About this episode
Today's daf is sponsored by Geula Zamist in honor of the marriage of her daughter, Rachel Zamist to Avi Lermer and with never-ending thanks and appreciation to Rabbanit Michelle. Today's daf is sponsored by Leah Ackner in honor of her mother's 74th birthday! Today's daf is sponsored by Marsha Levi to commemorate the shloshim of her mother Kitty Levi, Kayla bat Meir v' Machla. The Gemara brings all kinds of drashot on the creation of the world. Ten things were created on the first day - what are they? Was light created on the first day or the fourth day? Several drashot are brought to explain that God created certain things on a grand scale and then reduced them. What are they and why did God reduce them? Beit Hillel, Beit Shamai and the sages disagree - was the sky created first or the earth or both at once? How do they each prove their position through both logic and verses? Rabbi Yossi described that the earth is supported by pillars, and pillars on the water, water on the mountains, mountains on the wind, wind on the storm, storm on the arms of God - all this is derived from verses. The sages explain that there are twelve pillars representative of the twelve tribes. Some say seven pillars and others say on one – a tzaddik. Are there two levels of firmaments in the heavens or seven? Reish Lakish holds that there are seven firmaments and explains what is held/done in each one.