承上:带小词的「地」是要教导天在地先。下一节却先讲地,何故?拉比以实玛利 学派的贤士设比喻:君王召臣仆早起来见,见男女都在等候,他所称赞的是不惯早起而早起的妇人;地本是卑下之物,竟与天一同被造,所以经文要多讲它。
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那么带小词的「地」,我又要它做什么呢?
Why do I need “and the earth” [et ha’aretz]?
注:本段接续上一面末尾 拉比阿奇瓦 的回答:「天」前的宾格小词(אֶת)是为表明被造的天,那么「地」前的同一小词另有所教。
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是要教导:在创造的次序上,天在地先。
To teach that heaven preceded earth in the order of Creation.
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下一节经文说:「地是空虚混沌」(创世记 1:2)。
The next verse states: “And the earth was unformed and void” (Genesis 1:2).
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革玛拉问:毕竟经文开头是先讲天的,第二节又有什么不同呢?
The Gemara asks: After all, the Bible began with heaven first; what is different about the second verse?
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为什么经文在第二节先叙述地的创造呢?
Why does the Bible recount the creation of earth first in the second verse?
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拉比以实玛利 学派的贤士教导:这可以用一个比喻来解释:好比一位血肉之躯的君王,对他的臣仆说:你们要早起,到我门前来。
The Sage of the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: This can be explained by a parable of a flesh-and-blood king who said to his servants: Rise early and come to my entrance.
注:「拉比以实玛利 学派的贤士」原文 תָּנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל。
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他起来,看见妇女和男人都在那里等候他。
He arose and found women and men waiting for him.
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他称赞谁呢?
Whom does he praise?
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称赞那些不惯早起、却仍然早起的人,就是那些妇女。
Those who are unaccustomed to rising early but yet rose early, the women.
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地也是这样:它既是卑下、属物质的一界,我们本不料它会与天一同被造。
The same applies to the earth: Since it is a lowly, physical sphere, we would not have expected it to be created together with heaven.
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所以经文理当多讲论它。
Therefore, it is fitting to discuss it at greater length.