The Midrash of Ben Sira

These are the five books, five chapters, and five orders which Ben Sira revealed to his son Uzziel and his grandson Joseph. [Five books:] the Book of Creation, the Book of the Garden, the Book of Grammar, the Book of Pesikta with Two Faces, and the Book of Zerubbabel. Five chapters: the chapter of R. Simeon bar Yoḥai, the chapter of Avot de-Rabbi Natan, the chapter of the Alphabet of R. Akiva, the chapter on the Construction of the Tabernacle, and the chapter on the Way of the World [derekh erets]. Five orders: the order of the world, the order of the astronomical seasons, the order of hours, the order of intercalations, and the order of halakhot.

When he revealed all these secrets, all the hosts above trembled, and the holy spirit emerged and demanded, “Who revealed My secrets to mortals?” Ben [Sira] stood and said, “I, Buzi, son of Bizu.” The Holy One said to him, “That is enough for you.” Immediately, Joseph sat and copied down these fifteen things from the mouth of Ben [Sira], which he wrote in script [see Isaiah 8:1]: five books, including the Book of Creation, with which the Holy One created His world. Who can express the mighty acts of the Lord or make all His praise be heard? (Psalms 106:2). This teaches that no one can express all His mighty acts or make all His praise be heard. Not even the ministering angels can relate [even] a small part of His mighty acts and thereby expound how He foresaw, created, and acted. For at first, when He created the world, the Holy One was the only one. The idea of creating the world arose in His thoughts, and He repeatedly etched its foundations in the earth, but they would not be established until He created the Book of Creation, in the Torah, into which He peered, and understood in His wisdom, and thus He created the world. His eyes were looking into the Book of Creation while His hands wandered and built the world.

We can present a vastly different case by way of analogy. Just as a person who constructs buildings will consult his blueprint, if he has one, so too the Holy One proceeded in the same manner. Once He had fashioned His world and completed it, He placed it in the Torah, which was hidden away in advance, 974 generations before the world was created [see, e.g., b. Shabbat 88b]. When our forefather Abraham was born, the ministering angels said before the Holy One, “Master of the World, You have one beloved person in the world. Will you hide anything from him?” Immediately, the Holy One declared, “Shall I hide from Abraham [that which I am doing?”] (Genesis 18:17). He then took counsel with the Torah, saying, “Come, and I will marry you to my beloved Abraham.” It said before Him, “Should this not wait until the humble one [Moses] comes and marries the humble object?” Immediately, the Holy One took counsel with the Book of Creation, which agreed, and He gave it to Abraham [instead].

Now, Abraham sat and studied the Book of Creation, but he was unable to understand any of it, until a heavenly voice emerged and said to him, “Are you trying to compare yourself to Me? I am One, and I created the Book of Creation, and it read itself out to Me, and I did everything that was written in it. But you will be unable to understand it on your own. Find a companion so you can look into it together and comprehend it.” Immediately, Abraham went to Shem, his teacher, and sat with him for three years, and they perused it and learned how to fashion the world. To this day, you will not find anyone who can understand it by themselves. Rather, two sages are required, and it will take them three years to grasp it. But when they have understood it, they will be able to do whatever their hearts desire. Once Abraham comprehended it, his wisdom greatly increased, and he learned the entire Torah.

Rava also wanted to understand it by himself. R. Zera said to him, “Isn’t it written that a sword is upon the boasters [ha-badim], and they shall become fools [ve-no’alu] (Jeremiah 50:36)?—that is, a sword is upon Torah scholars who sit alone [bad be-vad] and study Torah [b. Berakhot 63b]. Therefore, let us come and study the Book of Creation.” And they sat together and perused it for three years until they understood it.

A calf was created for them, and they slaughtered it, and they used it for their celebration over completing their studies. But when they slaughtered it, they forgot what they had learned. They sat down for another three years and regained the knowledge.

Ben Sira also wanted to understand it by himself, but a heavenly voice emerged and informed him: Two are better [than one] (Ecclesiastes 4:9). He went to Jeremiah, and they occupied themselves with it for three years until they understood it.

A man was created before them, on whose forehead was written: the Lord God is true [emet] (Jeremiah 10:10). He had a knife in his hand and was erasing the letter alef of emet [leaving the word met, “dead”]. Jeremiah said, “Why are you doing this? Can it not be emet?” He replied, “I will offer you a parable by way of comparison. This is like a man who was a builder and a wise individual, and when people realized this, they appointed him king over them. After a while, others came and learned the craft, at which point they left the first man and turned to the others. With regard to the Holy One, He perused the Book of Creation and fashioned the world, and they made Him king over His creatures. Now that you have come and made something just like Him, what will be the end result? They will leave Him and turn to you. What will become of Him who fashioned you?” They responded, “What, then, should we do?” He said to them, “Turn him back to his former state.” That man became dust and ashes.

Source: Vatican Library MS ebr. 299, fols. 65r–66r.