The Summary
- Contradiction between Genesis 2:1 and Genesis 2:5
- Rashi's resolution of the contradiction
- The Rabman's refutation of Rashi's resolution
- The Ramban's resolution
- Practical application
The Contradiction
Genesis 2 seems to start off with a good old fashioned contradiction between two verses:
Now the heavens and the earth were completed and all their host. And God completed on the seventh day His work that He did, and He abstained on the seventh day from all His work that He did. (Genesis 2:1-2)
.וַיְכֻלּ֛וּ הַשָּׁמַ֥יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָֽם. וַיְכַ֤ל אֱלֹהִים֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה
Now no tree of the field was yet on the earth, neither did any herb of the field yet grow, because the Lord God had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the soil. (Genesis 2:5)
וְכֹ֣ל | שִׂ֣יחַ הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה טֶ֚רֶם יִֽהְיֶ֣ה בָאָ֔רֶץ וְכָל־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה טֶ֣רֶם יִצְמָ֑ח כִּי֩ לֹ֨א הִמְטִ֜יר יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְאָדָ֣ם אַ֔יִן לַֽעֲבֹ֖ד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה:
The former verse says that God completed creating everything by the seventh day (including the trees, which were created on the third day), but the latter verse says that the trees had not yet been created.
Back to the the topicsRashi's Resolution
Rashi resolves the contradiction as follows:
... neither did any herb of the field yet grow: [I.e.,] had not yet grown. And on the third [day], where it is written: “Let the earth bring forth,” they [the plants] had not yet emerged, but they stood at the entrance of the ground until the sixth day. And why? Because there was no man to work the soil, and no one recognized the benefit of rain, but when man came and understood that they were essential to the world, he prayed for them, and they fell, and the trees and the herbs sprouted. — [from Chul. 60b]
וכל עשב השדה טרם יצמח - עדיין לא צמח, ובשלישי שכתוב ותוצא הארץ, על פתח הקרקע עמדו עד יום ששי: - כי לא המטיר: ומה טעם לא המטיר, לפי שאדם אין לעבוד את האדמה ואין מכיר בטובתם של גשמים, וכשבא אדם וידע שהם צורך לעולם התפלל עליהם וירדו, וצמחו האילנות והדשאים:
Back to the the topicsThe Ramban's Refutation
The Ramban notes that Rashi seems to have overlooked the literal reading of the verse:
Neither did any herb of the field grow (Bereishit Rabbah), ibid Chulin 60 says "they stood at the entrance of the ground until the sixth day" after it had rained. In my opinion this verse should be understood according to its literal meaning; on the third day the earth brought forth herbage and fruit-bearing tree in their places and to their types as they were commanded, and now the Torah says that there was nobody to till and sow and that they did not sprout until the mist rose from the ground to water it, and until Man was created to work the land and till and sow and guard it.
וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה על דעת רבותינו (בבראשית רבה) עיין חולין ס בשלישי עמדו על פתח קרקע הארץ ובששי צמחו לאחר שהמטיר עליהם ועל דעתי כפי הפשט כי בשלישי הוציאה הארץ העשב ועץ הפרי בקומותם וצביונם כאשר צותה בהם ועכשיו יספר הכתוב כי אין נוטע וזורע מהם והיא לא תצמח עד אשר עלה אד ממנה והשקה אותה ונוצר .האדם העובד אותה לזרוע ולנטוע ולשמור
Back to the the topicsThe Ramban's Resolution
The Ramban settles the contradiction with the following:
The explanation is as follows: the reason that the verse said "neither did any herb of the field yet grow" instead of "herb of the earth" is that the word field refers to the domain of Man's work. See Exodus 23:16 (... which you will sow in the field...), and Numbers 20:17 (... we will not pass through fields or vineyards...). This is the purpose of the world made after the six days of creation onward forever due to the mist the rain fell from the skies, which caused the earth to sprout forth its seeds.
וזהו טעם "שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִצְמָח" שלא אמר "שיח האדמה" כי המקום הנעבד יקרא שדה אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרַע בַּשָּׂדֶה (שמות כג טז) לֹא נַעֲבֹר בְּשָׂדֶה וּבְכֶרֶם (במדבר כ יז) וזהו תשמישו של עולם שנהיה מאחרי ששת ימי בראשית והלאה כל ימי עולם כי בסיבת האד ימטירו השמים ובסבתם הארץ זירועיה תצמיח:
In other words, both verses are true (Genesis 1 and Genesis 5). The word "earth" and "field" are two different domains. Earth is occupied by plants and animals, who do not need to pray for rain to receive it - it is a free gift. "Field" is a separate domain occupied by Man and is a sub-set of "earth." It connotes labor and indicates his need to pray for sustenance and can be understood by modern man as "the workplace." Genesis 1 tells us that the rain that fell on the third day was limited to the domain of the earth. God withheld the rain from the field until the 6th day when He created Man, who prayed for it.
Back to the the topicsThe Application
The word "field" corresponds to our modern workplace, the way we make our livings. Note that Isaac went to pray in the field, indicating that our livelihood is associated with, and dependent on, our prayers. This may serve to argue against the idea that these two domains (work and spirituality) need to be mutually exclusive.
And Isaac went forth to pray in the field towards evening, and he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were approaching. (Genesis 24:63)
(בראשית כב:סג) וַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה גְמַלִּ֖ים בָּאִֽים
Note that the word שִׂ֣יחַ means both "tree/herb" and "discussion," translated as "prayer" in Jewish sources.
Back to the the topics
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