148. "And Elohim saw the light, that it was good" (Beresheet 1:4). What did He see? Rabbi Chiya said that this implies that He foresaw the actions of the wicked and stored the light, as we said before. Rabbi Aba DISAGREES, AND says, "And Elohim saw the light, that it was good," to store it away. THAT IS, HE DID NOT LOOK AT THE ACTIONS OF THE WICKED, BUT SAW THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE LIGHT ITSELF, AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS GOOD FOR IT TO BE CONCEALED AND NOT REVEALED TO THE WORLD. "And Elohim saw the light." He saw its radiance beaming from one end of the world to the other, and He saw that it was better to store it, so that sinners might not benefit from it.
148. וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב, מַאי רָאָה אָמַר רָבִּי חִיָּיא כִּדְקָאֲמָרָן, חָמָא בְּעוֹבָדַיְיהוּ דְּרַשִּׁיעַיָיא וְגָנֵיז לֵיהּ. ר' אַבָּא אֲמַר וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב לִגְנוֹז אוֹתוֹ. וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת הָאוֹר, דְּסָלֵיק נְהוֹרֵיהּ מִסְיָיפֵי עָלְמָא עַד סְיָיפֵי עָלְמָא, וְכִי טוֹב הוּא לְאַגְנָזָא לֵיהּ דְּלָא יֶהֱנוּן מִנֵּיהּ חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא.