Bereshit (6)


 (To read the previous part, click here.)

Another opinion is also found in the words of our sages, which states that the angels were created on the first day, along with the creation of light. The reasoning behind this view is that since our intellect is too limited to fully grasp the true nature of spiritual beings, the Torah compares them to light—due to their spiritual essence and their role as a source of intellectual perception. Just as physical light enables vision, so too, these elevated, spiritual beings serve as the source of intellectual comprehension.

Because of this, Scripture attributes light to God Himself, as it is written: "The Lord is my light and my salvation." (Tehillim 27:1) In line with this, our sages said in Midrash Tehillim: Rabbi Simon said: 'God set aside the primordial light for Himself. This is like a king who saw a fine portion of food and said, "This is for myself."' So too, when God created light, He said, "No creature can use it but Me," as it is stated: "And light dwells with Him." (Daniel 2:22) Ralbag (Gersonides) explains this Midrash in the following way: It is impossible to interpret this passage as referring to physical light, for how could one say that God reserved it for Himself, allowing no creature to use it? Rather, the sages were speaking of a spiritual, intellectual light, which is beyond physical perception.

Similarly, in Bereshit Rabbah, a disagreement is recorded between Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nechemiah. One said: "Light was created first, and only afterward, the heavens and the earth." The other said: "The heavens and the earth were created first, and afterward, light was created." There is no doubt that they were not debating the nature of physical light. For how could one possibly suggest that physical, perceptible light was created before the world itself? Light, after all, spreads through the air as a reflection of the sun’s rays, illuminating the earth. If there was still no celestial sphere, no sun, no earth, and no air, then how could light exist? Rather, their discussion must have been concerning the separate intellects (sechalim nivdalim)—the spiritual entities beyond the physical world. Other statements in Midrash Rabbah also support this interpretation.

Ralbag (Gersonides), in his work Milchamot Hashem (The Wars of the Lord) and in his commentary on the Torah, explains that this primordial light refers to the separate intellects according to the literal reading of the text. However, in my view, this interpretation is completely unfitting and does not align with the straightforward meaning of the verses, for several reasons:

The first is: If this "light" truly referred to angels, why would the Torah avoid calling them by their proper names? The text could have referred to them as "angels" (malachim), "seraphim," or "fiery beings" (eish), as is common in other places. Why instead use the term "light", which is merely an incidental property that results from motion? Angels, on the other hand, are independent, exalted beings, essential in their own right.

And what is said about Him, may He be exalted he verse, "The Lord is my light and my salvation" (Tehillim 27:1), does not mean that God is literally light, but rather, it is a metaphor for salvation and divine assistance, as seen in verses such as "Arise, shine, for your light has come" (Isaiah 60:1) and "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." (Isaiah 9:1). And the statement "And light dwells with Him" (Daniel 2:22) refers to God’s perfect knowledge, which is fully revealed before Him, rather than referring to angels. This is evident from the beginning of the verse: "He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him." The first clause clarifies the meaning of the second—that it speaks of divine knowledge, not angels.

Therefore, even though the nature of separate intellects (angels) is difficult for human understanding, since their existence is explicitly affirmed in the Torah, they should have been referred to by their proper names.

Moreover, if the creation of angels preceded the heavens and the earth, then why is their creation only mentioned later, in the verse "Let there be light"? The explanation given by some, that the phrase "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" is followed by "God said, 'Let there be light'", is incorrect.

For if this were the case, then the Torah would never have explicitly stated the independent creation of the heavens and the earth. How could Scripture describe something that occurred before the creation of the heavens and the earth if it had not yet even mentioned their creation? If the verse intended to recount what came before the formation of the heavens and the earth, then it would have been more fitting to say: "In the beginning, God said, 'Let there be light.'" Only afterward should it state: "And God created the heavens and the earth."

A third argument is as follows: If the Torah intended to describe what occurred before the creation of the heavens and the earth, what then is the meaning of the phrase: "And the earth was formless and void" (tohu va’vohu)? For it is self-evident that if light preceded the heavens and the earth, then it must have also preceded the state of the earth being formless and void. That which precedes something inherently must also precede all of its properties. What, then, is the verse intending to teach us?

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(Each article on this blog shares a portion of our work on Abarbanel on Genesis, with both clarity and fidelity to the original.) 

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