Midrash su Isaia 40:22

Rabbi Yehudah Bar Simon opened with (Daniel 2:22): "He reveals the deep and secret. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him." "He reveals the deep"--this is Hell, as it says (Proverbs 9:18): "He does not know there are spirits there," and it says (Isaiah 30:33): "deep and large". "And secret"--this is Paradise, as it says (Isaiah 4:6): "for a cover and refuge from storm and rain," and it says (Psalms 31:21): "You hide them in the cover of Your presence." Alternatively, "he reveals the deep and secret"--these are the acts of the wicked, as it says (Isaiah 29:15): "Woe to the ones who seek deep from God to make their counsel secret." "And secret"--these are the acts of the wicked, as the verse states. "He knows what is in the dark"--these are the acts of the wicked, as it says in Isaiah: "Their acts are in the dark." "The light dwells with Him"--these are the acts of the righteous, as it is written (Proverbs 4:18): "The path of the righteous is like the light at dawn," and it says (Psalms 97:11): "Light is sown for the righteous." Rabbi Abba Srungia said: "The light dwells with Him"--this is the Messiah, as it says (Isaiah 60:1): "Arise, shine, for your light has come." Rabbi Yehudah Bar Simon said: From the beginning of the creation of the world, "he revealed the dark and secret". "In the beginning God created the heavens," but it is not explained. Where is it explained? Here (Isaiah 40:22): "He stretches out the heavens like a curtain." "And the land," but it is not explained. Where is it explained? Here (Job 37:6): "For He says to the snow: 'Fall on the earth.'" and (Job 38:38) "When the dust runs into a mass, and the clods cleave together." "And God said: 'Let there be light,'" and it is not explained. Where is it explained? (Psalms 104:2) "You cover Yourself with light like a garment."

We are taught in a Baraitha that R. Jose says: "Woe to the human beings who see and know not what they see; who stand and know not upon what they stand." Upon what does the earth stand? Upon the pillars, as it is said (Job 9, 6) Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place; The pillars stand upon the waters, as it is said (Ps. 136, 6) Who stretched out the earth above the waters; the waters upon the mountains, as it is said (Ib. 104, 6) Above the mountains stood the waters; the mountains upon the wind, as it is said (Amos 4. 13) He that wind, the wind upon the storm, as it is said (Ps. 148, 8) Stormy wind, fulfilled his word; the storm is suspended upon the supbort of the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Deut. 33, 27) And underneath are the everlasting arms. The sages however say: "The world stands upon twelve pillars, as it said (Ib. 32, 8) He set the bounds of the tribe according to the number of the sons of Israel." According to others, it stands upon seven pillars, as it is said (Prov. 9, 1) She had hewn out her seven pillars. R. Elazor b. Shamna says: "Upon one pillar, whose name is Zaddik (Righteous), as it is said (Ib. 10, 25) But the righteous (Zaddik) is an everlasting foundation." R. Juda said: "There are two firmaments, as it is said (Deut. 10, 14) Behold, to the Lord thy God belong the heavens and the heavens of the heavens." Resh Lakish said: "They are seven, viz.: Vilon (Curtain), Rakia (Expanse), Shchakim (Clouds), Zbul (Entertainment place), Maon (Dwelling), Machon (Residence), Araboth. Vilon serves no purpose whatever save that the luminaries enter through it in the morning and leave through it in the evening, by which means it renews daily the work of creation, as it is said (Is. 40, 22) … that stretched out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. Rakia is that in which the sun and moon, the stars and constellations are set, as it is said (Gen. 1, 17) And God set them in the expansion of the heavens. Shehakim is that in which the millstones stand and grind manna for the righteous, as it is said (Ps. 78, 23) Then He ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven He opened and He let rain upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave He unto them. Zbul is that in which the heavenly Jerusalem and the Temple, and the altar are built there, where Michael the great [Arch-Angel] prince stands and offers sacrifices daily, as it is said (I Kings 8, 13) I have surely built Thee a house of habitation, a place for Thee to dwell in for ever, and whence do we know that the same is called Shamayim? It is said (Is. 63, 15) Look down from heaven (Misha-mayim) and behold, from the habitation (Zbul) of Thy Holiness, Maon is that in which are companies of ministering angels, who utter songs during the night and are silent during the day for the sake of the glory of Israel, as it is said (Ps. 42, 9) In the day time, the Lord will command His kindness, and in the night His songs shall be with me. (Resh Lakish said: "Whoever studies the Torah during the night time, the Holy One, praised be He! will stretch over him the thread of grace for the future world, which is compared unto day, as it is said: By the day the Lord gives His merciful command, and by night His song is with me." According to others Resh Lakish said: "Whoever studies the Torah in this world which is likened unto night, the Holy One, praised be He! will stretch over him the thread of grace in the world to come which is likened unto day, as it is said: By the day the Lord gives His merciful command, and by night His song is with me." R. Levi said: "Whoever interrupts his study of the Torah, and occupies himself with idle talk will, as a punishment, be fed with hot coals, as it is said (Job 30, 4) Who crops off mallows by the bushes, and have brumbush roots as their bread." And whence do we know that Maon refers to Heaven.? It is said (Deut. 26, 15) Look down from Thy habitation (Maon) of Thy holiness from the heavens. Machon is that in which are the treasures of snow and hail, and the upper chamber (store) of harmful dews and the upper chamber (store) of the raiins, and the chamber of the whirlwind and of the storm, and the retreat of noisome vabor; and their doors are made of fire, as it is said (Deut. 28, 12) The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure. Are then these treasures in Heaven? Behold, they are on the earth, for it is written (Ps. 148, 7) Praise the Lord from the earth, ye sea-monsters and all deeps; fire and hail; snow and vapor; the storm wind, that fulfill His word, hence everything exists on the earth? Said R. Juda in the name of Rab: "Originally they were situated in Heaven, but David prayed for them and caused them to be brought down, on the earth." He entreated Him: "Sovereign of the Universe! (Ib. 5, 5) For thou art not a God, that hath pleasure in wickedness; evil cannot abide with Thee, i.e., Thou art a righteous God! O God! and therefore evil cannot abide with Thee. And whence do we know that the Maon refers to heaven, it is said (I Kings 8, 43) Mayest Thou listen in Heaven, the place of Thy dwelling (Maon). Araboth is that place in which dwell righteousness. Justice and grace; the treasures of life, the treasures of blessing, and the souls of the righteous, as well as the spirits and souls which are about to be created, also the dew with which the Holy One, praised be He! will revive the dead. That there dwell righteousness and justice, we find in the following passage (Ps. 89, 15) Righteousness and justice are the prop of Thy throne. That there is grace, we infer from the following passage (Is. 59, 17) And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail. That the treasures of peace exist there, we infer from the following passage (Judges 6, 24) And He called it (the altar) Adonay-Shalom (the eternal of peace). That the treasures of life exist there we infer from the following passage (Ps. 36, 10) For with Thee is the source of life. That the treasures of blessing exist there, we infer from the following passage (I Sam. 25, 20) Yet will the soul of my lord, be bound in the bound of life with the Lord thy God. That the spirits and souls which are about to be created abide there, we infer from the following passage (Is. 57, 16) When the spirit from before Me is overwhelmed, and the souls which I have made. That there exists the dew with which the Holy One, praised be He! will survive the dead, we infer from the following passage (Ps. 68, 10) Rain of beneficience didst thou pour down, O God! There also are celestials and seraphim, and holy being and ministering angels and the Divine throne of glory, and the King, the living God, the high and exalted, sitting over them among the clouds, as it is said (Ib. ib. 5) Exalt Him who rideth upon the heavens; the everlasting is His name. And whence do we know that Araboth refers to heaven? A. Abahu said: "We infer from the similar words, Richiba, Richiba; it is written here, 'Exalt him who rideth (Rdchab) upon the heavens, and it is also written (Deut. 33, 26) Who rideth (Rochab) to help thee upon the heavens." And darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him, as it is said (Ps. 18, 12) He made darkness his hiding place, etc. Now is there darkness in the presence of the Lord? Is it not written (Dan. 2, 22) He is that revealeth what is deep and secret: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him? This presents no difficulty. (Fol. 13) The one refers to that which is within, the other to that which is without. R. Acha b. Jacob said: "There still is another firmament above the heads of the Holy being, for it is said (Ez. 1, 22) And the likeness of a vault was ever the head of the living creatures, shining like the glitter of the living crystal. So far hast thou permission to speak. Thenceforth thou hast not permission to speak. For thus it is written in the book of Ben Sira: "Search not into that which is concealed from thee; that which is hidden from thee do not try to penetrate; consider only that which thou hast permission. Thou must have nothing to do with mysteries."

The dome (or inside shape) of the heavens ascends upwards like a tub, (that is to say) like a tent (denda) which is spread out with its extremities (fixed) || downwards and its dome stretching upwards so that people can sit beneath it and their feet stand on the earth, whilst all of them are inside the tent; in like wise are the heavens, their extremities are (fixed) downwards and their dome stretches upwards and all creatures dwell beneath them as in a tent, as it is said, "And he spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in" (Isa. 40:22).

The firmament is similar to a lake and above the lake is a covering. From the from the lake heat condensation flows from the covering, and the condensation [as rain] descends to the midst of the salt waters [of the sea] and the rain does not mix itself [with the salt water]. Rabbi Jonah said "do not be amazed, as it is the case that the Jordan River passes through the Sea of Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee) and it does not mix itself with it; this is a miraculous thing to say! A man sifting wheat or chaff in a sieve, the grains have not descended two or three finger-breadths and they have mixed together, but these [raindrops] have traveled and traveled year after year and have not mixed themselves [with salt water]." Rabbi Yudan, son of Rabbi Shimon says "it is because he sends them down by a measured deduction, as it is said "for He draws away (yegara') the drops of water (Job 36:27)". But see how it says "and an abatement shall be made (venigra') from your assessment (Leviticus 27:18)" [showing that the financial use of this root gr' proves that God sends them down in a measured deduction]. The thickness of the earth is equal to the thickness of the firmament, as it is said "He sits above the circle (chug) of the earth (Isaiah 40:22)" [and] "He walked about the circle (chug) of the heavens (Job 22:14)". Since "circle" (chug) occurs in both verses, they are a gezeira shavah [proving the earth and firmament have the same thickness]. Rabbi Acha said in the name of Rabbi Chanina: "This is like a metal plate". Rabbi Joshua, the son of Rabbi Nehemiah, said: "They are about two or three finger-breadths". Rabbi Shimon the son of Pazzi said: "The upper waters are greater than the lower waters by about thirty xestes (pints). "Between the waters above the waters (la-mayim)" [the lamed's gematria is] thirty [thus proving his point that the waters above have thirty extra pints]. The rabbis said "they are half and half".

… it is written there “Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You…” (Melachim I 8:27) and here it is written “…the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” (Shemot 40:35) R’ Yehoshua of Sachnin said in the name of R’ Levi ‘to what is this likened? To an open cave at the edge of the sea. When the sea storms the cave is filled, but the sea is not reduced. So too, even though it is written that ‘the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle’ the upper and lower worlds did not lose anything of the brilliance of the glory of the Holy One, just as it is written “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? says the Lord.” (Yirmiyahu 23:24) Therefore it is written here ‘And it was’. Just as the Divine Presence was here below at the beginning of the creation of the world but withdrew to above, now it returned to be below as it had been “And it was that on the day that Moses finished…” (Bamidbar 7:1) ... [Another explanation. “And it was that on the day that Moses finished erecting the Mishkan…” (Numbers 7:1)] R’ Simon said: at the time when the Holy One told Israel to erect the Tabernacle, He hinted that when the Tabernacle below is erected, the Tabernacle above is erected, as it says “And it was that on the day that Moses finished…” (ibid.) It does not say ‘erecting the Tabernacle’ but rather ‘erecting this (et) the Tabernacle.’ This refers to the Tabernacle above. The Holy One said: in this world, when the Tabernacle was erected, I commanded Aharon and his sons that they bless you. In the time to come I, in my glory, will bless you. So it is written “May the Lord bless you from Zion, He Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 134:3)

(Lev. 8:3:) “And assemble the whole congregation.” He said to him, “Where?”³⁰See Lev. R. 10:9; cf. Gen. R. 5:7. He said unto him, “Unto the door of the tent of meeting.” Moses our master said to him, “Master of the world, [there are] sixty myriads of adults and sixty myriads of young people. How will I have them stand at the opening of the tent of meeting? [The area is] only the size of a field requiring of two seah of seed; yet you are saying (in Lev. 8:3:), ‘And assemble the whole congregation?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Are you surprised about this thing? Are the heavens not like a cataract on the eye? And [yet] I made them [to stretch] from one end of the world to the other, as stated (in Is. 40:22), “Who has stretched out the heavens like a curtain [and spread them out like a tent to dwell in].’ And also in the world to come I will do likewise for Zion. How will all those populations³¹Gk.: ochloi. from the first Adam until the dead rise [have room to] stand? Then they are going to say (in Is. 49:20), ‘The place is too crowded for me; make room for me to dwell.’ What shall I do for them? I shall enlarge it, as stated (in Is. 54:2), ‘Enlarge the site of your tabernacle.’” From where do you learn [so]? From Mount Sinai. When the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared upon it, it immediately expanded, as stated (in Ps. 68:18), “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; [the Lord is among them on Sinai].” R. Avdimi of Haifa said, “I have learned in my mishnah: When the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared on Mount Sinai to give the Torah, twenty-two thousand chariots came down with him.³²PRK 12:22; PR 21:7; Exod. R. 29:2. R. Berekhyah the Priest said, “[It was] since the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that none would remain in their faith except the tribe of Levi. He therefore came down [with a number] corresponding to the camp of the Levites (according to Numb. 22:39).” R. Jannay said to him, “If so, it must be written about the tribe of Levi, ‘The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousand.’ What is [then] the meaning of, ‘The chariots (rt.: rkb) of God are myriads?’ It is simply that twenty-two thousand chariots came down with the Holy One, blessed be He, with each and every chariot like the chariot which Ezekiel saw (Ezek. 1:19–21). And [yet] it (i.e., Mt. Sinai) contained them? Indeed the event was a miracle. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Become wider (rt.: rhb) and longer to receive My children, [who are] faithful children.” And so you find in the world to come, that the Holy One, blessed be He, will widen (rt.: rhb) Jerusalem, as stated (in Ezek. 41:7), “And it became wider (rt.: rhb) as it wound about higher (lm'lh),” until it was rising to the heavens.³³See PRK 20:7. On the enlargement of Jerusalem in the age to come, cf. BB 75b. Now, “higher (m'lh)” can only mean heaven (shmym). Thus it is stated [(in Ps. 108:5), “For Your kindness is great, above (m'l) [heaven (shmym)”].³⁴Note that the Mss. reading (in the braces) adds an extra H to the Masoretic Text. Thus the H appears at the end of M‘L to make M‘LH. When it (i.e., Jerusalem) reaches the heavens, it says (in Is. 49:20), “The place is too crowded for me.” Nevertheless, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings clouds and raises it up from the heavens to the firmament, [from the second (heaven) to the third, from the third to the fourth, from the fourth to the fifth, from the fifth to the sixth, and from the sixth to the seventh.] R. Eliezer ben Jacob said, “[The elevation of Jerusalem continues] until it reaches the throne of glory. But how are they (the Israelites) to ascend? By the time the higher one goes up, the lower one [needs to] eat and drink and sleep. So what does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He will bring clouds and will have them fly, as stated (in Is. 60:8), ‘Who are these that fly like a cloud?’” Then each and every one of the righteous will have a canopy (huppah) for himself. Thus it is stated (in Is. 4:5), “for over [all] the glory there shall be a canopy (huppah).” When it reaches the throne of glory, the Holy One, blessed be He, shall say to them, “I and you shall walk through the world [together], as stated (in Lev. 26:12), “And I will walk among you.” The Holy One, blessed be He, will dwell in the middle and the righteous shall point to Him with their finger. It is so stated (in Is. 25:9), “In that day they shall say, ‘See, this is our God; we waited for Him, and He delivered us […].’” It also says (in Ps. 48:15), “For this is God, our God, for ever and ever; He will lead evermore.” Because the nations say (in Deut. 32:37), “And He will say, ‘Where are their gods’”; Israel shall therefore say in the future (in Ps. 48:15), “For this is God, our God, for ever and ever; He will lead evermore.”

(Exodus 16:13) "and in the morning there was a layer of dew": Scripture comes to apprise us how the manna descended for Israel: A north wind would come and "sweep" the desert. Then rain would come and clean the ground, and the dew would rise and the wind would blow on it and make it like golden tables, on which the manna descended. (Ibid. 14) "and, behold, on the face of the desert": Not on the whole desert, but on part of it. (Ibid.) "thin as hoarfrost": We are hereby apprised that it descended like ice on the ground. These are the words of R. Yehoshua. R. Eliezer Hamodai says: "And the dew layer ascended": (homiletically) there arose the prayers of our forefathers who were buried in the earth, on the face of the ground. "and, behold, on the face of the desert": Not on the whole desert, but on part of it. "dak like hoarfrost": It descended from the firmament, as it is written (Isaiah 40:22) "… who stretches out the heavens like dak." Since it descended from the firmament, I might think it descended cold. It is, therefore, written "cham" ("warm" [i.e., the samech in mechuspas looks very much like a mem]). I might think it descended with a great din. Whence is it derived that it descended silently? It is, therefore, written "hass" ("hush" [i.e., the cheth in mechuspas reads very much like a heh]). I might think that it descended on vessels. Whence do I derive that it descended only on the ground? From "as hoarfrost upon the ground." R. Tarfon says: It descended, as it were, on the palms of the L rd ("pas" in "mechuspas" is a palm). The Holy One Blessed be He stretched out His hand took the prayers of our forefathers buried in the earth and brought down the manna which is like the dew for Israel, viz. (Iyyov 33:24) "Then He will be gracious to him and will say: 'Redeem him from descending to the pit, for I have found his ransom ("kofer," as in the description of the dew, "dak kakfor.") Once, R. Tarfon and the elders were sitting, and R. Elazar Hamodai was sitting before them, when he said to them: The height of the manna was sixty cubits. R. Tarfon: "Modai, until when will you continue to confound us with your wonders?" R. Elazar: "It is a verse in the Torah! Which 'measure' (of the Holy One Blessed be He) is greater? That for evil (i.e., punishment) or that for good (i.e., reward)? That of good. It is written (re the flood, Genesis 7:11 and 7:20) "And the windows of the heavens were opened … Fifteen cubits did the waters increase" (above the mountains). And of the measure of good, what is written? (Psalms 78:23-24) 'And He commanded the skies above, and He opened the doors of heaven, and He rained upon them manna for food, and the grain of heaven did He give them.' As it relates to our subject, the windows in a door being four, then two doors give us eight windows, (so that if two windows provide fifteen cubits,) then the height of the manna must have been (at least) sixty cubits." Issi b. Yehudah says: When the manna descended for Israel, all of the peoples saw it, as it is written (Psalms 23:5) "You spread a table before me in full view of my foes."

(Lev. 8:3:) AND ASSEMBLE THE WHOLE CONGREGATION…. He said to him: Where?⁴⁷Tanh., Lev. 2:12; see Lev. R. 10:9; cf. Gen. R. 5:7. He said unto him: Unto the door of the Tent of Meeting. Moses our Master said to him: Sovereign of the World, < there are > sixty myriads of adults and sixty myriads of young people. How will I have them stand at the opening of the Tent of Meeting? < The area is > only the size of a field requiring of two seahs of seed; yet you are saying (in Lev. 8:3:) AND ASSEMBLE THE WHOLE CONGREGATION. The Holy One said to him: Are you surprised about this command? Are the heavens not like a cataract on the eye? For I made them < to stretch > from one end of the world to the other, [as stated] (in Is. 40:22): WHO HAS STRETCHED OUT THE HEAVENS LIKE A CURTAIN [AND SPREAD THEM OUT LIKE A TENT TO DWELL IN]. And also in the world to come I will do likewise for Zion. How will all those populations⁴⁸Gk.: ochloi. from the first Adam until the dead rise < have room to > stand? Then they are going to say (in Is. 49:20): THE PLACE IS TOO CROWDED FOR ME; MAKE ROOM FOR ME TO DWELL. What shall I do for them? I shall enlarge it, as stated (in Is. 54:2): ENLARGE THE SITE OF YOUR TABERNACLE? From where do you learn so? From Mount Sinai. When the Holy One appeared upon it, what is written (in Ps. 68:18 [17])? THE CHARIOTS OF GOD ARE MYRIADS, THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS; < THE LORD IS AMONG THEM ON SINAI >…. R. Avdimi of Haifa said: I have learned in my Mishnah: When the Holy One appeared on Mount Sinai to give the Torah, twenty-two thousand chariots came down with him.⁴⁹PRK 12:22; PR 21:7; Exod. R. 29:2. R. Berekhyah [the Priest] said that the Holy One foresaw that none would remain in their teaching (literally: their water) except the tribe of Levi. He therefore came down < with a number > corresponding to the camp of the Levites (according to Numb. 22:39). R. Jannay said: If so, how is it that THE CHARIOTS (rt.: RKB) OF GOD ARE MYRIADS. It is simply that twenty-two thousand chariots came down with the Holy One, with each and every chariot like the chariot which Ezekiel ben Buzi saw (Ezek. 1:19–21); yet it (i.e., Mt. Sinai) contained them. Indeed the event was a miracle. The Holy One said: Become wider (rt.: RHB) and longer to receive my children, < who are > faithful children. And so you find in the world to come, that the Holy One will widen (rt.: RHB) Jerusalem, as stated (in Ezek. 41:7): AND IT BECAME {LONGER} [WIDER] (rt.: RHB) AS IT WOUND ABOUT HIGHER (LM'LH)…, until it was rising to the heavens.⁵⁰See PRK 20:7. On the enlargement of Jerusalem in the age to come, cf. BB 75b. Now, HIGHER (M'LH) can only mean "heaven" (ShMYM). Thus it is stated (in Ps. 108:5 [4]) FOR [YOUR FAITHFULNESS IS] GREAT, ABOVE (M'L) {THE HEAVENS (HShMYM)} [HEAVEN (ShMYM)].⁵¹Note that the Mss reading (in the braces) adds an extra H to the Masoretic Text. Thus the H appears at the end of M‘L to make M‘LH. When it (i.e., Jerusalem) reaches the heavens, it says (in Is. 49:20): THE PLACE IS TOO CROWDED FOR ME…. Nevertheless, the Holy One raises it up from the heavens to the firmament, from the second < heaven > to the third, from the third to the fourth, from the fourth to the fifth, from the fifth to the sixth, and from the sixth to the seventh. R. Eleazar ben Jacob said: < The elevation of Jerusalem continues > until it reaches the throne of glory. But how are they (the Israelites) to ascend? The Holy One will bring clouds and will have them fly. Thus it is stated (in Is. 60:8): WHO ARE THESE THAT FLY LIKE A CLOUD? Then each and every one of the righteous will have a canopy (huppah) for himself. Thus it is stated (in Is. 4:5): FOR THE LORD WILL CREATE OVER THE [WHOLE] SITE OF MOUNT ZION AND OVER ITS ASSEMBLY [< A CLOUD AND SMOKE BY DAY AND THE BRIGHTNESS OF A FLAMING FIRE BY NIGHT >; FOR OVER < ALL > THE GLORY THERE SHALL BE A CANOPY (huppah)]. When it reaches the throne of glory, the Holy One shall say to them: I and you shall walk through the world < together >, as stated (in Lev. 26:12): AND I WILL WALK AMONG YOU. The Holy One will dwell in the middle and the righteous shall < proudly > point him out. It is so stated (in Is. 25:9): IN THAT DAY THEY SHALL SAY: SEE, THIS IS OUR GOD; WE WAITED FOR HIM, AND HE DELIVERED US…. It also says (in Ps. 48:15 [14]): FOR THIS IS GOD, OUR GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER; HE WILL LEAD EVERMORE. Because the nations say (in Deut. 32:37): AND HE WILL SAY: WHERE ARE THEIR GODS? Israel shall therefore say (in Ps. 48:15 [14]): FOR THIS IS GOD, OUR GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER; HE WILL LEAD EVERMORE.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 43:14): AND MAY GOD ALMIGHTY (ShDY). R. Aha said: These heavens were created from a curtain material, and the earth was created from snow.⁷²See above, 1:11; 3:27; 10:12. Thus it is stated (in Is. 40:22): WHO HAS STRETCHED OUT THE HEAVENS LIKE A CURTAIN. And the earth < comes > from snow, as stated (in Job 37:6): FOR TO THE SNOW HE SAYS: BECOME EARTH. When the Holy One told them to be created, they continued to expand. R. Aha said: If the Holy One had not told them: Enough (DY), they would have continued to expand until they were raised along with the dead. Jacob said: The one who said to the heavens and earth: Enough (DY) for you, should say to my afflictions: Enough (DY) for you. (Gen. 43:14:) GOD WHO IS ENOUGH (ShDY).

Another interpretation (of Gen. 17:1): I AM GOD ALMIGHTY ('L ShDY). R. Abbahu said: When the Holy One created his world, he created the heavens and the earth.¹¹⁰Hag. 12a; Gen. R. 46:3; PRE 3; above, 1:11; below, 10:12, 16. Then he told them that they should continue to spread out, as stated (in Is. 40:22): < WHO HAS STRETCHED OUT THE HEAVENS LIKE A CURTAIN > AND SPREAD THEM OUT LIKE A TENT TO DWELL IN. If he had not said: Enough! to them, they would have continued to be spread out until the dead rise (at the end of time). < What > the Holy One said to Abraham < was >: I am the one who said to my world: Enough (DY)! So < also > he says to foreskin: Enough!

"At the opening of the tent" (Gen. 18:1). You have made a good opening for passersby. You have made a good opening for strangers/converts. For were it not for you, I would not have created heaven and earth, as it is said (Isa. 40:22]), "Stretched them out like a tent to dwell in." For were it not for you, I would not have made the orb of the sun, as it is said (Ps. 19:5), "He placed in them a tent for the sun." For were it not for you, I would not have made the moon, as it is said (Job 25:5), "Even the moon is not bright [ya'ahil]." R' Levi said, In the future, Avraham will be sitting at the entrance to Gehinnom, and he will not allow a circumcised Jew to go down into it. And those who have sinned too much, what does he/He do to them? He removes the foreskin from babies who have died before they were circumcised, places it on them, and causes them to go down to Gehinnom. Thus it is said (Ps. 55:21), "He harmed his ally, he broke his pact." "In the heat of the day" (Gen. 18:1). When that day comes about which is written (Mal. 3:19), "For lo! That day is at hand, burning like an oven." "In the heat of the day." R' Yishmael taught, "In the heat of the day," this refers to six hours of the day [noon]. So then how do I interpret (Ex. 16:21), "when the sun grew hot, it would melt"? To four hours. You say four hours; might it not be six hours? When it says, "In the heat of the day," this refers to six hours. Or maybe it's the reverse -- "In the heat of the day" to four hours, and "when the sun grew hot" to six hours. You would say, how can you interpret "In the heat of the day" as four hours? Isn't it the case that, at four hours, there is heat only in a spot where the sun shines. At four hours, in the shade it is cool, and in the sun it is hot; at six hours, in the shade and the sun alike are hot. Thus you should not go by the latter version, but rather by the former: "In the heat of the day" is six hours, and "when the sun grew hot" is four hours, and only in a spot where the sun shone would it melt. R' Tanhuma said, at a time when people do not have shadows underneath [Yerush: omits "underneath"; Maharzu emends to "except underneath"]. R' Yanai said, He opened a fissure from Gehinnom and boiled the entire world, and its inhabitants to boot, for a brief moment; the Holy One, Blessed be He, said, the righteous ones are in distress, and the world is at ease? [From] this you say that heat is good for wounds.