MISHNAH: THE [SUBJECT OF] FORBIDDEN RELATIONS4 MAY NOT BE EXPOUNDED IN THE PRESENCE OF THREE,5 NOR THE WORK OF CREATION6 IN THE PRESENCE OF TWO, NOR [THE WORK OF] THE CHARIOT7 IN THE PRESENCE OF ONE, UNLESS HE IS A SAGE AND UNDERSTANDS OF HIS OWN KNOWLEDGE. WHOSOEVER SPECULATES UPON FOUR THINGS, A PITY8 FOR HIM! HE IS AS THOUGH HE HAD NOT COME INTO THE WORLD, [TO WIT], WHAT IS ABOVE,9 WHAT IS BENEATH,10 WHAT BEFORE, WHAT AFTER.11 AND WHOSOEVER TAKES NO THOUGHT FOR THE HONOUR OF HIS MAKER,12 IT WERE A MERCY13 IF HE HAD NOT COME INTO THE WORLD.

GEMARA (i.e., commentary). You say at first: NOR [THE WORK OF] THE CHARIOT IN THE PRESENCE OF ONE;14 and then you say: UNLESS HE IS A SAGE AND UNDERSTANDS OF HIS OWN KNOWLEDGE! — This is the meaning: the forbidden relations may not be expounded to three,15 nor the work of creation to two, nor [the work of] the chariot to one, unless he is a Sage and understands of his own knowledge.16

… NOR THE WORK OF CREATION IN THE PRESENCE OF TWO. Whence [do we infer] this? — For the Rabbis taught: For ask thou now of the days past;36 one may inquire,37 but two may not inquire. One might have thought that one may inquire concerning the pre-creation period, therefore Scripture teaches: Since the day that God created man upon the earth.38 One might have thought that one may [also] not inquire concerning the six days of creation,39 therefore Scripture teaches: The days past40 which were before thee.41 One might have thought one may [also] inquire concerning what is above and what is below, what before and what after, therefore the text teaches: And from one end of heaven unto the other.42 [Concerning the things that are] from one end of heaven unto the other thou mayest inquire, but thou mayest not inquire what is above, what is below, what before, what after.

But now that this1 is inferred from [the expression] ‘ From one end of heaven unto the other’,2 wherefore do I need [the expression], ‘Since the day that God created man upon the earth’? — To intimate that which R. Eleazar taught. For R. Eleazar said: The first man [extended]3 from the earth to the firmament, as it is said: Since the day that God created man upon the earth;4 but as soon as he sinned,5 the Holy One, blessed be He, placed His hand upon him and diminished him,6 for it is said: Thou hast fashioned me7 after and before,8 and laid Thine hand upon me.9

… Rab Judah further said that Rab said: Ten14 things were created the first day, and they are as follows: heaven and earth, Tohu [chaos], Bohu [desolation],15 light and darkness, wind and water, the measure of day and the measure of night.16 Heaven and earth, for it is written: In the beginning God created heaven and earth.17 Tohu and Bohu, for it is written: And the earth was Tohu and Bohu.18 Light and darkness: darkness, for it is written: And darkness was upon the face of the deep;18 light, for it is written: And God said, Let there be light.19 Wind and water, for it is written: And the wind20 of God hovered over the face of the waters.21 The measure of day and the measure of night, for it is written: And there was evening and there was morning, one day.22 It is taught: Tohu is a green line that encompasses the whole world, out of which darkness proceeds, for it is said: He made darkness His hiding-place round about Him.23 Bohu, this means the slimy24 stones that are sunk in the deep, out of which the waters proceed, for it is said: And he shall stretch over it the line of confusion [Tohu] and the plummet of emptiness [Bohu].25

… R. Zulra b. Tobiah said that Rab said: by ten things37 was the world created: By wisdom38 and by understanding,39 and by reason,40 and by strength,41 and by rebuke,42 and by might,43 by righteousness and by judgment,44 by lovingkindness and by compassion.45 By wisdom and understanding, for it is written: The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; and by understanding established the heavens.46 By reason, for it is written: By His reason47 the depths were broken up.48 By strength and might, for it is written: Who by His strength setteth fast the mountains, Who is girded about with might.49 By rebuke, for it is written: The pillars of heaven were trembling, but they became astonished at His, rebuke.50 By righteousness and judgment, for it is written: Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of Thy throne.51 By lovingkindness and compassion, for it is written: Remember, O Lord, Thy compassions and Thy mercies; for they have been from of old.52 Rab Judah further said: At the time that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, it went on expanding like two clues53 of warp, until the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked it and brought it to a standstill, for it is said: ‘The pillars of heaven were trembling, but they became astonished at His rebuke’. And that, too, is what Resh Lakish said: What is the meaning of the verse, I am God Almighty?54 [It means], I am He that said to the world: Enough!55 Resh Lakish said: When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the sea, it went on expanding, until the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked it and caused it to dry up, for it is said: He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers.56

Our Rabbis taught: Beth Shammai say: Heaven was created first and afterwards the earth was created, for it is said: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.57 Beth Hillel say: Earth was created first and afterwards heaven, for it is said: In the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven.58 Beth Hillel said to Beth Shammai: According to your view, a man builds the upper storey [first] and afterwards builds the house! For it is said: It is he that buildeth His upper chambers in the heaven,59 and hath founded His vault upon the earth.60 Said Beth Shammai to Beth Hillel: According to your view, a man makes the footstool [first], and afterwards he makes the throne!61 For it is said: Thus saith the Lord, The Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.62 But the Sages say: Both were created at the same time.63 For it is said: Yea, Mine hand hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath spread out the heavens: When I call unto them they stand up together.64 And the others?65 What is the meaning of ‘together’? — [It means] that they cannot be loosened from one another.66 However, the verses contradict one another! — Resh Lakish answered: When they were created, He created heaven [first], and afterwards He created the earth; but when He stretched them forth He stretched forth the earth [first], and afterwards He stretched forth heaven.

…. ‘And the earth was unformed and void’.3 Consider: [Scripture] began at first with heaven, why then does it proceed to relate [first] the work of the earth?4 — The School of R. Ishmael taught: It is like a human king5 who said to his servants: Come early to my door. He rose early and found women and men. Whom does he praise? The ones who are not accustomed to rise early but yet did rise early.6

…It is taught: R. Jose says: Alas for people that they see but know not what they see, they stand but know not on what they stand. What does the earth rest on? On the pillars, for it is said: Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.7 The pillars upon the waters, for it is said: To Him that spread forth the earth above the waters.8 The waters upon the mountains, for it is said: The waters stood above the mountains.9 The mountains on the wind, for it is said: For, lo, He that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind.10 The wind upon the storm, for it is said: The wind, the storm maketh its substance.11 Storm is suspended on the arm of the Holy One, blessed be He, for it is said: And underneath12 are the everlasting arms.13 But the Sages say: [The world] rests on twelve pillars,14 for it is said: He set the borders to the peoples according to the number [of the tribes] of the children of Israel.15 And some say seven pillars, for it is said: She hath hewn out her seven piliars.16 R. Eleazar b. Shammua’ says: [It rests] on one pillar, and its name is ‘Righteous’, for it is said: But ‘Righteous’ is the foundation of the world.17

R. Judah said: There are two firmaments, for it is said: Behold, unto the Lord thy God belongeth heaven, and the heaven of heavens.18 Resh Lakish said: [There are] seven, namely, Wilon,19 Rakia’,20 Shehakim,21 Zebul,22 Ma'on,23 Makon,24 ‘Araboth.25 Wilon serves no purpose except that it enters in the morning and goes forth in the evening26 and renews every day the work of creation, for it is said: That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain,27 and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.28 Rakia’ is that in which sun and moon, stars and constellations are set, for it is said: And God set them29 in the firmament [Rakia’] of the heaven.30 Shehakim is that in which millstones stand and grind31 manna for the righteous for it is said: And He commanded the skies [Shehakim] above, and opened the doors of heaven; and He caused manna to rain upon them for food etc.32 Zebul is that in which [the heavenly] Jerusalem33 and the Temple and the Altar are built, and Michael, the great Prince,34 stands and offers up thereon an offering, for it is said: I have surely built Thee a house of habitation [Zebul], a place for Thee to dwell in for ever.35 And whence do we derive that it is called heaven? For it is written: Look down from heaven, and see, even from Thy holy and glorious habitation.36 Ma'on is that in which there are companies of Ministering Angels, who utter [divine] song by night, and are silent by day for the sake of Israel's glory,37 for it is said: By day the Lord doth command His lovingkindness,38 and in the night His song is with me.39

…‘Araboth is that in which there are Right and Judgment and Righteousness,58 the treasures of life and the treasures of peace and the treasures of blessing, the souls of the righteous and the spirits and the souls59 which are yet to be born, and dew wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead. Right and Judgment, for it is written: Right60 and judgment are the foundations of Thy throne.61 Righteousness, for it is written: And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail.62 The treasures of life, for it is written: For with Thee is the fountain of life.63 And the treasures of peace, for it is written: And called it, ‘The Lord is peace’.64 And the treasures of blessing, for it is written: he shall receive a blessing from the Lord.65 The souls of the righteous, for it is written: Yet the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God.66 The spirits and the souls which are yet to be born, for it is written: For the spirit that enwrappeth itself is from Me, and the souls which I have made.67 And the dew wherewith the Holy One, blessed be He, will hereafter revive the dead, for it is written: A bounteous rain didst Thou pour down, O God; when Thine inheritance was weary, Thou didst confirm it.68 There [too] are the Ofanim69 and the Seraphim,70 and the Holy Living Creatures,71 and the Ministering Angels,72 and the Throne of God; and the King, the Living God, high and exalted, dwells over them in ‘Araboth, for it is said: Extol Him that rideth upon Araboth73 whose name is the Lord….