Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Genesis 1:9/רמב"ן על בראשית א׳:ט׳
איִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם הָיָה הַתְּהוֹם שֶׁהוּא מַיִם וְעָפָר כְּעֵין הַמַּיִם הָעֲכוּרִים, וְגָזַר עַל הַמַּיִם שֶׁיִּקָּווּ בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד מְסֻבָּב כָּל הַפֵּאוֹת, וְגָזַר עַל הֶעָפָר שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַד שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה עַל הַמַּיִם וְיִיבַשׁ, וְתִהְיֶה יַבָּשָׁה שְׁטוּחָה רְאוּיָה לְיִשּׁוּב. וְכֵן כָּתוּב לְרֹקַע הָאָרֶץ עַל הַמַּיִם (תהלים קלו ו). אוֹ שֶׁמָּא שֶׁתִּהְיֶה כַּדּוּרִית, מִקְצָתָהּ מְגֻלָּה וְרֻבָּהּ מְשֻׁקַּעַת, אֲשֶׁר יְדַמּוּ הַיְּוָנִים בְּמוֹפְתֵיהֶם הַנִּרְאִים אוֹ הַמְּפַתִּים. וְהִנֵּה הֵן שְׁתֵּי גְּזֵרוֹת, כְּלוֹמַר שְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים נַעֲשִׂים בְּחֵפֶץ אֱלֹהִים הֵפֶךְ מִן הַנָּאוֹת בְּטִבְעָם, כִּי הָרָאוּי לִכְבֵדוּת הֶעָפָר וּלְקַלּוּת הַמַּיִם כְּנֶגְדָּהּ, לִהְיוֹת עַמּוּד הָאָרֶץ אֶמְצָעִי וְהַמַּיִם מְכַסִּים עָלֶיהָ מַקִּיפִים אוֹתָהּ מִכָּל צַד, וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר "יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם", כְּלוֹמַר אֶל מָקוֹם שִׁפְלוּת, וְאָמַר "וְתֵרָאֶה הַיַּבָּשָׁה", וְקָרָא לָהֶם שֵׁמוֹת בִּהְיוֹתָם לוֹבְשִׁים הַצּוּרוֹת הָאֵלּוּ, כִּי מִתְּחִלָּה הָיָה שְׁמָם "תְּהוֹם":
1LET THE WATERS UNDER THE HEAVEN BE GATHERED TOGETHER. The deep, which is water and sand, was like turbid waters, and He decreed concerning the waters that they be gathered together in one place, surrounded on all sides, and He further decreed concerning the sands that they rise up until they be seen above the waters and that they become dry, so that there be a stretch of dry land suitable for settlement thereon. And so it is written: To Him that spread forth the earth above the waters.127 Or perhaps G-d’s decree was that the earth be spherical, partly visible and mostly submerged in the waters, as the Greeks imagine in their proofs, apparent or real. Thus there were two decrees, that is, two matters done by the Will of G-d that are contrary to their natural inclination. For in view of the heaviness of earth [which would cause it to sink] and the lightness of the waters [which would cause them to rise], it would have been natural that the pillar of the earth be in the center and that the waters should cover it, thus surrounding it from all sides.128 Therefore, He said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together, that is to a lower place, and then He said, And let the dry land appear. He gave them names as they assumed these forms, for at the beginning their collective name was “the deep.”