The Midrash of “Let the earth put forth grass”

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And God said, “Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after its kind, in which is the seed thereof, on the earth.” (Genesis 1:11)

R. Phineas ben Yair said: Why did the Holy One decree that the grass, plants, and fruit trees sprout on the third day, while He created the lights in the sky on the fourth day? This teaches the strength of His power, that He is able to bring forth vegetation from the earth even without lights in the sky.

God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night.” (Genesis 1:14)

Until the lights were created on the fourth day, the first three days were exactly equal in their hours, their length, and their steps, with none longer or shorter than the others. But once the lights were created, the Holy One made days and nights longer or shorter. Why was this so? So that the lights should not be perceived as being gods. [ . . . ]

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The Tabernacle was built corresponding to the creation of the universe. The two cherubs on the ark of the covenant were made corresponding to the two holy Names. The heavens and the earth and the sea are represented by the holders of the bars [that support the walls of the Tabernacle]. The holy of holies was made corresponding to the upper heavens; the outer holy place was made corresponding to the earth; the courtyard was made corresponding to the sea; and the twelve curtains were made corresponding to the upper heavens. The table was made corresponding to the earth, and the twelve showbread loaves were arranged on it, corresponding to fruit of the soil. They were placed in two rows, six to a row (Leviticus 24:6), corresponding to the summer months and the winter months. The laver was made corresponding to the sea, and the lampstand was made corresponding to the luminaries in the heavens. The two columns [are] known as Yakhin and Boaz (1 Kings 7:21). Yakhin [is] as the moon, established [yikon] forever, steadfast as the witness in the sky (Psalms 89:38), for the moon establishes the holidays and years of the Israelite nation, as it says: He appointed the moon for seasons (Psalms 104:19). Boaz corresponds to the sun, which rises with strength and vigor [be-‘oz], as it says: it rejoices as a strong man to run his course (Psalms 19:6). Corresponding to them, we find in the body two eyes, for just as the eyes are placed high up in the head, so the two pillars were high and thick.

And he made the molten sea (1 Kings 7:23)—this corresponds to the world, which is a solid mass, as it says: when the dust melts into a mass (Job 38:38), and which is strong as a molten mirror (Job 37:18).

Ten cubits from brim to brim (1 Kings 7:23)—these are the ten sefirot belimah [“emanations of nothingness,” from the Book of Creation (Sefer yetsirah)] upon which the world stands. Round in compass (1 Kings 7:23), for the firmament is round. The height of it was five cubits (1 Kings 7:23), corresponding to five hundred years, which is the distance between the earth and the firmament [b. Pesaḥim 94b]. It measured thirty cubits (1 Kings 7:23), corresponding to the thirty days that make up every month and corresponding to the Ten Commandments, the ten utterances, and the ten sefirot belimah. [Thirty cubits] in circumference (1 Kings 7:23), for the world stands by the merit of those who fulfill the Ten Commandments, and it was created by means of the ten utterances, and the sefirot are ten [which makes thirty]. [ . . . ]

He made also ten tables, and placed them in the Temple, five on the right side, and five on the left (2 Chronicles 4:8), in order to increase vegetation. And why did Moses make only one [table]? Because in the desert, they did not need vegetation, but once Solomon came, he made ten, in order to increase vegetation. He placed five to the right of Moses’ table, and five to its left. Why did he do so? Because the south is called right, and the left is called north [ . . . ]. For this reason, he placed five to the right, which is the southern side, corresponding to the right side of the world, which is the source of the dew of blessing for the world. Solomon said, “The merit of these tables that have been placed on the right should bring blessings of rain and blessings of dew from the right side to the world.” And he placed five to the left, corresponding to the north, which is to the left, which is the source of evil coming to the world. Solomon said, “The merit of these tables that have been placed on the left should prevent evil from coming upon the nation of Israel.” Similarly, He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them (2 Chronicles 4:6).

And he made the ten lamps of gold (2 Chronicles 4:7). These correspond to the Ten Commandments. Each lamp contains seven candlesticks, giving us seventy, corresponding to the seventy nations. As long as the lamps were burning, the nations were subdued, but from the day that the lamps were extinguished, they were strengthened. The Torah is compared to a lamp, as it says: For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light (Proverbs 6:23). [ . . . ] And in the most holy place, he made two cherubim of image work (2 Chronicles 3:10), corresponding to the two tablets. They had the form of babies perfected with crowns.

And the wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits long (2 Chronicles 3:11). There were two cherubs corresponding to the two tablets, and their [total wing] length was twenty cubits, [and each cherub was a cubit]—all told, twenty-two [cubits], corresponding to the twenty-two letters. The wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house (2 Chronicles 3:11)—this teaches that they reach from one end of the world to the other. And the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub (2 Chronicles 3:11)—this teaches that the wings of these cherubs reach from one end of the world to the other. Just as the letter lamed stands in the middle of the letters, so the cherubs are in the middle. And they stood up (2 Chronicles 3:13). They were standing on their legs like the letter lamed that has no foundation. Facing the house (2 Chronicles 3:13). It was in their merit and in the merit of those that built them that the Temple stood, for they were the centerpiece of everything that took place in the Temple since the shekhinah rested on them and on the ark, and it was from there that Moses was spoken to, as it says: He would hear the voice speaking to him [ . . . from between the cherubs] (Numbers 7:89). [ . . . ]

The gold lampstand contained seven lamps, corresponding to the seven luminaries in the world, the seven stars, the seven holidays of the year, and the seven gates to the soul—two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one mouth. The lampstand was in the south, corresponding to the sun, which offers light to the wise man, and it was on the right, as it says: A wise man’s understanding is at his right hand (Ecclesiastes 10:2).