the book of the upright? It is as it is written: “Let me die the death of the upright” (Numbers 23:10).
Think about that for a moment. The power to command the sun and moon – to bend reality itself – is linked to the spiritual stature of these patriarchs. Rabbi Halafta, continuing Rabbi Ilfa's idea, applies it back to our verse: "And to rule during the day and at night." It’s about the power of the righteous to influence the world.
But the Rabbis don't stop there. Rabbi Hanin, in the name of Rabbi Shmuel, takes this concept further, applying it to the end of the book of Genesis and then to the end of the Torah, connecting Joshua to both Ephraim and Joseph. He sees Joshua not just as a military leader, but as a descendant of Joseph, fulfilling a prophecy. How could Ephraim be greater than Manasseh when Manasseh was larger? (Genesis 48:19, Numbers 26:34-37). How could Joseph be a "firstborn bull" who gores the nations when no king arose from Joseph to conquer the world? (Deuteronomy 33:17). The answer, they suggest, is in Joshua, who descended from them and whose actions resonated throughout the world.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai adds another layer, saying that the book of Deuteronomy was like a standard for Joshua. When God appeared to him, Joshua was studying Deuteronomy. God encouraged him, saying "“Be strong” Joshua, “be courageous” Joshua, “this book of the Torah shall not depart…”’ (Joshua 1:6–8). He then showed him the orb of the sun. Joshua, empowered by the Torah, commanded the sun to stand still.
And here’s where it gets really interesting. Rabbi Yitzḥak provides another perspective: Joshua, as a descendant of Joseph, reminded the sun of Joseph's dream where the sun and moon bowed down to him (Genesis 37:9). "Wayward slave," he essentially said, "don't you belong to my ancestor? You already bowed down to him in a dream!" Thereupon, “the sun stood still, and the moon [stopped].”
So, what does this all mean?
It's more than just a literal interpretation of the Creation story. It’s about the potential within each of us to connect to something larger than ourselves. It’s about the power of righteousness, Torah study, and fulfilling our potential to influence the world around us, maybe not by stopping the sun, but by making a difference in our own way. The ability to "rule during the day and at night" might just reside within each of us, waiting to be awakened.