R. Eliezer 2 BEN Hyrkanos opened (his discourse with the text), “Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord, or shew forth all his praise ?” (Ps. cvi. 2). Is there any man who can utter the mighty acts of the Holy One, blessed be He, or who can shew forth all His praise ? ' Not even the ministering angels are able to narrate (the Divine praise). But to investigate a part of His mighty deeds with reference to what He has done, and what He will do in the future (is permissible), so that His name should be exalted among His creatures, whom He has created, from one end of the world to the other, as it is said, “ One generation to another shall laud thy works” (ibid. cxlv. 4).
Before the world was created, the Holy One, blessed be He, with His Name - alone existed, and the thought arose in Him to create the world. He began to trace (the foundations of)'"' the world before Himself, but it would not stand. They ' told a parable. To what is the matter like ? To a king who wshes to build a palace for himself. If he had not traced in the earth its foundations, its exits and its entrances, he does not begin to build.' Likewise the Holy One, blessed be He, was tracing (the plans of) the world before Himself, but it did not remain standing until He created repentance.
Seven things were created before the world was created.
They are : The Torah, Gehinnom, the Garden of Eden, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, Repentance, and the Name of the Messiah.
Whence do we know that this applies to the Torah ? Because it is said, “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old” (Prov. viii. 22). “Of old” means before the world was created.' Whence do we know this with regard to the Garden of Eden ? Because it is said, “And the Lord God planted a garden of old” (Gen. ii. 8). “Of old,” whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know this with reference to the Throne of Glory ? Because it is said, “Thy throne is established of old” (Ps. xciii. 2). “Of old,” whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know and the Name of the Messiah were only in the thought of God. In the Book of Enoch (Ethiopic) xlviii. 3, the Messiah is said to have had his name named before the sun and the signs were created ; see my Hellenism and Christianity, pp. 15 ft., on the question of the pre-existence of the Messiah, and cf. Assump'.ion of Moses i. 14. that Repentance (was premundanc) ? Because it is said, " Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world " (ibid. xc. 2) ; and then in close proximity (we read), " Thou turncst man to contrition " (ibid. 3). " Before," i.e. before the world was created. Whence do we know this with regard to the Temple ? Because it is said, " A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary " (Jer, xvii. 12). " From the beginning," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence we do know that the name of the Messiah (was premundane) ? Because it is said, " His name shall endure for ever ; before the sun Yinnon was his name " (Ps. Ixxii. 17). " Yinnon," before the world had been created. Another verse says, " But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, which art to be least among the thousands of Judah, from thee shall he come forth unto me who is to be ruler over Israel ; whose ancestry belongs to the past, even to the days of old '" " (Mic. v. 2). " The past," whilst as yet the world had not been created.
Porthwith " the Holy One, blessed be He, took counsel with the Torah whose name is Tushijah (Stability or Wisdom) with reference to the creation of the world. (The Torah) replied and said to Him : Sovereign of the worlds ! if there be no host for the king and if there be no camp for the king, over Avhom does he rule ? If there be no people to praise the king, where is the honour of the king ? The Holy One, blessed be He, heard this and it pleased Him. The Torah spake : The Holy One, blessed be He, took counsel with me concerning the creation of the world, as it is said, " Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge ; I am understanding ; I have might " (Prov. viii. 14). Hence they say. Every government which has no counsellors is not a proper government. Whence do Ave know this? From the government of the House of David which employed counsellors, as it is said, " And Jonathan David's uncle was a counsellor, a man of understanding, and a scribe " (1 Chron. xxvii. 32). If the government of the House of David had counsellors, how much more so should other people act likewise. This is of benefit to them, as it is said, " But he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise " (Prov. xii. 15), and (Scripture) says, " But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety " [ibid. xi. 14).
Eight things were created on the first day, namely, Heaven, Earth, Light, Darkness, Tohii (Chaos), Bohu (Void), Wind (or Spirit), and Water, as it is said, “And the wind of God was moving upon the face of the waters” (Gen. i. 2).i mention Tehomoth, which is the equivalent to abyss, but they both have Tohu and Bohu.
Whence were the heavens created ? From the Hght of the garment with which He was robed. He took (of this Hght) and stretched it Hke a garment and (the heavens) began to extend continually until He caused them to hear, “It is sufficient.” ' Therefore is He called God Almighty (El Shaddai), who said to the world : “/ is sufficient” and it stood (firm). Whence do we know that the heavens were created from the light of His garment ? Because it is said, “Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment ; who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain” (Ps. civ. 2). '
Whence was the earth created ? He took of the snow
Gehinnom the waters of the Flood, the second tables of the Law, the Sabbath, the Temple the Ark, and the light of the world to come." '
This reading occurs in Jerahmeel i. 3, 4, but not in the B.M. MS. ot P.R.E. The latter continues :“Whence was the water created ? From the light of the garment of the Holy One, blessed be He. Light signifies nought else but water, as it is said, ' He spreadeth abroad the cloud of his light'” (Job xxxvii. 11). (or ice) which was beneath His Throne of Glory and threw it upon the waters, and the waters became congealed so that the dust of the earth was formed, as it is said, “He saith to the snow, Be thou earth” (Job xxxvii. 6).
The hooks - of the heavens are fixed in the waters of the ocean. The waters of the ocean are situated between the ends of the heavens and the ends of the earth. The ends of the heavens are spread out over the waters of the ocean, as it is said, " Who laycth the beams of his chambers in the waters" (Ps. civ. 3)."
The dome (or inside shape) of the heavens ascends upwards Hke a tub,' (that is to say) like a tent (denda) which is spread out ' with its extremities (fixed) downwards and its dome stretching upwards so that people can sit beneath it and their feet stand on the earth, whilst all of them are inside the tent ; in like wise are the heavens, their extremities are (fixed) downwards and their dome stretches upwards the world created and in three (Divine attributes) are these (ten Sayings) comprised, as it is said, “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth ; by understanding he established the heavens, by his knowledge the depths were broken up” (Prov. iii. 19, 20). By these three (attributes) was the Tabernacle made, as it is said, “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, and with knowledge” (Ex. xxxi. 3). Likewise with these three (attributes) was the Temple made, as it is said, “He was the son of a widow woman of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass ; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and knowledge” (1 Kings vii. 14). By these three attributes it Avill be rebuilt in the future, as it is said, “Through wisdom is an house builded ; and by understanding it is established ; and by knowledge arc the chambers filled” (Prov. xxiv. 3, 4). With these three attributes will the Holy One, blessed be He, give three good gifts to Israel in the future, as it is
“north” with “the cold north wind,” which is the “Devil.” For Rabbinic references to the winds see T.B. Baba Bathra, loc. cit. ; and cf. Num. Rab., loc. cit., as a parallel to our text. Jerahmeel MS. omits th': rest of this chapter. said, “For the Lord will give wisdom, out of his mouth Cometh knowledge and understanding” (ibid. ii. 6). It is not said, “The Lord has given wisdom.” These three attributes will be given to King Messiah, as it is said, “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isa. xi. 2).