Midrash for Pirkei Avot 5:1

בַּעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, וַהֲלֹא בְמַאֲמָר אֶחָד יָכוֹל לְהִבָּרְאוֹת, אֶלָּא לְהִפָּרַע מִן הָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁמְּאַבְּדִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת, וְלִתֵּן שָׂכָר טוֹב לַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁמְּקַיְּמִין אֶת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בַעֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת:

With ten pronouncements (ma'amaroth) the world was created, [nine "And He said," and "In the beginning" is also a pronouncement, viz. (Psalms 33:6): "By the word of the L rd the heavens were made."] What are we hereby being taught? Could it not have been created with one pronouncement? But, [this was stated] to exact punishment of the wicked who destroy the world, which was created with ten pronouncements [For if one destroys one Jewish soul it is as if he destroys an entire world, and the wicked, who in their sins destroy their souls, are reckoned as having destroyed the entire world. (Thus have I found.) And to me it seems that they destroy the world itself, for they incline all of the world to the scale of punishment, so that it is destroyed because of them. "With ten pronouncements": There is no comparison between destroying a work created in one day and (destroying) a work created in many days], and to give goodly reward to the tzaddikim, who sustain the world, which was created with ten pronouncements.

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

There (in the north) is the abode of the destroying spirits, earthquakes, winds, demons, lightnings and thunders; thence evil issues forth into the world, as it is said, "Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth" (Jer. 1:14). Some say by ten Sayings was the world created || and in three (Divine attributes) are these (ten Sayings) comprised, as it is said, "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens, by his knowledge the depths were broken up" (Prov. 3:19, 20). By these three (attributes) was the Tabernacle made, as it is said, "And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, and with knowledge" (Ex. 31:3). Likewise with these three (attributes) was the Temple made, as it is said, "He was the son of a widow woman of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and knowledge" (1 Kings 7:14). By these three attributes it will be rebuilt in the future, as it is said, "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge are the chambers filled" (Prov. 24:3, 4).

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