The first, very important thing to know is the name of our Creator is
יְהֹוָה | YHVH
The Four-Letter personal Name of God, which is spelled [ י-ה-ו-ה | Y-H-V-H ], indicates that God is timeless and infinite, for the letters of His Name, in Hebrew, are those of the following words.
הָיָה | hayah
This word means "was," as in "He was."
הוֶה | hoveh
This word means "is," as in "He is."
יִהְיֶה | yihyeh
This word means "Will be," as in "He will be."
It is said that the name of God should not be spoken out loud. It is said that when in prayer, or when a blessing is recited, or when a Torah verse is read, the Four-Letter Name should be pronounced as if it were spelled Yodh, He, Vav, He, or say, אדני/Adonai (which means "Lord" or "My Lord"). In Jewish tradition, it is to be pronounced השם | HaShem, which means "The Name." I did also used to think this, but I have slowly been changing my mind. However, practicing the omission of our Creator's name is a best practice to avoid taking His name in vain. What can you do to take His name in vain? Well, you should only use it to make promises you will keep, avoid playing or joking with the name, and never use it with bad words. As many people do with other gods' names.
There are many reasons given in Judaism as to why the name of God should not be spoken out loud. From His Name being too Holy to be spoken, or to the Name being the same as His essence, regardless of the reason, His Name should be treated with the utmost respect. Rabbinic Judaism teaches that the name is forbidden to all except the High Priest of Israel, who should only speak it in the Holy of Holies of the Temple in Jerusalem on Yom Kippur. He then pronounces the Name "just as it is written." since there is no temple until Mashiach comes, Jewish people don't say God’s name.
Rabbi Tovia Singer gives another reason or explanation, and it is the one I like the best. He explains it like this. When you refer to your father or mother, you do not say his or her name. You usually say my mom or dad, but you would never say, for example, “Oh yes, Mike the other day.” No, you would not, and you do not say his or her name unless someone asks you for his or her name. Rabbi Tovia Singer goes on to explain that children avoid using their parents' names, even when they argue. He further explains, imagine that your sister always has arguments with your dad, and you are used to such arguments, but one time they go at it screaming at each other, and suddenly, your sister says, “Look, Mike!” With that, I am sure that the room would go silent in disbelief. This would mean the daughter had had enough, and using her father's name would break their relationship. If the daughter truly meant it, it would signify her divorcing herself from the father-daughter relationship. She has gone too far, and the result would be an emotional scar too deep to heal from. This reminds me of the verse from Malachi that says, And God is speaking.;
The word, "Elohim" is another name, or more like a descriptor, to refer to God, and today, this name/descriptor is only used to refer to the God of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), the Creator. However, in biblical times, this name/describer was used to refer to more than just God, our Creator. It was also used to refer to angels, other false gods, powerful men, kings, or men of power. So, as you read the Bible, you will encounter this name/describer many times, and it may refer to someone other than "God our Creator," such as a person of power or an angel. An intriguing fact about the personal name of God, YHVH, is that you can find it in the Hebrew Bible over 6,828 times, and the name/describer "Elohim" appears more than 2,000 times. The name of our Creator is used far more than the word "Elohim," which is translated as "God."
"Elohim" translates to English as “gods” in the plural form but is commonly said as "God" in the singular. Before someone gets too excited, let me explain something. First, you must know what this name/descriptor of our Creator means. Let us break down the plurality in this name/descriptor, "Elohim".
Elohim means “Powers” because that is what the word, "El" in Elohim means. "El" translates to "power" or "strength" and is also used to say "God" (in singular). In ancient times, the early people of the world could not comprehend the powers of nature, and as an example, they worshiped the sun as a god; they also had a god of rain, a god for the rivers, a god of fertility, a god of the ocean, a god for death, and so on. Whenever they encountered or needed a power to justify the unknown, they called it "el/power," which is once again the word for "god" or "power," making the two words synonyms. Now, back to our Creator, YHVH, God. He is the real power behind every power ever created. He created all the powers of Heaven and Earth. He created the sun, moon, stars, and earth with all their wonders. He gives life and takes it away. YHVH God is the power behind all creation. That means that since He created all powers, He is all the powers in the the heavens and on earth in one single entity. He is all the powers of this world and the power of the heavens and beyond. He is everything. All the powers stem from a single being. This is why "Elohim" means "Gods/Powers" in the plural, even though we refer to the ONE single God, YHVH, our Creator, as Elohim/Gods/Powers.
There is another reason to call our Creator Elohim/Gods/Powers, and also why an angel is called Elohim sometimes. See, if our Creator sends an angel, a spirit, or a man to do something for Him, then he will be called Elohim. Why? Because the angel, spirit, or man comes to do our Creator's will for him. The angel, spirit, or man acts on behalf of our Creator, and our Creator grants them some of His power to fulfill their assigned tasks. I hope that you know that our Creator is sometimes named "Lord of Hosts". This designation is because anyone who is with Him is part of His Hosts, his army. Our Creator and all the angels, spirits, and men that are with Him are "Elohim" or "Powers". Therefore, "EL" represents a single power, while Elohim refers to multiple powers. Okay let us begin.
תֹהוּ | Tohu
Tohu means formless/confusion/unreality/emptiness/nothingness/empty space/place of chaos.
In verse two, the Torah described the state of the earth when it was formed in verse one, where it said, "In beginning, ELOHIM created…" It was saying that it had no form, was full of confusion, was nonexistent, and so far, it was nothing, empty of anything, and a place of chaos. All these words that describe its beginning are encapsulated in the term תֹהוּ | Tohu.
וָבֹהוּ | VaVohu
The meaning of this word is emptiness/void/waste, along with the prefix "the."
This word appears only three times in the Hebrew Bible. One is here, translated as "void"; the other is in Isaiah 34:11, translated as "emptiness"; and the last is Jeremiah 4:23, in which he directly quotes this chapter, Genesis 1:2, translated as "void" once again. In summary, it should be noted that the word is only mentioned twice due to the direct quote from this verse.
תֹהוּוָבֹהוּ
TohuVaVohu
This phrase appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, once originally in this verse and again in Jeremiah. In Jeremiah, it is a direct quote from this verse. So, it only appears once. I found a website called Jerusalem Prayer Team . This website has an intriguing explanation. Quoting from the site:
“to-hu va-vo-hu” could be associated with a group of words named onomatopoeia. These words mimic the sounds in nature with which these words are associated.
Today, “to-hu va-vo-hu” is a flowery and somewhat humorous expression, used to characterize a messy area, such as a house or a room or something very disorganized.
So, as you can see, this second verse continues the thought from the previous one. After ELOHIM | God created the heavens and the earth, in verse one, the result was the state in which the heavens and the earth were: without form, empty of life, and all in chaos.
While the heavens and the earth were in this state of chaos and voidness, the heavens and the earth were also in darkness, but was darkness uncreated? No, as Isaiah said, darkness was created by our Creator.
This abyss, filled with darkness, was located in the depths of the water. What waters? These are the same waters in which Elohim's/Power's/God's spirit hovered in this same verse. The spirit was hovering on top of the waters, and the darkness was in their depths. It makes sense. Does it not? Same as it is in the ocean, the deeper you go, the darker it gets, because water acts as a filter, absorbing and scattering sunlight, particularly red, orange, and yellow wavelengths. By ~200 m, most light is gone (twilight zone), and by 1,000 m (midnight zone), it is completely absorbed, leaving the deep ocean in perpetual darkness. Same for this verse.
This word means wind/breath/spirit.
A ruakh is another creation of YHVH our Creator. We know what wind is, and we know what breath is, and they are both interchangeable. But is a spirit interchangeable with wind and breath? We know the wind; we can feel and see it by the things it moves around us, but it cannot be seen. Similarly, we can only see our breath when it is cold outside, and not under normal circumstances. Spirits, in the same manner, are invisible; they are like wind or breath but differ. "Ruakh," in the meaning of a spirit, is a living thing with thoughts and purpose. How do I know this?
In this quote, if we read the whole chapter, a king was sinning against YHVH, our Creator, and this ruakh/wind/breath/spirit saw this and volunteered to punish this said king. So the ruakh made a decision and went to our Creator, YHVH, and had this quote's conversation with Him. The ruakh went and got permission from YHVH to do this. He did not just do it. So, the ruakh/spirit went to the prophets of this king and put false visions and prophecies to make this king’s life miserable. This spirit was not seen or felt, but it was perceived as the prophets’ visions and thoughts. So the prophets believed these false prophecies were real ones when they weren’t. You will see me refer to this passage many times in my studies, as it is a perfect example of what a Ruakh, meaning a spirit, is, which is a non-corporeal being capable of thought and reasoning on its own. YHVH, our God, uses these spirits for all sorts of jobs, as well as angels and men. We will find out as we study how spirits, angels, and men do most things in this world for our Creator, YHVH. However, as we see in this passage (1 Kings 22:21-22), the spirit did not act on its own but by God’s will. The Spirit only went out to do his job after our Creator permitted him to do so. Our studies show that spirits and angels only act with HaShem's permission, unless you lack love for YHVH, our God. Then the spirits can do as they please with you. This is contrary to what YHVH, our God, wants, but because you chose to reject Him, you lack His protection from any harm, including a spirits.
Just as the ruakh/wind/breath/spirit of God calmed and abated the waters during the Great Flood in Noah’s time, this ruakh/wind/breath/spirit also calmed the chaotic waters of Creation. Your will find out that in my studies I repeatedly emphasize that you must remember everything you've read and read only in context, because understanding Scripture or God requires both. If you want an example, it is like trying to solve an algebra problem without knowing how to add, subtract, divide, or multiply.
YHVH, our God, sent a spirit into King Saul to provoke anger in him, by the spirit entering King Saul and making him feel anger. This and many are the powers of the spirits. Now let us go back to our verse.
For what purpose, though? To answer this question, we have to go back to the beginning of this verse, where it says, “And the earth was תֹהוּ/Tohu/formless and בהוּ/Vohu/void.” Now, you have to remember that Tohu also means a place of chaos. These waters were chaotic like a storm because of the first verse, in which God created the heavens and the earth all at once. So, the spirit was calming the waters to make way for the following days of Creation. You may ask how I know that the spirits of YHVH, our Creator, have this power.
The meaning of this word is "be," "become," "come to pass," "exist," "happen," or "fall out."
I understand that this translation differs from the common phrase "Let there be light," which we are used to reading in other Bible translations. But this is what I see when I read it. I try not to paraphrase; I write it like I see it. If I paraphrase too much, I may change the meaning of the verse. So, in this verse, when YHVH, our God, stated, "Be light," light was came to be in the depths of the waters. YHVH, our Power/God, did not need to order light to exist; He simply said it, and it appeared. Simple, "Be light."
We will see later that when Adam/man was created, only when the breath of YHVH, our God, entered Adam's nostrils was he considered to be alive; the same is true here. The light was produced by the breath of YHVH, our Creator, or by His voice, as will all things be during the six days of creation. Everything will be formed solely through the breath of YHVH, our God and Creator. All things created by ELOHIM/POWERS/GOD originate from Him; it was His breath that gave life to everything that exists. Adam's relationship was somewhat more personal though. HaShem approached Adam, who had no life but a body, and breathed His own personal breath into his nostrils, transforming him into a living being—no words, just His breath, almost like a kiss.
The word "Tov" means "to be good," "to be pleasant," "to be agreeably pleasant," "to be agreeable (to the senses)," "to be excellent (of its kind)," "to be rich," "to be valuable in estimation," "to be glad," "to be happy," "to be prosperous (of man's sensuous nature)," "to be kind," "to be benign," and/or "to be right (ethically)."
The concept of "Tov" may appear insignificant to some, but is it really? YHVH, our Creator, utilized this word to refer to all of His creation as "Tov" (good). Using this word for wicked or malicious motives is not a good/pleasant thing to do. For example, feeling happy when someone you don't particularly like goes through a difficult time and expressing "Tov/good" about their circumstance is wrong. Your heart is not in harmony with our Creator, God. You should not devote time and energy to such emotions. Emotions may either give us life or take it away, and as we go on, we'll realize how vital they are. Knowing where they come from, as well as how to listen to and act on them, is a biblical principle that we must learn. As a result, after Elohim/the Powers/God saw the light He had just made, He kept it apart from the darkness; the reason for this separation is described in the next verse.
They saw the light; who saw the light? Elohim did, meaning YHVH, the angels, and the spirits. Why did they see the light? Because it was good and pleasant. The real question here is, for whom was the light good and pleasant? The light was good and pleasant for the environment that YHVH is trying to create; it was pleasant for the earth that is going to house all kinds of life.
The separation is obvious, Don't you think? This passage is the start of the separation of time in a way that we humans can comprehend. A day and a night are ONE day. This leads us directly to the next verse.
The word "Elohim" is used throughout this chapter because YHVH, our Creator, was not alone. His angels and spirits were with him. They were assisting with the creative process. This is why the spirit hovered over the chaotic waters to calm them. YHVVH our God created, and the angels and spirits worked to put things in order.
In this section of the verse, YHVH set the rules by naming the light "day" and the darkness "night." This rule has persisted since the first day of Creation. And the verse ends with, "And it was evening, and it was morning, day ONE." or "ONE day." For here, Scripture is providing a comprehensive understanding of day and night. YHVH, the angels, and the spirits worked throughout the day until the evening (sunset for us), which was the light part of ONE day, and then became darkness until morning (daybreak for us), which was the night, the dark part of ONE day. All together, it is ONE day. YHVH knew we needed to understand the passage of time in a way we can comprehend.
This word means "waters" in the plural form, just like the word "heavens." There is no singular form for any of these two words in Hebrew.
The word "Rakia" means an extended surface (solid), an expanse, the firmament, a flat expanse (serving as a base or support), or the firmament (the vault of heaven that supports the waters above and below).
"Rakia" will be a very controversial word for many, and more will be said about it in verse seven. We only need to know that YHVH, our God, created this rakia, an expanse in the depths of the waters. This expanse separated or divided the waters that the spirit calmed down. Now remember that these waters are where YHVH put all the substances for creation, the fundamental materials needed to form the heavens and the earth. Some of it went up and some of it went down, from a human's perspective, of course. Now do not minuscule the Rakia. This is a Godly creation, and we cannot fathom its properties and its dimensions. I am just using words that someone like me can comprehend. Now to verse seven, where we will continue learning of the rakiya.
The RAKIS
What is the Rakia? I know I gave you a definition, but this definition is based on belief, not on fact, just like the Big Bang theory. But what is a theory? A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that is based on some facts, laws, and tested hypotheses. A theory employs facts to elucidate the inexplicable. It explains "why" or "how" a phenomenon occurs when it cannot be otherwise clarified. And what is a hypothesis? A hypothesis is an educated guess regarding a specific phenomenon or event. It predicts a relationship between variables—often in an "if-then" format. Not a fact.
If you want a real definition of what the Rakiya is, based on the Bible and what we know about it. Well, the Rakiya is an empty space, capable of pushing or repelling an immense amount of water from entering it. This is why I did not write down "expanse," even though this word is very accurate.
Our Lord and Creator, YHVH, made this Rakiya, a space in the middle of the waters. Basically, YHVH, His angels, and His spirits made a space that separated the waters into two separate waters. Some of the water ended up above this rakiya, and some of the water ended up underneath it.
The way it is written makes me think of all of this as fluids of different viscosities. The waters below bleed up into the rakiya to a certain point, and the waters above also bleed down into the rakiya below, to a certain point. The video below will explain my point in a way that is easy to understand, of course on a small scale.
What most people do not know, including me until I researched it, is that air and water are both considered fluids, meaning they can flow and conform to the shape of their container. They share this property due to the way their constituent particles (molecules for water, atoms/molecules for air) are arranged and interact. While air is a gas and water is a liquid, they both exhibit fluid dynamics and can be described using similar equations and principles. While air is much less dense than water, both have a defined density and pressure that vary with altitude and depth, respectively. The pressure difference within these fluids is what allows for phenomena like buoyancy and lift to occur. Similar to the video above, there are waters above that are denser than the Rakia and waters below that are also denser than the Rakia, existing together without mixing. The rakiya "pushes" on both the waters above and below with the rakiya in the middle.
So, you want to know what is farther away from what we know or, dare I say, what we think we know? Well, there is water. However, there is more to think about. We still have more chapters to go. Like for example, where did the light come from? The sun, the moon, and the stars have not been created yet. That is not until day four of Creation. Do we even need the sun, the moon, and the stars for there to be light?
This time, Scripture does not say "Day Two." It is written "second day" because we know now what a day is and how it was created. YHVH created light and called it "Day," while He named the darkness that already existed in the depths of the waters as "Night."
YHVH now called out to the Rakiya, "Heavens." This means that the whole Rakiya is called Heavens. But what are the heavens, as we should see them according to Scripture? We will discover the answer as we progress, and it will be fully clear at day five of Creation. For now, let us continue to verse nine.
This is the beginning of the third day. Our Creator, YHVH, begun this day by addressing the waters that were beneath the rakiya, now named "heavens" by Him. YHVH, our Father and King, gathered together the waters in one place because the waters covered all the land. But you may ask, where did the land come from? The land was already there, remember, verse one: "In beginning, ELOHIM created the heavens and the earth." YHVH created the heavens and the earth all at once as materials and not as a landmass. When He separated the waters, which were also created along with the heavens and the earth in the first verse. Some materials went up, and some were forced down along with the waters from the rakiya. These materials formed the land that became visible and accessible when the waters gathered together. Look at it as some sort of settlement product. This settled product was the land that now could be seen and the land on which we live today.
The expression "to be so" denotes that something is accurate, true, or existent in a specific state. As in the phrase "that being so," which introduces a conclusion based on prior knowledge, it is frequently used to confirm a situation or to imply that a described condition now prevails.
I do not know if this has any relevance or truth, but I noticed that the word for heavens or skies, "shamayim," has the word "mayim" in it. "Mayim" means "waters." If I treat this word, "shamayim," as two words, meaning the word "water" and the prefix "ש," which means "that," "which," "who," or "whom." You could say that the word "Shamayim" translates to something like "whom, water." It's the same as saying, "He who is water. " Now understand that in Hebrew, like in Spanish, everything is a he or a she; the word "it" does not exist. So, the word "shamayim" could mean "that which is water." This phrase is like Scripture is saying, "There is mayim/water right here on earth, and there is water up there too.
YHVH, our Creator, called the land "Earth" and He called the collected waters, "Seas." Just like He called the light of day, "Day" and the darkness of night, "Night." So, at this point of Creation we have a space called "Heavens," collected waters called, "Seas," and a mass of land called, "Earth." At this point YHVH, our Creator, His angels, and spirits saw, looked, inspected, and perceived that the land and the seas were a tov or good creation and the way that it was was good for the rest of Creation to come.
YHVH is ordering the land to sprout all the vegetation and fruit trees on itself. Not only that, but also for all of this vegetation and trees to also make for themselves a way to reproduce by themselves. Our Creator, YHVH, wanted all of this vegetation and trees to be self-reproducing. Why? Because if they were not, then He would have to create new ones every time a tree or plant died. All this vegetation and trees can do it for themselves.
The plan is for this creation to be self-sustainable. For it to need no one to be looking after it. A plant grows, and if the circumstances are right, it will sprout new plants of its kind without help from anyone. Such is the way of Creation.
This verse seems to be repeating itself, but it is not. It is not only repeating itself, but it is also confirming that after YHVH created the initial grasses, herbs, and trees, they all started growing and expanding by producing seeds and multiplying by themselves. It ends by saying that this new creation was examined and deemed beneficial for all of creation before and after.
The third day, with its daylight and its darkness time, has ended. Now we have a rakiya now known as heavens or skies with waters collected together now known as oceans and vegetation with trees that reproduce by themselves, which produce oxygen on the rakiya/heavens/skies. So far every new creation adds on top of the other so that the creations to come can become new creations. For if the land were under water, there could be no land animals. If there were no plants and trees, there would be nothing for animals to eat and no oxygen to breathe. However, there is one more creation before animals can live in this land, or more like three more creations. And this takes us to day four of Creation.
What does this section convey to us? This section conveys two points: these lights are simply "lights," nothing more and nothing less. What else is it saying? It advises against confusing or adding to this. The rakiya is the same as the heavens, and the heavens is the same as the skies. Three different names for the same thing. Do not overcomplicate it. The rakiya is simply a space that houses the lights created by YHVH, and as we will discover, this same space, is where the birds also fly, where the clouds are we will find this as we continue.
What are these lights for? The lights create a clear separation and mark between day and night, allowing us to distinguish one from the other. Additionally, these lights allow us to set specific times. What do I mean? As an example, you say, "I will see you next summer." This means that after a year has passed, I will see you. You could only say this with these lights, where winter days are shorter and summer days are longer, not to mention the temperature changes. Another example would be when someone says, "I will see you in three days or one week." Basically, YHVH, our Creator, created a way for us to make a calendar so we can predict when things should get done, like harvest. Do not overinterpret the reason why YHVH made these lights, as some people do when they see prophecies in the stars or believe that God is sending us a sign. These are not what the lights in the heavens are for. YHVH never made these lights for that intention.
If you noticed, and I hope you did, there was still a cycle of day and night before the fourth day. How did that work, and what was wrong with it? Ok, for one, we do not need the sun and the moon for it to be day and night or light and darkness. However, imagine a world where there is no sun and no moon. In this world, every day would be the same length, and there would be no four distinct seasons. Eventually, we would lose track of time. Days would blur with each other. Furthermore, let's not forget about crops, for many crops require a certain temperature and moisture. Achieving a consistent temperature every year, like the four seasons do, would be impossible without these lights. Once again, the only way in which this would be possible without the lights created by YHVH, our God, mainly the sun and the moon, would be if YHVH manually changed the temperature Himself, but like I mentioned before, YHVH wants this world to be self-sufficient. In which things run without Him. Like the plants and trees he created in the previous chapter. Self-sufficient, they reproduce without help from YHVH. Additionally, we have various animals, and certain species require specific conditions to survive, such as temperature ranges, humidity levels, and food availability that are influenced by the natural light cycles provided by the sun and the moon. These lights close to us provide us with time zones and regulate the world to perfection, allowing for the diverse ecosystems and animal species to thrive in their respective habitats, which would not be possible if the temperature were the same every day.
YHVH is still talking from the last verse and repeats that the lights are inside the rakiya. Also, He aforms that the rakiya is the same as the heavens. He continues, saying the lights are above the earth and will remain so. As YHVH, our Power and Creator, said, this has been true since then and will remain so.
Scripture reiterates that it was Elohim who fashioned both the most prominent lights of the day and the night. Meaning the sun for the day and the moon for the night. The sun is the sky's main light, even when the moon is visible during the day. Also notice that the stars are called "stars" but not "lights." Even though the stars are also lights, they are not the focus point of creation when it comes to the lights up in the sky. Why? Because although the stars are also considered lights, they do not fulfill the same purpose as the two greater lights do. The stars are insignificant when compared to the sun and the moon. This distinction is evident because Scripture only mentions "and the stars" in the creation chapter of the Bible. YHVH provides them no purpose. The only purpose given to them has been given by mankind, not our Creator, YHVH.
One other word we have to pay attention to is the word "מֶמְשָׁלָה/Memshalah," which means "to dominate" or " to realm." We all know what "dominate" means, and that is that they will be the most prominent lights in the sky. To "realm," as a verb, means to define, dominate, or establish a specific area as a personal domain, territory, or field of influence. In the rakiya, the sun and moon will have their place and follow a pattern all year.
When Scripture repeats itself, it means that this is an important message. It is not redundant. Many civilizations have worshipped these lights as gods, giving them importance equal to our Creator, YHVH, our God. YHVH is the very POWER who created these lights. They cannot tell you about your future or help you in any way. Only YHVH, the very POWER who created these lights, can help you. YHVH created them for the only purposes mentioned above.
YHVH declared this creations tov or good for what was created before and after them. These two lights are to be the center of attention during the day and night. That's why the word dominate is used and also are not to stay still, they would move across the sky, this is why the word "realm" is used. None of the other lights in the sky can compare to these two lights that our Creator, YHVH made in the Rakiya, the heavens. Without them, distinguishing between day and night and between light and darkness would be difficult for us. This does not mean that we would not know the difference when there was light and when it would be dark, but that it would be confusing and that we would loose track of time.
The way this verse is written makes me believe there is more to it: "Day and night/light and darkness." Then YHVH saw this, and looked at it, and also inspected it and determined that yes, this is tov/good. You can say that at this point, the Rakiya is done, now known as the skies/the heavens.
According to my interpretation, time as we know it began on this fourth day. YHVH created the sun, the moon, and the stars to shine down on us and declared that they would indicate the set times, including the passing of days, weeks, months, and years. To me, this verse sounds exactly like the passing of time.
So, time began on the fourth day, at least in the way that we earthly beings could perceive it; without a sun, a moon, and constellations to signal the passage of time, how could we determine if all of the days looked alike? We would go from day to day without being able to predict when summer ends and winter begins, until we reached it. Without the sun and the moon, would there even be any seasons in a year? Would we be able to cultivate crops? As earthly-bound people, how would we know that it is almost seeding time without the movement of the constellations around us? How would we have grasped the concept of time passing, to begin with? I am not saying that time did not exist before the fourth day, but to us, it did not. This would again place all our dependence on God, highlighting our inability to stand on our own. Taking away our free will. God wants you to look up at the stars and see in them His greatness and the love He has for us in making a world in which we can work without Him. Does that mean that we should not depend on YHVH, our God? In a way, yes. We should cling to God because we love Him, not because we need Him. Yes, we need Him, but He also made it so we are free to choose. Would you say that a husband needs a wife to survive, or a wife needs a husband? they can survive on their own, but that would be too lonely, and there would be no love that only a life companion would offer. It would be a lonely existence without love.
With the constellations, primarily the sun and the moon, as well as the vegetation and trees, we now have oxygen to breathe. Another component that is necessary for our existence on this land is also present. Now all the components of the earth and the rakiya are in place for living animals to thrive on this land. This brings us to day five of Creation.
Nefesh means soul, self, life, creature, person, living being. It is the word used to convey a living creature, whether an animal or a person. If it is alive, it is called nefesh.
"Sherets" refers to teeming or swarming things, including creepers and swarming of insects, animals, small reptiles, or quadrupeds; therefore, saying 'fish' is incorrect because this term encompasses all living creatures of the seas.
The word "of" is also incorrectly translated as referring to birds because "of" encompasses any flying creature, including fowl, insects, or birds; anything that flies is considered an "of."
In this verse YHVH ordered the waters in the seas to bring forth all living creatures of the seas and also all flying creatures. So, the creatures of the seas were produced by materials found in the seas, and so were the flying creatures.
We must also pay attention to where the flying creatures fly, which is "upon the land and upon the face of the rakiya." This means that the rakiya starts at the limits of where the flying creatures fly. Use this information as you see fit, as this subject is very controversial.
This word's translation is very wild; it came up with "dragon," "serpent," "sea monster," "dinosaur," "sea or river monster," and "venomous snake." I imagine that this word, over time, changed its meaning. Some thinkers believe these animals to be dinosaurs; some don’t. However, now I consider them to be enormous sea creatures, like the whales and such. Why? For example, Scripture generalizes and refers to all types, like "the creeping things," which includes crabs and other creeping things. The same applies to flying creatures, plants, and trees. In this context, "Tanim" refers to all gigantic creatures of the sea. Every animal that is of enormous size is called a "Tanim."
This means that all creatures, whether from the sea, the air, or any kind called by YHVH "their kind," must reproduce with the same type. Does this mean that when we cross-breed animals or plants, we are sinning? Well, yes, it appears so. Who gives us the right to change His creation?
And YHVH looked upon these creations and saw that they were good (tov), both in relation to the creations that came before and those that would come after.
The word "Para" means to branch off or to be fruitful.
The word "Ravah" means to become many or to multiply.
Once again, just like the grasses, the herbs, and the trees, YHVH, our Creator, gave these creatures the ability to multiply and expand for themselves, with no assistance needed from Elohim. This is what the blessing was to these creatures: to pair up and become many or multiply. The word פָּרָה/Parah is better translated as "branch off" to these creatures compared to the vegetation and the trees. Why? Even though we are fruitful, it just does not sound like the right word for animals and mankind. "Branch off" does sound right, because that is what we do. We have been doing it since Adam. Eve came from Adam, and from the two of them all mankind came. Branching off from those two all the way to all the people that exist today.
For the word רָבָה/Ravah, I prefer "to become many." Why? To "multiply" usually implies a rapid generation, but "to become many" is a descriptive, often natural, increase. Mankind, we don't just see the opposite sex and fornicate. There is courtship and the getting-to-know process and deciding if the two are a good match or if there is attraction before going to the having-sexual-relations part. Animals engage in that behavior, not humans; however, many animal species do have a courtship system where either the male or female must court the opposite sex before engaging in sexual interactions. "Multiply" refers to rapid, automatic multiplication, while "become many" describes a much slower and more thoughtful process involving the relationship between two individuals of the same species.
This is the end of thefifth day, and YHVH created the first living animals. Before this day, life was not possible in the sea or on land.Not until now, the fifth day, could the sea and the land sustain life. With the creation of the rakiya (skies/heavens), the separation of the waters from the land, and the emergence of plants and trees, an ecosystem now exists for animals to thrive in.
Ialways asked myself, why did our Creator make the sea animals and the winged animals first? Why were these two groups of animals, sea creatures and birds, separated from mammals? The sea creatures have a very important job that mammals can not do. Their life is critical for maintaining healthy seas because it generates more than half of the world's oxygen, cycles nutrients, and regulates the climate. Phytoplankton produce oxygen through photosynthesis, while whales and other creatures fertilize the ocean by dispersing essential elements such as iron and nitrogen. These ecosystems also store carbon, thereby mitigating climate change.
Birds and other animals with wings also perform things that mammals can't do that are crucial for the ecology.Pollination is done by winged animals including bees, butterflies, moths, and birds. About 75% of flowering plants and 35% of food crops need pollination to reproduce. They also eat pests, break down organic waste, and give food to other animals, all of which help keep the environment in balance and encourage biodiversity in their habitats.
So you see, the sea creatures and the winged animals had to come after YHVH separated the sea from the land and also after YHVH created the vegetation and trees but had to be created before land creatures, mainly the mammals. The sea creatures and winged animals play an important role that is needed for both the creations that came before them and those that come after, as they contribute to the ecosystem by maintaining balance, providing food sources, and facilitating pollination and seed dispersal. The sea and land couldn't survive without them; neither would the vegetation and trees, and land animals couldn't exist. These land creatures will be created on the sixth day of creation, which comes next.
YHVH created all land animals with life already in them, just like the vegetation, marine life, and winged animals. These animals did not come from the sea but from the earth, meaning that their chemical makeup was and still is from earthly compounds, which include elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen that are essential for life. Everything created by YHVH is made the same way. The sea creatures and winged creatures are from the sea, and land animals are from the land. Their chemical makeup is based on where they come from, which influences their biological functions and adaptations to their respective environments. These land animals were created with life already within them and are meant to reproduce just like YHVH's creations before them, each species with its own kind.
This means to include every single animal on land from domesticated animals, wild animals, reptiles, worms and the such. Every living thing that is not human is included in the phrase, "living life" and "animal and creeping." But what is a creeping animal? Any reptile, amphibian, or invertebrate that moves along the ground using short legs or a belly-sliding motion, such as snakes, lizards, turtles, snails, salamanders, and insects like worms and the such.
And it has been since first created by our Power, YHVH, till now.
These land animals, of all types, are the same as the sea animal, winged animals, vegetation, and trees. All of them to their kind, meaning that they are to reproduce with their own kind and do not need Elohim's help to do so. And ELOHIM looked, saw, inspected, and perceived that these animals of the land were good for the creations before them and the creation to come next.
The final creation has come and the one creation for whom all the other creations before him or them were created, ADAM. Adam is the one man from which all the people of the world that lived, that live now and will live in the future come from. This is why YHVH throughout all scripture will call mankind ADAM.
While we, mankind, exist, ADAM exists. We are not him but we come from him. This is telling us, by Scripture using the word for mankind as ADAM is that we are a continuation of the same man. For what purpose This is one of the things we are here to find out, and find out we will.
The meaning of Tzelem is image, likeness, or semblance.
The meaning of Demut is likeness, similitude, or like as.
For this verse, the first question should be, Who was YHVH speaking to when He said, "We will make ADAM in our image according to our likeness"? It should be obvious by now, right? Remember what we have learned: YHVH was not alone in the six days of Creation. Who was with Him from day one? There was YHVH, the angels, and the spirits. However, we have three different entities here: YHVH, angels, and spirits. However, because it is not physical. What do we all have in common? YHVH is POWER. Angels come in various forms of physicality, while Ruakh (wind, breath, spirits) are not physical entities; however, they possess the ability to think and reason, which is how we are similar to them. This is what the image is, the likeness between us and them. We can think for ourselves; we can reason and make decisions. The thinking mind is the common denominator, not the brain, which is just flesh that will go back to where it came from, the dust. It makes you think, right? Where do thoughts come from? But more on this much later.
We are in their image and likeness in that we can reason, think, and choose for ourselves what we do in every situation that presents itself to us. We feel emotions, joy, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, surprise, contempt, and a broader spectrum of secondary emotions. In our thought process we are very complex, so much so as they are. We feel all these kinds of emotions because YHVH feels them. We can think because He can think; we reason because He reasons. This does not apply to any other creation, even the smartest ape at our level. We, ADAM, have increased in our knowledge compared to animals. Any other animal has stayed the same for thousands of years and has never been more than what they were created to be. An ape has not gone on to be more than an ape, and neither has any other animal in the seas, the heavens/skies, or on land. ADAM, we have rapidly grown culturally and technologically from our beginning, unlike other animals that have remained unchanged in their roles and forms throughout history.
We are going to take this very slowly. I am going to take my time and really break this verse down. It will get very complicated. Read it slow and take your time. So, let us get started.
Things you should know are that in Hebrew, the prefixes and suffixes are put together with the word they belong to. So in the part where it says "And He/they created," it is all together in one word, "VAYOMER ." Therefore it literally says, "VaYoMerELOHIM, HaADAM" or "AndHe/theycreated, ELOHIM, the ADAM." You will notice that the words are a bit jumbled up; this is true also from English to Spanish, sometimes, and not as bad, but it is so. For example, in English, you can say, "Theredshirt ." So in Spanish, you would not say, "Larojacamisa "; you would say, "lacamizaroja," which in English would be "Theshirtred." Not the same at all. farthermore, the "י" means both "he" or "they" it all depends on the context. So, this section is referring to ELOHIM, either as YHVH alone or as YHVH plus the angels and spirits, all together.
Let us start with the word "אֶת/ET" in purple. What does this word mean and why is it not in the translation above? אֶת (pronounced "et") is a basic Hebrew grammatical particle that marks a definite direct object. This means that it comes before specific nouns, like proper names, nouns with "the"/ה, or pronouns. There isn't an exact translation in English or Spanish, but the particle indicates what is receiving the action.
HaADAM, or TheADAM, is the name "ADAM" with the prefix "the" attached to it. So, this part is specifically referring to ADAM as a singular man or as the whole human race.
BeTzalmO is composed of the prefix "Be/בְּ," which means "in, among, or with." Tzelem means image, likeness, or semblance. The "וֹ/O" means the word for a third person, singular, masculine possessive. It means "his," in the singular. So, this word means that ADAM was created "In His image." In the image of the ONE, singular, male, Power, and Creator, YHVH.
If you understood the explanations above, then this section requires less explanation. "Betzalm" means "inlikeness." "ELOHIM" we know means "POWERS" in the plural form but it can be used as singular when referring to YHVH. "Bara" means "created." And finally, "OtU" means "His," in the singular.
Okay, let us put it all together.
And He/they creat, ELOHIM, the ADAM in image His, in likeness ELOHIM created him, male and female created them.
Now paraphrased
And they, ELOHIM, created the ADAM in His image, in the likeness of the ELOHIM they created them, male and female they created them.
So, this means that ELOHIM, which means YHVH, His angels, and His spirits, created the ADAM in HIS image. This means that Adam was created in the image of HIM, YHVH. However, this phrase also means that the angels and the spirits are also created in YHVH's image. It also says that ADAM was created in the likeness of all of them, YHVH, the angels, and the spirits. The verse finishes by saying that they created the ADAM, the singular man, male and female, and referring to him as "them." Why does it refer to a single man as both male and female, using the plural form? I think you know by now. This is because ADAM was created as a single male man, but Eve will be created from him as a female woman, and from them both all mankind will come.
ELOHIM blessed ADAM, which in turn means that He blessed all of us, since ADAM is the ancestor from whom we all descended; remember, we are ADAM. What blessings did YHVH bestow upon us when He blessed ADAM? He blessed us with the ability to "conceive, to branch off, and to become many." To use the old words, "to be fruitful and to multiply," which are less descriptive. Adam was told to fill the earth. The meaning of the word "מָלֵא/Male" means "to fill" but also "to satisfy." So, what does the phrase mean? "To satisfy the earth"? The phrase means that the earth will not be complete until it is filled with life, primarily through mankind. But for what purpose? To what purpose are we "to branch off, become many, and fill the earth and satisfy it"? This is what YHVH requires from us, but why is it necessary to reproduce in order to become so many as to fill the earth? Here is where we need to remember that we were created in YHVH's image. The mind that is us and that is the image or the same as His. We are the thinking mind, not the body; the mind that thinks, reasons, and chooses every action and decision. In other words, "Free Will!" That YHVH created us with free will, from the start, just like Him, is not a coincidence, a mistake, or disobedience. Nor is it something we acquired after ADAM was created. He wanted us to be like Him because He desired that we choose Him freely, rather than being compelled to do so. YHVH is an entity who can create anything He wants. Why not make mankind love Him unconditionally? This is because when there is no choice but to feel love, then that is not love. When a man or a woman chooses to stay and love only one person when he or she could be with another or many others, that is love. But when there is no love, a man or a woman strays off effortlessly. This type of love is what He wants from us. Now let's go back to "branch off, become many, and fill the earth." When a multitude of individuals with free will branch off and become numerous, it is logical to expect that they will all exhibit differences of opinions and choices. Just imagine the spectrum of choices out there over time. YHVH knew that some people would be virtuous and love Him, and He also knew that some people would be evil and reject Him. He also knew that there would be individuals who fell somewhere in between these two extremes. And this truth is the answer to our question. Many people branching off and becoming many are needed to find the few who would choose and remain faithful to Him among the multitude of people from ADAM. Our Lord and Creator blessed us with these attributes so that many people would be born in the hope that some would be born and grow up to love and be faithful to Him.
Through ADAM, we were given dominion among all the animals on earth. This blessing does not imply that we should go out there and dominate nature; rather, it signifies that ADAM, or humanity, exists above all on Earth. The most significant creation during the six days. We are the core of creation. For the reason we just learned in the last paragraph.
And this is the commandment, the decrees, and the laws which commanded YHVH your Powers/your God. To you to learn/exercise/teach to do in the land that you are crossing over to possess. For the purpose that you will be in awe/fear/revere YHVH your Powers/your God. To keep all His status/ordinances and His commandments which I command you, and your son, and your son's son all the days of your life, and so that your days may be prolonged. And you, listen, Israel, and you be careful/be diligent/observe to do what is good for you and which will multiply/increase you greatly, as YHVH your Powers/your God spoke to your forefathers, to you, a land flowing with milk and honey. Listen/Hear Israel, YHVH is your Powers/your God, YHVH is ONE, and you will love YHVH, your Powers/your God in all your heart and in all that you are. And these words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart.
It's simple, isn't it? This is what He asks from us and the reason for us to be blessed to branch out, to fill the earth, and to be the best of Creation. He wants to find among this innumerable amount of people, from ADAM to you and your children after, the few who would love, be faithful to, and respect Him. Would you not ask the same of your life partner and your kids?
When YHVH said to Adam, "I gave to you," it means that He did this when He blessed us in the last verse. He gave us all the vegetation and trees that spread themselves all over the world for food. Yes, we were vegetarians when we first were created, and then we were given all living animals for food. This change, however, was a punishment that will be discussed in a later chapter, specifically BeReshit/Genesis 9. Some may get excited at these words, saying we can live off of just plants. However, the Great Flood altered everything, and we will delve into the specifics later. See, plants before the Great Flood were unlike today's plants, and even humanity was different before the Great Flood. Because of the reasons, which will be explained in that chapter, God will change the whole world, making plants weaker, and the need to eat animals will arise. This verse and the chapter to come are a perfect example of why reading verses without knowing Scripture or reading it out of context is not a beneficial thing to do. Some may take this verse to argue that we can live off only plants when a later chapter changes everything. The sins of Adam/mankind/our ancestors forced YHVH to change Adam/mankind and the land around us. But more on this later.
The word "Nefesh" means soul/self/life/creature/person/a living being.
This word confused me at first because of all the different translations out there; it made me believe that all animals had a soul like us because this word also means "soul," but animals do not have a soul like us. It doesn’t help that it is translated differently depending on which Bible translation you read. Today, the word "soul" refers to the spirit that YHVH gives to people, but in this context, it simply indicates that the subject is alive. Whether it be a person or an animal. As long as a being is alive, it possesses nefesh, which means it has life. A corpse of any species is not nefesh. This term should not be confused with the breath that YHVH blew into Adam’s nostrils. What YHVH blew into Adam’s nostrils is another word. The word נִשְׁמַת/NishMat means "breath," "spirit," or "breath of God." In other words, in Bereshit/Genesis 2:7, YHVH blew breath of God/נִשְׁמַת/NishMat into his nostrils, and in the same verse, it says, “and man became a living being (nefesh)," using the word נֶפֶשׁ/nefesh for Adam. Rabbi Tovia Singer states, “An animal does not possess a soul like humans do; animals lack the innate belief in God and simply act on their emotions. We people believe in God instinctively." Why? Well, that is because the soul in us came from YHVH Himself. We are made in the image of Adam, who was made in the image of YHVH, and so, like Adam, we all are created in the image of YHVH; like Adam, because we branched off of him. We all have a soul that came directly from YHVH Almighty Himself. Our souls are attuned to sensing EL/POWER/God, with some individuals being more sensitive than others.
YHVH saw, looked, inspected, and perceived all that was created and accomplished and saw that it was very good. What He wanted was all there, working as it should, just like He wanted it to. Six days of creation to form what we know and are still learning about everything that was created in those first six days. Everything functions as it should, independently, without any divine assistance. The only ones who need help and guidance are us/Adam/mankind.
The Vilna Gaon (1720 – 1797) notes that the creations of the first three days and those of the next three days (so days 1 & 4, days 2 & 5, and days 3 & 6) paralleled and complemented one another. The light was created on the first day, and the luminaries were placed on the fourth. The waters were separated on the second day, and aquatic and bird life were created on the fifth. The dry land and vegetation were created on the third day and populated on the sixth by animals, one man, and one woman.
On the next chapter, things will retell some of these six day in more detail to elaborate more on the creation of ADAM.
