The Roar of Judah: In the Name of I Am

And so the Holy One declares He will make a helper corresponding to him and, for the first time, declares that something is not good. Not the darkness. Not the deep. Not the chaos before order, the formlessness before structure. But this, it is not good for the man to be alone. Adam stands in the garden crowned with breath and purpose, yet incomplete, because the image of God in humanity was never meant to stand in isolation. And so the Holy One declares He will make a helper corresponding to him, a partner equal to him, a companion fit for him. The Torah’s original language uses a phrase that carries strength and dignity, the kind of help Scripture elsewhere attributes to God as rescuer and support, and it pairs that with a word that means corresponding, face to face, equal, not beneath.In this episode, we walk through Genesis 2:18 to 25 with reverence and precision. We draw from Rashi’s teaching that the animals were brought before Adam to awaken his awareness of loneliness. We draw from Ramban’s insight into why woman is taken from Adam’s side, not created separately, so that love and unity would be written into the very architecture of humanity. We bring in the Talmud’s declaration that woman is the completion of man. We listen to the Midrash as it paints the first wedding with sacred poetry. We take up the rabbinic wisdom of one flesh, not as a slogan, but as covenant reality. And we trace the holy sequence, the naming of the animals, the deep, God sent sleep, the taking of the side, the building of woman, Adam’s cry of recognition, bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, and the establishment of marriage as leaving, cleaving, and becoming one.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 2:18-25https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.2.18Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 2:18-25https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_GenesisTalmud Yevamot 63a on man without a wifehttps://www.sefaria.org/Yevamot.63aTalmud Niddah 45b on woman built with extra binahhttps://www.sefaria.org/Niddah.45bTalmud Sotah 17a on Shechinah dwelling between husband and wifehttps://www.sefaria.org/Sotah.17aTalmud Kiddushin 41a on marriage and joyhttps://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.41aMidrash Bereishit Rabbah on Adam and Evehttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_RabbahGenesis 2:18-25 with commentaries - Sefariahttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.2.18-25Chabad, Genesis Chapter 2 with Rashihttps://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8166/jewish/Chapter-2.htmHebrew Bible Commentary, Genesis 2:18https://v1.hebrew-bible.com/en/commentary/Genesis.2.18Jan Lemke, Genesis Chapter 2https://janlemke.com/genesis-chapter-2Torah Matters, More than a Rib - Tsela means Sidehttps://torahmatters.blogspot.com/2018/04/more-than-rib.htmlSefaria Source Sheet, Jewish Wedding Rituals and Traditionshttps://www.sefaria.org/sheets/208451GenZ.Bible, Genesis 2 Commentaryhttps://genz.bible/genesis/2Deuteronomy 10:20 on cleaving to Godhttps://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.10.20Psalm 121:1-2 on God as helperhttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.121.1-2Proverbs 31 on the woman of valorMaimonides on marriageZohar on the unity of male and female

God has formed Adam from dust. He has breathed His neshamah into earthly clay. And now, before Chava, before the animals, before anything else, God plants a garden. It is not the whole earth, it is a garden, a chosen place, eastward in Eden, lush with beauty, heavy with provision, crowned with every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. And in the heart of that paradise stand two trees, like pillars of destiny, the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.Drawing from Rashi’s teaching that Eden was prepared before Adam was formed, from Ramban’s mystical insight into the nature of these two trees, from the Talmud’s debate over what fruit grew on the Tree of Knowledge, and from the Midrash’s piercing exploration of why that knowledge was forbidden, we step into the garden with reverence and clarity. We wrestle with the command, we weigh the meaning of “you shall surely die,” and we confront the mystery that still trembles in the center of paradise, why God placed the possibility of temptation where life was most beautiful, establishing humanity’s first test, first choice, and first opportunity to love God through obedience.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 2:8-17https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.2.8Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 2:8-17https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_GenesisTalmud Sanhedrin 70a on the fruit of the Tree of Knowledgehttps://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.70aMidrash Bereishit Rabbah on Eden and the two treeshttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_RabbahGenesis 2:8-17 with commentaries - Sefariahttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.2.8-17Chabad, Genesis Chapter 2 with Rashihttps://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8166/jewish/Chapter-2.htmSefaria Source Sheet, The Tree of Lifehttps://www.sefaria.org/sheets/11969U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Part OneGershom Scholem, The Messianic Idea in JudaismRabbi Yosef Kimhi on the Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge as one treehttps://library.yctorah.org/files/2018/10/A-Tree-in-the-Garden.pdfEtz Hayim, The Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Lifehttps://etzion.org.il/en/tanakh/torah/sefer-bereishit/parashat-bereishit/tree-knowledge-and-tree-lifeGenZ.Bible, Genesis 2 Commentaryhttps://genz.bible/genesis/2Talmud Berachot 40a on wheat as the fruitPsalm 46:4 on the river of Godhttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.46.4Ezekiel 47 on the river flowing from the Templehttps://www.sefaria.org/Ezekiel.47Zechariah 14:8 on living waters flowing from Jerusalemhttps://www.sefaria.org/Zechariah.14.8Genesis 3:24 on cherubim guarding the Tree of Lifehttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.3.24Proverbs 3:18 - She (Torah) is a tree of lifehttps://www.sefaria.org/Proverbs.3.18

The narrative shifts. After the grand cosmic scope of Genesis 1, light and darkness, seas and skies, sun and moon, creatures filling the earth, Genesis 2 zooms in. It narrows focus and reveals intimate detail.Now God is not merely Elohim but Adonai Elohim, the LORD God, combining justice with mercy, transcendence with immanence. And here, in this second telling, we witness something extraordinary. God does not speak humanity into existence from a distance. He kneels in the dust. He forms. He fashions. He breathes.Drawing from Rashi’s teaching that Genesis 2 provides the details Genesis 1 summarized, Ramban’s profound insight into why the divine names change, the Talmud’s exploration of the dust from which Adam was formed, the Midrash’s stunning vision of Adam as a composite of all creation, and rabbinic wisdom on nishmat chayim, the breath of life, we explore the most intimate moment in all creation. It is the moment when God breathed His own breath into earthly clay, and humanity became a living soul.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 2:4-7https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.2.4Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 2:4-7https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_GenesisMidrash Bereishit Rabbah on Adam formed from dusthttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_RabbahTalmud on the dust from which Adam was formedhttps://www.sefaria.orgGenesis 2:4-7 with classical commentaries - Sefariahttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.2.4-7Chabad, Genesis Chapter 2 with Rashihttps://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8166/jewish/Chapter-2.htmHebrew Bible Study, Genesis 2:7https://v1.hebrew-bible.com/en/talmud/Genesis.2.7Israel Institute of Biblical Studies, Genesis 2 Beginningshttps://israelbiblicalstudies.com/blog/jewish-studies/beginnings-6-genesis-2/Aish.com, The First Manhttps://aish.com/the-first-man/Sefaria Source Sheet, Divinity in the Body - The Breath of Lifehttps://www.sefaria.org/sheets/108905Voice of Judah Israel, Neshamah - The Breath of Lifehttps://vojisrael.org/hebrew-word-of-the-week/neshamah/Generation Word, Genesis 2:4-25http://www.generationword.com/notes/genesis2_4-25.htmlGenesis Seminar, Genesis 2:4-7https://genesisseminar.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/genesis-24-7/Ecclesiastes 12:7 on spirit returning to Godhttps://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.12.7Genesis 3:19 on returning to dusthttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.3.19Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed 1:7 on the divine imageRebbe Nachman of Breslov on breath and soulNeshamah, ruach, nephesh - levels of soul in Jewish thought

Six days of creation are complete. Light and darkness separated. Waters divided. Land revealed. Vegetation sprouting. Sun, moon, and stars shining. Seas swarming. Skies soaring. Animals roaming. Humanity crowned with glory, made in God’s image. Everything is finished. And then, God does something unexpected, He stops. He rests. He blesses the seventh day and makes it holy. Drawing from Rashi’s teaching that the world lacked rest until Shabbat, Ramban’s mystical understanding of how God blessed the seventh day through the manna, the Talmud’s profound insight that God finished His work on the seventh day by creating rest itself, the Midrash’s teaching that Shabbat is a taste of the world to come, and rabbinic wisdom on why there is no “evening and morning” for the seventh day, we explore the climax of creation, not work but rest, not doing but being, not striving but celebrating, not humanity but Shabbat, the crown of creation, the sanctification of time, and the revelation that God’s ultimate purpose is not labor but relationship, not productivity but presence, not achieving but dwelling with Him forever.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 2:1-3https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.2.1Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 2:3https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.2.3.1Talmud on creation of rest (menucha)https://www.sefaria.orgMidrash Bereishit Rabbah on the seventh dayhttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_RabbahTalmidim Way, Genesis 2:1-3 Shabbat Resthttps://talmidimway.org/commentary/genesis/gen1/gen02/Reform Judaism, Learning the Origins of Shabbathttps://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/shabbat/learning-origins-shabbatTheTorah.com, Genesis' Two Creation Accountshttps://www.thetorah.com/article/genesis-two-creation-accounts-compiled-and-interpreted-as-oneAndrews University Seminary Studies, The Sabbath and Genesis 2:1-3https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2798&context=aussExodus 20:8-11 on the Sabbath commandmenthttps://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.20.8-11Psalm 121:4 on God not slumberinghttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.121.4Isaiah 40:28 on God not growing wearyhttps://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.40.28Psalm 90:4 on a thousand yearshttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.90.4Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern ManMaimonides on Shabbat rest and the universeKiddush blessing recited on Sabbath eveNeshamah yeteirah (additional soul on Shabbat)Messianic age and the seventh millennium

On the afternoon of the sixth day, God paused. Five and a half days of creation lay behind Him—light and darkness separated, waters divided, land revealed, vegetation sprouting, luminaries shining, seas swarming, skies soaring, earth teeming with animals. Everything was ready. And then, God spoke words never before uttered: “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.” Who is “Us”? What does it mean to be made in the image of God? How do image and likeness differ? Why are humans given dominion over creation? What does “male and female He created them” reveal about the imago Dei? Drawing from Rashi’s humility, Ramban’s mystical depth, the Talmud’s debate about consulting the angels, the Midrash’s stunning teaching that God took counsel with Torah itself, Ibn Ezra’s philosophy, and rabbinic wisdom on the nature of human uniqueness, we explore the pinnacle of creation—humanity, crown of God’s work, image-bearer, ruler of the earth, recipient of the command to be fruitful and multiply, and the reason God declares all creation not merely “good” but “very good.”Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 1:26-31https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.1.26Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:26https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_GenesisMidrash Bereishit Rabbah 8:7 on consulting the angelshttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah.8.7Talmud Sanhedrin 38a on creation of humanityhttps://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.38aTalmud Megillah on Genesis 1:26https://www.sefaria.org/MegillahGenesis 1:26 with commentaries - Sefariahttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.26Aish.com, "Let Us Make Man"https://aish.com/let-us-make-man/Thinking Torah, Genesis 1:26 - Let Us Make Manhttps://thinkingtorah.com/genesis-1-26-let-us-make-man/Jews for Judaism, When God Said "Let Us Make Man"https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/when-god-said-let-us-make-man-in-our-imageHistory of Jewish Interpretation of Genesis 1:26http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-445X2018000100018Desiring God, The Image of Godhttps://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-image-of-godChaim Bentorah, Hebrew Word Study - Similar Actionshttps://www.chaimbentorah.com/2021/01/hebrew-word-study-similar-actions/Hebrew Bible Commentary, Genesis 1:26https://v1.hebrew-bible.com/en/commentary/Genesis.1.26Genesis 2:7 on God forming Adam from dusthttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.2.7Genesis 5:1-2 on male and female named "Man"https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.5.1-2Genesis 9:6 on image of God and murderhttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.9.6Psalm 8 on humanity crowned with gloryhttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.8Genesis 9:3 on permission to eat meathttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.9.3Vilna Gaon on humanity as microcosmRabbi Yosef Kimchi on image and likeness

The sixth day dawns. The seas teem with life. The skies echo with wings. And now, God speaks to the earth: “Bring forth living creatures—cattle, creeping things, beasts of the field.” The land explodes with animal life, and for the third time in creation, the earth becomes God’s partner, producing living souls, conscious life that walks, runs, climbs, burrows, hunts, grazes. Drawing from Rashi’s insight into the three categories of land animals, Ramban’s theology of earth as co-creator, the Talmud’s teaching that animals were created on Rosh Hashanah, the Midrash’s profound understanding of why God did not bless the land animals as He blessed the sea creatures and birds, and rabbinic wisdom on the relationship between domestic and wild animals, we explore what domestic animals, wild beasts, and ground-moving creatures represent, why the earth brings forth rather than God creating directly, how the land animals complete the preparation for humanity, and why Day Six is the climax toward which all creation has been building.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 1:24-25https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.1.24Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:24-25https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_GenesisTalmud Rosh Hashanah 11a on animals created on Day Sixhttps://www.sefaria.org/Rosh_Hashanah.11aMidrash Bereishit Rabbah on land animalshttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_RabbahGenesis 1:24-25 with Rashi - Chabadhttps://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8165/jewish/Chapter-1.htmSefaria Source Sheet, Acharei Mot - Meat, Blood and Ushttps://www.sefaria.org/sheets/401164All-Creatures.org, The Time of Creation: Chapter 8https://www.all-creatures.org/book/book-creation8.htmlPotomac Torah, Bereshit Commentaryhttps://potomactorah.org/content/2021-10-01-Bereshit.pdfCreation.com, Nephesh Chayyāhhttps://creation.com/en/articles/nephesh-chayyahTorah Tuesday, Genesis 1:24, 26 (YouTube)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI3YlsmtJVsHebrew Bible Study, Commentary for Genesis 1:24https://hebrewbible.app/en/resources/commentary/Genesis.1.24Genesis 1:30 on animals as herbivoreshttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.30Genesis 9:3 on permission to eat meat after the Floodhttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.9.3Genesis 2:7 on Adam formed from dusthttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.2.7Genesis 1:26 (next episode) - Let Us make manhttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.26

On Day Five, the waters exploded with life. God spoke, and the seas swarmed with creatures, fish darting through currents, great sea monsters ruling the deep, living souls moving with consciousness, purpose, will. And the skies filled with birds, wings beating against the expanse,echoing across the heavens. This is the first appearance of nephesh chayah, living soul, the first creatures with consciousness, mobility, instinct, desire. Drawing from Rashi's stunning insight that birds were created from water, Ramban's philosophy of soul, the Talmud's mystical teaching about Leviathan and his mate, the Midrash's theology of blessing, and rabbinic wisdom on the nature of animal consciousness, we explore why fish and birds were created together, what the great sea monsters represent, why God blessed the creatures of Day Five but not the plants of Day Three, how "be fruitful and multiply" establishes the first divine blessing, and what it means that animals possess nephesh (soul), personality, desire, just as humanity does.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 1:20-23https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.1.20Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:20-23https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_GenesisTalmud Baba Batra 74b on Leviathanhttps://www.sefaria.org/Baba_Batra.74bMidrash Bereishit Rabbah on Day Fivehttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_RabbahGenesis 1:20-23 with commentaries - Sefariahttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.20-23Betemunah, Tannin - Dragonhttps://www.betemunah.org/tannin.htmlRabbi Yeshua, Levels of the Soul (Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama)https://rabbiyeshua.com/articles/levels-soul-1Times of Israel, Do Animals Have Souls?https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/do-animals-have-souls-what-the-bible-says/Talmidim Way, Genesis 1 Creationhttps://talmidimway.org/commentary/genesis/beginnings/gen01/Sefaria Source Sheet, Giant Sea Creatures and Where To Find Themhttps://www.sefaria.org/sheets/198812Job 41 on Leviathanhttps://www.sefaria.org/Job.41Psalm 104:26 on Leviathanhttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.104.26Isaiah 27:1 on Leviathanhttps://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.27.1Psalm 8:8 on birds and fish togetherhttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.8.8Genesis 1:24 on land animals with nephesh chayahhttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.24Genesis 2:7 on Adam becoming nephesh chayahhttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.2.7Additional Sources[1] Genesis 1:20-23 - Sefaria https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.20-23[2] Genesis 1:20-23 Day 5 of God's Creation | The Agapegeek Blog https://agapegeek.com/2009/10/24/genesis-120-23-day-5-of-gods-creation/[3] Genesis – Chapter 1 – In The Beginning https://janlemke.com/genesis-chapter-1[4] IBSS - The Bible - Genesis 1:20-23 - DAY 5: Creation of Fish and Birds https://www.bibleandscience.com/bible/books/genesis/genesis1_fishbirds.htm[5] Genesis 1 Creation | Talmidim Way https://talmidimway.org/commentary/genesis/beginnings/gen01/[6] Part III: Levels of the Soul https://rabbiyeshua.com/articles/levels-soul-1[7] Tannin - Dragon - The Watchman https://www.betemunah.org/tannin.html[8] Genesis 1:20-22 ERV - The Fifth Day—Fish and Birds - Bible Gateway https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1%3A20-22&version=ERV[9] Do Animals Have Souls? What the Bible Says - The Blogs https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/do-animals-have-souls-what-the-bible-says/[10] Giant Sea Creatures and Where To Find Them | Sefaria https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/198812

On Day Four, God filled the expanse with light-bearers. The sun to rule the day. The moon to govern the night. The stars scattered across the heavens like jewels on velvet. But this was not the first creation of light—that happened on Day One. So why were the luminaries created on Day Four? What is the meaning of "signs and seasons"? Why does the Torah diminish the sun and moon, calling them merely "the greater light" and "the lesser light" without using their names? And why does Scripture add, almost as an afterthought, "and the stars also"? Drawing from Rashi's debate with Ramban, the Talmud's mystical teaching about the moon's humiliation, the Midrash's theology of time, and the rabbinic understanding of moadim—appointed times—we explore how the fourth day dismantles astrology, establishes the biblical calendar, and declares that the heavenly bodies are not deities to worship but servants of the Creator, placed in the sky to mark sacred time, guide humanity, and proclaim the glory of God.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 1:14-19https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.1.14Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:14https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.1.1.3Talmud Chullin 60b on the moon's diminishmenthttps://www.sefaria.org/Chullin.60bMidrash Bereishit Rabbah on luminarieshttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_RabbahAish.com, Let There Be Lightshttps://aish.com/48922892/Chabad, When Did God Create Light?https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/496140/jewish/When-did-Gd-create-light.htmDin Online, Two Creations of Lighthttps://dinonline.org/2021/06/13/two-creations-of-light-in-genesis-13-4-and-114-16/Genesis 1 with Rashi - Chabadhttps://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/8165/jewish/Chapter-1.htmStoned-Campbell Disciple, Seasons or Special Days: Genesis 1:14https://stonedcampbelldisciple.com/2017/03/23/seasons-or-special-days-genesis-1-14-and-israels-worship-calendar/Psalm 19:1-2 on the heavens declaring gloryhttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.19.1-2Psalm 147:4 on God naming the starshttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.147.4Isaiah 30:26 on the moon's restorationhttps://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.30.26Leviticus 23 on the moadim (appointed times)https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.23Jubilees 2:9 on the luminaries and festivalsSirach 43:7 on the moon and seasonsZohar on sun and moon as divine governanceGot Questions, "For Signs and Seasons"https://www.gotquestions.org/for-signs-and-seasons.html

On Day Three, God spoke twice, and creation responded with explosive abundance. First, the waters below gathered into seas, and dry land appeared—the earth finally emerging from the deep. Second, God commanded the earth itself to become a partner in creation, bringing forth vegetation: grass, plants yielding seed, trees bearing fruit with seed in them. And for the first time, the declaration "it was good" appears twice—once for the completion of the work begun on Day Two, and once for the birth of life from the soil. Drawing from Rashi's poetic vision, Ramban's mystical depth, Ibn Ezra's botanical precision, the Talmud's cosmic wisdom, the Midrash's profound insight, and the Chabad tradition's numerical theology, we explore why Day Three is doubly good, what it means that the earth "brings forth" life, how the genetic code was encoded in the seed from the beginning, why some trees bore fruit and others did not, and how the third day represents the resolution of conflict, the harmony of opposites, and the partnership between Creator and creation that will reach its climax in humanity.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 1:9-13https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.1.9Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:9-13http://davidblumenthal.org/GenRamban.htmlIbn Ezra on Genesis 1:9-13https://www.sefaria.org/Ibn_Ezra_on_GenesisMidrash Bereishit Rabbah on Day Threehttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_RabbahTalmud on the earth's sinhttps://www.sefaria.orgChabad on the Meaning of Threehttps://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/608781/jewish/On-the-Meaning-of-Three.htmTorah.org, The Delayed "Ki Tov"https://torah.org/torah-portion/ravfrand-5762-bereishis/Jewish Philosophy Place, Earth Grassing Grasseshttps://jewishphilosophyplace.com/2017/10/15/genesis-earth-grassing-grasses-seed-seeding-plants-fruit-making-fruit-trees/Psalm 104:6-9 on the gathering of the watershttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.104.6-9Job 38:11 on boundaries of the seahttps://www.sefaria.org/Job.38.11Jan Lemke, Genesis Chapter 1 - In The Beginninghttps://janlemke.com/genesis-chapter-1Life Meets Theology, The Third Day of Creationhttps://lifemeetstheology.com/2023/09/20/the-third-day-of-creation-genesis-19-13/Institute for Creation Research on seed and kindhttps://www.icr.org/bible/genesis/1/11-12/Lubavitcher Rebbe on the harmony of oppositesGenesis 1:31 - very goodhttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.31

On Day Two, God spoke again. But this time, the command did not produce light or life. It produced separation—a vast expanse dividing water from water, establishing the boundary between the waters below and the waters above. This is the rakia, the firmament, the sky, the atmospheric space where birds will fly and clouds will float. Yet Day Two stands unique among all the days of creation: it is the only day that does not receive God's declaration, "It was good." Why? What do the waters above represent? What is the nature of the firmament? Why is separation necessary for creation to flourish? Drawing from Rashi's mystical insight, Ramban's philosophical depth, Ibn Ezra's scientific precision, the Talmud's cosmic wisdom, and the Midrash's theological poetry, we explore the mystery of the second day, the tension inherent in division, and why argument—even cosmic argument—can both sustain and destroy the world.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 1:6-8https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.1.6Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:6https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.1.1.3Ibn Ezra on Genesis 1:6-8http://davidblumenthal.org/GenTradIbnEzraRamban.htmlTalmud and Midrash on the waters abovehttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_RabbahOxford Chabad Society, Commentary on the Torah - Genesishttps://oxfordchabad.org/media/pdf/1248/oNmh12486853.pdfTheTorah.com, My Encounter with the Firmamenthttps://www.thetorah.com/article/my-encounter-with-the-firmamentAnswers in Genesis, The Firmament: What Did God Create on Day 2?https://answersresearchjournal.org/firmament-what-did-god-create-day-2/Hidabroot, The Water Above the Heavenshttps://www.hidabroot.com/the-water-above-the-heavens/Steven P. Wickstrom, Thoughts about Genesis Creation Day 2http://www.spwickstrom.com/gen-1-5-day-2/Matsati, The Waters Above and Below Consistent with Modern Sciencehttps://www.matsati.com/index.php/the-waters-above-and-the-waters-below-is-consistent-with-modern-science-torah-bot/Answers in Genesis, Why Wasn't Day Two Declared "Good"?https://answersingenesis.org/days-of-creation/feedback-why-wasnt-day-two-declared-good/Psalm 148:4 on the waters above the heavenshttps://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.148.4Isaiah 30:33 on Tophet/Gehinomhttps://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.30.33Job 37-38 on the water cycleNumbers 16 on Korach's rebellionZohar on Day TwoGenesis 1:31 - very goodhttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.31

In the beginning, God spoke. And the first word He uttered was not power, not judgment, not even love. It was light. "Let there be light," and light blazed into existence, shattering the primordial darkness, establishing the rhythm of day and night, revealing the character of God as the One who brings order from chaos. But this was not the light of the sun—the sun would not be created until Day Four. This was something deeper, something older, something that the sages call the primordial light, the hidden light, the or ganuz. Drawing from Rashi's mystical teaching, Ramban's philosophical depth, Ibn Ezra's precision, the Talmud's cosmic secrets, and the Midrash's poetic vision, we explore why God's first creative word was light, what distinguished this light from the luminaries created later, why God called the light "good," how the separation of light from darkness established the foundation of all subsequent creation, and why the day begins with evening. This is the moment when God's Voice shattered silence and eternity began.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 1:3-5⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.1.3⁠Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:3⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.1.1.3⁠Ibn Ezra on Genesis 1:3⁠http://davidblumenthal.org/GenTradIbnEzraRamban.html⁠Talmud Chagigah 12a on the primordial light⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Chagigah.12a⁠Midrash Bereishit Rabbah on hidden light⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah⁠Sforno on Genesis 1:3⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Sforno_on_Genesis⁠Mishnah Pirkei Avot 5:1 on ten utterances⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.5.1⁠Psalm 33:6-9 on creation by divine word⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.33.6-9⁠Rav Kook Torah, The Hidden Light of Creation⁠https://ravkooktorah.org/BREISHIT_67.htm⁠⁠Aish.com⁠, Let There Be Lights⁠https://aish.com/48922892/⁠Din Online, Two Creations of Light⁠https://dinonline.org/2021/06/13/two-creations-of-light-in-genesis-13-4-and-114-16/⁠The Hidden Orchard, The Hidden Light (Ohr haGanuz)⁠https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-hidden-light-ohr-haganuz/⁠Jan Lemke, Genesis Chapter 1 - In The Beginning⁠https://janlemke.com/genesis-chapter-1⁠⁠Aish.com⁠, Creation & The Big Bang⁠https://aish.com/creation-the-big-bang/⁠Zohar on primordial lightAbraham Isaac Kook, Orot HaKodeshSources:[1] Ramban on Genesis 1:1:3 - Sefaria https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.1.1.3?lang=en[2] Genesis: Traditional with Ibn Ezra and Ramban - David R. Blumenthal http://davidblumenthal.org/GenTradIbnEzraRamban.html[3] Genesis – Chapter 1 – In The Beginning https://janlemke.com/genesis-chapter-1[4] Examining Translations of Genesis 1:1 in relation to Genesis 1:1–3 ... https://winebrenner.edu/2019/05/02/examining-translations-of-genesis-11-in-relation-to-genesis-11-3-part-three/[5] Let There Be Lights - Aish.com https://aish.com/48922892/[6]  Breishit: The Hidden Light of Creation - Rav Kook Torah https://ravkooktorah.org/BREISHIT_67.htm[7] Creation & The Big Bang - Aish.com https://aish.com/creation-the-big-bang/[8] Two creations of light in Genesis 1:3-4 and 1:14-16? - Din - Dinonline https://dinonline.org/2021/06/13/two-creations-of-light-in-genesis-13-4-and-114-16/[9] The Hidden Light - The Ohr haGanuz https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/the-hidden-light-ohr-haganuz/[10] Who was G‑d addressing when He said, "Let US create man in our ... https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/558595/jewish/Who-was-Gd-addressing-when-saying-Let-US-create-man.htm

Before light pierced the darkness, before order emerged from chaos, there was the deep, formless, void, shrouded in primordial darkness. Genesis 1:2 is not a casual description but a theological statement of profound depth: the world awaits God's ordering hand. Here we encounter tohu vavohu, the wilderness of unformed potential, the darkness that covered tehohm, the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovering with exquisite tenderness over the waters. Drawing from Rashi's bewilderment, Ramban's mystical theology, Ibn Ezra's precision, the Talmud's cosmic wisdom, and the Midrash's poetic insight, we explore what existed before creation was shaped, why darkness is not evil but mystery, how tehom differs from Tiamat, and why the Spirit's hovering reveals God's intimate, passionate involvement in every moment of creation. This is the moment before the first command, when chaos trembled beneath the wings of the Divine.Sources & Further Study: Rashi on Genesis 1:2https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.1.2Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:2https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.1.1.3Ibn Ezra on Genesis 1:1-2http://davidblumenthal.org/GenTradIbnEzraRamban.htmlMidrash Bereishit Rabbah on the Spirit of Messiahhttps://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah.2Talmud Chagigah 12a on creation and the deephttps://www.sefaria.org/Chagigah.12aMaharal, Gur Aryeh commentary on Rashihttps://www.sefaria.org/Gur_Aryeh_on_GenesisGenesis 1:2 with classical commentarieshttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.2?with=allDeuteronomy 32:11 (eagle hovering)https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.32.11Isaiah 11:2 (Spirit of Messiah)https://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.11.2Jeremiah 4:23 (tohu vabohu in judgment context)https://www.sefaria.org/Jeremiah.4.23Isaiah 45:18 (God did not create tohu)https://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.45.18Times of Israel, A Spirit of Creation and Commotionhttps://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-spirit-of-creation-and-commotion/Questioning Torah, Bereishit: Darkness Firsthttps://mtorah.com/2025/10/13/bereishit-darkness-first/Hebrew Union College, An Exploration of Tehom in Hebrew Biblehttp://library.huc.edu/pdf/theses/Halpert_Rodis_Thalia_N-NY-Rab-2020_rdf.pdfMerahefet (Genesis 1:2): The Dynamics of the Spirithttps://hrcak.srce.hr/file/38509

Before the first star blazed, before the first wave rolled, before the first breath was drawn, there was God. And then, the Voice. Genesis 1:1 is not a sentence, it is a thunderclap across eternity. Seven Hebrew words that demolished pagan mythology, established divine sovereignty, and laid the foundation stone of all reality. In this master-series episode, we descend into the mystery of the opening word that conceals infinite wisdom—exploring Rashi's grammatical wrestling, Ramban's mystical depths, Ibn Ezra's philosophical precision, and the Talmud's cosmic secrets. We examine the verb that shatters chaos without struggle, the Name that speaks justice into existence, and the totality of heaven and earth bowing before their Creator. This is not myth. This is the roar that began everything.Sources & Further Study:Rashi on Genesis 1:1https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.1.1Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 1:1https://www.sefaria.org/Ramban_on_Genesis.1.1Ibn Ezra on Genesis 1:1http://davidblumenthal.org/GenTradIbnEzraRamban.htmlMidrash Rabbah, Genesis 1https://www.sefaria.org/Bereishit_Rabbah.1Midrash Tanchuma, Bereishit on the letter bethttps://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/137074/jewish/Bet-Vet.htmTalmud Chagigah 12a on creation and expansionhttps://www.sefaria.org/Chagigah.12aGenesis Chapter 1 with classical commentarieshttps://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.1.1?with=allVilna Gaon, Aderet Eliyahu on Bereishithttps://beithashoavah.org/2025/08/bereishit-as-history/Targum Onkelos on Genesishttps://www.sefaria.org/Onkelos_Genesis.1Proverbs 8:22 (Torah as beginning)https://www.sefaria.org/Proverbs.8.22Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism (1955)Oxford Chabad Society, Commentary on the Torah - Genesishttps://oxfordchabad.org/media/pdf/1248/oNmh12486853.pdfJewish Quarterly Review on Creation Theologyhttps://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/index/books-of-the-bible/genesis/big-bang-theory-creation-bara-sudden-expansion/

Impatience leads Sarai to give Hagar to Avram. Ishmael is born, but not as the child of covenant. Yet even in exile, God hears the cry of the outcast.

The Roar of Judah rises with a voice shaped by fire, calling a wandering world back to covenant, memory, and light. We confront darkness with unwavering truth and lift the ancient flame that has carried our people through every age. Join our Torah Master Series Study as we awaken hearts to purpose and destiny.

Avram looks to the heavens, hears the promise of countless descendants, and watches as God Himself passes between the pieces of covenant fire.

The Roar of Judah rises with a voice shaped by fire, calling a wandering world back to covenant, memory, and light. We confront darkness with unwavering truth and lift the ancient flame that has carried our people through every age. Join our Torah Master Series Study as we awaken hearts to purpose and destiny.

Lot is taken captive in a war of kings. Avram rises with 318 men, rescues his nephew, and is blessed by Malki-Tzedek, priest of El Elyon.

Strife rises between shepherds. Lot chooses the lush Jordan valley, Avram takes the hills of Canaan. God reaffirms His promise to give the land to Avram’s descendants.

Famine drives Avram into Egypt. Fear leads to deception. Pharaoh’s house is struck, and Avram leaves in shame but preserved by grace.