Chagigah 12b — the Talmud in English

And the Gemara, the Talmudic discussion of the Mishna, continues to explain: Since it is written, “the heavens,” we already know that the heavens—and certainly the earth—are not the names of the Holy One, blessed be He. [Maharsha]

And if so,

“et the earth”—

why do I need it!?

In order

to place the heavens before the earth!

To teach you that the heavens were created before the earth [principally in their creation, as above].

For had it not said “et the earth,” but rather “et the heavens and the earth,” I would have said: they were created as one, and it placed the heavens before the earth only because it is impossible to call two names at once. Therefore it wrote “et,” to place [the heavens] first.

Since the Gemara has begun to explain the verse at the beginning of the Book of Genesis, the Gemara adds and explains:

It is written:

“And the earth was formless and void

and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters”:

And we ask:

Now

surely

I began with the heavens first

[He began first with the heavens], as it says in the preceding verse: “et the heavens and et the earth”; and if so:

what is different, that it counts

the verse explains

the deed of the earth

first, and afterward the deed of the heavens?!

The tanna of the school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: A parable to a flesh-and-blood king who said to his servants: Rise early to my door, tomorrow

[according to the Bach]

he rose early and found women and men; whom does he praise?

Certainly,

the one whose way is not to rise early, yet rose early.

It was taught: Rabbi Yosei says: Woe to the creatures who see and do not know what they are

[according to the Bach]

seeing,

and woe to the creatures who

stand and do not know upon what they stand.

And he explains:

What does the earth stand upon? Upon pillars, as it is stated: “Who shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars tremble.”

Thus, the earth stands upon pillars.

And

pillars

stand

upon the waters, as it is stated: “Who spreads

[an expression of spreading and extending]

the earth upon the waters.”

And the waters

stand

upon the mountains, as it is stated: “Upon mountains—

waters will stand.”

And the mountains

stand

upon the wind

[according to the Bach],

as it is stated: “For behold, He forms mountains and creates wind.”

Now what connection do mountains have with wind? Rather, to teach you that the mountains stand upon the wind.

And the wind is upon a storm, as it is stated: “Storm-wind performs His word.”

As though Scripture had said: The matter [the nature] of the wind—a storm made it.

A storm depends upon the arm of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated: “And beneath—

everlasting arms.”

Beneath all creation, the arms of the Holy One, blessed be He, hold it.

And the Sages say:

The earth

stands upon twelve pillars,

as it is stated: “He established the boundaries of peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.”

And the number of the tribes of the children of Israel is twelve.

And some say: Upon seven

[according to the Bach]

pillars

the earth stands,

as it is stated: “She carved out her pillars, seven.”

Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua says:

The earth stands

upon one pillar, and “Righteous” is its name, as it is stated: “And the righteous—

is the foundation of the world.”

Rabbi Yehuda said: There are two firmaments, as it is stated: “Behold, to the Lord your God belong the heavens

[this is one],

and the heavens of the heavens”

[this is two].

Reish Lakish said: There are seven

firmaments,

and these are they:

A.

Vilon;

B.

Rakia;

C.

Shehakim;

D.

Zevul;

E.

Maon;

F.

Makhon;

G.

Aravot.

And the Gemara explains what each firmament serves:

A.

Vilon: It serves no purpose; rather, in the morning it enters

into its sheath, and the light becomes visible [from the sun that is in the second firmament, Turei Even],

and in the evening it emerges

from its sheath and spreads below the light, and the world becomes dark [Rashi].

And

through it

He renews

the

the work of Creation every day,

for its entering and emerging are the renewal of the work of Creation.

As it is stated: “Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain

[like a sheet]

and spreads them like a tent for dwelling.”

Thus you have learned: There are heavens that serve only as a spread-out sheet.

B.

Rakia: In it the sun and the moon, stars and constellations—

are fixed.

As it is stated: “And God made the two great luminaries,” and

He gave them

God in the firmament of the heavens.

C.

Shehakim: In it are millstones standing and grinding manna for the righteous in the World to Come

[according to the Bach].

As it is stated

concerning the generation of the wilderness:

“He commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of the heavens, and He rained manna upon them to eat, and so forth” …

D.

Zevul: In it Jerusalem and the Temple and the altar

above

are built, and Michael, the great minister, stands and offers a sacrifice upon it every day

[according to the Bach].

As it is stated: “I have surely built a house of habitation for You, a dwelling-place for Your dwelling forever.

And we explain:

What does he offer

Michael, the great minister, upon the altar?

Would it enter your mind that there are

[there, in the heavens]

sheep?!

Rather, he offers the souls of the righteous

[according to the Bach].

And

we explain:

From where do we know that

that “Zevul”

is called heaven, so that you say: This “Zevul” is one of the firmaments?

so that you say that this “Zevul” is one of the firmaments?

For it is written: “Look from the heavens,” and see from “Zevul”—

Your holiness and Your glory,”

where is Your zeal and Your mighty deeds!

Thus, “Zevul” is in the heavens.

E.

Maon

which is an expression of dwelling:

in it

dwell

companies of ministering angels who sing at night, and are silent

[keep silent]

during the day, because of the honor of Israel,

because Israel praises the Holy One, blessed be He, during the day.

And from here you learn that the angels sing at night and are silent during the day.

As it is stated: “By day the Lord will command His kindness, and at night—

a song is with me,”

a prayer to the living God.”

That is to say: The Lord commands the angels to be silent during the day, since that is the time to perform kindness for the people of the world who require kindness. But only at night is there an angelic song with Him in the firmament.

Before the Gemara concludes explaining the source that Maon is in the heavens, and explaining the function of all the firmaments, the Gemara explains the verse “By day the Lord will command His kindness, and at night a song is with me” in other ways:

Reish Lakish said: Whoever engages in Torah study at night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws a thread of kindness over him during the day.

As it is stated: “By day the Lord will command His kindness,

and at night a song is with me,” and Reish Lakish explains:

And what is the reason for “By day the Lord will command His kindness”?—

Because of “and at night a song

[Torah, as we find: “Now write for yourselves this song and teach it to the children of Israel”]

is with me.”

And some say: Reish Lakish said: Whoever engages in Torah study in this world, which is like night, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws a thread of kindness over him in the World to Come, which is like day.

As it is stated: “By day the Lord will command His kindness, and at night a song is with me.”

And in the manner explained according to the first wording.

Rabbi Levi said: Whoever interrupts words of Torah and engages in words of conversation

[one who engages in Torah and interrupts his study for idle conversation, Rashi, Avoda Zara 3b],

they feed him coals of broom trees.

As it is stated: “Those who cut

[who cut and interrupt]

from the tablet

[words of Torah written on the tablets, Rashi, there], and do this

for a leafy branch

[for the sake of idle conversation]—

and the root of broom trees is their heat.”

And here the Gemara returns to that firmament whose name is Maon, and explains:

And from where do we know that

“Maon”

is called heaven

[that is, from where do we know that Maon is a firmament]?

As it is stated: “Look down from ‘Maon,’ Your holiness, from the ‘heavens,”

and bless Your people, Israel.

F.

Makhon,

which is an expression of “a treasury of punishment” [Rashi]:

In it are treasuries of snow.

And treasuries of hail, and upper chambers of evil dews, and upper chambers of drops

[an expression of “drops of dew,” and they are waters kept to strike fruits with],

and a chamber of storm, and a cave of vapor, and their doors are fire.

And all these are designated for punishment.

And from where do you learn that the Holy One, blessed be He, has a storehouse of punishment?

As it is stated: “The Lord opened His treasury and brought forth the weapons of His wrath”

[according to the Bach].

And we wonder: Is it so that

these

[these treasuries]—

are found in the firmament

[they are found in the heavens]?!

Yet

these are found on earth

[they are found on earth]!

For it is written: “Praise the Lord from the earth: sea-monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and vapor, storm-wind performing His word.”

Said

he answers:

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: David asked mercy concerning them, and brought them down to earth.

For

said

David

before Him: Master of the world! “You are not a God who desires wickedness; evil may not sojourn with You”

[sojourn beside You]

.”

That is to say:

You are righteous, O Lord,

and therefore

evil shall not sojourn in Your dwelling.

And from where do we know that

“Makhon”

is called heaven?

For it is written

in Solomon’s prayer at the time of the dedication of the Temple: “

When there is famine in the land, when there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locust, or caterpillar; whatever prayer, whatever supplication there may be from any person, from all Your people Israel, when each man knows the affliction of his heart and spreads out his hands toward this House,

then You shall hear from the ‘heavens, the dwelling-place’ of Your habitation!”

G.

Aravot: In it are righteousness, judgment, and charity,

treasuries of life, treasuries of peace, and treasuries of blessing,

and the souls of the righteous

after their death.

And spirits and souls that are destined to be created.

and the dew with which the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to revive the dead.

And the Gemara brings a source for all this:

Righteousness and judgment: for it is written: “Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of Your throne”

[Your throne is established, Rashi], and the throne is in Aravot, as explained below.

Charity: for it is written: “And the Lord saw, and it was evil in His eyes that there was no judgment. And He saw that there was no man, and He was astonished that there was no intercessor. And His arm brought salvation for Him. And charity—it supported Him.

“The Lord saw, and it was displeasing in His eyes that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no intercessor. His arm brought salvation for Him, and righteousness—it supported Him.

And He put on charity as a coat of mail

and

armor

[like “coat of mail”].”

Thus you have learned that charity dwells with Him. And the Lord, it is shown, dwells in Aravot, as explained below.

Treasuries of life: for it is written: “How precious is Your kindness, O God. They shall be satisfied from the abundance of Your house.

“How precious is Your kindness, God! They will be satisfied from the abundance of Your house.

For with You is the source of life.”

Thus, the source of life is with the Lord who dwells in Aravot.

And treasuries of peace: for it is written: “And he called it

[called it after Him]

‘The Lord is Peace.’”

And treasuries of blessing: for it is written: “He shall bear blessing from the Lord.”

The souls of the righteous: for it is written: “And may the soul of my master be bound in the bundle of life with

[with]

the Lord your God.”

Spirits and souls that are destined to be created: for it is written: “For so says the High and Exalted One, who inhabits eternity, and holy is His name. For I will not contend forever, nor will I be angry eternally.

“For so says the One who is high and exalted, who dwells eternally and whose name is holy: I will not contend forever, nor will I remain angry eternally.

For the spirit ‘from before Me’ shall faint, and the souls I have made

[like: and the souls that I have made].”

And the dew with which the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to revive the dead: As it is written:

“The earth trembled; even the heavens dripped before God—this was Sinai.”

“You lifted abundant rain, O God

when the children of Israel heard the voice of the might of the Lord in the first Ten Commandments, their souls departed, and immediately the Lord brought down upon them the dew of revival, from the dew with which the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to revive the dead,

Your inheritance, and it was weary

[You brought down a rain of favor upon Your inheritance, whose soul was weary and had departed],

You established it

[You repaired it, Your inheritance].” [See Shabbat 87b]

And

there

in the firmament called “Aravot,” are found:

ophanim and seraphim and holy creatures, and ministering angels, and the Throne of Glory; the King, living and enduring, lofty and exalted, dwells above them.

As it is said [

Bach ]:

“Raise up the One who rides in Aravot; His name is Yah”, [

exalt the Lord who rides upon the heavens called Aravot, by the name “Yah,” which is an expression of awe, and rejoice before Him, as in: “and exult with trembling” ].

And from where do we know that"

"Aravot"

is called heavens,

until you say that “Aravot” is a firmament?

Rabbi Abbahu said [

Bach ]:

It comes

by a gzera shava

“riding, riding”!

It is written here: “for the one who rides in Aravot”.

And it is written there: “the one who rides"

the heavens is your help.

Thus you have learned that Aravot is called heavens.

And darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him

the Holy One, blessed is He,

as it is said: “He made darkness His hiding place [

He caused His Divine Presence to dwell in thick darkness ],

around Him His booth” [

around Him are clouds of glory like a booth ],

the darkness of waters, thick clouds of skies” [

the darkness of waters that are in the thickness of the skies; they are the darkness that surrounds Him ].

And we raise a difficulty:

But is there darkness before Heaven [

and is there darkness before the Holy One, blessed is He ]?!

But it is written: “He [

the Holy One, blessed is He ]

reveals deep and hidden things” [

He reveals deep and hidden things ],

“He knows what is in the darkness” [

He knows what is in the darkness ],

“and light”—

dwells with Him!” [

the light dwells with Him ]; thus, the light dwells with Him, and not the darkness?!

And we answer:

This is not difficult: