Sod Siach Class: Understanding the Sky and the Moon
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מִן הָאָרֶץ עַד לָרָקִיעַ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְעוֹבְיוֹ שֶׁל רָקִיעַ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וּבֵין (כׇּל) רָקִיעַ לְרָקִיעַ מַהֲלַךְ חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, וְכֵן בֵּין כׇּל רָקִיעַ וְרָקִיעַ, ״אַךְ אֶל שְׁאוֹל תּוּרָד אֶל יַרְכְּתֵי בוֹר״. תְּיוּבְתָּא.
In contrast, from the earth to the first firmament of seven (see Ḥagiga 12b) is a walking distance of five hundred years, and the thickness of the firmament is a walking distance of five hundred years, which is equal to approximately 1.8 million parasangs, and between each firmament is another walking distance of five hundred years, and so too between each and every firmament. Therefore, how can you, Nebuchadnezzar, hope to reach the heavens in your lifetime, such that you say: “I will be like the Most High”? Rather, as the verse continues: “Yet you shall be brought down to the netherworld, to the uttermost parts of the pit” (Isaiah 14:15). In any event, this is a conclusive refutation of Rava’s opinion that the thickness of the firmament is only one thousand parasangs.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן, חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים: גַּלְגַּל קָבוּעַ, וּמַזָּלוֹת חוֹזְרִין. וְחַכְמֵי אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אוֹמְרִים: גַּלְגַּל חוֹזֵר, וּמַזָּלוֹת קְבוּעִין. אָמַר רַבִּי: תְּשׁוּבָה לְדִבְרֵיהֶם — מֵעוֹלָם לֹא מָצִינוּ עֲגָלָה בַּדָּרוֹם וְעַקְרָב בַּצָּפוֹן. מַתְקֵיף לַהּ רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב: וְדִילְמָא כְּבוּצִינָא דְרִיחְיָא. אִי נָמֵי כְּצִינּוֹרָא דְּדַשָּׁא.
In a discussion related to the structure of the natural world, the Sages taught: The Jewish Sages say the celestial sphere of the zodiac is stationary, and the constellations revolve in their place within the sphere; and the sages of the nations of the world say the entire celestial sphere revolves, and the constellations are stationary within the sphere. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: A refutation of their words that the entire sphere moves can be derived from the fact that we have never found the constellation of Ursa Major in the South or Scorpio in the North. This indicates that it is the stars themselves that revolve in place and not the celestial sphere as a whole, because otherwise it would be impossible for Ursa Major to remain in the North and Scorpio to remain in the South. Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov strongly objects to this proof: And perhaps the stars are stationary within the sphere like the steel socket of a mill, which remains stationary while the stones of the mill revolve around it. Alternatively, perhaps they are stationary like the pivot of a door, which remains stationary while the door makes wide turns around it; similarly, perhaps the constellations are stationary within a sphere, and there is an outer sphere within which the sun revolves around all the constellations. Therefore, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s statement is not necessarily true.
חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים: בַּיּוֹם חַמָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת לְמַטָּה מִן הָרָקִיעַ, וּבַלַּיְלָה לְמַעְלָה מִן הָרָקִיעַ. וְחַכְמֵי אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אוֹמְרִים: בַּיּוֹם חַמָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת לְמַטָּה מִן הָרָקִיעַ, וּבַלַּיְלָה לְמַטָּה מִן הַקַּרְקַע. אָמַר רַבִּי: וְנִרְאִין דִּבְרֵיהֶן מִדְּבָרֵינוּ, שֶׁבַּיּוֹם מַעֲיָנוֹת צוֹנְנִין, וּבַלַּיְלָה רוֹתְחִין. תַּנְיָא רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר: בִּימוֹת הַחַמָּה, חַמָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁל רָקִיעַ, לְפִיכָךְ כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ רוֹתֵחַ וּמַעֲיָנוֹת צוֹנְנִין. בִּימוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים, חַמָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת בְּשִׁיפּוּלֵי רָקִיעַ, לְפִיכָךְ כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ צוֹנֵן וּמַעֲיָנוֹת רוֹתְחִין.
The Gemara presents a similar dispute: The Jewish Sages say that during the day the sun travels beneath the firmament and is therefore visible, and at night it travels above the firmament. And the sages of the nations of the world say that during the day the sun travels beneath the firmament, and at night it travels beneath the earth and around to the other side of the world. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: And the statement of the sages of the nations of the world appears to be more accurate than our statement. A proof to this is that during the day, springs that originate deep in the ground are cold, and during the night they are hot compared to the air temperature, which supports the theory that these springs are warmed by the sun as it travels beneath the earth. It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Natan says: During the summer the sun travels high in the sky, above the earth, and therefore the entire world is hot, and springs that originate deep in the ground are cold. On the other hand, during the winter the sun travels low in the sky, over the edges of the earth. Therefore, the entire world is cold, but springs are hot relative to the air temperature.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: בְּאַרְבָּעָה שְׁבִילִין חַמָּה מְהַלֶּכֶת. נִיסָן אִיָּיר וְסִיוָן — מְהַלֶּכֶת בֶּהָרִים, כְּדֵי לְפַשֵּׁר אֶת הַשְּׁלָגִין. תַּמּוּז אָב וֶאֱלוּל — מְהַלֶּכֶת בַּיִּשּׁוּב, כְּדֵי לְבַשֵּׁל אֶת הַפֵּירוֹת. תִּשְׁרֵי מְרַחְשְׁוָן וְכִסְלֵיו — מְהַלֶּכֶת בַּיַּמִּים, כְּדֵי לְיַבֵּשׁ אֶת הַנְּהָרוֹת. טֵבֵת שְׁבָט וַאֲדָר — מְהַלֶּכֶת בַּמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁלֹּא לְיַבֵּשׁ אֶת הַזְּרָעִים.
The Sages taught: The sun travels in four paths during the four seasons of the year, and each causes a unique weather pattern: During the months of Nisan, Iyyar, and Sivan, the sun travels over the mountains in order to melt the snows that collected during the winter. During Tammuz, Av, and Elul, it travels over the areas of the settlement in order to ripen the produce. During Tishrei, Marḥeshvan, and Kislev, it travels over the seas in order to dry the rivers, as the rivers flow more gently during that time of year and the water turns into rain clouds. During Tevet, Shevat, and Adar, it travels over the desert in order to not dry the seeds that were planted in the inhabited areas of settlement, which begin to sprout during this time.