מִ֭בְּכִי נְהָר֣וֹת חִבֵּ֑שׁ וְ֝תַעֲלֻמָ֗הּ יֹ֣צִא אֽוֹר׃ (פ)
Pinigil Niya ang mga ilog upang hindi umagos, at ang nakatagong bagay ay inilabas Niya sa liwanag.
Bereshit Rabbah
Rabbi Levi said: Some of the expounders, like ben Azai and ben Zoma, expounded: The voice of the Holy One blessed be He became a guide for Moses, when he said to him: “Ascend to Mount Avarim” (Deuteronomy 32:49). The voice of the Holy One blessed be He became a guide for the water. That is what is written: “The voice of the Lord is on the water” (Psalms 29:3).
Rabbi Berekhya said: The lower waters separated from the upper only with weeping [bekhiya]. That is what is written: “He dams the depths of [mibekhi] the rivers” (Job 28:11). Rabbi Tanḥum derives it from here: “He makes the earth with His might…. At the sound [kol] of His placement of a multitude of water [in the heavens]” (Jeremiah 10:12–13), and kol is nothing other than weeping, just as it says: “So said the Lord: A voice [kol] is heard in Rama, ]wailing, bitter weeping[” (Jeremiah 31:15).
Rabbi Berekhya said: The lower waters separated from the upper only with weeping [bekhiya]. That is what is written: “He dams the depths of [mibekhi] the rivers” (Job 28:11). Rabbi Tanḥum derives it from here: “He makes the earth with His might…. At the sound [kol] of His placement of a multitude of water [in the heavens]” (Jeremiah 10:12–13), and kol is nothing other than weeping, just as it says: “So said the Lord: A voice [kol] is heard in Rama, ]wailing, bitter weeping[” (Jeremiah 31:15).
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
(At) the Teḳuphah of Tishri (the sun) begins from the aperture of Nogah and goes through its revolutions towards the south quarter, through one aperture after another until it reaches the aperture of Bilgah. (At) the Teḳuphah of Ṭebeth (the sun) begins from the aperture of Bilgah and continues its course, returning backward through one aperture after another until it reaches the aperture of Ta'alumah, through which the light goes forth, as it is said, "And the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light" (Job 28:11). (At) the Teḳuphah of Nisan (the sun) begins from the aperture of Ta'alumah, and it goes to the north quarter through one aperture after another until it reaches the aperture No'aman. (At) the Teḳuphah of Ṭammuz (the sun) begins from the aperture No'aman and goes on its course, returning backwards through aperture after aperture until it reaches the aperture Cheder whence the whirlwind goes forth, as it is said, "Out of the chamber cometh the storm and cold out of the scattering winds" (Job 37:9).
Bereshit Rabbah
“The sons of Noah, who emerged from the ark, were Shem, Ham, and Yefet, and Ham was the father of Canaan” (Genesis 9:18).
“The sons of Noah, who emerged from the ark” – “He is silent [yashkit], and who can condemn? He conceals His face; who can see Him [yeshurenu]? To a nation and to a person alike” (Job 34:29). Rabbi Meir expounded: [The generation of the Flood said:] “He is silent” concerning His world;1He allows injustice to proceed without saying anything about it. “He conceals His face” from His world, like a judge before whom a curtain is spread before his face and he does not know what is transpiring outside. So said the generation of the Flood: “Clouds obscure for Him and He does not see” (Job 22:14).
They [the other Sages] said to him: ‘That is enough for you, Meir.’2You are not interpreting this verse correctly. He said to them: ‘What, then, is the meaning of what is written: “He is silent [yashkit], and who can condemn…”?’ They said: ‘He granted tranquility3This is the meaning of yashkit. They were granted an exceedingly convenient way of life. to the generation of the Flood, and who came to condemn them?4There was no one who reprimanded them, so they carried on in their evil ways, until their destruction. What tranquility did He afford them? “Their offspring are well placed [nakhon] before them, with them, and their descendants are before their eyes” (Job 21:8); “They send out their youngsters like a flock....” (Job 21:11). Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis, Rabbi Levi said: One’s wife would be pregnant for [just] three days [before giving birth], as nakhon is stated here, and elsewhere, it is stated: “Be prepared [nekhonim] [for three days]” (Exodus 19:15) – just as nakhon stated there refers to three days, so, too, nakhon that is stated here refers to three days. The Rabbis say: One’s wife would be pregnant for [just] one day and give birth, as nakhon is stated here, and nakhon is stated elsewhere: “Be prepared [nakhon] for the morrow” (Exodus 34:2) – just as nakhon there refers to one day, so, too, here it refers to one day. “And their descendants are before their eyes” – as they would [live to] see their children and their children’s children.
“They send out their youngsters [avileihem] like a flock” – Rabbi Levi said: In Arabia they call a baby avila.5And this is how we know that avileihem means “youngsters.” “And their children dance” (Job 21:11) – in the manner of demons, as it says: “And demons will dance there” (Isaiah 13:21).6They were able to dance with extraordinary robustness and intensity, as demons dance.
When one of them would give birth during the day, she would say to her [newborn] son: ;Go out and get me a flint rock to sever your umbilical cord.’7Newborns were able to walk and fully function as soon as they were born, “like flock.” [If she gave birth] at night, she would say to her son: ‘Go out and kindle a lamp for me with which to sever your umbilical cord.’ There was an incident involving a certain woman who gave birth at night. She said to her son: ‘Go and kindle me a lamp so I can sever your umbilical cord.’ He went out and encountered the demon Shemadon. He [the demon] said to him: ‘Go announce to your mother that the rooster has crowed.8Demons can do no harm during the day. Had it not been that the rooster crowed, I would have smitten you and killed you.’ He [the baby] said to him: ‘You go announce to your mother that my mother has not yet severed my umbilical cord,9And I have not reached my full strength. as had she severed it, I would have smitten you and killed you.’ That is what is written: “Their houses are peaceful without fear” (Job 21:9) – [without fear] of demons; “and the rod of God is not upon them” (Job 21:9) – [they were spared] from suffering. When He concealed his face from them [and finally punished them], who could say to Him: ‘Your conduct is not appropriate [kashura]?’10Who can question or criticize God’s actions? This is the meaning of “He conceals His face; who can see Him [yeshurenu]?” In what way did He conceal his face from them? In that He brought the Flood upon them. That is what is written: “He obliterated all existence…” (Genesis 7:23). “To a nation and to a person alike” – “to a nation” – this refers to the generation of the Flood; and to a person” – this refers to Noah. “Alike” – as the world was founded from him. He was [equally] able to establish His world from a whole nation or from a single person,11This is the meaning of “to a nation and to a person alike.” as it is stated: “The sons of Noah, who emerged from the ark.”12And they went on to repopulate the entire world.
“The sons of Noah, who emerged from the ark” – “He is silent [yashkit], and who can condemn? He conceals His face; who can see Him [yeshurenu]? To a nation and to a person alike” (Job 34:29). Rabbi Meir expounded: [The generation of the Flood said:] “He is silent” concerning His world;1He allows injustice to proceed without saying anything about it. “He conceals His face” from His world, like a judge before whom a curtain is spread before his face and he does not know what is transpiring outside. So said the generation of the Flood: “Clouds obscure for Him and He does not see” (Job 22:14).
They [the other Sages] said to him: ‘That is enough for you, Meir.’2You are not interpreting this verse correctly. He said to them: ‘What, then, is the meaning of what is written: “He is silent [yashkit], and who can condemn…”?’ They said: ‘He granted tranquility3This is the meaning of yashkit. They were granted an exceedingly convenient way of life. to the generation of the Flood, and who came to condemn them?4There was no one who reprimanded them, so they carried on in their evil ways, until their destruction. What tranquility did He afford them? “Their offspring are well placed [nakhon] before them, with them, and their descendants are before their eyes” (Job 21:8); “They send out their youngsters like a flock....” (Job 21:11). Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis, Rabbi Levi said: One’s wife would be pregnant for [just] three days [before giving birth], as nakhon is stated here, and elsewhere, it is stated: “Be prepared [nekhonim] [for three days]” (Exodus 19:15) – just as nakhon stated there refers to three days, so, too, nakhon that is stated here refers to three days. The Rabbis say: One’s wife would be pregnant for [just] one day and give birth, as nakhon is stated here, and nakhon is stated elsewhere: “Be prepared [nakhon] for the morrow” (Exodus 34:2) – just as nakhon there refers to one day, so, too, here it refers to one day. “And their descendants are before their eyes” – as they would [live to] see their children and their children’s children.
“They send out their youngsters [avileihem] like a flock” – Rabbi Levi said: In Arabia they call a baby avila.5And this is how we know that avileihem means “youngsters.” “And their children dance” (Job 21:11) – in the manner of demons, as it says: “And demons will dance there” (Isaiah 13:21).6They were able to dance with extraordinary robustness and intensity, as demons dance.
When one of them would give birth during the day, she would say to her [newborn] son: ;Go out and get me a flint rock to sever your umbilical cord.’7Newborns were able to walk and fully function as soon as they were born, “like flock.” [If she gave birth] at night, she would say to her son: ‘Go out and kindle a lamp for me with which to sever your umbilical cord.’ There was an incident involving a certain woman who gave birth at night. She said to her son: ‘Go and kindle me a lamp so I can sever your umbilical cord.’ He went out and encountered the demon Shemadon. He [the demon] said to him: ‘Go announce to your mother that the rooster has crowed.8Demons can do no harm during the day. Had it not been that the rooster crowed, I would have smitten you and killed you.’ He [the baby] said to him: ‘You go announce to your mother that my mother has not yet severed my umbilical cord,9And I have not reached my full strength. as had she severed it, I would have smitten you and killed you.’ That is what is written: “Their houses are peaceful without fear” (Job 21:9) – [without fear] of demons; “and the rod of God is not upon them” (Job 21:9) – [they were spared] from suffering. When He concealed his face from them [and finally punished them], who could say to Him: ‘Your conduct is not appropriate [kashura]?’10Who can question or criticize God’s actions? This is the meaning of “He conceals His face; who can see Him [yeshurenu]?” In what way did He conceal his face from them? In that He brought the Flood upon them. That is what is written: “He obliterated all existence…” (Genesis 7:23). “To a nation and to a person alike” – “to a nation” – this refers to the generation of the Flood; and to a person” – this refers to Noah. “Alike” – as the world was founded from him. He was [equally] able to establish His world from a whole nation or from a single person,11This is the meaning of “to a nation and to a person alike.” as it is stated: “The sons of Noah, who emerged from the ark.”12And they went on to repopulate the entire world.