Kohelet Rabbah 1.5

וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר, וְכִי אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁזָּרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ, אֶלָּא מָה הוּא כֵן, עַד שֶׁלֹא יִשְׁקַע שִׁמְשׁוֹ שֶׁל צַדִּיק זֶה, הוּא מַזְרִיחַ שִׁמְשׁוֹ שֶׁל צַדִּיק אַחֵר, יוֹם שֶׁמֵּת רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא נוֹלַד רַבִּי, וְקָרְאוּ עָלָיו פָּסוּק זֶה: וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. יוֹם שֶׁמֵּת רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה נוֹלַד רַב הַמְנוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ, וְקָרְאוּ עָלָיו וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשֶּׁמָשׁ. יוֹם שֶׁמֵּת רַב הַמְנוּנָא נוֹלַד רַבִּי אָבִין בְּרֵיהּ, וְקָרְאוּ עָלָיו וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. יוֹם שֶׁמֵּת רַבִּי אָבִין נוֹלַד אַבָּא הוֹשַׁעְיָא אִישׁ טְרָיָא, וְקָרְאוּ עָלָיו וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ. עַד שֶׁלֹא הִשְׁקִיעַ שִׁמְשָׁהּ שֶׁל שָׂרָה הִזְרִיחַ שִׁמְשָׁהּ שֶׁל רִבְקָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית כב, כג): וּבְתוּאֵל יָלַד אֶת רִבְקָה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ וַתָּמָת שָׂרָה בְּקִרְיַת אַרְבַּע, וּכְתִיב (בראשית כד, סז): וַיְבִאֶהָ יִצְחָק הָאֹהֱלָה שָׂרָה אִמּוֹ. עַד שֶׁלֹא הִשְׁקִיעַ שִׁמְשׁוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה הִזְרִיחַ שִׁמְשׁוֹ שֶׁל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. עַד שֶׁלֹא הִשְׁקִיעַ שִׁמְשׁוֹ שֶׁל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הִזְרִיחַ שִׁמְשׁוֹ שֶׁל עָתְנִיאֵל, וְהוּא יַעְבֵּץ, וְכֵן כֻּלָּם, בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר, הֱוֵי: וְזָרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וּבָא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ.

“The sun rises and the sun sets, and it hastens to its place where it arises” (Ecclesiastes 1:5). “The sun rises.” Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: Don’t we know that “the sun rises and the sun sets”? Rather, to what is it [alluding]? Before the sun of one righteous individual sets, He causes the sun of another righteous individual to rise. The day that Rabbi Akiva died, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] was born, and they read this verse in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” The day that Rav Ada bar Ahava died, Rav Hamnuna his son was born, and they read in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” The day that Rav Hamnuna died, Rabbi Avin his son was born, and they read in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” The day that Rabbi Avin died, Abba Hoshaya of Teraya was born, and they read in his regard: “The sun rises and the sun sets.” Before the sun of Sarah set, the sun of Rebecca rose. That is what is written: “Betuel begot Rebecca” (Genesis 22:23), and then, “Sarah died in Kiryat Arba” (Genesis 23:2), and it is written: “Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah” (Genesis 24:67). Before the sun of Moses set, the sun of Joshua rose. Before the sun of Joshua set, the sun of Otniel, who is Yabetz, rose. So it is with all of them in each and every generation; that is, “the sun rises and the sun sets.”

תָּנֵי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי נָתָן, גַּלְגַּל חַמָּה יֵשׁ לוֹ נַרְתֵּק, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים יט, ה): לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ שָׂם אֹהֶל בָּהֶם, וּבְרֵכָה שֶׁל מַיִם לְפָנָיו, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה לָצֵאת הוּא מְשׁוּלְהֶבֶת, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַתִּישׁ כֹּחוֹ בַּמַּיִם כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא יִשְׂרֹף אֶת הָעוֹלָם, אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְעַרְטְלוֹ וּמְהַשְׁתְּקוֹ וּמְנַרְתְּקוֹ, וּמְלַהֵט אוֹתוֹ בָּרְשָׁעִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג, יט): כִּי הִנֵּה הַיּוֹם בָּא בֹּעֵר כַּתַּנּוּר וגו'. רַבִּי יַנַּאי וְרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, תַּרְוֵיהוֹן אָמְרִין אֵין גֵּיהִנֹּם לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא אֶלָּא שֶׁמֶשׁ הִיא יוֹצְאָה, צַדִּיקִים נֶהֱנִין מִמֶּנָּהּ, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג, יט): וְזָרְחָה לָכֶם יִרְאֵי שְׁמִי שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה וּמַרְפֵּא בִּכְנָפֶיהָ, וּרְשָׁעִים נִדּוֹנִין בָּהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלאכי ג, יט): וְלִהַט אֹתָם הַיּוֹם הַבָּא.

It is taught in the name of Rabbi Natan: The sphere of the sun has a pouch; that is what is written: “He set a tent for the sun in them” (Psalms 19:5). There is a pool of water before it. When [the sun] seeks to emerge, it becomes enflamed, and the Holy One blessed be He weakens its strength with water so it will not incinerate the world. But in the future, the Holy One blessed be He will strip it from its pouch, expose it, and incinerate the wicked with it, as it is stated: “For, behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, [and all the criminals and all those who do evil will be straw; the day that is coming will burn them]” (Malachi 3:19). Rabbi Yannai and Rabbi Yishmael, both of them say: There is no Gehenna in the future; rather, the sun will emerge. The righteous will benefit from it. From where [is this derived]? It is as it is stated: “It will rise for those who fear My name, a sun of righteousness with healing in its wings” (Malachi 3:20). And the wicked will be punished with it, as it is stated: “The day that is coming will incinerate them” (Malachi 3:19).