And Jewish tradition, as always, offers some truly dazzling answers.
According to our Sages, on that inaugural day, GOD brought forth ten things. Ten! That's quite a busy first day on the job, wouldn’t you say? We're talking the heavens and the earth, of course – the very stage upon which all of existence would play out. But it doesn't stop there. We also have Tohu and Bohu, light and darkness, wind and water, and the duration of day and night. Quite the cosmic toolkit!
Now, let's unpack a few of these, shall we?
The heavens and the earth, seemingly so different, were created together, almost inseparable. The tradition puts it beautifully: "like the pot and its cover." A perfect fit, a unified whole, even in their distinctness. And where did the raw materials come from? The heavens, we're told, were fashioned from the very light of GOD's garment, while the earth came from the snow beneath the Divine Throne. Talk about divine origins!
Then there's Tohu and Bohu. These are trickier to grasp. Tohu (תהו) often translated as "formlessness" or "void," is described as a green band encircling the world, dispensing darkness. And Bohu (בהו), meaning "emptiness," consists of stones in the abyss, the very source of the waters. These aren't just abstract concepts; they're almost tangible forces shaping the nascent world.
But perhaps the most intriguing element of that first day is the light. The light created on the first day wasn't like the sunlight we know, the one that appeared later with the sun, moon, and stars on the fourth day. Oh no. This was something else entirely. This primordial light, according to the legends, was so powerful, so all-encompassing, that it would have allowed a person to see the entire world at a single glance! Imagine that – a panoramic view of creation, all at once.
So why don’t we have it now?
Well, as Ginzberg retells it in Legends of the Jews, anticipating the wickedness of the generations of the Flood and the Tower of Babel, generations who wouldn't appreciate such a gift, GOD concealed this extraordinary light. It was hidden away, waiting for a more deserving time. The Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mysticism, suggests that this light wasn't destroyed but rather reserved.
And when will it return?
According to tradition, it will reappear in the world to come, gracing the pious with its pristine glory. It's a powerful image, isn’t it? A reminder that even in darkness, there's always the promise of light, a light so brilliant it can illuminate the entire world. A light that was there at the very beginning, and will be there in the end. It makes you wonder: what will we do with that light when it returns?