איוב, פרק כ״ו, פסוק י״א

The absolute stability of the universe is not a natural, independent feature of the world, but the direct result of God's control over nature. Even the mightiest foundations of creation are entirely subject to His laws, reacting to His power with deep awe and trembling.

There are different ways to understand the nature of these mighty foundations that support the sky. They can be seen as the heavens themselves, formed from a mixture of fire and water [אלשיך], or as the complex web of connections and influences that bind the sky and the earth together [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, these pillars may be a metaphor for the earth itself, serving as the central foundation upon which the sky rests [מצודת דוד]. Others suggest this refers to the towering mountains on earth, with peaks so high they seem to touch the heavens [תקות אנוש].

These massive structures are not entirely rigid. They experience movement, shaking, and violent quaking [רלב״ג, מצודת ציון, רמב״ן], or a general sense of weakening and loosening [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Looking back at the dawn of creation, the skies were initially in a loose, weak, and fluid state, completely unable to hold themselves together without divine support [רש״י, אלשיך].

When God exerts His authority over nature, the reaction of these foundations is profound. Some explain that the response is one of sudden freezing and hardening. Just as a person might freeze in shock when threatened, God's sharp command halted the initial shaking of creation. This caused the once-loose skies to stabilize, harden, and lock firmly into place [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אלשיך]. On the other hand, the reaction can be understood as deep confusion and anxiety, much like a person who is lost and terrified, showing how easily the power of the heavens is broken by God's voice [רמב״ן, תקות אנוש, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. This divine command often reveals itself through overwhelming natural forces that shake the world's foundations, such as the crash of thunder [רמב״ן] or massive earthquakes triggered by trapped air erupting from beneath the mountains [תקות אנוש].