Midrash sobre Gênesis 2:6

(Gen. 6:9:) THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH. [Let our master instruct us: For how many transgressions do women die at the time of their childbirth? Thus] have our masters taught (in Shab. 2:6):¹Tanh., Gen. 2:1. WOMEN DIE AT THE TIME OF THEIR CHILDBIRTH FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS: [BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CAREFUL IN REGARD TO MENSTRUATION, IN REGARD TO THE HALLAH,²I.e., the priest’s share of the dough. AND IN REGARD TO THE LIGHTING OF THE < SABBATH > LAMP. These three commandments are also from the Torah.] Where is it shown about menstruation? Where it is stated (in Lev. 15:25): AND WHEN A WOMAN HAS HAD A DISCHARGE OF BLOOD. And where is it shown about the hallah? Where it is stated (in Numb. 15:20): YOU SHALL SET ASIDE THE FIRST OF YOUR DOUGH AS A HALLAH OFFERING. And where is it shown about the Sabbath lamp? Where it is stated (in Is. 58:13): AND YOU CALL THE SABBATH A DELIGHT. And why are the women charged with regard to these commandments?³Gen.R. 17:8; yShab. 2:4 (5b). Our sages have said: In the creation of the world Adam was first. Then came Eve, and she shed his blood in that he had heeded her. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 3:19): FOR DUST YOU ARE AND TO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN. The Holy One said: Let her be given the commandment of menstrual blood [so that she may have atonement] for that blood which she shed. And why the commandment of the hallah? Because Adam was the hallah of the world when she came and defiled him,⁴Cf. Gen. R. 14:1. the Holy One said: Let her be given the commandment of hallah so that she may have atonement for the hallah of the world, which she defiled. And where is it shown that Adam is the hallah of the world? Thus have our masters taught (in Hal. 3:1): ONCE THE WOMAN PUTS WATER into the dough, SHE IS TO REMOVE HER HALLAH. Thus did the Holy One do. R. Jose ben Qetsarta said: Once the Holy One put water on the ground, he immediately removed Adam as his hallah from the ground. Thus it says (in Gen. 2:6): BUT A MIST ('D) WENT UP FROM THE EARTH. THEN immediately (in vs. 7) THE LORD GOD FORMED < THE HUMAN ('DM) OUT OF DUST FROM THE GROUND >…. And the commandment of the lamp exists because Adam was the lamp of the Holy One, as stated (in Prov. 20:27): THE LAMP OF {GOD} [THE LORD] IS THE BREATH OF ADAM. But Eve came and extinguished it. The Holy One said: Let her be given the commandment of the lamp in order that she may have atonement for the lamp which she extinguished. Thus women have been charged with the commandments of the Sabbath lamp. The Holy One said: If you are careful with the Sabbath lamp, I also will be shining for you, as stated (in Is. 60:19): FOR THE LORD SHALL BE YOUR EVERLASTING LIGHT.

Why were women assigned the commandment to remove the levy of dough? It was because she (Eve) defiled the sanctified dough of His world, namely, Adam. R. Yosé the son of R. Kazrata declared: Just as a housewife slaps her dough with water and then takes off its levy, so the Holy One, blessed be He, did with Adam, as it is written: And there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the earth (Gen. 2:6), and Then the Lord God formed man of the dust (ibid., v. 7).

(Exodus 15:1) "For He is high on high": He exalted me, and I exalted Him. He exalted me in Egypt, viz. (Exodus 4:22) "My first-born son is Israel," and I exalted Him in Egypt, viz. (Isaiah 20:29) "The song will be for you, as on the night of the sanctification of the festival (of Pesach), and rejoicing of heart as one going with flute to come to the mountain of the L rd, to the Rock of Israel." Variantly: He exalted me at the (Red) Sea, viz. (Exodus 14:19) "And the angel of G d who went before the camp of Israel, etc." I, likewise, exalted Him at the sea and chanted song before Him, viz. "I shall sing to the L rd for He is high on high." Variantly: "for He is high on high": He is exalted (now) and is destined to be exalted, viz. (Isaiah 2:12) "For there is a day for the L rd of hosts over all the exalted and high and against all the uplifted — and he will be brought low", and (Ibid. 13) "against all the lofty and exalted cedars of Levanon", and (Ibid. 16) "against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the splendid palaces", and (Ibid. 17) "the height of man will be lowered, and the pride of men will be brought down, and the L rd alone will be exalted on that day", and (Ibid. 18) "all the false gods will disappear." Variantly: "for high on high": He exalts Himself over the exalted. With what the nations of the world exalt themselves before Him, He exacts punishment of them. In the generation of the flood, (Iyyov 21:10) "His (the evildoer's) bull begets, and does not fail. His cow bears without miscarriage," (11) "they send out their young, (sprightly) as sheep; their children prance about." (12) "they raise (their voices) with drum and harp; they rejoice at the sound of the flute." What do they say? (15) "What is the Almighty that we should serve Him, and what will we gain if we pray to Him?" They say: What do we need Him for? Only for a drop of rain? We have wells and pits — (Genesis 2:6) "A vapor rose from the earth and watered the entire face of the ground!" The Holy One Blessed be He said to them: Fools, do you vaunt yourselves before Me with the good that I bestowed upon you!" With that (itself) I will exact punishment of you! As it is written (Ibid. 7:12) "And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights." They set their eyes (["eineihem" for erotic gazing]), the higher (the males) upon the lower (the female) in order to vent their lust, and the Holy One Blessed be He opened against them wells ("mayanoth" [like "eineihem"]) from above and below to destroy them, as it is written (Ibid. 11) "On this day, all the fountains of the great deep burst, and the windows of heaven were opened." And thus do you find with the men of the tower (of Bavel) that with what they vaunted themselves before Him, He exacted punishment of them. As it is written (Genesis 11:4) "And they said: Let us build for ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves lest we be scattered, etc." (Ibid. 6-8) "And the L rd said … Let us go down, etc…. And the L rd scattered them from there, etc." And thus do you find with the men of Sodom, that with what they vaunted themselves before Him, He exacted punishment of them. As it is written (Iyyov 28:5-8) "A land from which bread had issued forth — its place was overturned, as if (consumed by) fire. A place of sapphire were its stones, and dusts of gold were there. (And now it is) a path unknown (i.e., unfrequented) by brigands, and unseen by the falcon's eye, untrodden by the haughty (beasts) and not crossed by the lion." The Sodomites said: We need no men to come to us. Food "sprouts" from us, and silver and gold and precious stones and pearls sprout from us. Let us come and forget the way of the wayfarer from our land — At which the Holy One Blessed be He said to them: Fools that you are! Do you vaunt yourselves in the good that I have bestowed upon you! You have said: Let us forget the Torah of the foot (i.e., the wayfarer) from our land. I, likewise, will "forget" you from the world, viz. (Ibid. 4) "A stream (of fire and brimstone) burst forth from its source (upon Sodom and Gomorrah), who (i.e., the people of Sodom) caused the (codes of the) wayfarer to be forgotten." And (Ibid. 12:6) "The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who anger G d dwell secure." Where from? From what? (Ibid.) "from what G d has brought into his (the evildoer's) hand." And thus is it written (Ezekiel 16:50) "And they (the men of Sodom) were haughty and committed abomination before Me, and I removed them (from the world) when I saw (their ways). And (Ibid. 49) "Behold, this was the sin of Sodom, your sister. She and her daughters had pride, surfeit of bread, and peaceful serenity — wherefore she did not strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy. And thus is it written (Genesis 13:10) "Before the L rd destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it (Sodom) was like the Garden of the L rd, like the land of Egypt." What is written afterwards? (Genesis 19:33) "And they (the daughters of Lot) made their father drink wine that night." Whence did they have wine in the cave? The Holy One Blessed be He "readied" it for them, as in (Yoel 4:18) "And it will be on that day, that the mountains will drip wine. (If the Holy One Blessed be He thus "readies" (things) for His angerers, how much more so for the doers of His will!) And thus do you find with the Egyptians, that with what they vaunted themselves, He exacted punishment of them, (Exodus 14:7) "And he (Pharaoh) took six hundred chariots and all (the other) chariots of Egypt," and it is written (Ibid. 15:4) "The chariots of Pharaoh and his host He cast into the sea, etc." And thus with Sisra, with what they vaunted themselves before Him, punishment was exacted of them, (Judges 9:13) "And Sisra massed all his chariots, nine hundred iron chariots, etc.", and it is written (Ibid. 5:20) "The stars fought from heaven. From their courses they fought against Sisra." And thus do you find with Samson, the mighty. With what he vaunted himself, punishment was exacted of him, viz. (Ibid. 14:3) "And Samson said to his father: Take her for me, for she is just in my eyes," and it is written (Ibid. 16:21) "And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. And they brought him down to Azzah." R. Yehudah says: The beginning of his lapse was in Azzah; therefore, his punishment was in Azzah. And thus with Avshalom — With what he vaunted himself, punishment was exacted f him, viz. (II Samuel 14;25-26) "And as Avshalom there was no man so beautiful in all of Israel … and when he shaved his head, etc." He as an "eternal Nazirite," who had to shave once every twelve months, viz. (Ibid. 15:7-8) "And it was at the end of forty years that Avshalom said to the king, etc." R. Yossi Haglili says: He was a "Nazirite of days," who shaved once in thirty days, viz. (Ibid. 14:26) "And it was from days to days that he shaved, etc." Rebbi says: He shaved every Sabbath eve, this being the norm for princes. What happened in the end? (Ibid. 18:9) "And Avshalom was encountered by David's servants, and Avshalom was riding on a mule…" (and he was undone by his hair and was killed.) And thus Sancheriv — With what he vaunted himself, punishment was exacted of him, viz. (II Kings 19:23) "Through your envoys you have blasphemed the L rd, etc.", and (Ibid. 24) "It is I (Sancheriv), who have drawn and drunk the water of strangers, etc.", and (Ibid.) "An angel of the L rd went out and smote in the Assyrian camp one hundred and eighty-five thousand, etc." They said: The greatest of them commanded one hundred and eighty-five thousand, and the smallest of them no less than two thousand, viz. (18:24) "So how can you refuse anything even to the deputy of one of my master's lesser servants, etc." (Ibid. 19:21-22) is the thing that the L rd spoke concerning him … Whom have you blasphemed, etc." and (Isaiah 10:32) "This same day at Nov he shall stand and waver his hand, etc." And thus with Nevuchadnezzar — With what he vaunted himself, punishment will be exacted of him, viz. (Ibid. 14:13-14) "And you said in your hearts … I will mount the heights of a cloud, etc." What is written afterwards? (Ibid. 15) "Instead, you will be brought down to Sheol, etc." And thus with. And thus with. And thus with Tyre and Malchah — With what they vaunted themselves, punishment was exacted of them. As it is written (Ezekiel 17:3) "Tyre, you have said: I am the quintessence of beauty, etc." And of Malchah it is written (Ibid. 28:2) "You have set your heart like the heart of G d, etc." And about Tyre it is written (Ibid. 26:3) "Behold, I (the L rd) am against you, O Tyre, etc." And about Malchah it is written (Ibid. 28:10) You will die the death of the uncircumcised, etc." — whence we find that with what the nations of the world vaunted themselves punishment was exacted of them — wherefore it is written "for He is high on high." (Exodus 15:1) "A horse and its rider He has cast into the sea": Now was there only one horse and one chariot? Is it not written (Ibid. 14:7) "And he took six hundred choice chariots"? __ When Israel does the will of the L rd, its foes oppose it, as it were, with one horse and its rider. Similarly, (Devarim 20:1) "When you go out to war against your enemy and you see horse and chariot." Now was there only one horse and one chariot? __ When Israel does the will of the L rd, etc." "a horse and its rider": When a horse is tied to its rider, and the rider to the horse, they rise and descend to the depths without separating. When a man throws two vessels into the sea they immediately separate, but here: "a horse and its rider" together He cast into the sea. One verse (here) states "ramah vayam" ("He lifted into the sea"), and another, (Ibid. 9) "yarah vayam" ("He cast into the sea'). How are these two verses to be reconciled? "ramah" — they rose to the heights; "yarah" — they descended to the depths. Variantly: When Israel saw the plenipotentiary of the kingdom (Egypt) falling, they began to exult. And thus do you find, that the Holy One Blessed be He is not destined to exact punishment of the kingdoms in time to come without first exacting punishment of their plenipotentiaries, viz. (Isaiah 24;21) "And it will be on that day that the L rd will exact punishment of the hosts of heaven on high, etc.", and (Ibid. 14:12) "How you have fallen from heaven, glowing morning star" (the plenipotentiary of Bavel), followed by (Ibid.) "How you (Nevuchadnezzar) have been scooped down to the earth, you who cast lots over the nations!" And (Ibid. 34:5) "For My sword has been sated in the heavens," followed by (Ibid.) "Behold, it shall descend upon Edom, etc." "a horse and its rider": The Holy One Blessed be He brings horse and rider, stands them in judgment, and says to the horse: Why did you pursue My children? The horse: An Egyptian spurred me on against my will, viz. (Ibid. 14:23) "And Egypt pursued, etc." The L rd to Egypt: Why did you pursue My children? The Egyptian: The horse spurred me on against my will, viz. (Ibid. 15:19) "When the horse of Pharaoh came with its chariot and its riders, etc." What does the L rd do? He mounts the man of the horse and judges both of them together, viz. "a horse and its rider He cast into the sea." Antoninos asked Rabbeinu Hakadosh: When a man dies and his body disintegrates, how can the Holy One Blessed be He stand him in judgment? Rabbeinu Hakadosh: Before you ask be about the body, which is tamei (impure), ask me about the soul, which is pure (i.e., How can that stand for judgment?) (Rabbeinu Hakadosh, continuing:) This may be compared to (the instance of) a king of flesh and blood, who had a beautiful orchard, etc. (see Sanhedrin 91a and b). Issi b. Yehudah says: It is written here "horse," unqualified (i.e., the punishments of the horse are not specified), and, elsewhere, "horse," qualified, viz. (Zechariah 12:4) "I will smite every horse with craze, and its rider with distraction. But I will open My eyes to the house of Yehudah, and every horse of the peoples I will smite with blindness," and (Ibid. 14:12) "And this will be the plague with which the L rd will strike all the peoples who massed against Jerusalem, etc.", and (Ibid. 15) "And thus (i.e., as that of the men) will be the plague of the horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass, etc." Just as in the qualified, five smitings, so, in the unqualified, five smitings.

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.

(Exod. 21:1:) AND THESE ARE THE ORDINANCES (mishpatim). This text is related (to Prov. 29:4): BY JUSTICE (mishpat) A KING SUSTAINS THE LAND.⁶Gen. R. 14:1; Exod. R. 30:13; cf. Tanh., Exod. 6:2. This refers to the Holy One. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT A PERSON OF REMOVALS (temurot) WILL DESTROY IT. This refers to the first Adam who was separated out in a removal (temurah). R. Jose ben Qetsartah said: Where is it shown that he was separated out in a removal?⁷Above, Gen. 2:1; Tanh., Gen. 2:1;yShab. 2:4 (5b); Gen. R. 17:8. Where it is stated (in Gen. 2:6–7): BUT A MIST WENT UP FROM THE EARTH <AND WATERED THE WHOLE FACE OF THE GROUND>. THEN THE LORD FORMED <THE HUMAN OUT OF DUST FROM THE GROUND>.⁸See above, Gen. 2:2; Tanh., Gen. 2:1. <It is> like the wife of a priest putting water into the midst of her dough and after that taking the hallah.⁹Cf. Numb. 15:20, which identifies hallah and temurot. Ergo, it says (in Prov. 29:4): BUT A PERSON OF REMOVALS (temurot) WILL DESTROY IT. When the Holy One commanded him to eat from this and not to eat from that, he transgressed the command. What did he bring about? (Gen. 3:17:) CURSED IS THE LAND BECAUSE OF YOU. Ergo, (in Prov. 29:4): <BUT A PERSON OF REMOVALS > WILL DESTROY IT.

Rabbi Jehudah || said: Once every month ducts rise from the depths to irrigate the face of all the earth, as it is said, "And there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground" (Gen. 2:6). The clouds cause the seas to hear the sound of their waterspouts, and the seas cause the depths to hear the sound of their waterspouts, and the deep calls to the deep to bring up waters to give them to the clouds, as it is said, "Deep calleth unto deep at the sound of thy waterspouts" (Ps. 42:7).

“All the rivers go to the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place that the rivers go, they go there again” (Ecclesiastes 1:7).
“All the rivers go to the sea,” and from where does the earth drink?³²Which waters are provided to the earth in the form of rain? Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Eliezer says: It drinks from the water of the ocean, as it is stated: “A mist went up from the earth [and watered the entire face of the ground]” (Genesis 2:6).³³Thus, it is water from the earth that turns to vapor and then falls as rain. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: ‘Isn’t the water of the ocean salty?’ He said to him: ‘They are sweetened in the clouds, as it is written: “Which the skies pour down” (Job 36:28). Where do they become what pours down? It is in the skies.’ Rabbi Yehoshua says: [The earth] drinks from the upper waters, as it is stated: “From the rain of the heavens you drink water” (Deuteronomy 11:11). The clouds ascend from the earth to the heavens and receive [the water] as though from the mouth of a bottle, as it is written: “Which distill rain to His mist” (Job 36:27). They separate them like a sieve and one drop does not touch another, as it is written: “The amassing of water, thick clouds of the skies’ (II Samuel 22:12). Why does it call them skies [sheḥakim]? It is because they crush [shoḥekin] the water.³⁴Separating the water into separate drops. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Like an omasum.³⁵The third stomach in the animal that grinds the food. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Like the intestines of an animal.³⁶That crush the food. It is as Rabbi Yehoshua said: A day of rainfall is great, as it is equivalent to the entire act of Creation.³⁷Rabbi Yehoshua’s opinion that rainwater is from the upper waters in the heavens, which comes to earth, is consistent with his statement that this process is an act equivalent to Creation itself (Midrash HaMevoar). What is the reason? “Who performs great things beyond scrutiny and wonders beyond number” (Job 9:10); with what? “Who gives water on the face of the earth…” (Job 5:10).

(Gen. 8:1:) THEN GOD REMEMBERED NOAH. [Let our master instruct us: In the case of one who sees the bow in the clouds, what blessing must he say?²⁵Tanh., Gen. 2:6. Thus] have our masters taught: One who sees a bow in the clouds must say a blessing. What blessing does he say? Blessed be the one who remembers the covenant, is trustworthy in his covenant, and has stood by his word. This is from the Mishnah,²⁶Actually the blessing is found, not in the Mishnah, but in the gemara, Ber. 59a. but where is it shown from the Torah? The text reads (in Gen. 9:13): I HAVE SET MY BOW IN THE CLOUD, AND IT SHALL BE A SIGN OF A COVENANT < BETWEEN ME AND THE EARTH >. The conduct of the Holy One is not like the conduct of flesh and blood. In what respect? With flesh and blood, as long as one's close friend is alive, love has its place; and if one dies, love ceases. The Holy One, however, is not like that. When Abraham died, his (the Holy One's) love was preserved for his son Isaac, as stated (in Gen. 25:11): AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM THAT GOD BLESSED HIS SON ISAAC.

How did the earth drink?³⁸Before there was rain, as described in Genesis 2:6. Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Simon, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda says: Like the Nile, which waters [the land] and then waters it again.³⁹It periodically overflows its banks, watering the surrounding land. Rabbi Simon said: It is like a box, like the Kavriel [River], whose [water] rises and is [then] absorbed into the ground.⁴⁰The water is present in the winter, and is absorbed into the earth in the summer, at which point crops are planted in the moist earth and are harvested before the river reappears the following winter (Midrash HaMevoar). The Rabbis say: It is like the Tevaha . Why is it called Tevaha? It is because it waters once every forty years,⁴¹One would naturally be astounded [toheh] that this was sufficient to water the land. and it is from it that the earth drank at the outset, as it is stated: “A mist went up from the earth [and watered the entire face of the ground]” (Genesis 2:6). But the Holy One blessed be He then instituted that the earth would drink only from above. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥanin of Tzippori, and some say Rabbi Ḥanin of Tzippori [said] in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: For four reasons the Holy One blessed be He instituted that the earth would drink only from above: Due to violent people;⁴²Who would otherwise take all the water for themselves. in order to wash away the harmful dews; so the highlands will drink like the lowlands; and so everyone will lift their eyes heavenward, as it is stated: “[Who gives rain upon the earth… to set the lowly on high…” (Job 5:10–11).