Midrash sa Isaias 44:24: Bereshit Rabbah, Midrash Tehillim & Pesikta Rabbati

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
“In the beginning, God created” – Rabbi Tanḥuma began: “For You are great and perform wonders” (Psalms 86:10). Rabbi Tanḥum said: A wineskin, if it has a hole as small as the point of a needle, all its air will escape from it.⁹When one inflates it to determine whether there are any holes. Yet a human is made with numerous cavities and orifices, but his air does not escape from him. Who can do so? It is “You, alone, are God” (Psalms 86:10).
When were the angels created? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The angels [malakhim] were created on the second day. That is what is written: “He covers His upper chambers¹⁰The heavens. with water…”¹¹This is what God did on the second day (Genesis 1:6–7). (Psalms 104:3), and it is written: “He makes the winds His messengers [malakhav]” (Psalms 104:4).
Rabbi Ḥanina said: The angels were created on the fifth day. That is what is written: “Let birds fly [yeofef] over the earth…” (Genesis 1:20), and it is written [of the angels]: “And with two¹²The seraphim had six wings, using two of them for flight (Isaiah 6:2). it would fly [yeofef]” (Isaiah 6:2). Rabbi Lulyana bar Tavrin said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: Both according to the opinion of Rabbi Ḥanina and according to the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan, everyone agrees that none were created on the first day, so people should not say: Mikhael was pulling at the south side of the heavens and Gabriel at its north side, while the Holy One blessed be He straightened it out in the middle. Rather, “I am the Lord, who made everything; who stretched out the heavens alone…by Myself [me’iti]” (Isaiah 44:24) – it [the last word] is written [as two],¹³Although the word is pronounced (keri) me’iti, in the biblical text it is written (ketiv) as two words, mi iti. “who is with Me [mi iti]?” Who was partner with Me in the creation of the world?
Another matter, “for You are great and perform wonders” (Psalms 86:10) – the way of the world is that a flesh-and-blood king, when he is receives praise in the province,¹⁴For its magnificent buildings or for its proficient administration. the prominent leaders of the province receive praise along with him, as they bear the burden [of governing] with him. But the Holy One blessed be He is not so; rather, He alone created the world, He alone is lauded in the world, He alone is glorified in the world. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: “For You are great and perform wonders” – why? It is because “You, alone, are God” – You alone created the world.

Rabbi Yanai said: Right from the beginning of the creation of the world, the Holy One blessed be He foresaw the actions of the righteous and the actions of the wicked. “The earth was emptiness” (Genesis 1:2) – these are the actions of the wicked. “God said: Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) – these are the actions of the righteous. “God distinguished between the light and the darkness” (Genesis 1:4) – between the actions of the righteous and the actions of the wicked. “God called the light, Day” (Genesis 1:5) – these are the actions of the righteous. “And to the darkness He called Night” (Genesis 1:5) – these are the actions of the wicked. “It was evening” (Genesis 1:5) – these are the actions of the wicked. “And it was morning” (Genesis 1:5) – these are the actions of the righteous.
“[It was evening and it was morning,] one day”¹⁹Why does it state “one day” rather than “the first day,” as it states “the second day” (Genesis 1:8), etc.? – the Holy One blessed be He gave to them [to Israel] one [unique] day. Which is that? It is Yom Kippur. Rabbi Tanḥum bar Yirmeya said: [It was the day] on which four items were created: Mountains, the heavens, the earth, and light.²⁰The creations on the first day were more significant than the others, and in that sense it is unique. Rabbi Yudan said: [It was the day] on which the Holy One blessed be He was alone in His world, as there was no one else in His world other than Him.²¹It was the only day on which God was truly “one,” as on the second days there were already angels. This is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan, but it is not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Ḥanina. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The angels [malakhim] were created on the second day. That is what is written: “He covers His upper chambers with water;²²This is what God did on the second day (Genesis 1:6–7). He makes clouds His chariot; He proceeds on the wings of wind” (Psalms 104:3), and it is written: “He makes the winds His messengers [malakhav]” (Psalms 104:4). Rabbi Ḥanina said: The angels were created on the fifth day, as it is stated: “Let birds fly [yeofef] over the earth…” (Genesis 1:20) and it is written: “And with two²³The seraphim had six wings, using two of them for flight (Isaiah 6:2). it would fly [yeofef]” (Isaiah 6:2). Rabbi Lulyana bar Tavrai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: Both according to the opinion of Rabbi Ḥanina and according to the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan, everyone agrees that none were created on the first day, so people should not say: Mikhael was pulling at the south side of the heavens and Gabriel at its north side, while the Holy One blessed be straightened it out it in the middle. Rather, “I am the Lord, who made everything; who stretched out the heavens alone, who spread the earth by Myself [me’iti]” (Isaiah 44:24) – it [the last word] is written [as two]:²⁴Although the word is pronounced (keri) me’iti, in the biblical text it is written (ketiv) as two words, mi iti. “who is with Me [mi iti]?” Who was partner with Me in creation of the world?

Another matter is that the earth and all its fullness belong to the Lord. This is what the verse says: "You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you" (Nehemiah 9:6) When were the angels created? Rabbi Yochanan said they were created on the second day, as it says: "The waters above the heavens" (Psalms 148:4), and it is also written: "He makes his angels spirits" (Psalms 104:4). Resh Lakish said they were created on the fifth day, as it says: "And let birds fly above the earth" (Genesis 1:20), and it is written concerning angels: "With two wings they covered their faces" (Isaiah 6:2). Rabbi Luliani said: "Why were the angels not created on the first day? So that people would not say that Michael was stretching from the east and Gabriel from the west while God was measuring in the middle. But it says: 'I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself' (Isaiah 44:24). Who was with me? Who was my partner in the creation of the world?" David said before God: "Since you created the heavens and the earth for your name's sake, I call them the Lord's earth and its fullness" (Psalms 24:1). Rabbi Azariah, Rabbi Nehemiah, and Rabbi Baruchya said: "It is like a king who had two stewards, one responsible for what was in the house and one responsible for what was in the fields. The one responsible for the house knew everything that was in the house and everything that was in the fields, but the one responsible for the fields only knew what was in the fields. Similarly, when Moses ascended to the heavens, he knew both the upper and lower realms and rebuked God for not taking care of them. As it says: 'Indeed, to the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it' (Deuteronomy 10:14). But David, who did not ascend to the heavens, praised God for what he knew, as it says: 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it' (Psalms 24:1)." Rabbi Pinchas said: "A king of flesh and blood may have sheep but no pasture, or pasture but no sheep. But the Holy One, blessed be He, fills both the upper and lower realms, as it says: 'Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created' (Psalms 148:4-5). And it says (Jeremiah 23:24), "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" He has flesh and blood, but he has no flock to shepherd. He has a flock, but he has no pasture for them. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so; He has a flock and He has pasture. The flock is Israel, as it is said (Ezekiel 34:31), "And you, My flock, the flock of My pasture." And He has pasture for them in the land and its fullness, and He knows how to shepherd them, as it is said (Ezekiel 34:15), "I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down." And He knows good pasture for them, as it is said (Ezekiel 34:14), "I will feed them in a good pasture." Woe to the land and its fullness for the sake of God.