Sforno on the Torah

“(1) IN BEGINNING. In the beginning of time, it being the first moment, indivisible, since time did not exist before this. (2) HE CREATED. He made the non-existent into the existing, and time does not apply to this at all. (3) GOD. The word "god" [eloah] indicates being eternal. And thus, regarding the demons, who die as do humans (as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, testified), he said (Deut. 32:17), "for the demons, no-god [lo-eloah]," but he said regarding God, may He be blessed, "God" [eloah], for He is absolutely eternal, as he said (Deut. 32:15), "He forsook the God Who made him." And it says about Him "elohim," a plural expression, to indicate that He is the form of all eternal forms and others, as it says (Isa. 6:3). "Whose presence fills the earth," for nothing else has any existence other than what is derived from His existence, and no being comes into being without His existence, as it says (Neh. 9:6), "You bring all of them into life." And because of the resemblance, everything that is elevated above the material is called "elohim." The expert judges are called "elohim" when they judge in the divine image. And to show the extent of His everlastingness, from which is derived the everlastingness of the other elevated beings, it is said that He is "God of Gods" [elohei ha'elohim] (Deut. 10:17). (4) THE HEAVENS [SHAMAYIM]. Now the word "sham" indicates a place that is far away, and every plural suffix preceded by a patah in an accented syllable indicates two equal entities. Thus the word "shamayim" indicates an object that is distant from us twice -- the same in each direction, and this happens only with the celestial sphere. It says that, if so, that He created that object that is now equidistant from us in all directions, it is the sphere. Therefore, it does not say, "He created heavens [shamayim]," because it [the word "hashamayim"] is not said with respect to itself, but rather with respect to our location [and is thus the heavens]. (5) And it says AND THE EARTH, the center with respect to the sphere.”

“"Let there be light" - this is the light of the seven days [i.e., Or HaGanuz], which was for the use of those created without seed, and it will be [again] in the future, as the words of the Sages (may their memories be a blessing) Shabbat 30b: it will then be for that which is the future will "bring forth baked treats and fine clothing" without [needing] the power of seed.”

“"And G-d say that the light was good" - and it was, for G-d saw and chose that it exist, for the sake of the ultimate purpose - Goodness, for which He created it [the light] via His activating knowledge. "And G-d divided between the light and the darkness" - on those days during which the primeval light prevailed there were periods of light and periods of darkness without [need for] the power of the rotations of a [heavenly] sphere, rather though Divine Will [alone], for He divided between the time of light and the time of darkness.”

“"And G-d called the light 'day'" - even though there was not yet "time" [per se], the light and the darkness behaved in the fashion that they behave in time by us, and we call each now by the name "day" or "night". "And it was evening and it was morning" - even though He separated the light and the darkness so that they would prevail during separate, alternating periods with [need for] rotation of a [heavenly] sphere, He separated them gradually, in such a manner that there was between them a time of "evening" before the onset of night, and a time of "morning" before the onset of day.”

“"Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water" - let there be a [manifestation of] nature in the midst of elemental water similar to a sphere in their midst all around, separating by form part of them [i.e., the elemental waters] from the other part of them, in such a fashion that the upper part of the waters, near the [upper] atmosphere [lit.: air], would turn into vapor. Now behold, thereby, they [the waters] necessarily ascended to some boundary in the elemental air, and the air necessarily was subject to some transformation which made a place for a portion which was converted to vapor, and it expanded to a place much great in volume than its original place.”

“"And G-d made the firmament" - and it was that when some of the elemental water was removed from under that part of the waters which became vaporous in nature, as it was when He said, "let the waters be gathered from beneath the heavens" Genesis 1:9, it was fit that the vaporous part would descend to that same place from which the that [non-vaporous portion of] waters was removed. But He made it such that that "firmament" that separates would have the power to stop and prevent the vaporous portion from descending - that's the "waters which are above the firmament", such that the transformed atmospheric portion would descend, while the vaporous would remain in its original place. Because of this, when the moist vapor reaches it [i.e., the firmament], it condenses and gives rise to rain, snow and hail. As they condense they descend, as it is said, "at the sound of His placing an abundance of water in the heavens" Jeremiah 10:13. - what it wanted by saying "heavens": the firmament which condenses the atmospheric part [of the waters], as it is said "And G-d called the firmament "heavens" Genesis 1:8. Now when the cloudy, excited vapor arrives there [at the firmament], it generates thunder and lightning, and it is said: "He lifts up clouds from the ends of the earth, thunder from the rain He makes" [continuation of verse quoted previously from Jeremiah]. Now, seeing as how some of the heavier watery element is above the lighter air, which from our perspectives is against their nature - this without doubt indicates the action of an volitional actor, intended such an outcome, as it is said, "the work of His hands shall the firmament declare" Psalms 19:2 "and it was so" - it remained thus against its nature.”

“"Let the waters gather" - not that they dried up, as many have thought, saying that the process of drying up of the exposed portion of the earth happened through the power of the heavenly array, but rather that He commanded that they [the waters] be gathered in one place and that they not go past it, for indeed, they are above the earth yet they do not fall upon it, as one's senses can testify, as it is said, "You placed a boundary that they not go past, that they not return to cover the earth Psalms 104:9”

“"and G-d called the dry land - 'land'" - He called a part by the name of the whole, for indeed, this portion was more the intentional root that any [of the rest], as it says, "He created it for dwelling " Isaiah 45:18. "and G-d saw that it was good" - He wanted it thus because of the goal which is: the intended Goodness”

““Grass” – [various] species of grasses for animal consumption, as it is said: “For the pastures of the desert have become grassy" [said as reassurance to the animals"]. Joel 2:22 “Grass bearing seed” – for human consumption. “Fruit-trees making fruit according to its species” – for a mongrel cannot reproduce. “And it was so” – It was established thus, without any excess or lack, in a manner such that if a plants would happen to be comprised of two species, it will not reproduce.”

““Let there be luminaries in the firmament of heaven” – in that same firmament created on the second day, let there be the shining of the luminaries; there it will become magnified and adapted to act in the lower realms according to everything stated in this passage, as can be seen with our own senses, that the light of a spark is magnified when it passes through clear water.”

““and he make….and he placed.. to illuminate….to rule… to separate… that it was good” – regarding the luminaries and the other stars it said, “and He made” since they were an integral part of the spheres and the heavens, and it’s already told of their making (Genesis 1:1) – that’s why it doesn’t mention regarding them “creation”, rather “making” – namely, that He produced them from parts of the spheres, in a ball-like shape and with a luminous character. “that it was good” – that is to say, He intended by this toward goodness, which is the proper goal for His actions.”

““And to rule by day and by night” – to renew beings in the lower worlds – and they were need then due to that First Light for the creation of animals which are more substantial (nichbadim) than plants. “And to distinguish between day and night” – to distinguish in the lower worlds, by means of their rising and setting, between the time of light, called “day” and the time of darkness, called “night”, as it said above, “to distinguish between day and night” (Genesis 1:14)”

“"and G-d said 'Let us make'..." - He then granted the power to His entourage to imbue the image in a subject prepared for [recieving] it. "man" - one of the species of 'living souls' which I created whose name is 'man', as it says, "and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7) "in our image" - that is, an eternal, intelligent entity. Thereby did G-d, may He be blessed, open an opening with His Torah, to acquired knowledge of the separate [i.e., non-material] entities though knowing our own souls. "after our likeness" - in regards to action and behavior, that he would resemble to an extent the hosts on high, in that they act with knowledge and awareness. However, their [i.e., the heavenly hosts] actions are not freely chosen, and in that way, man does not resemble them. And to an extent, he would resemble G-d, may He be blessed, Who acts with free choice. However, the choice of G-d, may He be blessed, is always for the good, not so with human choice. With all of this, the Divine [choice] is [carried out] in a much more substantial fashion than human choice. Therefore it says, "after our image" - like our image, and not truly in our image.”