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CHAGIGAH 12

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SUMMARY

Adam ha'Rishon's height extended from the earth until the sky. When he sinned, Hashem placed His hand on him and diminished him.
 
Ten things were created on the first day of creation. (1)
 
Tohu is a green line that encircles the world and radiates darkness. Bohu are damp stones that are situated in the depths and emit water.
 
The Tana'im disagree about whether a special light was created on the first day of creation and subsequently hidden away for the Tzadikim. (2)
 
When Hashem created the world, it persisted in expanding like two balls of thread until Hashem yelled at it and it stopped. The sea also persisted in expanding until Hashem yelled at it and it dried up.
 
The Tana'im disagree about whether the heaven or the earth was created first. (3)
 
Hashem took fire and water, mixed them together, and created the heaven.
 
The world stands on pillars. (4)
 
Rebbi Yehudah: There are two heavens. Reish Lakish: There are seven heavens.
 
Reish Lakish says that anyone who learns Torah at night is graced by Hashem with a thread of favor during the day. (5)
 
Anyone who interrupts Torah learning with idle chatter is fed fiery coals.

A BIT MORE

1. The sky, earth, Tohu, Bohu, light, darkness, wind, water, the length of the day and the length of the night were all created on the first day.
 
2. Rebbi Yakov: A person could see from one end of the world to the other with the light that was created on the first day. Chachamim: The light that was created on the first day is the same light that was placed in the heavens on the fourth day of creation.
 
3. Beis Shamai: The heaven was created first. Beis Hillel: The earth was created first. Chachamim: They were created at the same time.
 
4. Some say that it stands on twelve pillars. Others say that it stands on seven pillars. A third opinion is that it stands on one pillar.
 
5. Alternatively, anyone who learns Torah in this world, which is analogous to night, is graced by Hashem with a thread of favor in the next world, which is analogous to day.

BRIEF INSIGHT

According to one opinion, Hashem created a special light during the first day of creation. When He saw the future deeds of the evildoers, He put it away for the Tzadikim in the next world. Since Hashem is aware of the future deeds of the Resha'im, why did He create the light in the first place? Why did He not wait until the next world to create it? The answer is that it is an encouragement to the Tzadikim to know that they will be rewarded for their toil with something that already exists, not with something that has yet to be created. Alternatively, it is because everything was created during the six days of creation, even things that will not be used until the next world. (Ben Yehoyada)

QUICK HALACHAH

A person who wishes to merit the crown of Torah should be diligent every single night and not waste even one of them with sleeping, eating, drinking, conversing, or the like. Instead, a person should spend the evening conversing with words of wisdom and the study of Torah. A person attains the majority of his wisdom at night. (Shulchan Aruch YD 246:23)
 
The Perishah says that even in the summer, when the nights are short, a person must learn at least a little bit of Torah every night. (Shach)

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