Com dez pronunciamentos (ma'amaroth) o mundo foi criado, [nove "E Ele disse", e "No princípio" também é um pronunciamento, viz. (Salmos 33: 6): "Pela palavra do Senhor foram feitos os céus."] O que estamos sendo ensinados por este meio? Não poderia ter sido criado com um pronunciamento? Mas, [isto foi afirmado] para punição exata dos iníquos que destroem o mundo, que foi criado com dez pronunciamentos [Pois se alguém destrói uma alma judaica, é como se ele destruísse um mundo inteiro, e os iníquos, que em seus pecados destruir suas almas, são contados como tendo destruído o mundo inteiro. (Assim descobri.) E para mim parece que eles destroem o mundo em si, pois inclinam todo o mundo à escala da punição, para que seja destruído por causa deles. "Com dez pronunciamentos": não há comparação entre destruir uma obra criada em um dia e (destruir) uma obra criada em muitos dias] e dar uma boa recompensa aos tzaddikim, que sustentam o mundo, que foi criado com dez pronunciamentos. .
Pirkei Avot
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai. He used to say: if you have learned much Torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Johanan] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force. He [Rabbi Yohanan] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all.
Ten miracles were wrought for our ancestors in Egypt, and ten at the sea. Ten plagues did the Holy one, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea. [With] ten trials did our ancestors try God, blessed be He, in the Wilderness, as it is said, “and they have tried Me these ten times and they have not listened to my voice” (Numbers 14:22).
Ten wonders were wrought for our ancestors in the Temple: [1] no woman miscarried from the odor of the sacred flesh; [2] the sacred flesh never became putrid; [3] no fly was ever seen in the slaughterhouse; [4] no emission occurred to the high priest on the Day of Atonement; [5] the rains did not extinguish the fire of the woodpile; [6] the wind did not prevail against the column of smoke; [7] no defect was found in the omer, or in the two loaves, or in the showbread; [8] the people stood pressed together, yet bowed down and had room enough; [9] never did a serpent or a scorpion harm anyone in Jerusalem; [10] and no man said to his fellow: the place is too congested for me to lodge overnight in Jerusalem.