Komentarz do Liczb 16:30

ואם בריאה BUT IF A CREATION — i.e. an entirely new one.

BUT IF THE ETERNAL CREATE ‘B’RIAH.’ Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra wrote: “Some scholars say that b’riah indicates producing something from nothing. But, [continues Ibn Ezra], many countries have already been rent [by earthquakes], and their inhabitants went down alive into the pit. Rather, the meaning of b’riah is ‘cutting off,’ from [the expression] ‘u’varei’ (and they shall cut) them”¹⁵⁹Ezekiel 23:47. [thus meaning here: “if the Eternal will ‘cut them’ down by causing the ground to open up its mouth etc.”].
The correct interpretation is that the term b’riah is [indeed] used [in the sense of] bringing forth something from nothing, for we have no other word in the Sacred Language denoting this concept [creatio ex nihilo] except for this one. The explanation of the matter is that splitting open the [crust of the] earth is [indeed] not a new creation, but that the ground should open up its mouth to swallow up [certain people] is a new event which had never occurred previously. For when the earth is split open, as happens many times during an earthquake which is called zalzalah,¹⁶⁰The Arabic word for earthquake. See (Exodus), Vol. II, p. 324, Note 512. it remains open and the chasm becomes filled with water, like ponds; but that it should open up and close again immediately — like a person who opens his mouth to swallow and closes it after he has swallowed — this event was a new happening which occurred [only] on that day, as if it were created out of nothing. This is the meaning of the expression, and the earth closed upon them¹⁶¹Verse 33. [that it closed up immediately after consuming them, and left no sign that it had opened]. It is for this reason that [when saying that] the ground did cleave asunder,¹⁶²Verse 31. Scripture says: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up.¹⁶³Verse 32. And according to the opinion of our Rabbis¹⁶⁴Sanhedrin 110a. Although Gehenna existed already, this movement of its opening was a “new creation.” [who say] that the opening of Gehenna came near to this spot — that phenomenon too, was a new event which occurred [only] at that moment.

וידעתם כי נאצו, for they do not deserve to even be buried together with the remainder of the people.