פירוש על בראשית 1:9

"And G-d made the firmament" - and it was that when some of the elemental water was removed from under that part of the waters which became vaporous in nature, as it was when He said, "let the waters be gathered from beneath the heavens" Genesis 1:9, it was fit that the vaporous part would descend to that same place from which the that [non-vaporous portion of] waters was removed. But He made it such that that "firmament" that separates would have the power to stop and prevent the vaporous portion from descending - that's the "waters which are above the firmament", such that the transformed atmospheric portion would descend, while the vaporous would remain in its original place. Because of this, when the moist vapor reaches it [i.e., the firmament], it condenses and gives rise to rain, snow and hail. As they condense they descend, as it is said, "at the sound of His placing an abundance of water in the heavens" Jeremiah 10:13. - what it wanted by saying "heavens": the firmament which condenses the atmospheric part [of the waters], as it is said "And G-d called the firmament "heavens" Genesis 1:8. Now when the cloudy, excited vapor arrives there [at the firmament], it generates thunder and lightning, and it is said: "He lifts up clouds from the ends of the earth, thunder from the rain He makes" [continuation of verse quoted previously from Jeremiah]. Now, seeing as how some of the heavier watery element is above the lighter air, which from our perspectives is against their nature - this without doubt indicates the action of an volitional actor, intended such an outcome, as it is said, "the work of His hands shall the firmament declare" Psalms 19:2

יקוו המים THE WATERS SHALL BE DRAWN TOGETHER — For they were then spread over the surface of the whole earth, and He now gathered them together into what now constitutes the Ocean, which is the largest of all seas (Genesis Rabbah 5:2).

ויאמר אלוקים יקוו המים... אל מקום אחד, we already explained on verse 2 that the means employed to achieve this was the ruach, the wind. This is the reason why we were told already in verse 2 that “G’d’s wind (spirit) hovered over the expanse of the deep, something which occurred by making the rakia. (between heaven and earth) Now the water above the earth were concentrated in one region, location.

יקוו המים; this does not mean that the waters should dry up, as many people interpreted it. These people said that the process would be achieved by a substantial part of the oceans freezing and turning to ice such as the polar regions, and that this would be caused by forces in the celestial regions. אל מקום אחד. The waters should not deviate from this location. As a result they became much higher than the surrounding land mass without crashing down on earth as our senses would have us think would be the case. This is why David tells us in Psalms 104,9: גבול שמת בל יעברון, “You have set them limits which they must not cross.” The meaning is that the waters must not flood the earth.”

And God said, "let the waters gather:" Because the sea is something big and bewildering, to the point that some ancient nations attributed a specific god to it; it was also something bewildering in early thought, [the fear being] that it should not [overflow] and flood the earth, as the prophet said (Jeremiah 5:22), "Do you not fear me, says the Lord, from before Me do you not tremble; since I put sand as the border of the sea, it is a permanent law and it may not trespass it;" and in Job 38:11, it states, "And He said, until here may you come but no further, etc.;" therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to inform Israel that even the sea is the work of His hands, since He is the One that commanded the waters to gather.

LET THE WATERS UNDER THE HEAVEN BE GATHERED TOGETHER. The deep, which is water and sand, was like turbid waters, and He decreed concerning the waters that they be gathered together in one place, surrounded on all sides, and He further decreed concerning the sands that they rise up until they be seen above the waters and that they become dry, so that there be a stretch of dry land suitable for settlement thereon. And so it is written: To Him that spread forth the earth above the waters.¹²⁷Psalms 136:6. Or perhaps G-d’s decree was that the earth be spherical, partly visible and mostly submerged in the waters, as the Greeks imagine in their proofs, apparent or real. Thus there were two decrees, that is, two matters done by the Will of G-d that are contrary to their natural inclination. For in view of the heaviness of earth [which would cause it to sink] and the lightness of the waters [which would cause them to rise], it would have been natural that the pillar of the earth be in the center and that the waters should cover it, thus surrounding it from all sides.¹²⁸But instead He decreed that the waters which filled the whole world should go down as would be natural for the earth, and that the earth should come up as would be natural for the water. Therefore, He said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together, that is to a lower place, and then He said, And let the dry land appear. He gave them names as they assumed these forms, for at the beginning their collective name was “the deep.”

And God said, "let gather:" It needs to be known whether these waters are the waters of the depths and [so] when He said, "let the waters be gathered to one place," behold no other waters remained - and this is the opposite of what the verse states (Exodus 20:4), "and in the waters below the earth;" and if [these] waters were others besides the [ones of] the depths, it needs to be known how these waters were different from the waters of the depths, that the verse should refer to them alone. Also, [this would be difficult to say, since] we did not see that the statement specifies to say, "let the 'x' waters gather," but rather just "let the waters gather;" all the waters of the world are [thereby] implied. Also [it needs to be known] why the appearance of the earth is dependent on the gathering of the waters. And also we need to be precise [and understand the use of] the word, appear, since it should have said and 'the dry land be' [substituting 'be' for 'appear'].

ויאמר אלוקים יקוו המים מתחת השמים, the words מתחת השמים refer to the waters beneath the rakia, known as shamayim.

From under the skies: Meaning the regular skies, which is perceivable to us, and not below the firmament of the skies, as later on the fourth day.

יקוו המים, “let the waters converge together;” the original תהום was in the original state i.e. cloudy water full of particles of solid matter scattered throughout. At this point G’d decreed for the water to rearrange itself in a manner which would separate the solid particles from it. As a result, the solid particles, earth, would become visible above the water as a distinct phenomenon. The earth would also become dry as a result of being above the water. We are faced here with two apparently contradictory decrees being issued by the Creator. According to our knowledge of the laws of physics, earth, which has a higher specific weight than water, should remain submerged in water, and here G’d commanded earth to become visible, i.e. to “rise” above the waters of the surrounding oceans. At that time both the waters and the earth were assigned their names, i.e. ימים ויבשת, “oceans and dry land.”

קוה .יקוו המים וגו׳. verwandt mit גבא, die Wasserlache (davon das spätere גבאי, גבא Geldeinsammeln), גוע, גוה, גבח, גבע גבה, קפא, קבע die alle ein Stoff- sammeln, ein Konzentrieren von Stoffen in einen Punkt, sei es in die Tiefe, die Höhe, oder um und an den Mittelpunkt, bedeuten. (Dieses Konzentrieren der Stoffe in einen örtlichen Punkt bewirkt sich nur, indem jedem Teilchen des Stoffes die zu dem Einen Orte hinstrebende Richtung gegeben wird. Daher קו die Richtschnur. Übertragen auf das Gemüt des Menschen heißt קוה im Kal, Gott zugewendet, ׳קוי ד: mit seinem ganzen Wesen Gott zuströmen, sein ganzes Wesen zu Gott hin richten, im Piel mit acc. ׳קויתי ד, heißt es umgekehrt: einen Gegenstand in die Richtung zu sich bringen, sich vorstellen und erwarten, dass er zu uns komme, dass er seine ganze Richtung zu uns nehmen werde; mit אל ist es wohl das verstärkte קוי ד׳ .קוה sind die, deren Natur, deren ganzes Wesen von selbst ganz zu Gott hinstrebt. ׳קוה אל ד bezeichnet die Energie, die erst dem ganzen Wesen diese Richtung gibt.) Also Gott sprach׳s, dass sich die Wasser nach einem Ort hin konzentrierend sammeln. Die Energie, die jedem Wassertropfen innewohnt, aus allen Höhen in die Tiefe zu dringen und sich endlich wieder in ein gemeinsames Bett zu sammeln, ist die Verwirklichung des allmächtigen Gottesgeheißes, das- יקוו המים -gesprochen, und damit unverlierbar dem Wasser diese gewaltige Richtung ge geben. — יבש. ותראה היבשה ist der diametrale Gegensatz von מים. Dieses: ,מקק ,מכך מגג ,מיי, das erweichende, auflösende Element. יבש, verwandt mit (גביש) גבש ,כבש גוש, heißt: das Starre, Gedrungene, Trockene, das der Auflösung Widerstand leistet. Mit diesem neuen Gegensatz ist das Wechselspiel des organischen Lebens vorbereitet. Alle Stoffbildung geht im flüssigen Zustande vor, sowohl Produktion als Reproduktion; alle Formgestaltung ringt zum Festen, Trocknen, Starren; flüssig keimt der Stoff, starr gestaltet sich die Form. ויהי כן: auf Gottes Geheiß ist es somit also geworden.

יקוו המים, “let the waters be gathered together;” this is the conclusion of G-d’s creative activity of the second day. The רקיע, “atmosphere/horizon,” did not become operational until the earth had dried out. The reader is asked not to be astounded at the fact that the Torah had previously inserted the phrase: “it was evening, it was morning, the second day.” The reason why this is no contradiction as supposed at first glance, is that the meaning of the words: יקוו המים is that G-d’s commandment for the process of the waters gathering together had been issued already beforethe evening and subsequent morning of the second day. There are numerous such constructions in the Torah; we must not forget also, that both the gathering together of the water and the resultant visibility of the earth, were no new phenomena that could be described as “creation.” Expansion of one phenomenon so that another phenomenon could become visible is no basic change.

ותראה היבשה, a reference to the earth which had already been created at the same time as the heaven, before the light had been created, as I explained on verse 2.. It does not matter whether this occurred spread over a short period or over a long period.

"Let the waters gather (yikvu):" The root, kavah, is formed from kav (line). And the term, kivui, is used with water since it sits in an even line and surface, which is not the case with bodies that do not flow, which by their falling one on top of the other become [an uneven] pile. And this term is not found not in reference to water except in the verse, "and to you will gather (nikvu) all the nations" (Jeremiah 3:17); and there it is a poetic phrase that is borrowed from the waters; as in "and all the nations will stream to it" (Isaiah 2:2), which is borrowed from the running of waters in a stream. And it appears that it is from the term mikveh (gathering of water) that aqua and also aequus are formed in Latin, as its subject is straightness.

To one place: Not really one place, but rather several connected places, from which the waters surrounding them, gathered.

ותראה היבשה, The “lower” world consist of 3 parts, corresponding to their respective qualities, ranks, i.e. the inert, mineral, the vegetation, and the living creatures. The report of the development, progressive creation, follows the pattern of beginning with the most primitive and progressing to the most advanced form of life on earth. The inert parts of our globe are not specifically mentioned by a name describing them as a category by itself. We may safely assume that when earth came into being, as part of the overall phenomena of inert objects in the universe, the predominantly large part of the earth consisted of stones and metal and the like. Even though the globe was covered with water it comprised mountains and valleys (submerged in water at that time), all of them solid.
While it is true that the scientists of our day argue that two vapours rising from the earth are the reason (origin) of all the stones and metals which they have named as the source or the material that is basic (such as what is mined in quarries) and that these vapours account for the original amalgamation of different elements, we would have to view vegetation as a second stage of such elements fusing with one another in different proportions. The final, and most advanced stage of different raw materials combining in different proportions would be the חי, i.e. living (mobile) creatures. The first manifestation of an amalgam of more than one basic element would have been the dry land becoming visible. Obviously, the highest mountain peaks of the crust we call earth became visible first. Due to the appearance of the luminaries on the fourth “day,” and their giving forth heat, etc., these mountains, i.e. some of the stones they consisted of, became progressively harder, so that we find different kinds of metal scattered among such stony material. These variations occurred at the will of the Creator, of course. According to these scientists, the surface of the earth is roughly parallel in size to the part of the globe covered by water, and about half of the dry land is fit for human habitation.
When G’d surrounded the dry land with the oceans, He left on the surface of the dry land a variety of wells, ponds, rivers, etc., to serve the creatures whose habitat was to become this dry land, called earth. This corresponds to what David said in Psalms 104,10 המשלח מעיינים בנחלים בין הרים יהלכון, “the One Who makes springs gush forth in torrents; they make their way between the hills.” G’d, in His wisdom, made the waters in the oceans salty so that they would not become evil smelling, poisoning the air in the process. On the other hand, the waters which are part of the earth’s surface are mainly sweet, as they had been created in the first place. They are scattered in different parts of the earth to provide drinking water for G’d’s creatures who would otherwise die from the effects of dehydration. These “sweet” waters also counteract the dryness of the atmosphere, and generally promote the growth of the plants on earth. G’d was careful not to let the fountains squirt their water indiscriminately across the surface of the earth, but arranged for them to irrigate the valleys between the mountains The usefulness of waters flowing in areas populated by human beings is evident to all of us. The oases found in the deserts are to enable travelers through the desert to sustain themselves, as well as for the benefit of the free roaming beasts that inhabit those regions. This is what David had in mind in verse 11 of Psalm 104 when he wrote ישקו כל חיתו שדי, “giving drink to all the wild beasts.” The salty waters which appear as inlets from the oceans in various parts of the globe are intended to facilitate travel by man on the oceans in ships, seeing that these waters are not turbulent as are the waters of the open sea. Very often travel by boat considerably reduces the travel time, as without these inlets one would have to travel on land for considerably longer distances.
These waters were allowed to remain salty for the reason we explained, i.e. to prevent stench emanating from them, a common phenomenon observed in stagnant unsalted waters. Besides, the salt which is part of the waters of the sea can be employed usefully by man when he heats the waters and gains the residue of salt left behind after evaporation of the water. Even hot water geysers (such as the hot springs of Tiberias) are useful for man, the sulphur contained in them being the source of their heat. We also find mountains on the dry land containing salt which can be mined to provide for the needs of man.
I have found in Pirkey de Rabbi Eliezer, 5th chapter that the diameter of our globe is described as being equivalent to the distance a man can walk in 60 years. [assuming that the average person can walk 40 km per day, this would amount to approximately 870.000 km, hardly compatible with the facts, even if the author referred to the circumference of the globe rather than to its diameter when he wrote: “its thickness,עוביה .” Kimchi writes that Rabbi Eliezer’s view coincides with the opinion of the researchers in his time. Ed.] Pirkey de Rabbi Eliezer continues that prior to G’d’s directive at the beginning of the third day, the entire planet was flat like a valley, and the waters covered it evenly. As a result of G’d’s directive, and the waters flowing concentrically, increasing in density, the highest mountains began to become visible, followed by hills, etc. As this phenomenon intensified, the earth as we know it in our times gradually emerged from the sea which had covered it. [the text in my edition of P.d.R.E. is considerably different. Ed.] At any rate, once the waters had complied with G’d’s directive and had become a single מקוה, pool, enclosed by rims, i.e. and or rocks, G’d named this pool ימים, oceans.

And regarding what I explained on the verse, "In the beginning," that all was created with one statement - except that it was mixed up until God set up each thing on its day; and according to that, from the words of God in this [section] we know that the dry land extended in the water over the expanse of the earth and there was water above and below it; and the firmament divided the waters above the dry land and it lifted half of them with its wings, as it is stated, "let the firmament be within" - and [the] unqualified [use of] within implies [in] the middle - and the remaining half covered the dry land. And it is to those waters that God said, "let the waters gather to one place;" which is the waters of the oceans. And the dry land appeared from the place that it was at the time of its creation - as it acquired its place [to be] there, except it was covered and He [now] decreed about it, that it should appear.

"Below the heavens to (el) one place:" They will come from their places, which are dispersed under all of the heavens and they will move to one place and stay there. The word, el, generally indicates movement, and not resting; therefore I say that yikvu (gather) includes the idea of movement towards the place of the gathering and not just the gathering; and so [too with the phrase], "and to you will gather (nikvu) all the nations" (Jeremiah 3:17), the intention is that they should come to it and gather in it.

אל מקום אחד, this does not mean “to a single location,” but to a location set aside especially for the oceans. There would not be a new “continent” of dry land subsequently.

And maybe the word appear could include that it wasn't visible in the color of the dry lands and its color was like that of the water and there was no [clear] distinction between its border and the border of the sea. And also within the understanding of 'appear' (teraeh) is that it was [now] fitting (reouiah) to what the dry lands need to be fit for, for the needs of the world. ...

"One place:" One only.

And it also wanted [to teach] by stating, "and appear," that all the time that the waters are below and above the earth, the natural state of the earth is not preserved, since the water will change its [state]. And go and learn from what Maimonides wrote at the beginning of the Laws of Character Traits (Laws of the Foundations of the Torah 4:5) that water transforms the core element of dirt to water; for this [reason], He said, "let the waters gather, etc." and with this "and the dry land appear;" and the explanation [of this] is that it will stay in its [state] to put in motion the reason for its creation. And really its creation already [happened] on the first day in the first statement as explained above. We also end up saying [according to this] that not all of the waters of the world were gathered into the oceans and there are [waters in the] depths below the earth.

ויהי כן. The waters did indeed flow all together to a single continuous uninterrupted area, and as a result the dry land did become visible. This was one of the miracles performed by the Creator although in the nature of things, the contraction of the waters which had covered the whole earth and had now contracted so that as a result they must have towered high above the adjoining dry land, they did not cascade down due to the laws of gravity. Seeing that it is a law of nature that waters travels downhill, the fact that these waters did not cross the borders imposed upon them by Divine decree must be viewed as an ongoing miracle. This is reflected in the words of Jeremiah 5,22 אשר שמתי חול גבול לים, “in that I set the sand as the boundary of the ocean.” We find a similar expression in Psalms 104,9. This is also commented upon in Bereshit Rabbah 5,7, the editor writing that it is customary for man to empty a full vessel into an empty one. Who would be able to “empty” a full vessel into another full vessel?

"And appear:"And through this, it will be seen.

And it is possible that there is no gap between the waters that were gathered and the [waters of the] depths - and [it is] about that portion that has no earth [covering it], that they, of blessed memory, said (Chagigah 12a) that God said to the land, "Enough" that it should not extend from one end [of the world] to the other end - and the waters remained connected to the lower waters.

"Hayabasha (The dry land):" It is a noun in the grammatical pattern that contains a diacritic mark (dagush), and so [too] charava: their idea is a dry (yavesh) thing or a parched (charev) thing; like (other nouns that follow this pattern), aveida, geneiva, gezeila; and it is not an adjective but rather it [is a noun] like tohu, bohu.

After I wrote all that is written [above], a midrash from Pirkei Rebbe Eliezer 5 came to my hands and this is what it says, "On the third day, the earth was flat like a valley and the waters covered over the face of the whole earth and when the words, "let the waters gather, etc." went out from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, the mountains and hills separated over the face of the whole earth and the innards of the earth arose and the waters rolled [back] and gathered, etc." Behold [from here, we see that] when the Holy One, blessed be He said, "let the waters gather," the land was already in existence and these are [in agreement with] our words. And [this is so] even if, according to the words of this [midrash], it appears that it explains [the phrase] "and the earth appear (teraeh)," [that its] explanation is that the dry land will be sand [as a] border for the sea, [so that] when the waters fear (yireh) the dry land, they acquire their [permanent] place - by way of its stating (Jeremiah 5, 22), "that I have placed the sand as a border for the sea," and made the fear of the dry land upon the sea - and [so] the explanation of teraeh (appear) is from the word yirah (fear), and that is what it states, "Do you not fear me?, etc., that I have placed the sand as a border for the sea;" and this is different than our explanation, [since] this is the way of derash (homily) and our way is the way of peshat (straightforward understanding) and the Scripture intends [it] all.

And Nachmanides, of blessed memory, explained it's stating "and the dry land appear;" that the dirt was mixed with water and God decreed that they should separate one from the other, [so] that the dirt will harden and become dry land. So far [his explanation]. And [the] explanation of [Nachmanides], of blessed memory, needs a guarantor; also the simple meaning of the verse doesn't say this. Also, according to [the] words of [Nachmanides], of blessed memory, there was no need for the waters to gather to one place, but rather that He should say to the dry land that it should appear according to the arrangement mentioned in the words of [Nachmainides] - that the dirt should separate from the water and float up, and that the waters should stay in their place. And it is also implied from the verse that all of the waters that were under the firmament which were adjacent to the earth were gathered to one place; and that is not what is implied according to the words of the master; and also the word, 'appear,' is not exact according to [the] approach of [Nachmanides], of blessed memory. And the correct [understanding] in my eyes is as I have explained: that the land was stretched out within the waters and [there was] water above and water below it; and the Ordainer ordained that the water above the land have the firmament be placed within it and carry up the higher waters on its wings; and the part remaining under the firmament would not remain under all of the firmament equally, but rather, gathered to one place, and this is what it says, "and the waters under the heavens gather to one place" and through this, "and the dry land appear" [is understood] according to its simple meaning.

And it appears that it can be said that the aspect of all the waters upon the earth - whether the upper one that are above the firmament [or whether] the ones that were gathered to one place - they are in the aspect of 'male waters.' And so, you will find that the germination of seeds is from the waters of the ocean, which are the gathered waters, as they, of blessed memory, said (Taanit 9a) that the rains come form the water of the oceans; and after God brings rain from them, corresponding [waters] come up from the depths, and that is like they, of blessed memory, have said (Taanit 25b), no drop comes down from above for which (two or three) corresponding drops do not come up from below. And the seeds do not grow from the rain waters and not from the waters of the depths [individually], since a male by itself or a female by itself will not give birth. And behold for you their words, of blessed memory, that they said (Pirkei Derabi Eliezer 25) that there are two waters, one male and one female and this is what they wrote [on the verse (Genesis 7:19)], "'and the waters grew very strong;' when the male waters joined with the female waters, they grew exceedingly."