Genesis 1:9
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Ramban: Let the waters be gathered from beneath the heaven.
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Ramban asks: Once God decreed that the waters be gathered into one area, why did He need to decree the dry land appear?
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Tehom is water mixed with earth (Ramban to 1:1). Tehom is usually translated as "the deep." The water of the sea contains earth. This is an intermingling of two elements, water and earth. According to Rishonim, everything is a combination of the four basic elements. Ramban expounds from this that "earth" in 1:1 is a generic term for everything on the planet.
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Ibn Ezra disagrees and in his opinion the "earth" in 1:1 refers to the same dry land in 1:9,10.
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Ramban argues that 2:1 The heavens and the earth were finished and all their hosts suggests completion. Since the generic earth is taken to mean more than just dry land, (Ibn Ezra), this "earth" which includes the seas and all that is in the seas is being considered "finished." cannot mean earth in its simplest form, ie "ground."
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Is this a learning about realms or spheres? see Leviticus 26:4. See also Psalms 148:7.
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Back to tahom which is a mixture of two elements.
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This is interesting. The ArtScroll translators Rabbi Blinder and Kamenetsky" The earth was originally made up of nothing but mud. Then God decreed that the soil and water that comprised the mud should separate from each other, and the soild should rise to the surface and coagulate there. Psalm 136:6.
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MH: I'm not sure I'm going to keep this post going in this direction. I think I'll spend some time digesting what I'm learning. We will see.
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