Derasha 5 on Bereishis 1:5

TT #23 · Parashas Bereishis · First Aliyah · Passuk 5

Complete Passuk

וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Yerushalmi Rosh Hashanah 2:8 (verified).

Core Text

Core Textאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁילָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי: כְּתִיב ״עָשָׂה יָרֵחַ לְמוֹעֲדִים שֶׁמֶשׁ יָדַע מְבוֹאוֹ״ — מִשֶּׁמֶשׁ יָדַע מְבוֹאוֹ עָשָׂה יָרֵחַ לְמוֹעֲדִים. וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד.
English of Core Text: Rabbi Shila said in the name of Rabbi: It is written “He made the moon for appointed times; the sun knows its setting” — from the fact that the sun knows its setting He made the moon for appointed times. And Rabbi Yochanan said: “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”
On the daf / in context: The Yerushalmi discusses the determination of the new moon and the calendar. Rabbi Yochanan cites our phrase as a source for the primacy of the evening-morning unit.
Type of Learning: Custom (calendar / evening-morning unit)
What Is Learned: The creation phrase supports the evening-to-morning definition of a day in calendrical matters.