<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Piyyutim of HaKalir Regarding the Creation of the Earth (and
eilu v'eilu)</font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Rebbi Eliezer (RH 10b) states the world was created in
Tishrei, whereas Rebbi Yehoshua states the world was created in Nissan. (Rosh
HaShannah 10b.) </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Following the principle that sans Hashem creating the universe,
there was no time or seasons, for they themselves were part and parcel of
Creation, we may suggest one of the following interpretations:</font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">1. The machlokes is over whether, when Hashem placed the astronomical
bodies, such as the sun and stars, in their places on the 4^th day, He
placed them in relation to the earth in the way they are in the Fall or the
Spring. So that Adam found himself in the Fall or the Spring.</font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">2 These Tannaim are not speaking at all about physical
seasons and climates, but about the middah in which Hashem decided to have the
world run, Tishrei signifying din and strict justice, Nissan signifying
rachamim. (One would have to say that this is true of the other events listed,
as well, or that this part of the statements was meant in a different sense.) This
understanding would then parallel the Chazal that originally Hashem desired to
create the world in din, but actually created the world in rachamim. To avoid
the absurdity of Hashem changing His mind, this in turn could be interpreted to
mean that Hashem had two legitimate choices before Him and He chose the latter.</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Regardless...</font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12pt">Tosafos (RH 27a) poses a contradiction in the piyyutim of R.
Elazar HaKalir. He says that in the Geshem piyyut recited on Shemini Atzeres,
R. Kalir states that the world was created in Tishrei aligning with Rebbi Eliezer), whereas in his piyyut for
Pesach he states that the world was created in Nissan (aligning with Rebbi Yehoshua).</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Tosafos answers that Rabbeinu Tam said ''Eilu VeEilu Divrei
Elokim Chaim.'' He then adds: ''And one may say that in Tishrei the thought
rose to create, but it wasn't created until Nissan.'' I think it is more likely
that the second statement is an explanation of the first, rather than an
alternate one.</font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">But it occurred to me that we know that Tosafos (Chagigah
13a) considers R. Eliezer HaKalir to be the Tanna Eliezer, son of Shimon bar
Yochai. What is Tosafos' meaning, then, by the words ''eilu v'eilu divrei Elokim
Chaim? If R. Eliezer HaKalir is himself a Tanna, Tosafos would consider him quite
entitled to disagree with both Rebbi Eliezer and Rebbi Yehoshua, and qualified
to offer a third, independent opinion on this matter. </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">It seems that he is saying that R. Eliezer Hakalir held that although
Rebbi Yehoshua was correct as to ''when'' (either literally, or in the sense of
in what seasonal position vis a vis the heavenly bodies, or according to which
middah the world would run) Hashem actually created the earth, Rebbi Eliezer
had a point--hence, his words were divrei Elokim--in that Hashem had strongly entertained the possibility of--creating
the universe / positioning the earth vis a vis the heavenly bodies / conducting
the world according to the middah of--Tishrei. And the latter is what HaKalir
means in his Shemini Atzeres Geshem piyyut when he says the world was ''created''
in Tishrei.</font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">One problem that remains, however, is that I have not been
able to find any piyyut in our machzorim, Geshem on Shemini Atzeres or otherwise,
that says anything about the world being created in Tishrei!</font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:12pt"><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="arial, sans-serif">Zvi Lampel</font></span></p></div>