הֵ֤ן יַעְצֹ֣ר בַּמַּ֣יִם וְיִבָ֑שׁוּ וִֽ֝ישַׁלְּחֵ֗ם וְיַ֖הַפְכוּ אָֽרֶץ׃
Sesungguhnya, apabila Ia menahan air, maka air itu menjadi kering; apabila Ia melepaskannya, maka air itu menjungkirbalikkan bumi.
Midrash Tanchuma
R. Berechiah said: Normally, if a man squeezes a sponge, the water in it flows out, and when he releases his grip, the water ceases to flow. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not do so. When he presses (‘asor) the waters stand still, as it is said: Behold, He withholdeth (ya’asor) the waters and they dry up (Job 12:15), but when He releases (patah) the pressure, the waters flow forth, as is said: The Lord will open (yiftah) unto thee His good treasure (Deut. 28:12).
Bereshit Rabbah
“To one place” – Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Levi, and Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Shimon say: The world in its entirety was all water, and you say “[gathered] to one place”? This is bewildering. It is analogous to ten inflated wineskins that were located in a hall. The king needed their space. What did he do to them? He untied them, let their air out, and removed them into a corner. So, the Holy One blessed be He trod upon the primordial waters2Pushing them down. and diverted them into the ocean. That is what is written: “Behold, He halts [ya’atzor]3Ya’atzor can also mean He presses. the water and it dries…” (Job 12:15); “He treads on the crests of the sea” (Job 9:8).
Bereshit Rabbah
“A river emerged from Eden to water the garden; and from there it parted and became four headwaters” (Genesis 2:10).
“A river emerged from Eden to water the garden” – Rabbi Simon began: “You grant him power [titkefehu] forever, and he went; You alter his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20) – the power [tokef] that the Holy One blessed be He gave to Adam the first man “forever” should have been for all time. “And he went” – because he forsook the directive of the Holy One blessed be He and went after the directive of the serpent, “You alter his countenance and send him away.” Rabbi Simon said: “Wisdom and might with Him” (Job 12:13)1Two verses later: “Behold, He halts the water and it dries; He releases it, and they overturn the earth” (Job 12:15). – when he [Adam] was still innocent vis-a-vis his Creator,2Before having sinned, when he was “with Him.” he could unleash the water of four riverheads with a single spade.3So great was his “wisdom and might.” These are the four riverheads: “A river emerged from Eden to water the garden [and from there it parted and became four headwaters, etc.].”
“A river emerged from Eden to water the garden” – Rabbi Simon began: “You grant him power [titkefehu] forever, and he went; You alter his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20) – the power [tokef] that the Holy One blessed be He gave to Adam the first man “forever” should have been for all time. “And he went” – because he forsook the directive of the Holy One blessed be He and went after the directive of the serpent, “You alter his countenance and send him away.” Rabbi Simon said: “Wisdom and might with Him” (Job 12:13)1Two verses later: “Behold, He halts the water and it dries; He releases it, and they overturn the earth” (Job 12:15). – when he [Adam] was still innocent vis-a-vis his Creator,2Before having sinned, when he was “with Him.” he could unleash the water of four riverheads with a single spade.3So great was his “wisdom and might.” These are the four riverheads: “A river emerged from Eden to water the garden [and from there it parted and became four headwaters, etc.].”