Génesis 1 Referencias del Talmud: Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot, Tractate Sefer Torah, Jerusalem Talmud Chagigah & Berakhot

(Jewish) Christians asked Rebbi Simlai: How many aspects of divinity created the world? He answered them: Are you asking me? Go and ask the first Adam, as it is said (Deut. 4:32): “Please ask the first days etc²⁷“Please ask the first days that were before you, starting from the day that God created man on the earth …”.” It does not say there “when gods created man on the earth” but “from the day that God created man on the earth”. They said to him, but it is written (Gen. 1:1): “In the beginning, ĕlōhīm created …” He said to them: Is it written “they created” (plural)? It says “he created” (singular). Rebbi Simlai said, every place where the Christians read heretic meanings²⁸That ĕlōhīm is a genuine plural, not one of majesty., their answer is at that place.

Thirteen things were changed in it: They wrote "God created in the beginning" instead of “In the Beginning God Created” (Genesis 1:1). They wrote "I shall make man in My image and likeness" instead of “Let Us make man in Our image and Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). And "He concluded his work on the sixth day and rested on the seventh day" instead of “And on the seventh day God concluded His work” (Genesis 2:2). They wrote "Male and Female He created him" instead of “them” (Genesis 5:2); "Come, let Me go down instead" of “let Us go down” (Genesis 11:7); "And Sarah laughed among her relatives" instead of “laughed to herself” (Genesis 18:12). They wrote "For in their anger they killed an ox and with their will they uprooted a trough" instead of “For in their anger they killed a man and with their will they slaughtered an ox” (Genesis 49:6), "And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon a carrier of people" instead of “upon a donkey” (Exodus 4:20). They wrote "And the residence of the children of Israel, who lived in the land of Canaan and in Egypt was four hundred thirty years" instead of “And the residence of the children of Israel, who lived in Egypt, was four hundred thirty years” (Exodus 12:40). They wrote "I have not taken one item of value from them" instead of “one donkey” (Numbers 16:15). They wrote "And the short-legged beast" instead of “hare” (Leviticus 11:6). They wrote "Which Hashem your God allotted you to give light to all nations" (Deuteronomy 4:19) inserting the phrase “to give light”. They added to the text “to the sun, the moon, or the whole host of heaven that I did not command” (Deuteronomy 17:3) the words “to serve them” at the end.

⁹⁷Gen. rabba 1(21), Lev. rabba 36(1), Midrash Samuel 5[1]. The Midrashim seem to be the original source since they apply R. Eleazar ben R. Simeon’s final statement to other pairs of notions. The House of Shammai are saying, heaven was created first and afterwards earth. But the House of Hillel are saying, earth was created first and afterwards heaven. These are bringing proof for their assertion, and those are bringing proof for their assertion. What is the reason of the House of Shammai? In the Beginning God created heaven and earth⁹⁸Gen. 1:1.. {A parable} of a king who made a chair. After he had made it he made its footstool⁹⁹Greek ‘υποπόδιον.: the Heavens are My throne and the Earth My footstool¹⁰⁰Is. 66:1.. What is the reason of the House of Hillel? On the day of the Eternal’s, God’s, making of earth and heaven¹⁰¹Gen. 2:4. {A parable} of a king who made a palace. After he built the foundations he built the upper structure: also My left hand founded the Earth and My right hand tended the Heavens¹⁰²Is. 48:13.. Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi said, also the following supports the House of Hillel: in earlier times You founded the Earth, and the Heavens are the work of Your hands¹⁰³Ps. 102:26.. Rebbi Ḥanina said, from the place from where the House of Shammai prove their assertion, from there the House of Hillel remove them. What is the reason of the House of Shammai? In the Beginning God created heaven and earth. From there the House of Hillel remove them: and the earth was¹⁰⁴Gen. 1:2., it already was. Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of the Sages: As for creation, the heaven preceded. As for perfecting, the earth preceded. As for creation, the heaven preceded, in the Beginning God created. As for perfecting, the earth preceded, on the day of the Eternal’s, God’s, making of earth and heaven. According to the House of Shammai, the heaven after the First waited three days, First, Second, Third, to have offspring. On the Fourth, there shall be lights¹⁰⁵Gen. 1:14.. According to the House of Shammai, the sea after the Second waited three days, Second, Third, Fourth, to have offspring. On the Fifth, the waters shall teem¹⁰⁶Gen. 1:20.. According to the House of Shammai, the earth after the Third waited three days, Third, Fourth, Fifth, to have offspring. On the Sixth, the earth shall produce¹⁰⁷Gen. 1:24.. According to the House of Hillel, the earth after the First waited two days, First and Second, to have offspring. On the Third, the earth shall be covered with grass. According to the House of Hillel, the sea after the Third waited two days, Third and Fourth, to have offspring. On the Fifth, the waters shall teem. Rebbi Simeon ben Yohai said, I am wondering how the fathers of the world could disagree about the creation of the world. Heaven and earth were only created like a pan¹⁰⁸Greek λοπάς. and its cover. What is the reason? Also My left hand founded the Earth and My right hand tended the Heavens¹⁰⁹The argument is from the end of the verse, not quoted: I am calling to them, they shall stand together.. Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon said, following this, my father’s opinion, sometimes heaven precedes earth, sometimes earth precedes heaven, which teaches that they are equivalent one to another.