Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an ancient and fascinating Midrashic text, gives us a glimpse into a truly remarkable cosmology. It paints a picture of the sun's nightly journey, its relationship with the Divine, and the delicate balance that sustains our world.
Imagine the sun, not as a distant star, but as a celestial traveler. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer tells us that the sun exits through apertures in the east and sets opposite them in the west. But here's the really beautiful part: the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, is always in the west. So, as the sun sets, it's described as worshipping before the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He! It proclaims, "Lord of all worlds! I have done according to all that Thou hast commanded me." What a powerful image!
There's this mysterious aperture in the middle of the firmament called M'zarim. The sun only passes through it once in its "great cycle," like a reset to its original created state.
And at night? The sun is in the west, submerged in the waters of the Ocean between the heavens and the earth during the Tekufah of Tishri (autumn) and Tekufah of Tevet (winter). Think of it: a cosmic bath! The text explains that the night is long and the way is long for the sun to reach the aperture in the east, the one it needs to pass through to begin its next journey.
The text even quotes Ecclesiastes 1:6: "It goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north." This refers to the sun's changing course during the year. South during Tishri and Tevet, north during Nisan (spring) and Tammuz (summer). Six months in the south, six months in the north. These circuits, these constant changes, are what bring the sun back to that eastern aperture.
Now, this is where it gets even more interesting. According to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, the sun has three letters of God's Name written on its "heart." And angels guide it! Different angels lead it by day than by night. It's like a celestial relay race! The sun rides in a chariot, crowned like a bridegroom, echoing Psalm 19:5, "Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his course."
But what about the sun's heat? How does the Earth survive? The text says the sun's rays and face, which are turned downwards, are actually made of hail! Without this hail to quench the flames, the world would be consumed by fire. As Psalm 19:6 says, "And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof."
And in winter? The sun turns the upper half of its face downwards, emitting fire to warm the hail. Without this fire, the world couldn't endure the ice and cold, echoing Psalm 147:17, "Who can stand before his cold?"
These are, according to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, the "ends of the ways of the sun."
So, the next time you watch the sun set, remember this ancient and beautiful vision. It's not just a star disappearing. It's a cosmic journey, a moment of worship, a delicate dance of fire and ice, all orchestrated by the Divine. It makes you think, doesn't it, about the hidden forces at play in our world, the constant cycle of renewal, and the profound mystery of creation.