Ten Utterances Created the World

(א) בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, וַהֲלֹא בְמַאֲמָר אֶחָד יָכוֹל לְהִבָּרְאוֹת, אֶלָּא לְהִפָּרַע מִן הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁמְּאַבְּדִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת, וְלִתֵּן שָׂכָר טוֹב לַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁמְּקַיְּמִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת:

Pirkei Avot 5:1

(1) With ten utterances the world was created. And what does this teach, for surely it could have been created with one utterance? But this was so in order to punish the wicked who destroy the world that was created with ten utterances, And to give a good reward to the righteous who maintain the world that was created with ten utterances.

ברטנורא על משנה אבות ה׳:א׳

(א) בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת. תִּשְׁעָה וַיֹּאמֶר, וּבְרֵאשִׁית נַמִּי מַאֲמָר הוּא, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים לג) בִּדְבַר ה' שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ:

(ב) שֶׁמְּאַבְּדִים אֶת הָעוֹלָם. שֶׁכָּל הַמְאַבֵּד נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל כְּאִלּוּ אִבֵּד עוֹלָם מָלֵא, וְהָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁבַּעֲוֹנָם מְאַבְּדִים אֶת נַפְשָׁם כְּאִלּוּ מְאַבְּדִים אֶת הָעוֹלָם. כָּךְ מָצָאתִי. וְלִי נִרְאֶה, שֶׁמְּאַבְּדִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם מַמָּשׁ, שֶׁמַּכְרִיעִים אֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ לְכַף חוֹבָה, וְנִמְצָא הָעוֹלָם אָבֵד בִּשְׁבִילָם:

(ג) שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת. וְאֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה הַמְאַבֵּד מְלָאכָה שֶׁהִיא נַעֲשֵׂית בְּיוֹם אֶחָד לִמְלָאכָה שֶׁהִיא נַעֲשֵׂית בְּהַרְבֵּה יָמִים:

Bartenura on Pirkei Avot 5:1

(1) With ten utterances: Nine [times in the creation story does it state] "and He said"; and "In the beginning" is also an utterance, as it is written (Psalms 33:6), "With the word of the Lord were the heavens made."

(2) who destroy the world: Since 'anyone that destroys one soul of Israel is as if they destroyed an entire world,' and [since] the wicked destroy their souls because of their sins, it is as if they destroy the world. So have I found. And it appears to me that they literally destroy the world, as they tip the scales of the whole world towards guilt, and it comes out that the world is destroyed on their account.

(3) that was created with ten utterances: And one who destroys work that was done in one day is not similar to one who destroys work that was done in many days.

פרקי דרבי אליעזר ג׳:י״ב

(יב) ושם הוא מדור למזיקין ולזועות, לרוחות ולשדים ולברקים ולרעמים. ומשם רעה יוצאת לעולם, שנאמר (ירמיה א, יד): "מִצָּפוֹן תִּפָּתַח הָרָעָה". בעשרה מאמרות נברא העולם (משנה אבות, פרק ה, משנה א), ואלו הן: (בראשית א, ג): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר", (בראשית א, ו): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ", (בראשית א, ט): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם", (בראשית א, יא): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ", (בראשית א, יד): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי מְאֹרֹת", (בראשית א, כ): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם", (בראשית א, כד): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ", (בראשית א, כו): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם", (בראשית א, כט): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לָכֶם", (בראשית ב, יח): "וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לֹא טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ". ובשלשה כוללו, ואלו הן: בחכמה, בתבונה ובדעת, שנאמר ה' בחכמה יסד ארץ כונן שמים בתבונה בדעתו תהומות נבקעו. ובשלשתן נעשה המשכן, שנאמר (שמות לא, ג): "וָאֲמַלֵּא אֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים בְּחָכְמָה וּבִתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת". ובשלשתן נעשה בית המקדש, שנאמר (מ"א ז, יד): "בֶּן אִשָּׁה אַלְמָנָה הוּא מִמַּטֵּה נַפְתָּלִי וְאָבִיו אִישׁ צֹרִי חֹרֵשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת וַיִּמָּלֵא אֶת הַחָכְמָה וְאֶת הַתְּבוּנָה וְאֶת הַדַּעַת". ובשלשתן עתיד להבנות, שנאמר (משלי כד, ג): "בְּחָכְמָה יִבָּנֶה בָּיִת וּבִתְבוּנָה יִתְכּוֹנָן וּבְדַעַת חֲדָרִים יִמָּלְאוּ".

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 3:12

(12) There (in the north) is the abode of the destroying spirits, earthquakes, winds, demons, lightnings and thunders; thence evil issues forth into the world, as it is said, "Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth" (Jer. 1:14). Some say by ten Sayings was the world created || and in three (Divine attributes) are these (ten Sayings) comprised, as it is said, "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens, by his knowledge the depths were broken up" (Prov. 3:19, 20). By these three (attributes) was the Tabernacle made, as it is said, "And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, and with knowledge" (Ex. 31:3). Likewise with these three (attributes) was the Temple made, as it is said, "He was the son of a widow woman of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and knowledge" (1 Kings 7:14). By these three attributes it will be rebuilt in the future, as it is said, "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge are the chambers filled" (Prov. 24:3, 4).

אבות דרבי נתן ל״א:ב׳

בעשרה מאמרות נברא העולם וכי מה צורך לבאי עולם בכך אלא ללמדך שכל העושה מצוה אחת וכל המשמר שבת אחד וכל המקיים נפש אחת [מעלה עליו הכתוב] כאילו קיים עולם מלא שנברא בעשרה מאמרות. וכל העובר עבירה אחת וכל המחלל שבת אחד וכל המאבד נפש אחת מעלין עליו כאילו איבד עולם מלא שנברא בעשרה מאמרות שכן מצינו בקין שהרג את הבל אחיו שנא׳ (בראשית ד׳:י׳) קול דמי אחיך דם אחד שפך דמים רבים נאמר אלא מלמד שדם בניו ובני בניו וכל תולדותיו עד סוף כל הדורות שעתידין לצאת ממנו כולם היו עומדין וצועקין לפני הקב״ה (הא למדת שאדם אחד שקול כנגד מעשה בראשית כולו):

Avot DeRabbi Natan 31:2

The world was created with ten utterances. Why were all ten necessary? In order to teach you that anyone who performs one commandment, or keeps one Sabbath, or saves one life, [the Torah considers it] as if he had sustained the entire world, which was created with ten utterances. And anyone who commits one transgression, or breaks one Sabbath, or causes one life to be lost, the Torah considers it as if he had destroyed the entire world, which was created with ten utterances. For this is what we find with Cain, who killed his brother Abel, as it says (Genesis 4:10), “The voice of your brother’s bloods [cry out to Me from the ground].” It should say “blood,” but it says “bloods.” This teaches that it was also the blood of his children and his children’s children, and all his future generations, until the end of the human line, that would have one day descended from him. They all stood up and cried out before the Holy Blessed One. (So you learn from this that one person is considered as important as the entire work of Creation.)

בראשית רבה י״ז:א׳

(א) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֱלֹהִים לֹא טוֹב הֱיוֹת (בראשית ב, יח), תְּנֵינַן בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן (בראשית א, א): בְּרֵאשִׁית (בראשית א, ב): וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת (בראשית א, ג): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר (בראשית א, ו): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ (בראשית א, ט): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם (בראשית א, יא): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תַּדְּשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ (בראשית א, יד): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי מְאֹרֹת (בראשית א, כ): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם (בראשית א, כד): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ (בראשית א, כו): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם. מְנַחֵם בַּר יוֹסֵי מוֹצִיא וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת, וּמֵבִיא וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֱלֹהִים לֹא טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם. אָמַר רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב בֶּן קוּרְשָׁאי מַאֲמָר נִתַּן לָרוּחַ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ.

Bereshit Rabbah 17:1

(1) “The Lord God said: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper for him alongside him” (Genesis 2:18).
“The Lord God said: It is not good that [the man] should be” – we learned: The world was created with ten [divine] utterances.1Avot 5:1. These are: “In the beginning [God created the heavens and the earth]” (Genesis 1:1);2Although the words “God said” are not written here, it was through God’s command that the heavens and earth were created (see Psalms 33:6). “the wind3The Midrash interprets the word ruaḥ to mean wind, unlike the more common translation, “spirit.” of God hovered [over the surface of the water]” (Genesis 1:2);4Here too, although the words “God said” are not written, it was through God’s command that the wind came about. “God said: Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3); “God said: Let there be a firmament” (Genesis 1:6); “God said: “Let the water be gathered” (Genesis 1:9). “God said: Let the earth sprout [grass]” (Genesis 1:11). “God said: Let there be lights” (Genesis 1:14). “God said: Let the water swarm” (Genesis 1:20). “God said: “Let the earth produce” (Genesis 1:24). “God said: Let us make man” (Genesis 1:26). Menaḥem bar Yosei removes: “The wind of God hovered,” and inserts: “The Lord God said: It is not good that the man should be.” Rabbi Yaakov ben Kurshai said: A special utterance was devoted specifically to the wind.5Rabbi Yaakov concurs with the original count of the ten utterances.

ראש השנה ל״ב א:ט״ז-כ״ב

מַתְנִי׳ אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין מֵעֲשָׂרָה מַלְכִיּוֹת, מֵעֲשָׂרָה זִכְרוֹנוֹת, מֵעֲשָׂרָה שׁוֹפָרוֹת. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי אוֹמֵר: אִם אָמַר שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁלֹשׁ מִכּוּלָּן — יָצָא. גְּמָ׳ הָנֵי עֲשָׂרָה מַלְכִיּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד מִי? אָמַר רַבִּי: כְּנֶגֶד עֲשָׂרָה הִלּוּלִים שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד בְּסֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים. הִלּוּלִים טוּבָא הָווּ! הָנָךְ דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ ״הַלְלוּהוּ בְּתֵקַע שׁוֹפָר״. רַב יוֹסֵף אָמַר: כְּנֶגֶד עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה בְּסִינַי. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: כְּנֶגֶד עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. הֵי נִינְהוּ? ״וַיֹּאמֶר״ — ״וַיֹּאמֶר״ דִּבְרֵאשִׁית תִּשְׁעָה הָווּ! ״בְּרֵאשִׁית״ נָמֵי מַאֲמָר הוּא, דִּכְתִיב: ״בִּדְבַר ה׳ שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ״. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי אוֹמֵר: אִם אָמַר שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁלֹשׁ מִכּוּלָּן — יָצָא. אִיבַּעְיָא לְהוּ, הֵיכִי קָתָנֵי: שָׁלֹשׁ מִן הַתּוֹרָה, שָׁלֹשׁ מִן הַנְּבִיאִים, וְשָׁלֹשׁ מִן הַכְּתוּבִים — דְּהָווּ תֵּשַׁע, וְאִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ חֲדָא, אוֹ דִלְמָא: אֶחָד מִן הַתּוֹרָה, וְאֶחָד מִן הַנְּבִיאִים, וְאֶחָד מִן הַכְּתוּבִים — דְּהָוְיָין לְהוּ שָׁלֹשׁ, וְאִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ טוּבָא? תָּא שְׁמַע, דְּתַנְיָא: אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין מֵעֲשָׂרָה מַלְכִיּוֹת, מֵעֲשָׂרָה זִכְרוֹנוֹת, מֵעֲשָׂרָה שׁוֹפָרוֹת, וְאִם אָמַר שֶׁבַע מִכּוּלָּן — יָצָא, כְּנֶגֶד שִׁבְעָה רְקִיעִים. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי אָמַר: הַפּוֹחֵת — לֹא יִפְחוֹת מִשֶּׁבַע, וְאִם אָמַר שָׁלֹשׁ מִכּוּלָּן — יָצָא, כְּנֶגֶד תּוֹרָה נְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ: כְּנֶגֶד כֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּם וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים. אָמַר רַב הוּנָא אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי.

Rosh Hashanah 32a:16-22

MISHNA: One does not recite fewer than ten verses in the blessing of Kingship, or fewer than ten verses in the blessing of Remembrances, or fewer than ten verses in the blessing of Shofarot. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri says: If one recited three from each of them, he has fulfilled his obligation. GEMARA: The Gemara asks: These ten verses of Kingship, to what do they correspond? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: They correspond to the ten praises that David said in the book of Psalms. The Gemara asks: There are many more praises than that in the book of Psalms. The Gemara answers that he means those in which it is written by them: “Praise Him with the blast of the shofar” (Psalms 150:3). In that chapter the phrase “Praise Him” appears ten times. Rav Yosef said: The ten verses correspond to the Ten Commandments, which were said to Moses at Sinai. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They correspond to the ten utterances through which the world was created. The Gemara asks: Which are these ten utterances? The Gemara explains: This is referring to the ten times that the phrase “And He said” appears in the story of Creation in the first two chapters of Genesis. The Gemara asks: Does it refer to the repetition of the phrase: “And He said” in Genesis? There are only nine such phrases, not ten. The Gemara answers that the phrase “In the beginning” is also considered an utterance, as it is written: “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made” (Psalms 33:6), which indicates that all of creation came into existence through a single utterance, after which all matter was formed into separate and distinct entities by means of the other nine utterances. § The mishna taught that Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri says: If one recited three from each of them, he has fulfilled his obligation. A dilemma was raised before the Sages: What is he teaching here? Does Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri mean that one must recite three verses from the Torah, three from the Prophets, and three from the Writings, which are nine in total, and if so the practical difference between the opinions of Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri and the first tanna is only one verse? Or perhaps he means that one must recite one verse from the Torah and one from the Prophets and one from the Writings, which are three altogether, and the practical difference between them is a large number of verses, i.e., seven. The Gemara clarifies this matter: Come and hear a proof, as it is taught in a baraita: One does not recite fewer than ten verses of Kingship, or fewer than ten verses of Remembrances, or fewer than ten verses of Shofarot. And if one recited seven from each of them, he has fulfilled his obligation, as they correspond to the seven firmaments in heaven. Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri said: One who recites fewer than the requisite ten should not recite fewer than seven, but if he recited three from each of them he has fulfilled his obligation, as they correspond to the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. And some say: They correspond to the priests, the Levites, and the Israelites. This indicates that Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri means a total of three verses for each blessing. Rav Huna said that Shmuel said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Nuri.

רש"י על ראש השנה ל״ב א:י״ח-י״ט

כנגד עשרת הדברות - דכתיב בהו נמי שופר ולא שמעתיה אלא ראיתיה ביסוד רבינו יצחק בן יהודה: עשרת מאמרות שהעולם נברא בהן - בראש השנה: בראשית נמי מאמר הוא - ואף על גב דלא כתיב ביה ויאמר יהי שמים כמאן דכתיב דמי דבאמירה נמי איברי ולא בידים דכתיב (תהילים ל״ג:ו׳) בדבר ה' שמים נעשו:

Rashi on Rosh Hashanah 32a:18-19

Against the Ten Commandments - a writing in which Nami blew and I did not hear it, but I saw it in the foundation of our Rabbi Yitzchak ben Yehuda: ten articles with which the world was created - Rosh Hashanah: in the beginning of Nami an article is written - and on the back of it there is a writing in it and he said, "May the heavens be written like a man, my blood is written, my blood is said, Nemi Ibri is not written in hands" (Psalms 33:6) In God's word the heavens were made:

מגילה כ״א ב:ז׳-י״ד

בְּשֵׁנִי וּבַחֲמִישִׁי בַּשַּׁבָּת בַּמִּנְחָה קוֹרִין שְׁלֹשָׁה וְכוּ׳. הָנֵי שְׁלֹשָׁה, כְּנֶגֶד מִי? אָמַר רַב אַסִּי: כְּנֶגֶד תּוֹרָה נְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים. רָבָא אָמַר: כְּנֶגֶד כֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּם וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים. אֶלָּא הָא דְּתָנֵי רַב שִׁימִי: אֵין פּוֹחֲתִין מֵעֲשָׂרָה פְּסוּקִין בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, ״וַיְדַבֵּר״ עוֹלֶה מִן הַמִּנְיָן. הָנֵי עֲשָׂרָה כְּנֶגֶד מִי? אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כְּנֶגֶד עֲשָׂרָה בַּטְלָנִין שֶׁבְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת. רַב יוֹסֵף: אָמַר כְּנֶגֶד עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ לְמֹשֶׁה בְּסִינַי. (רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר: כְּנֶגֶד עֲשָׂרָה הִילּוּלִין שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד בְּסֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים.) וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: כְּנֶגֶד עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶן נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. הֵי נִינְהוּ? ״וַיֹּאמֶר״ דִּבְרֵאשִׁית. הָנֵי תִּשְׁעָה הָווּ! ״בְּרֵאשִׁית״ נָמֵי מַאֲמָר הוּא, דִּכְתִיב: ״בִּדְבַר ה׳ שָׁמַיִם נַעֲשׂוּ וּבְרוּחַ פִּיו כׇּל צְבָאָם״. אָמַר רָבָא, רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁקָּרָא אַרְבָּעָה — מְשׁוּבָּח, שֵׁנִי שֶׁקָּרָא אַרְבָּעָה — מְשׁוּבָּח, שְׁלִישִׁי שֶׁקָּרָא אַרְבָּעָה — מְשׁוּבָּח. רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁקָּרָא אַרְבָּעָה מְשׁוּבָּח — דִּתְנַן: בְּשָׁלֹשׁ קוּפּוֹת שֶׁל שָׁלֹשׁ סְאִין שֶׁבָּהֶן תּוֹרְמִין אֶת הַלִּשְׁכָּה, וְהָיָה כָּתוּב עֲלֵיהֶן אב״‎ג, לֵידַע אֵיזוֹ מֵהֶן נִתְרְמָה רִאשׁוֹן, לְהַקְרִיב מִמֶּנָּה רִאשׁוֹן — שֶׁמִּצְוָה בָּרִאשׁוֹן. אֶמְצָעִי שֶׁקָּרָא אַרְבָּעָה מְשׁוּבָּח — דְּתַנְיָא: ״אֶל מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה יָאִירוּ״, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמְּצַדֵּד פְּנֵיהֶם כְּלַפֵּי נֵר מַעֲרָבִי, וְנֵר מַעֲרָבִי כְּלַפֵּי שְׁכִינָה. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִכָּאן שֶׁאֶמְצָעִי מְשׁוּבָּח. וְאַחֲרוֹן שֶׁקָּרָא אַרְבָּעָה מְשׁוּבָּח — מִשּׁוּם מַעֲלִין בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְלֹא מוֹרִידִין. רַב פָּפָּא אִיקְּלַע לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא דַּאֲבִי גוֹבָר וְקָרָא רִאשׁוֹן אַרְבָּעָה, וְשַׁבְּחֵיהּ רַב פָּפָּא.

Megillah 21b:7-14

We learned in the mishna: On Mondays and on Thursdays during the morning service and on Shabbat during the afternoon service, three people read from the Torah. The Gemara asks: Corresponding to what were these three readers instituted? Rav Asi said: They correspond to the three sections of the Bible: Pentateuch, Prophets, and Writings. Rava said: They correspond to the three components of the Jewish people: Priests, Levites, and Israelites. The Gemara raises a question: But with regard to this baraita that Rav Shimi taught: One may not decrease to fewer than ten the number of verses read during a public Torah reading in the synagogue, and a generic verse, e.g., “And God spoke to Moses saying,” is included in the count, to what do these ten verses correspond? Why specifically the number ten? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: They correspond to the ten idlers that are in the synagogue, i.e., ten men who have the leisure not to work, and instead sit in the synagogue and are available to attend to communal needs. Rav Yosef said: They correspond to the Ten Commandments that were spoken to Moses at Sinai. Rabbi Levi said: They correspond to the ten psalms of praise that David said in the book of Psalms. And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They correspond to the ten utterances with which the world was created. The Gemara asks: What are these ten utterances? Presumably, they are the utterances introduced by the words “and God said” in the story of Creation in the first chapter of Genesis. However, there are only nine of these utterances and not ten. The Gemara answers: The expression: “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1) is also considered an utterance, as it is written: “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalms 33:6), which indicates that the first utterance of Creation was the general creation of the entire universe. Rava said: Since ten verses must be read, if the first of the three readers called to the Torah read four verses, he is praiseworthy; if the second one read four verses, he is praiseworthy; and if the third one read four verses, he is praiseworthy. Rava explains: If the first of the three readers called to the Torah read four verses, he is praiseworthy because the first in a series is privileged, as we learned in a mishna (Shekalim 8a): One removes the funds from the Temple treasury chamber, in order to use them for purchasing communal offerings and attending to other needs of the Temple, with three large baskets, each measuring three se’a. On the baskets is written, respectively, alef, beit, gimmel, in order to know which of them was removed first, in order to sacrifice offerings purchased with money from that basket first, as it is a mitzva to use the money collected with the first basket before the money collected with the others. If the middle one read four verses, he is also praiseworthy, as the middle position is also dignified, as it is taught in a baraita: “The seven lamps shall give light in front of the candelabrum” (Numbers 8:2); this teaches that the priest turns the front of each lamp toward the western lamp of the candelabrum, i.e., the middle lamp, and the western lamp faces toward the Divine Presence. And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is derived from here that the middle one is especially praiseworthy. And if the last one called to the Torah read four verses, he too is praiseworthy, due to the principle that one elevates to a higher level of sanctity and does not downgrade. If the last reader reads more verses than did the first two, this is an elevation in sanctity. The Gemara relates that Rav Pappa happened to come to the synagogue of the place called Avi Gover, and the first person called to the Torah read four verses, and Rav Pappa praised him.

ישׁ

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