Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 1:10/רמב"ן על בראשית א׳:י׳
אוַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לַיַּבָּשָׁה אֶרֶץ יֹאמַר כִּי שְׁמָהּ הָרָאוּי לָהּ "יַבָּשָׁה", כִּי בְּהִפָּרֵד הַמַּיִם מִן הֶעָפָר הִיא יְבֵשָׁה, אֲבָל יִקְרָא אוֹתָהּ "אֶרֶץ" כְּשֵׁם כְּלַל הַיְּסוֹדוֹת הַנִּבְרָא בָּרִאשׁוֹן, וְהַטַּעַם כִּי בַּעֲבוּרָהּ נִבְרְאוּ, שֶׁתִּהְיֶה יִשּׁוּב לָאָדָם, שֶׁאֵין בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים מַכִּיר בּוֹרְאוֹ זוּלָתוֹ. וְקָרָא לְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם "יַמִּים", כְּאִלּוּ הוּא "יָם מַיִם", לְפִי שֶׁקַּרְקַע הַמִּקְוֶה נִקְרָא "יָם", כְּדִכְתִיב (ישעיהו יא ט) "כַּמַּיִם לַיָּם מְכַסִּים", וְכֵן "וְאֶת הַיָּם הוֹרִד מֵעַל הַבָּקָר" (מלכים ב טז יז), כִּי מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מִקְוֵה מַיִם גָּדוֹל יִקָּרֵא כֵּן:
1AND G-D CALLED THE DRY LAND EARTH. The verse states that the proper name for it would be yabashah (dry land) for as the waters are separated from the sand it becomes dry. However, He called it eretz (earth) as the name which included the four elements created on the first day. The reason for this is that they were all created for the sake of the earth in order that there be a habitation for man, since among the lower creatures no one but man recognizes his Creator.129 in the Book of Exodus).And the gathering together of the waters He called ‘yamim’ (seas). It is as if [the word yamim, (seas) combines the two words] yam and mayim (a sea of waters), for the bottom of the ocean is called yam, as it is written, As the waters cover the sea,130 and likewise, And he took down the sea from off the brazen oxen.131 It is called “sea” because there was a large gathering of water in it.
בוַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים כִּי טוֹב הוּא קִיּוּמָם בְּחֶפְצוֹ, וְהָעִנְיָן כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִלְבִּישָׁם הַצּוּרָה הַזּוֹ חָפַץ בָּהֶם וְהָיָה הַקִּיּוּם כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי (רמב"ן על בראשית א':ד'). וְזֶה מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ב"ר ד ו) מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נֶאֱמַר כִּי טוֹב בַּשֵּׁנִי, לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נִגְמְרָה מְלֶאכֶת הַמַּיִם, לְפִיכָךְ כָּתוּב בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים, אֶחָד לִמְלֶאכֶת הַמַּיִם וְאֶחָד לִמְלֶאכֶת הַיּוֹם:
2AND G-D SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD. This means that their continued existence was by His Will, and the purport is that when He clothed them with this form He desired them to be so and their existence was thus established as I have explained.132 This conforms to what our Rabbis have said:133 “Why is it not stated in reference to the work of the second day that it was good? Because the work associated with the waters was not completed until the third day. Therefore on the third day, [the words ki tov — that it was good] are repeated, once in reference to the completion of the work associated with the waters, and once in reference to [the completion of the other work of] that day.”