Creation of Heavens and Earth

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In the Beginning

TANAKH

The Torah begins with the profound statement 'When God began to create heaven and earth,' setting the stage for the entire narrative of creation. The opening verse of Genesis introduces the initial act of creation, emphasizing the foundational belief in God as the Creator of the universe.

When God began to create heaven and earth—

Genesis 1:1

The Contraction of Infinite Light

KABBALAH

The concept of the initial contraction of the Infinite Light offers a profound understanding of the mystical process of creation. Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag’s work, Talmud Eser HaSefirot, explores the state before creation where the Infinite Light filled all existence, leading to the creation of space for emanation and creation.

1. Explaining the concept of the initial contraction, where the Infinite Light contracted in order to emanate the emanated and create the created. And within it are five aspects: Before the contraction, there was the Infinite, filling all of existence. *The Tree of Life, Gate 1, Branch 2. Know that before the emanation of the emanated and the creation of the created, there was a simple, supreme light filling all of existence. There was no empty space, void, or vacuum; rather, everything was filled with that simple, undifferentiated light…

Talmud Eser HaSefirot, Section I 1:1

Worlds Before Our Own

REFERENCE

The idea that God created and destroyed multiple worlds before settling on the current one offers a profound perspective on divine perfection and purpose. This teaching from Rabbi Avahu, recorded in the Jerusalem Talmud, an ancient corpus of law, ethics, and stories from the land of Israel, delves into the mystical and midrashic themes of creation and destruction.

During a discussion on the manner in which the world had been created, Rabbi Avahu said: “God had created previous worlds which He destroyed, because He had not been pleased with them until He created the present world which is permanent.”

The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume II; The Amoraim of Palestine and the Jerusalem Talmud, Rabbi Avahu of Caesaria 16

The Unveiling of Creation

KABBALAH

The heavens and earth were in a state of potentiality until the creation of humankind, which revealed all hidden powers in the earth. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, explores the esoteric aspects of the Torah, including the creation of the world and the role of humankind.

Zohar, Vayera 1:2

Metaphors in the Creation Story

JEWISH THOUGHT

The creation story in the Torah is not entirely literal but also contains metaphorical depth, as stated by Maimonides. Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, a prominent Jewish thinker, addresses the reconciliation of faith and modern scientific claims about evolution.

That the creation story in the Torah is not entirely literal, but that it also has a depth of metaphor in it, has already been stated by Maimonides. In any event, [whether or not the creation story is to be understood literally] is not one of the basic Torah principles. He said, may his memory be a blessing, that if he had proof for the eternity of matter, he would explain the verses regarding creation in the same manner that he had explained the verses [that describe God using] anthropomorphism…

For the Perplexed of the Generation 5:1

The Sun and Moon's Roles in the Heavens

TARGUM

The narrative of the moon's diminution and the sun's appointment as the greater light adds a fascinating layer to the biblical account of the heavens and the earth. The Targum Jonathan, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, provides additional narrative details and explanations.

And the Lord made two great luminaries; and they were equal in glory twenty and one years, less six hundred and two and seventy parts of an hour. And afterwards the moon recited against the sun a false report; and she was diminished, and the sun was appointed to be the greater light to rule the day; and the moon to be the inferior light to rule in the night, and the stars.

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 1:16

When Was the Universe Created?

CHASIDUT

The rabbis debated whether the universe was created in Tishrei or Nisan, reflecting deeper spiritual and calendrical significance. Tzvi Elimelekh Shapira of Dinov, in his early 19th-century chassidic work, explores these differing opinions and their implications.

R' Eliezer holds that the universe was created in Tishrei and R' Yehoshua holds in Nisan. And they're both true according to our master the Arizal, this one in action and this one in thought.

Bnei Yissaschar, Tamuz and Av 4:3:3-4

Debating Creation

MIDRASH

The debate between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya offers a fascinating perspective on the timing and process of creation, challenging our understanding of how the universe came into being. Bereshit Rabbah, a talmudic-era midrashic work on the book of Genesis, provides deep insights into the creation narrative found in the Book of Genesis.

Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: “The heavens and the earth…were completed” (Genesis 2:1) – at their designated time. “And their entire host” (Genesis 2:1) – at their designated time. Rabbi Neḥemya said to him: But is it not written: “These are the outgrowths of the heavens and of the earth when they were created [on the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens]” – which teaches that on the same day they were created they produced their outgrowths? He said to him: But is it not written: “It was evening, it was morning…

Bereshit Rabbah 12:4

The Mystical Significance of Seven in Creation

CHASIDUT

The number seven in the days of creation symbolizes the elemental spiritual forces that shape our material world. In his contemporary work, Zev Reichman delves into the mystical significance of the seven days of creation, exploring how each day represents a fundamental spiritual force.

The number seven recalls the days of the week and also God’s creation of the world. On each of the seven days of creation, He formed a different elemental spiritual force. These spiritual forces devolved into the material world. The number seven symbolizes these forces and the totality of the natural world’s origins.

Flames of Faith 1:16

The Pinnacle of Creation

JEWISH THOUGHT

The creation narrative in Genesis is not just a sequence of events but a progression towards perfection, culminating in the creation of man. Rabbi Nissim of Gerona, in his 14th-century sermons, explores the idea that each stage of creation is more perfect than the last, with man being the pinnacle of this divine process.

And now we return to the order of the parshah, whose unifying idea is that whatever comes later in the creation is more perfect than what comes before. For on the first day there were created the elements, the most distant from perfection, and, on the sixth day, man, the closest to perfection. And all that is created first is an entrance, introduction, and preparation for what comes afterwards. This is the plain meaning of the verses. As to the statement of the sages (Chagigah 12a) that the light created on the first day was superior to that created afterwards…

Derashot HaRan 1:35

The Order of Creation

TALMUD

The sequence of creation, specifically whether the heavens or the earth were created first, is a fundamental question in understanding the biblical account of creation. In Tractate Tamid, the Elders of the Negev respond to Alexander's question by citing Genesis 1:1, which states that God created the heavens before the earth.

Alexander continued to ask questions of the Elders of the Negev. He said to them: Were the heavens created first or was the earth created first? They said: The heavens were created first, as it is stated: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

Tamid 32a:3

Praising the Creator Through Natural Phenomena

HALAKHAH

The blessing 'oseh ma'aseh bereshit' is recited for various natural phenomena, each evoking praise of God as the Creator in a unique way. Rabbi J. David Bleich categorizes these phenomena into three distinct types, despite the blessing having a single formula.

But how does this relate to the blessing "oseh ma'aseh bereshit—who makes the work of creation"? Shulḥan Arukh, Oraḥ Hayyim 227:1, rules that the blessing oseh ma'aseh bereshit is recited upon witnessing meteors or lightning and upon experiencing an earthquake or extraordinary winds. That is followed by Shulḥan Arukh's codification in Oraḥ Hayyim 228:1 of the provision of Halakhah requiring recitation of the same blessing upon sighting tall mountains, deep canyons or certain rivers and, finally, in the ruling in Oraḥ Hayyim 229:2…

Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol VI, Chapter 3 In the Wake of Birkat ha Hammah 5769 36

The Unity of Creation

MUSAR

The unity of night and day in creation demonstrates that they are not governed by different deities, but are part of a single divine act. Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz’s 17th-century work, Shenei Luchot HaBerit, explores the concept of G-d's self-restriction (צמצום) in the act of creation, emphasizing the universe as an act of divine self-limitation.

This is the reason that we recite the paragraphs dealing with G–d having created the universe both in the mornings and in the evenings immediately prior to reciting the Kriyat Shema declaration. In those paragraphs we mention G–d as having created both night and day in order to demonstrate our conviction that they are part of the same whole and do not represent different domains presided over by different deities. This is why the Torah, when describing the process of creation, keeps saying ויהי ערב ויהי בוקר, "it was evening it was morning." Night is part of the unit called day and vice versa…

Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Terumah, Torah Ohr 23

Marvels of Creation

TANAKH

The awe and wonder inspired by the vastness and intricacies of the universe, as well as the continuous marvels revealed by scientific discoveries, amplify the awareness of divine creation. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his final compilation of essays, explores the intersection of faith and reason, drawing on the works of Maimonides and the prophetic visions of Isaiah.

The case Rambam made in the twelfth century, long before the rise of science, has been compounded a thousand times with our accelerated knowledge of the nature of the universe. Every new discovery of the vastness of the cosmos, and the wonders of the micro-cosmos, fills the mind with awe. “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?” (Is. 40:26).

I Believe; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Noah; The Light in the Ark 14

The Division of Waters

SECOND TEMPLE

The division of waters on the second day of creation highlights the specific act of separation and organization of the waters. The Book of Jubilees, an apocryphal retelling of the events of the books of Genesis and Exodus, offers a detailed retelling of Genesis and Exodus, providing additional insights and interpretations.

And on the second day He created the firmament in the midst of the waters, and the waters were divided on that day--half of them went up above and half of them went down below the firmament (that was) in the midst over the face of the whole earth.

Book of Jubilees 2:8

The Covenant of the Sabbath

COMMENTARY

The Sabbath is not just a day of rest but a sign of the unique covenant between God and the Jewish people. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s commentary on the creation narrative highlights the divine cessation from work and the Jewish people's participation in this divine rest.

Between Me and the children of Israel, it is a sign of the covenant forever. For this sign indicates that in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was invigorated. When the Jewish people pause from their labors and rest on the Sabbath, they participate in the divine cessation from work, and thereby testify to the relationship and covenant between them and God.

Steinsaltz on Exodus 31:17

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