Midrash su Isaia 40:28

He set a limit for the sun, as it is said: His going forth is from the end of the heaven (Ps. 19:7). He determined the extent of the heavens, as it is said: From one end of the heavens unto the other (Deut. 4:32). He determined the extent of the earth, as it is said: Creator of the ends of the earth (Isa. 40:28). He fixed the time for the exodus from Egypt, as it is said: And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years (Exod. 12:41). He set a limit to darkness, as is said: Man setteth an end to darkness and searcheth out to the furthest bound (Job 28:3). And He likewise determined the length of Joseph’s imprisonment, as it is said: And it came to pass at the end of two full years.

We are taught in a Baraitha: R. Eliezer said: "The entire world drinks of the water of the ocean [coming from below]; as it is said (Gen. 2, 6) But there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground." "How can that be?" R. Joshua said to him. "Are not the waters of the ocean salty?" Whereupon he replied: "They become sweet in the clouds." R. Joshua, however, says: "The entire world drinks of the water that comes from above, as it is said (Deut. 11, 11) From the rain of heaven doth it drink water. But how is the passage: T' at there went up a mist from the earth, to be taken? It means that clouds rise towards heaven, where they open their mouths like bags and drink in the water; as it is said (Job 36, 27) For he taketh away drops of water, which are purified into rain in the mist; and the mist is porous like a sieve, through which the rain descends to the earth; as it is said (II Sam. 22, 12) Heavy masses of water, thick clouds of the skies, and the space from one drop to another is only the width of a hair. From this it may be inferred that the day of rain is as great as was the day of creation of heaven and earth; as it is said (Job 9, 10) Who doth great things which are quite unsearchable; and it is also written (Ib. 5, 10) Who giveth rain upon the surface of the earth; and it is also written (Is. 40, 28) Dost thou not know? Hast thou not heard? The God of everlasting is the Lord, etc., unsearchable is his understanding; and again it is written (Ps. 65, 7) Who setteth firmly the mountains, etc.

When the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to give the Torah to Israel, He asked: “Will ye accept My Torah?” “Indeed,” they replied. “Then give me a surety that you will fulfill it,” He said. “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be our surety,” they answered. Whereupon He responded: “Your patriarchs required guarantors for themselves, since Abraham said: Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? (Gen. 15:8); while Isaac loved the one I hated, as it is written: But Esau, I hate (Mal. 1:3); and Jacob declared: My way is hid from the Lord (Isa. 40:27).” “Then our children shall be our guarantors,” they exclaimed. The Holy One, blessed be He, immediately accepted them as sureties and gave the Torah to Israel, as it is said: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou found strength (Ps. 8:3). Therefore, whenever Israel neglects the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from the sureties, as is said: Thou hast forgotten the law; I will also forget thy children (Hos. 4:6).

"and He rested on the seventh day"? Now is He subject to "weariness"? Is it not written (Isaiah 40:28) "He does not tire and He does not weary," and (Ibid. 29) "He gives strength to the weary," and (Psalms 33:6) "By the word of the L rd the heavens were made"? What, then, is the intent of "and He rested"? The L rd is writing of Himself that He created the world in six days and "rested" as, it were, on the seventh. Now does this not follow a fortiori: If He, who is not subject to weariness, writes of Himself that He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, then a man, of whom it is written (Iyyov 5:7) "Man is born for toil, how much more so (should he rest)!

(Gen. 2:4:) THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHEN THEY WERE CREATED.³⁷Gen. R. 12:10; PR 21:21; Otiyot de R. Aqiva, 5; see yHag. 2:1(77c). R. Abbahu said in the name of R. Johanan: He created them with the letter he. What is the connection here with the letter he? When one brings all the letters out from his mouth, he compresses his mouth; but when one brings the letter he out from his mouth, he does not compress his mouth. Thus the Holy One created his world without toil. It is so stated (in Is. 40:28): HE NEITHER BECOMES WEARY NOR DOES HE TOIL.