Derasha 1 on Bereishis 1:6

TT #27 · Parashas Bereishis · First Aliyah · Passuk 6

Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים יְהִ֥י רָקִ֖יעַ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַמָּ֑יִם וִיהִ֣י מַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין מַ֖יִם לָמָֽיִם׃

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

TT points to Yerushalmi Berachos 1:1 (verified).

Core Text

Core Textרַב אָמַר: יְהִי רָקִיעַ — יְחַזֵּק הָרָקִיעַ, יִקְרַשׁ הָרָקִיעַ, יִגְלַד הָרָקִיעַ, יִמָּתַח הָרָקִיעַ. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן פָּזִי אָמַר: יֵעָשֶׂה כְּמִין מַטְלִית הָרָקִיעַ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיְרַקְּעוּ אֶת פַּחֵי הַזָּהָב״.
English of Core Text: Rav said: “Let there be a firmament” — let the firmament strengthen, let it congeal, let it freeze, let it stretch. And Rabbi Yehudah ben Pazi said: Let the firmament be made like a kind of sheet, as it is said “and they hammered out the sheets of gold.”
On the daf / in context: The Yerushalmi explores the force of the verb in “yehi rakia.” The two views differ on whether the firmament is a solidification of existing material or a stretched sheet.
Type of Learning: Custom (nature of the firmament)
What Is Learned: The firmament was either solidified or stretched into place by the Divine command.