5b (ה׳:ב׳)

This is what the verse says: “All the rivers go to the sea [etc.] to the place where the rivers go…” (זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם [וְגוֹ] אֶל מָקוֹם שֶׁהַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים) (Ecclesiastes 1:7), here it hints that everything is by His utterance, may He be blessed (בְּכָאן רִמֵּז שֶׁהַכֹּל בְּמַאֲמָרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ). And in this you will see that until now water and earth were joined together (וּבָזֶה תִּרְאֶה שֶׁעַד עַתָּה הָיוּ הַמַּיִם וְהֶעָפָר מְחוּבָּרִים יַחַד), and the Holy One Blessed Be He decreed that they be separated from one another (וְגָזַר הקב״ה שֶׁיֵּבָדְלוּ זֶה מִזֶּה), in order that the earth could bring forth its fruits (כְּדֵי שֶׁתוּכַל הָאָרֶץ לַעֲשׂוֹת פֵּרוֹתֶיהָ), and also that the waters could grow their creatures (וְגַם יוּכְלוּ הַמַּיִם לְהַגְדִּיל בְּרִיּוֹתֵיהֶם).

For as long as they were united and joined, they would not produce creatures (שֶׁבִּהְיוֹת שְׁתֵּיהֶם מְשֻׁתָּפִים וּמְחוּבָּרִים, לֹא יַגְדִּילוּ בְּרִיּוֹת), and we would not know to attribute those creatures to the element from which they were created (וְלֹא נֵדַע לְיַחֵס הַבְּרִיּוֹת הָהֵם לַיְּסוֹד שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ). Therefore it is written afterward: “Let the earth bring forth grass” (לָכֵן כָּתוּב אַחַר זֶה: ״תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא) (Bereshit 1:11), behold, thus the earth element produced grass, herbage, etc (הֲרֵי שֶׁנִּתְהַוָּה לְיְסוֹד הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא, עֵשֶׂב וְכוּ'). And it is written soon after: “And there was evening and there was morning, a third day” (וְכָתוּב בַּסָּמוּךְ: ״וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי) (Bereshit 1:13). And after the herbage that yields seed was created, the birds and fish were created from the water element (וְאַחַר שֶׁנִּבְרָא דֶּשֶׁא מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע, נִבְרְאוּ הָעוֹפוֹת וְהַדָּגִים מִיְּסוֹד הַמַּיִם). And why did He not mention their creation adjacent to the creation of the seeds-since they are siblings and companions, these two elements? (וְלָמָּה לֹא הִזְכִּיר בְּרִיאַתָם בְּסָמוּךְ לִבְרִיאַת הַזְּרָעִים, וַהֲרֵי אַחִים וַחֲבֵרִים הֵם שְׁנֵי הַיְּסוֹדוֹת) If so, why did He interrupt between the creation of the creatures of the earth and the creatures of the water and write: “Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens”? (אִם כֵּן, לָמָּה הִפְסִיק בֵּין בְּרִיאַת בְּרִיּוֹת הָאָרֶץ לִבְרִיאַת בְּרִיּוֹת הַמַּיִם וְכָתוּב: ״יְהִי מְאוֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם) (Bereshit 1:14).

The reason is: because the creatures that emerged from the water possessed a living soul (הַסִּבָּה: לְפִי שֶׁהַבְּרִיּוֹת שֶׁנִּתְהַוּוּ מִן הַמַּיִם הָיָה בָהֶם נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה), it was proper to first mention from where that living soul came to them (הָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר מֵאֵין בָּא לָהֶם אוֹתוֹ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה). Therefore it is written: “Let there be luminaries” (לָכֵן כָּתוּב: ״יְהִי מְאוֹרֹת). And the great luminary is the Neshamah (וְהַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל הִיא הַנְּשָׁמָה), and the small luminary is the Ruach (וְהַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטוֹן הוּא הָרוּחַ), “to give light upon the earth”-that is the body without life (לְהָאִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁהוּא הַגּוּף בְּלִי חַיּוּת). And since until now only the elements of water and earth have been explicitly mentioned in creation (וּלְפִי שֶׁעַד עַתָּה לֹא נִזְכְּרוּ כִּי אִם יְסוֹד הַמַּיִם וְהֶעָפָר בַּבְּרִיאָה), it was fitting that fire and wind also be mentioned (הָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר גַּם כֵּן אֵשׁ וְרוּחַ), for they too are necessary for existence (כִּי גַּם שְׁנֵיהֶם צְרִיכִים לַהֲוָיָה).

Know that in His saying: “Let there be luminaries in the firmament of the heavens” (דַּע, כִּי בְּאָמְרוֹ: ״יְהִי מְאוֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם) (Bereshit 1:14), fire and wind are alluded to, as we have written (שָׁם נִרְמַז אֵשׁ וְרוּחַ כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ). And if you say, why did He not mention fire and wind explicitly as He mentioned water and earth? (וְאִם תֹּאמַר: לָמָּה לֹא הִזְכִּיר אֵשׁ וְרוּחַ בְּפֵרוּשׁ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִזְכִּיר מַיִם וַעֲפָר)-because they are not perceived as water and earth are perceived by touch (מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינָם מוּרְגָשִׁים כְּמוֹ שֶׁמוּרְגָשִׁים הַמַּיִם וְהֶעָפָר בַּמִּישּׁוּשׁ). For they are spiritual (שֶׁהֵם רוּחָנִיִּים), and they are included in the mystery of Ruach and Neshamah (וְהֵם נִכְלָלִים בְּסוֹד רוּחַ וּנְשָׁמָה): the great luminary is the Neshamah, and the small luminary is the Ruach (שֶׁהַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל הִיא הַנְּשָׁמָה, וְהַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטוֹן הוּא הָרוּחַ), as the verse says: “the lamp of Hashem is the soul of man” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״נֵר ה׳ נִשְׁמַת אָדָם) (Proverbs 20:27).

Therefore, the Neshamah is referred to by the name “light,” for it illuminates with the light of life (וְלָכֵן נִתְיַיחֵסָה הַנְּשָׁמָה בְּשֵׁם אוֹר, לְאוֹר בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים). This is for the dominion of day (זֶהוּ לִמְמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם). And the small luminary hints to the Ruach, for the dominion of night-this world (וְהַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטוֹן רֶמֶז לְרוּחַ, לִמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה, הוּא הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה). And these two rational faculties that exist in man distinguish between light and darkness (וְאֵלּוּ שְׁנֵי חֲלָקִים שֵׂכְלִיִּים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּאָדָם מַבְדִּילִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ), which are the Good inclination and Evil inclination (שֶׁהֵם הַיֵּצֶר הַטּוֹב וְהַיֵּצֶר הָרָע). For this reason it is written: “to separate between the light and between the darkness” (אֲשֶׁר לְזוֹאת הַסִּיבָּה כָּתַב: ״לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ) (Bereshit 1:18). For if not for this hint, it should have said: “to separate between day and night” (שֶׁלוּלֵי זֶה הָרֶמֶז הָיָה לוֹ לִכְתוֹב: ״לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלַּיְלָה). And if you say that the great luminary refers to the sun and the small luminary to the moon (וְאִם תֹּאמַר שֶׁהַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל נֶאֱמַר עַל הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְהַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטוֹן נֶאֱמַר עַל הַלְּבָנָה).

The answer: HaGadol [the great] is written defectively, without the Vav (תְּשׁוּבָה: ״הַגָּדֹל״ כְּתִיב), which equals forty-two-the Name of the Holy One Blessed Be He (שֶׁעוֹלֶה לְמִנְיַן מ״ב, שֶׁהוּא שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה), with which He illuminated the entire world (שֶׁבּוֹ הֵאִיר לָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ), and with it He created angels, Eralim, Seraphim, stars, constellations, spheres, and all their host (וּבוֹ בָּרָא מַלְאָכִים, אֲרָאֵלִים, שְׂרָפִים, כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת וּגְלְגָלִים וְכָל צְבָאָם).

Therefore it is said of it: “for the dominion of the day”-which is the life of the World to Come (וְלָכֵן נֶאֱמַר בוֹ: ״לִמְשֶׁלֶת הַיּוֹם״, שֶׁהוּא חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא). “And the small luminary for the dominion of the night, and the stars” (וְהַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטוֹן לִמְשֶׁלֶת הַלַּיְלָה וְאֵת הַכּוֹכָבִים) (Bereshit 1:16) the sun and the moon, which illuminate this world, which is like night (שֶׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ, שֶׁהֵם מֵאִירִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, שֶׁדּוֹמֶה לְלַיְלָה), whose governance is by the seven fixed planetary bodies in the sphere (שֶׁהַנְהָגָתָם עַל יְדֵי שִׁבְעָה כוֹכְבֵי לֶכֶת הַקְּבוּעִים בַּגַּלְגַל). And the sun has a great advantage over all in light (וְהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יֵשׁ לוֹ יִתְרוֹן גָּדוֹל מִכֻּלָּם בָּאוֹר), and the moon receives its light from him (וּמִמֶּנּוּ הַלְּבָנָה מְקַבֶּלֶת אוֹרָהּ).

Therefore it says: “the night and the stars” (לָכֵן נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ: ״הַלַּיְלָה וְאֵת הַכּוֹכָבִים), and the sun does not illuminate or govern in the World to Come and in the world of the angels (וְאֵין הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ מֵאִיר וּמַנְהִיג בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא וּבְעוֹלַם הַמַלְאָכִים), but only in this world (אֶלָּא בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה), which in relation to the World to Come is called “night” (שֶׁבֶּעֵרֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא נִקְרָא הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לַיְלָה). And the sun and moon illuminate and govern this world like the rest of the five planets (וְשֶׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ הֵם מֵאִירִים וּמַנְהִיגִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה כְּשְׁאָר חֲמִשָּׁה כוֹכְבֵי לֶכֶת).