Gemara Clarity

Chagigah 12b

חגיגה י״ב ע״ב

Learn Chagigah 12b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chagigah 12b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

What holds up the earth, and ריש לקיש's seven heavens and what each one contains.

Overview

The גמרא keeps reading the first פסוקים of בראשית. It explains that the word 'את' shows שמים came before ארץ. A parable about a king and his early-rising servants explains why the earth gets special attention. Next comes a ברייתא of רבי יוסי about what holds up the earth, a chain that ends with God's arm. Then other opinions say the earth rests on twelve pillars, on seven, or on one pillar, the צדיק. רב יהודה says there are two רקיעים, but ריש לקיש counts seven and describes each one: וילון, רקיע, שחקים, זבול, מעון, מכון and ערבות. Each heaven gets a פסוק showing it is called שמים. Along the way come teachings about learning תורה at night, a challenge about harmful weather that דוד prayed to bring down to earth, and a list of the treasures, souls and angels in ערבות. The amud ends with a question about whether darkness can surround ה׳, and the answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

״אֵת הָאָרֶץ״ לְמָה לִי —

Why do I need 'and the earth' (et ha'aretz)?

לְהַקְדִּים שָׁמַיִם לָאָרֶץ.

To teach that heaven came before earth.

״וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ״,

'And the earth was unformed and void.'

מִכְּדִי בְּשָׁמַיִם אַתְחֵיל בְּרֵישָׁא,

After all, it began with heaven first;

The steps (37)

  1. QuestionWhy does the פסוק need the word 'את הארץ'?
  2. ResponseHeaven came before earth
  3. QuestionWhy does the second פסוק talk about the earth first?
  4. ResponseThe parable of the king and the early risers
  5. Statementרבי יוסי: People do not know what they stand on
  6. StatementThe chain: what holds up the earth
  7. Statementחכמים: The earth stands on twelve pillars
  8. StatementSome say: seven pillars
  9. Statementרבי אלעזר בן שמוע: One pillar called צדיק
  10. Statementרב יהודה: There are two רקיעים
  11. Statementריש לקיש: there are seven heavens
  12. Statementוילון: the curtain that renews Creation daily
  13. Statementרקיע: where the sun, moon and stars are set
  14. Statementשחקים: where מן is ground for the צדיקים
  15. Statementזבול: the heavenly ירושלים, בית המקדש and מזבח
  16. QuestionHow do we know זבול is called heaven?
  17. ResponseA פסוק pairs heaven with זבול
  18. Statementמעון: angels who sing only at night
  19. StatementLearning Torah at night brings kindness by day
  20. StatementSecond version: this world is night, the next world is day
  21. StatementPausing from Torah for idle talk is punished with broom-tree coals
  22. QuestionSource that מעון counts as heaven
  23. ResponseA פסוק links מעון with heaven
  24. Statementמכון holds the storehouses of snow, hail and harmful weather
  25. ChallengeBut these things are on earth, not in heaven
  26. Resolutionדוד prayed and they were brought down to earth
  27. QuestionSource that מכון counts as heaven
  28. ResponseA פסוק links מכון with heaven
  29. StatementWhat is found in ערבות, the highest heaven
  30. ProofSources for the treasures of ערבות
  31. ProofProofs for the souls and the dew stored in ערבות
  32. StatementThe heavenly beings in ערבות and ה׳ above them
  33. QuestionHow do we know ערבות is called heaven?
  34. ResponseLearning it from the word 'rides' in both places
  35. StatementDarkness, cloud and fog surround ה׳
  36. ChallengeBut light dwells with ה׳
  37. ResolutionThe answer begins: it is not difficult