CHAPTER V THE GATHERING OF THE WATERS [5A. i.] ON the third day [ Of the week of creation. Our Book agrees here with the Book of Jubilees, which states: “And on the third day He commanded the waters to pass from off the face of the whole earth” (ii. 5). Cf. Ps. 104:6, according to which the mountains were beneath the water, the surface of which was like a plain.] all the earth was flat like a plain and the waters covered the surface of all the earth. When the word of the Almighty [ Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 8, reads: “The Holy One, blessed be He.”] was uttered, "Let the waters be gathered together" (Gen. 1:9), the mountains and hills arose from the ends of the earth and they were scattered [ The gathering of the waters revealed the hills and valleys which had hitherto been covered by the water.] over the surface of all the earth, and valleys were formed over the inner parts of the earth; and the waters were rolled together and gathered into the valleys, as it is said, "And the gathering together of the waters he called seas" (ibid. 10). [ In the MS. the tenth paragraph (of the fourth chapter) is marked here. For a parallel text see Wertheimer, op. cit., i. p. 6.] Forthwith the waters became proud [ The Oxford MS. (d. 35) reads: “The waters became insolent and attempted to ascend to Heaven as at first until He rebuked and subdued them and placed them beneath the soles of His feet, as it is said: ‘ Who maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters’” (Isa. 43:16). The first editions agree with our MS.] and they arose to cover the earth as at first, when the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked them || and subdued them, [ See Ps. 104:7, Job 38:8–10, and Prov. 8:29. Eth. Enoch offers a parallel: “the sea was created, and as its foundation He set for it the sand against the time of anger, and it dare not pass beyond it from the creation of the world unto eternity” (lxix. 18).] and placed them beneath the soles of His feet, [ See Job 9:8, Ps. 77:19, and Shocher Ṭob, Ps. 93:5, where our text is preserved; cf. Midrash Kônen, p. 25. The 1st ed. (P.R.E.) reads: “and He subdued them beneath the ends of His feet.” The Midrash should be compared with Tanchuma, Chuḳḳath. § 1, and see T.B. Baba Bathra, 74b. The subject has been discussed by Jampel in the Monatsschrift, 1912, p. 148.] and measured them with the hollow of His hand [ See Isa. 40:12.] that they should neither decrease nor increase. He made the sand as the boundary of the sea, just like a man who makes a fence for his vineyard. When they rise and see the sand before them they return to their former place, [ See Rabbinic Philosophy and Ethics, p. 10.] as it is said, "Fear ye not me? saith the Lord [ The second half of the verse is not given in the MS., which reads “etc.”] : will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea?" (Jer. 5:22).
Before the waters were gathered together the depths [ The Venice edition adds the words “the luminaries” before the words “the depths.” This is clearly a mistake.] were created. These are the depths which are beneath the earth; for the earth is spread [ Jalḳuṭ Makhiri to Psalms (Ps. 136:11) reads: “the earth floats upon the depths.” The text of this section in the Jalḳuṭ is more correct than the printed editions of P.R.E.] upon the water like a ship which floats in the midst of the sea, so likewise is the earth spread out over the water, as it is said, "To him that spread forth the earth above the waters…" (Ps. 136:6). He opened an entrance to the Garden of Eden [ This agrees with the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 1. i.: “And to the north of the garden there is a sea of water.” See Jalḳuṭ Makhiri (loc. cit.) for a parallel to our text. The Venice edition differs slightly from the 1st ed. and reads: “The entrance to the Garden of Eden opened therein and He brought forth thence plants upon the face of all the earth.” This 5th chapter is devoted to the account of the creation on the third day. Thus far we find the following things enumerated: (1) the gathering of the waters, (2) the appearance of the mountains and hills, (3) the transference of the plants and trees from the Garden of Eden, and we shall have (4) an account of the mists and clouds which water the face of the earth. The Book of Jubilees seems to offer a parallel: (1) “And the dry land appeared, and on that day He created for them (2) all the seas according to their separate gathering-places, and all the rivers, and the gathering of the waters in the mountains and on all the earth and all the lakes, (3) and all the dew of the earth, (4) and the seed which is sown, and all sprouting things, and fruit-bearing trees, and trees of the wood, and the Garden of Eden in Eden, and all (plants after their kind). These four great works God created on the third day” (ii. 6, 7). It seems strange that both books in connection with the third day refer to the Garden of Eden, especially as our book has already dealt with this as one of the pre-mundane creations. According to Gen. Rab. 15:3 the Garden of Eden was created before the creation of man, who was created on the sixth day, whereas Eden was created on the third day. This tradition is preserved in Slavonic Enoch (A and B) xxx. 1 and in the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan), loc. cit.] because thence were planted upon the face of all the earth all kinds of trees yielding fruit according to their kind, and all kinds of herbs and grass [ The Venice edition adds: “He planted thereof, and in them was their seed upon the earth.”] thereof, and in them (was seed), as it is said, "Wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth" (Gen. 1:11). He prepared a table for the creatures whilst as yet they were not created, [ The reading in the first editions is: “whilst as yet the world was not created.” This “table” is not one of the premundane creations; see T.B. Synhedrin, 38a, based on Prov. 9:1–3, and cf. Lev. Rab. 11:1. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa in the fourth century C.E., has a similar Midrash in his work de Hominis opificio, 2; see also Slav. Enoch (B) XXX. 1.] as it is said, "Thou preparest a table before me" (Ps. 23:5). All the fountains arise from the depths to give water to all creatures. [ See Ps. 104:10–13.]
Rabbi Joshua said: The diameter [ On this theme see T.B. Pesachim, 94a, and Gen. Rab. 4:5, and see Theodor’s notes on p. 29 of his edition for further parallels.] of the earth is equal to a journey of sixty years, [ Oxford MS. (2835, c. 27) reads “five hundred years”; cf. T.J. Berakhoth, 2c; T.B. Chagigah, 12a, and Gen. Rab. 6:6.] and one of the depths which is near to Gehinnom bubbles with water and produces water [ The 1st ed. reads: “and produces delight for the sons of man.” On the subject referred to in the text see T.B. Sabbath, 39a.] for the delight of the sons of man.
Rabbi Jehudah || said: Once every month ducts [ Our text is preserved in Jalḳuṭ to Psalms (Ps. 42 § 744). On “Silonoth” (ducts) see Jastrow, T.D. 979b. Gaster, Jeraḥmeel ii. 5, renders here “rivulets ascend from the depths,” etc.] rise from the depths to irrigate the face of all the earth, as it is said, "And there went up a mist from the earth and watered [ The rest of the verse is not given by the MS., which reads “etc.”] the whole face of the ground" (Gen. 2:6). [ The LXX renders this verse: “But a fountain ascended out of the earth”; see Hellenism and Christianity, p. 25 note.] The clouds cause the seas to hear the sound of their waterspouts, [ See Jalḳuṭ Makhiri, Psalms (Ps. 42:16), where our text occurs with variant readings; thus, instead of “Zinôrôthiham,” which means “their splashing,” or “duct,” or “spout,” we find “Kinôrôthiham” (“their harps”).] and the seas cause the depths to hear the sound of their waterspouts, and the deep calls to the deep to bring up waters to give them to the clouds, as it is said, "Deep calleth unto deep at the sound of thy waterspouts" (Ps. 42:7). [ See T.B. Ta‘anith, 25b, for the application of this verse in connection with the water ceremonies on the Feast of Tabernacles.]
The clouds draw water from the depths, as it is said, "He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends [ Where originally the water was.] of the earth" (ibid. cxxxv. 7), and in every place where the King commands them, [ See Job 37:11–13. The rain illustrates the working of Divine Providence; cf. Jer. 14:22.] there they cause rain (to fall), and forthwith the earth becomes fruitful and yields produce like a widow who becomes pregnant through debauchery. [ This rain would not be the rain of blessing, cf. T.B. Ta’anith, 6b.] But when the Holy One, blessed be He, desires to bless the produce of the earth, [ See Ps. 65:9, 10, and cf. T.B. Ta‘anith, 8b.] and to give provision to the creatures, [ This phrase does not occur in the 1st ed. See Ps. 132:15.] He opens the good treasuries in heaven and sends rain upon the earth, namely, the fructifying rain, [ The rain from heaven is full of vitalizing power; see infra, pp. 63 and 167. The actual expression in our context is “the masculine waters.” Eth. Enoch liv. 8 offers a parallel: “And all the waters shall be joined with the waters, that which is above the heavens is the masculine, and the water which is beneath the earth is feminine.” See Charles’ interesting note (8) on p. 107 of his edition, where he quotes T.J. Berakhoth, 9:2, “the upper water is male and the lower water is female.”] and forthwith the earth becomes fruitful like a bride who conceives from her first husband and produces offspring of blessing, as it is said, "The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasury the heaven" [ The verse continues: “To give the rain of thy land in its season and to bless all the work of thy hand.” This is given in the B.M. MS. The 1st ed. and later editions add: “and it is written, ‘For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee ‘ (Isa. 62:5), and it is written, ‘ For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven.… and watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, and giveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater’” (ibid. lv. 10).] (Deut. 28:12).