Midrasch zu Bereschit 1:13

... Shimon bar Rav Abba said, in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, that "vayehi" serves [to introduce] joy or suffering. If [it comes to introduce] suffering, then the suffering [in question] is unparalleled. If [it comes to introduce] joy, then the joy [in question] is unparalleled. Rabbi Yishmael came and made the [following] division. Every place where it says “vayehi” there is no joy [and every place where it says] “vehaya” there is no suffering. They challenged him [citing Genesis 1:3] “And God said, “let there be light”, and there was [vaheyi] light.” He said to them, “even this case isn’t joyous, since the world didn’t merit to use that light, for Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said [regarding] the light created by the Holy One, blessed be He, on the first day [of creation], [that] a person could use it to see from one end of the universe to the other [from the beginning of time, to the end of time]. When the Holy One, blessed be he, saw [by this light] the deeds of the generation of Enosh, and the deeds of the generation of flood, that they were destructive, [God] arose and confiscated [the light] from them, as it is written, “Their light is withheld from the wicked,” (Job 38:15). And where was it placed? In the Garden of Eden; at it is said (Psalms 97:11): “Light is sown for the righteous, radiance for the upright” [i.e., the light of the first day of creation is reserved for the righteous in the world to come].” They challenged him [citing Genesis 1:5, which describes the first day of creation]: “And there was [vayehi] evening, and there was [vayehi] morning; day one.” He said to them, “even this case isn’t joyous, since everything that was created on the first day is destined to be destroyed, as it is written (Isaiah 51:6): “when the heavens will melt away like smoke, and the earth wear out like a garment”.” They challenged him [citing all the other days of creation since it is written], “and there was [vayehi] evening, and there was [vayehi] morning” [regarding] the second, third, fourth, fifth, [and] sixth day. He said to them, “even this case isn’t joyous, since [the creation was incomplete such that] everything created in the six days of creation required [human] labour [in order that it should be completed]. The wheat needed grinding. Mustard needed sweetening. The Lupin bean needs sweetening. They challenged him [citing Genesis 39:2, and its description of Jospeh’s success in the house of Potiphar, which reads]: “And it was [vayehi] that God was with Joseph, and it was [vayehi] that he was a successful man.” He said to them: “even this case isn’t joyous since it was because of this [success] that that wicked woman [i.e. Potiphar’s wife] chanced upon him." They challenged him [citing Leviticus 9:1, and its description of the completing of the inauguration of the Tabernacle]: “And it was [vayehi] on the eighth day”. He said to them: “even this case isn’t joyous, since on that day, Nadav and Avihu died.”They challenged him [citing the description, in the book of Numbers (7:1), of Moses completing the building of the Tabernacle]: “And it was [vayehi] on the day that Moses completed the raising of the Tabernacle”. He replied to them: “even this case isn’t joyous, since on the day that it was built it [was also collapsed and] stored away.” [Rabbi Yishmael is alluding to the fact that the Tabernacle was a portable structure, and just as Moses constructed it on that day, he also tested it by taking it apart. Moreover, this symbolises that the Tabernacle was not to be permanent]." They challenged him [by citing the verse from the book of Joshua (6:27)]: “And it was [vayehi] that God was with Joshua”. He replied to them: “even this case isn’t joyous [since it comes just before the military defeat in the city of Ai, in which Yair [son of Menashe], who was equivalent in stature to the majority of a Sanhedrin, was killed. As it says (Joshua 7:5): “And the men of Ai smote about thirty-six of [the Israelites]”. It doesn’t say [that they killed] 36 [men]; rather, it says that they killed "about" 36 men [literally, it says that they killed "something like" 36 men]. Rabbi Yudan said that this refers to Yair son of Menashe who was equivalent to the majority of a Sanhedrin [which would have 71 members; by killing him, it was as if they had killed 36 men].” They challenged him [by citing the verse from I Samuel (18:14): “And it was [Vayehi] that David was successful in all his undertakings, for the LORD was with him.” He replied to them: “even this case isn’t joyous since it is written regarding him, “From that day on Saul kept a jealous eye on David” (Ibid. 18:9).” They challenged him [by citing the verse from II Samuel (7:1)]: “And it was [vayehi] when the king was settled in his palace and God had granted him safety from all the enemies around him”. He replied to them: “even this case isn’t joyous because, on that very day, Nathan the prophet came and said to him, “Only, you will not build the Temple” (I Kings 8:19, and II Samuel 7:5).” They said to him, we have brought our own verses [as counter-examples to your theory. Now it’s your turn]. Say your own verses [as evidence for your theory]. He said to them [the following verses]: They said to him, we have brought our own verses [as counter-examples to your theory. Now it’s your turn]. Say your own verses [as evidence for your theory]. He said to them [the following verses]: “And it was [vehaya – this is an instance of the Prophetic Future Tense, when the Bible uses the past tense to describe the future, presumably because the prophetic future is as certain as the past], on that day: The mountains shall drip with wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the watercourses of Judah shall flow with water; A spring shall issue from the house of God and shall water the Wadi of the Acacias” (Joel 4:18); “And it was [vehaya], on that day: each man shall save alive a heifer of the herd and two animals of the flock” (Isaiah 7:21); “And it was [vehaya] on that day: fresh water shall flow from Jerusalem, part of it to the Eastern Sea and part to the Western Sea, throughout the summer and winter” (Zecharia 14:8); “He was [vehaya] like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, whose foliage never fades, and whatever it produces thrives” (Psalms 1:3); “The remnant of Jacob was [vehaya – once again used in the prophetic future tense] in the midst of many peoples, like dew from God, Like droplets on grass — Which do not look to any man nor place their hope in mortals” (Micah 5:6). They challenged him. “Is it not written “And it was [vehaya] when Jerusalem was captured” (Jeremiah 38:28)?” He said to them: “even this case contains no suffering, since on that day Israel received their judgement for their sins. For Rabbi Ishmael ben Rabbi Nachman said, “Israel took a complete judgement for their sins on the day that the Temple was destroyed. For so it is written (Lametation 4:22): “Your iniquity, Fair Zion, is expiated; He will exile you no longer.”

(Gen. 6:4, cont.:) THESE WERE THE MIGHTY MEN THAT WERE OF OLD, THE MEN WITH A NAME, < i.e., > men whose names have been specified above (in Gen. 4:18): Mehujael, since the Holy One (i.e., El) blotted (mihah) their names from the world; Methushael (ibid.), since God (El) drove him out (nethasho). THE MEN WITH A NAME,¹¹³Tanh. Gen. 1:12. because they were obstinate and rebellious against the Holy One. Thus it is stated (in Job 21:14): YET THEY SAY TO GOD: DEPART FROM US…. R. Isaac said: Why were they rebellious? Because they would sow one year and it would produce a harvest for forty years. R. Samuel bar Ammi said: Why were they rebellious? Because they were seeing children and children's children; yet they < themselves > were not dying. The Holy One said: From now on (according to Gen. 8:22) WHILE THERE ARE DAYS ON EARTH, < THERE SHALL BE NO CESSATION OF > SOWING AND HARVEST; i.e., they were begetting and burying. (Ibid., cont.:) COLD AND HEAT; i.e., < while > afflictions had not come upon them, from now on they would be afflicted by fire and snow. There is a story about a certain student of R. Aqiva¹¹⁴Tanh., Gen. 1:13; yMSh 4 at the end (55c); see Lam. R. 1:1 (16). who was told in a dream: You are dying in < the month of > Adar, and you shall not see Nisan. That which you have sown you shall not reap. He came to R. Aqiva. He said to him: You will die in glory (addirut), you shall not come to the hands of temptation (nissayon), and that which you have begotten you shall not bury. The Holy One said: In this world, because the evil drive exists, afflictions < also > exist among the children of Adam; but in the world to come I am rooting them out from you. It is so stated (in Ezek. 36:26): I WILL REMOVE THE HEART OF STONE FROM YOUR FLESH. I am also reviving your {ancestors} [wings]; for thus has Isaiah stated (in Is. 40:31): BUT THEY THAT WAIT FOR THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; [THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES].