Комментарий к Берешит 1:8

ויקרא אלהים לרקיע שמים AND GOD CALLED THE EXPANSE HEAVEN — The word “שמים”, Heaven, may be regarded as made up of שא מים “Carry water”, or שם מים “There is water”, or אש ומים “Fire and water”. He mingled fire with water and of them He made the heavens (Chagigah 12a).

ויקרא אלוקים לרקיע שמים, as I have already explained previously, the rakia is referred to as shamayim throughout the Torah, whereas the celestial regions in the spiritual sense are called shm’ey hashamyim, “the upper heavens.” Compare Nechemyah 9,6 where we are told:אתה עשית את השמים, שמי השמים וכל צבאם, “it is You Who have made the sky, the heavens and all their hosts.” In Deuteronomy 10,14 Moses wrote: והן לה' אלוקיך שמים ושמי השמים, “both the skies and the heavens are Yours, O Lord.”

ויקרא אלוקים לרקיע שמים. Seeing that activities occurring in the celestial regions reach us by means of G’d’s agents and not directly, the Torah had to tell us that G’d named the phenomenon, otherwise we would not have known this, [would have considered it as a result of an evolutionary process. Ed.] We know of this indirect activity of G’d when the Torah referred (verses 17-18) to “G’d placed them (the luminaries) in the רקיע השמים, and assigned to them the task to illuminate the earth, etc.”

And He called: See above, verse 8. And behold, it states that God called the heavens a name to say that He is the ruler over them - to bring down rain and to prevent it, according to His will - and man does not have any control over this.

AND G-D CALLED THE FIRMAMENT HEAVEN. On the second day He gave them this name when He clothed them with the form of the firmament for on the first day the heavens were still in the process of creation, but the name was not attached to them until they took on this form.
The meaning of this name [shamayim — heavens] is as if it had the sign of a segol under the letter shin [the prefix shin thus voweled means “that” or “for”] just as in Shalamah (For why) should I be as one that veileth herself?¹⁰⁶Song of Songs 1:7. The letter shin there stands for asher - asher lamah (for why). Similarly in Ibn Ezra, ibid. Likewise here, the word shamayim is as if it said asher mayim (that waters), as is explained further in the text. It is thus as if He said that they [the heavens] are waters which have congealed and stretched like a tent in the midst of the upper and lower waters. By this name shamayim He has made known the secret of their creation.
In the Gemara Tractate Chagigah,¹⁰⁷12a. the Rabbis have said, “What is the meaning of the word shamayim? It means shem mayim.”¹⁰⁸“It is a name for water.” So clearly explained further on by Ramban. If so, there is one mem missing here in the word shamayim on account of the adjoining of two similar letters, just as in the word yeruba’al [which stands for yareb bo ba’al — let Baal contend against him].¹⁰⁹Judges 6:32. The word shamayim is thus as if it said shem mayim, meaning that “heaven” is the name given the waters when they took on a new form. This is the plain meaning of the verses in accordance with the way of Rashi’s writing,¹¹⁰“The word shamayim [may be regarded as made up of either of these words]: sa mayim (carries water), etc.” Rashi. and it conforms with the opinion of Rav¹¹¹Mentioned above: that the heavens were in a fluid form on the first day, and on the second day they solidified. which we have mentioned. Thus the names “heaven” and “earth” mentioned in the first verse point to the names by which they would be called in the future, as it would be impossible to make them known in any other manner. It is, however, more correct in accordance with the meaning of the verses that we say that the heavens mentioned in the first verse are the upper heavens, which are not part of the lower spheres but are above the merkavah (the Divine Chariot), just as it is stated, And over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, like the color of the transparent ice, stretched forth over their heads above.¹¹²Ezekiel 1:22. It is on account of these higher heavens that the Holy One, blessed be He, is called He Who rideth upon the heavens.¹¹³Deuteronomy 33:26. Scripture, however, did not relate anything concerning their creation, just as it did not mention the creation of the angels, the chayoth of the merkavah, and all Separate Intelligences which are incorporeal. Concerning the heavens, it mentioned only in a general way that they were created, meaning that they came forth from nought. On the second day He said that there should be a firmament in the midst of the waters, meaning that from the waters, the creation of which had already been mentioned, there should come forth an extended substance separating them [into two distinct waters]. These spherical bodies He also called “heavens” by the name of the first upper heavens. This is why they are called in this chapter “the firmament of the heaven” [rather than “heavens”] — And G-d set them in the firmament of the heaven¹¹⁴Verse 17. — in order to explain that they are not the heavens mentioned by that name in the first verse but merely the firmaments called “heavens.”
This likewise is the opinion of our Rabbis mentioned in Bereshith Rabbah,¹¹⁵4:1. who state, “All Rabbis say it in the name of Rabbi Chananyah the son of Rabbi Pinchas, and Rabbi Yaakov the son of Rabbi Avin says it in the name of Rabbi Shmuel the son of Rabbi Nachman: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters — the middle drop of water congealed, and the lower heavens and the highest heaven of heavens were formed.” This saying of the Rabbis refers to the spherical bodies in which there are the lower heavens and the upper ones, called “the heavens of heavens,” as it is written: Praise ye Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars of light. Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens.¹¹⁶Psalms 148:3-4. The heavens mentioned here in the first verse, in which is the Throne of the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is written, The heaven is My throne,¹¹⁷Isaiah 66:1. are the ones mentioned in the beginning of that Psalm: Praise ye the Eternal from the heavens; praise Him in the heights. Praise ye Him, all His angels.¹¹⁸Psalms 148:1-2.
This interpretation is correct as far as the simple meaning of the verses is concerned. But there is yet a sublime and hidden secret in the name “the heaven” and in the name “the throne” for there is a heaven to the heavens, and a throne to the throne. Based on this, the Sages use the expressions, “In order that a man may first take upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven,”¹¹⁹Berachoth 13a. and “the fear of Heaven.”¹²⁰Ibid., 7a. Scripture likewise says, That the heavens do rule.¹²¹Daniel 4:23. The Sages also have a remarkable Midrash on the verse, And Thou hear in heaven.¹²²I Kings 8:32. The Midrash referred to is in Sefer Habahir, 100, and found in Zohar 2, p. 271. See my Hebrew commentary, p. 19, note 58. The worthy one will see all this alluded to in the first verse.
Thus the verses have explained that the first created things were from nought, and the rest were derived from the first created substance.
See no objection to this explanation from the saying of Rabbi Eliezer the Great,¹²³Found in Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer, 3. See also Moreh Nebuchim II, 26, where Rambam discusses this saying of Rabbi Eliezer and concludes that he is not able to explain it sufficiently. Ramban, however, explains it further on in the text in a way which makes it consistent with the theory of creation from absolute nought. who states, “Whence were the heavens created? From the light of the garment of the Holy One, blessed be He.” [This would apparently indicate that the heavens were not created from nought but from another preceding substance.] This opinion is also found in Bereshith Rabbah.¹²⁴12:1. Since the Sages wanted to elevate the first substance to the utmost and make it ethereal, they did not find it feasible that the heavens, which are moving corporeal bodies possessing matter and form, were created from nought. Instead, they said “the light of the garment” was created first, and from it came forth the real substance of the heavens. And to the earth He gave another substance,¹²⁵This is based on the concluding statement of Rabbi Eliezer the Great: “Whence was the earth created? From the snow under the Throne of Glory.” (See Note 123.) not as minute as the first [substance from which the heavens were formed], and that is “the snow under the Throne of Glory,” for the Throne of Glory was first created, and from it came forth “the snow” under it, and from it [the “snow”] was formed the substance of the earth, which was third¹²⁶The Throne of Glory, the snow, the earth. In the case of the heavens, however, creation was completed in the second stage: ‘the light of the garment’ and then the heavens. This accords with the theory explained above (see Note 35) that the substance of the heavens is unlike that of the earth. in the order of creation.

And God called the firmament, heaven: God did not want that it should be called with the name, firmament - [rakiya] since that name indicates division and disagreement, as per (Exodus 39:3), "And they flattened (yiraka'au) the gold [into thin plates]" - for that which was to cover the earth. Since any [rakiya] is a covering that separates between two things. And for this reason, it does not state, "that it was good" on the second day, since disagreement was created on it; since there is no good except in a place where we find unity. And therefore on the third day, "that it was good" is stated twice, once for the work of third day and once for the finishing of the water, that has an aspect of unity in it, as it is stated, "let the waters gather to one place," and because of this unity, "that it was good" is mentioned. But on the second day - from which comes out all differences, and which is the beginning of all difference and disagreement - "that it was good" was not said about it. And God did not want that [the sky] should be called firmament, which indicates a cover that separates and divides between brothers; and it was called with the name, heavens [shamayim], which indicates peace, since shamayim is composed of the words, fire [esh] and water [mayim], who made peace between between themselves and joined together, and from them was created skies. And this is what the Rabbis, of blessed memory, state (Avot 5:17), "Any disagreement that is for the sake of the heavens [shamayim], etc.;" which means to say that a disagreement whose purpose is peace, as is the teaching of the name, shamayim; and [this is] easy to understand. And according to its simple meaning, "that it was good" was not stated on the second day, since there was no new creation on it, since the firmament was already created on the first day, and the reason for [no creations happening on the second day] is because the second day is the beginning of all difference and division; hence the Holy One, blessed be He, did not want to implant a nature of difference in any creation.

And He called: Here the verse informs us these are the [same heavens] that were mentioned in the verse, “In the beginning etc.” And [the reason] that the first verse ascribes the name, 'heavens' to them is to say that there is [here] a creation that will be called heavens in the future; but really God did not call it this name until the second day.

ויקרא אלוקים לרקיע שמים, after the rakia had become firm, substantial, and it was capable of supporting the luminaries, G’d called it שמים, “heaven.” The name is appropriate, seeing that the rakia was now capable of absorbing luminaries just as heaven is reputed capable of receiving the creatures from the “lower” regions who possess something originating in the “higher” regions, i.e. their souls. One reason why these regions are called שמים is the fact that the luminaries are visible in the sky, heavens.
Our sages, (Bereshit Rabbah 4,7) when commenting on these words, quote Rav as saying that the word שמים means a region in which fire and water coexist. Rabbi Acha son of Kahane, quoting Rav, says G’d took fire and water and thoroughly mixed the two, the result being shamayim. This is the reason why, as we mentioned already, the words כי טוב that it was good, do not appear in the report of G’d’s creative activity on the second “day.” Our sages, (Bereshit Rabbah 4,6) also say that seeing G’d’s activity on the second “day” was not completed on that day, the day’s work did not qualify for the description “it was good.” In order to compensate for this omission, we find the words וירא אלוקים כי טוב, “G’d saw that it was good,” twice in connection with His activity on the third “day.” The first such mention refers to the completion of G’d’s activity involving the waters, whereas the second mention “that it was good,” refers to the earth producing vegetation, the only activity which occurred on the third “day,” according to Ibn Ezra.
Maimonides (Moreh, Kapach edition page 235) writes that the reason why the words “that it was good” do not appear in the report of G’d’s activities on the second “day,” is that because the rakia and all that is above it is part of the “waters,” and is called by that name. It is something concealed from most people, and how could one apply the words “it was good” to something that cannot seen by us to be good and useful? Seeing that the congregating of the waters to a single location, thus making the earth beneath appear could be observed universally, the expression “it was good” was withheld until the report about that stage of the creation. Even though the making of the rakia was the underlying purpose which made vegetation on earth feasible, something which is also concealed from us, the result of the achievement of this purpose was universally visible so that it qualifies as being described by the words “it was good.”

Carrying of water. [This interpretation arises] because there is no difference between shin and sin when we explain the Torah as it is written [rather than how it is pronounced]. Thus, it is as if the Torah expressly wrote שָׂמָיִם. Furthermore, a kamatz is naturally followed by an alef, so it comes out שָׂא מָיִם.

Wie Gott dem Lichte: "Tag!" zurief und ihm damit seine Aufgabe für die Erde erteilte, so rief Gott der Wölbung: "Himmel!" zu und gab ihr damit ihre Bestimmung für die Erde. Die רקיע ist der eigentliche irdische Himmel. Alles, was die Erde aus Himmels Höhen empfängt, das kommt ihr vermittelst derselben zu. Selbst das Licht empfängt sie nicht direkt und rein, sondern erst vermittelt und gebrochen, und damit erst für sein Wirken auf Erden zubereitet, durch den die Erde umhüllenden Erdhimmel. Wie nämlich יום den Tag im allgemeinen, dann aber speziell den Tagesteil bezeichnet, in welchem sich die wesentlichste Entfaltung der Tagesbestimmung verwirklicht; wie ארץ Erde, den ganzen Erdball, sodann aber speziell den Kontinent bezeichnet, auf welchem sich das eigentliche Erdleben entfaltet: so heißt auch שמים die ganze außerirdische, die Erde umgebende und das Erddasein bedingende Welt im allgemeinen, speziell aber die untere, der Erde zugewandte Sphäre derselben, die eben der Erde als Trägerin und Vermittlerin alles dessen erscheint, was sie aus der außerirdischen Welt an Einflüssen, Gaben und Kräften erhält.

ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום שני, the day faded towards evening until the second morning appeared. Thereby the second of the six days of G’d’s creative activity had come to a close. With this morning the third “day” commenced.

There is water. This interpretation answers the question: How could we say that שמים means “carrying of water,” when earlier (בפסוק ו ד"ה בתוך) Rashi explained that there is a separation between the waters [and the canopy]? Thus Rashi answers that שמים also means “there is water” — i.e., the canopy does not directly carry the water. In truth, the water is there above it, and through the separation it is as if the canopy carries the water. Then Rashi answers an objection: [If so,] why does the Torah not simply write שם מים, and then the error will not arise, to say that the canopy carries the water? Rashi answers that שמים also means אש ומים, and for this reason the Torah wrote שמים, which is interpreted as שא מים — and שא is the same letters as אש. Thus, the Torah teaches that Hashem blended fire and water to make the heavens. You might object: Perhaps the only reason why the Torah wrote שמים is for the meaning of אש ומים. How do we know that it means also שם מים? The answer is: Otherwise it should have been called אש ומים. We need not ask: Why did Rashi not mention these three interpretations before, [when the Torah first wrote] שמים? The answer is: שמים is [usually] a proper noun, but here it is an adjective, for it is written, “Elohim called the canopy שמים.” That is why Rashi mentioned these interpretations here. [Alternatively,] Rashi cites all three explanations to teach that fire is not located in one place while water is in another, and to teach that they are [not merely in one place but are] mingled with each other. (Divrei Dovid)

And according to the words of our rabbis, who said (Bereishit Rabbah 4:7) that the understanding of shamayim (heavens) is sa mayim (support the waters), the intention of [this] verse is according to the following way: “And God called to the heavens and said” to it, support the waters, so that there will be [space] to [make] room for the creatures, so that the creatures will be between the heavens and the earth; and without this, there [was] no place for the dwellers of the earth, until He called upon the heavens to support the waters that were laying upon [the earth]. And he told the lower waters to gather to one place on the third day and the dry land appeared with this, [such that] there was [now] a place for the dwellers of the earth. And this is not a contradiction to the words of our Rabbis, that say that the upper waters are held up miraculously; since even if it is the case that the heavens support them, nonetheless with regards to the set up nature of the skies and their order, they felt that they were supported by a miracle, as we have written on the verse, “And he made.”