Selections from Rashi (vegetarian) Commentary on the Holy Tanakh: Genesis 1:1–1:16, Part 1 of 2

[In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth. ~ Genesis 1:1, Holy Hebrew Bible (Holy Tanakh)] “If, however, you wish to explain it in its plain sense, explain it thus: At the beginning of the Creation of Heaven and Earth when the Earth was without form and void and there was darkness, God said, ‘Let there be light.’ The text does not intend to point out the order of the acts of Creation — to state that these (Heaven and Earth) were created first; for if it intended to point this out, it should have written ‘At first God created etc.’ [… ] As a matter of fact, the waters were created before Heaven and Earth, for, lo, it is written, [Genesis 1:2] ‘The Spirit of God was hovering on the face of the waters,’ and Scripture had not yet disclosed when the creation of the waters took place — consequently you must learn from this that the creation of the waters preceded that of the Earth. And a further proof that the Heavens and Earth were not the first thing created is that the Heavens were created from fire and water, from which it follows that fire and water were in existence before the Heavens.”

[Now the Earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. ~ Genesis 1:2, Holy Hebrew Bible (Holy Tanakh)] “Rashi on Genesis 1:2 DESOLATE AND VOID — The word signifies astonishment and amazement, for a person would have been astonished and amazed at its emptiness. […] VOID — The word signifies emptiness and empty space. ON THE FACE OF THE DEEP — i.e. the waters which were upon the Earth. AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS HOVERING — The throne of Divine Glory was standing in space, hovering over the face of the waters by the breath of the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, and by His command, even as a dove hovers over its nest. […]”