פירוש על בראשית 1:14

יהי מארת BE THERE LUMINARIES — They had been created on the first day, but on the fourth He commanded them to be suspended in the firmament (Chagigah 12a). Indeed, all the productions of heaven and earth were created on the first day, but each of them was put in its place on that day when it was so commanded. In reference to this it is written את השמים (v. 1) In the beginning God created that which was את with the heavens etc., in order to include all the productions of heaven, ואת הארץ to include all its (the earth’s) productions (Genesis Rabbah 12:4).

יהי מארות, “let there be luminaries;” it is common for the Torah to apply a singular mode to nouns described in the plural, such as in Numbers 9,6 ויהי אנשים אשר היו טמאים, “there was (singular) men who were ritually impure, etc." The meaning of our verse here is: “let a certain process occur as a result of which luminaries will materialise in the sky of the heavens.”

יהי מאורות ברקיע השמים, the planets created on the second day should now begin to function by providing light. Their influence should be concentrated on the “lower” universe, as it is visible to us with our senses. Everything mentioned in this paragraph refers to sensations perceived by the creatures on earth. By traversing pure waters on the way to earth, the light refracted by these luminaries is increased manifold.