Yaratılışın İki Işığı: Adalet ve Merhamet

Another interpretation: "In the beginning God created." Rabbi Tanhuma began: "For You are great, and do wondrous things; You are God alone" (Psalms 86:10). Rabbi Tanhuma said: In the way of the world, when a human being builds a palace, if he does not have assistants, he cannot build it. But the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world alone, as it is said, "I the Lord, who make all things, who stretch out the heavens alone, who spread abroad the earth by Myself" (Isaiah 44:24). Another interpretation: "In the beginning God created," and it does not say "In the beginning the Lord created." This is because originally it entered His thought to create the world with the attribute of justice. He saw that the world could not endure, so He associated with it the attribute of mercy, and this is what is written, "In the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven" (Genesis 2:4). Another interpretation: "In the beginning God created." Rabbi Isaac said: Wherever it says "God," it refers to a judge, as it is said, "The cause of both parties shall come before the judges" (Exodus 22:8). And wherever it says "The Lord," it refers to mercy, as it is said, "The Lord, the Lord, God, merciful and gracious" (Exodus 34:6).