Тегилим 102:27 Мидраш: Vayikra Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

What did David see that led him to laud the Holy One blessed be He with his soul? It is that he said: The soul fills the body and the Holy One blessed be He fills His world, as it is stated: “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth…?” (Jeremiah 23:24). Let the soul that fills the body come and praise the Holy One blessed be He who fills the entire world. The soul bears the body, and the Holy One blessed be He bears His world, as it is stated: “I made, and I will carry, I will bear” (Isaiah 46:4). Let the soul that bears the body come and laud the Holy One blessed be He, who bears His world. The soul outlasts the body, and the Holy One blessed be He outlasts His world. Let the soul that outlasts the body come and laud the Holy One blessed be He, who outlasts His world, as it is stated: “Even they will perish, but You will endure. All of them will wear out like a garment” (Psalms 102:27). The soul is solitary in the body and the Holy One blessed be He is solitary in His world. Let the soul that is solitary in the body come and laud the Holy One blessed be He, who is solitary in His world, as it is stated: “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). The soul does not eat in the body, and the Holy One blessed be He, there is no eating before Him. Let the soul that does not eat in the body come and laud the Holy One blessed be He, before whom there is no eating, as it is stated: “Do I eat the flesh of bulls?” (Psalms 50:13). The soul sees but is not seen, and the Holy One blessed be He sees and is not seen. Let the soul that sees and is not seen come and laud the Holy One blessed be He who sees but is not seen, as it is stated: “The eyes of the Lord, roving throughout the earth” (Zechariah 4:10). The soul is pure in the body and the Holy One blessed be He is pure in His world. Let the soul that is pure in the body come and laud the Holy One blessed be He who is pure in His world, as is stated: “You that has eyes too pure to see evil” (Habakkuk 1:13). The soul does not sleep in the body and the Holy One blessed be He, there is no sleep for Him. Let the soul that does not sleep in the body come and laud the Holy One blessed be He, for whom there is no sleep, as it is stated: “Behold [the Guardian of Israel] neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalms 121:4).

Thou hast established the earth, and it standeth. They stand this day according to Thine ordinances (ibid.). It was according to Your ordinances that You created everything, as is said: In the beginning God created (Gen. 1:1). Another comment on They stand this day according to Thine ordinances. Even this day was brought forth according to Your ordinances, as it is said: Every morning, every morning doth He bring His ordinance to light (Zeph. 3:5). They stand this day according to Thine ordinances; they shall perish, but Thou shalt stand (Ps. 102:27), for You are the foundation of the world. Another explanation of But Thou shalt stand is that You shall cause others to stand. Another comment on And it standeth according to thine ordinances. That is, according to the words You spoke to Aaron (that) the priesthood would be firmly established through him.

One text says (in Gen. 1:1): IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, but another says (in Gen. 2:4): ON THE DAY THAT THE LORD GOD MADE EARTH AND HEAVEN.⁵⁰Hag. 12a; yHag. 2:1 (77c-d); Gen. R. 1:15; Lev. R. 36:1; PRE 18 (19); M. Sam. 5;cf. Tamid 32a. The Bet Shammay say: Heaven was created first (according to Gen. 1:1): IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. But the Bet Hillel say: Earth was created first, as stated (in Gen. 2:4): ON THE DAY THAT THE LORD GOD MADE EARTH AND HEAVEN. R. Judah b. R. Il'ay said: The Scripture supports the Bet Hillel, since it is stated (in Ps. 102:26): BEFOREHAND YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH. Moreover, R. Hanina said: You have learned it from your place (in Gen. 1:1), where it is stated: IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED…. And what is written next (in vs. 2)? AND THE EARTH WAS VOID…. R. Simeon ben Johay said: I am amazed at how the ancestors of the world (i.e., the scholars) were divided on the creation of heaven and earth. So how were they created? Just as a pot⁵¹Gk.: lopas. and its cover did the Holy One create the heavens and the earth. Thus it is stated (in Is. 48:13): MOREOVER, MY HAND HAS FOUNDED EARTH [AND MY RIGHT HAND HAS SPREAD OUT HEAVEN]. Why did the Holy One put heaven before earth (in Gen. 1:1) and earth before heaven (in Gen. 2:4)? In order to teach you that both of them are considered together. R. Tanhuma bar Abba said: In the creation (of Gen. 1:1) heaven preceded earth, but in the making (of Gen. 2:4) earth preceded heaven.