Vayak'hel: Chapter 6

In the works of Creation, He set conditions for everything

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba says that when God created the world He foresaw events and created conditions for everything. When He created the fish he stipulated that a certain fish in the future would swallow Jonah. When He created the heavens He stipulated that they would raise Elijah by a storm of wind. When He created the firmament to divide water from water He stipulated that the waters would divide between defilement and purity so that Yisrael might purify in them. When He divided the land from the sea He stipulated that it would let Yisrael pass on dry land but drown the Egyptians. Also He stipulated that the dry land would open its mouth and swallow Korach and all his community. When He created the sun and moon He stipulated that the sun would stand still in the days of Joshua, and that the stars would fight Sisera. When He created the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky He stipulated that the ravens would feed Elijah and a fish would swallow Jonah and vomit him out again. When He created man He stipulated that a widow woman would descend from him and sustain Elijah. So He saw all these things on the six days of Creation.

74. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion and said "and Hashem spoke to the fish" (Yonah 2:11). HE ASKS: And where did He speak to the fish? AND ANSWERS: When the Holy One blessed be He, created the world, He created on the fifth day the fish of the sea. Then He commanded and said that in the future there will be a fish that would swallow Jonah, keep him in its bowels for three days and three nights and than vomit him out.

74. פָּתַח רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר, וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' לַדָּג וְגוֹ', וְכִי בְּאָן אֲתָר אָמַר לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית, בְּיוֹמָא חֲמִישָׁאָה בָּרָא נוּנֵי יַמָּא. כְּדֵין פָּקִיד וְאָמַר, דִּיְּהֵא זַמִין חַד נוּנָא לְמִבְלַע לְיוֹנָה, וִיֵּהֵא בְּמֵעוֹי תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין וּתְלַת לֵילָוָון, וּלְבָתַר דְּיִּרְמֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר.

75. And not only that, but to everything that the Holy One blessed be He, created at the time of the Creation, He added certain stipulations. On the first day He created the heavens and stipulated that they would raise Elijah up by a storm of wind. And so it happened, as written: "and Elijah went up by a storm of wind into heaven" (II Melachim 2:12). On that day He created the light, and stipulated that the sun will darken in Egypt for three days, as is written: "and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days" (Shemot 10:22).

75. וְלָא דָּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, אֶלָּא כָּל מַה דְּעַבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית, בְּכֹלָּא אַתְנֵי עִמֵּיהּ. בְּיוֹמָא קַדְמָאָה בָּרָא שְׁמַיָא, אַתְנֵי עִמְּהוֹן דִּיְסַלִיק לְאֵלִיָּהוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה בְּגוֹ סְעָרָה, וְכֵן הֲוָה, דִּכְתִּיב וַיַּעַל אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסֳּעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם. בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא בָּרָא נְהוֹרָא, וְאַתְנֵי עִמֵּיהּ דְּיַחְשִׁיךְ לְשִׁמְּשָׁא בְּמִצְרַיִם תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין, דִּכְתִּיב וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁלֹֹשֶׁת יָמִים.

76. On the second day He created the firmament to divide water from water. It was written: "And Elohim said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide water from water" (Beresheet 1:6). The Holy One, blessed be He, stipulated that the water will divide between defilement and purity so that Yisrael might be purified by them. And so it was.

76. בְּיוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא בָּרָא רְקִיעָא, דִּיהֵא מַפְרִישׁ בֵּין מַיָּא לְמַיָּא, כְּדִכְתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וַיְהִי מַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם. וְאַתְנֵי עִמְּהוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּמַיָּא יְהוֹן מַפְרִישִׁין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין טוּמְאָה לְטָהֳרָה, לְאִתְדַכְּאָה בְּהוּ, וְכַךְ הֲוָה.

77. On the third day He brought out earth out of the water, and collected the water into one place, to wit, the sea. He stipulated with the sea that it would let Yisrael pass in it on dry land, and drown the Egyptians. And so it was, as is written: "and the sea returned to its strength (Heb. le'eitano)" (Shemot 14:27). The word "le'eitano" by transposition of letters becomes "litna'o" (lit. 'to its condition'), viz. to what the Holy One blessed be He, stipulated with it at the time of the Creation. He also stipulated that the dry land would open its mouth at the time of the rebellion of Korah and swallow Korah and his entire community. And so it was, as is written: "and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and...Korah" (Bemidbar 16:32).

77. בְּיוֹמָא תְּלִיתָאָה אַפִּיק אַרְעָא מִגּוֹ מַיָּא, וְאַכְנִּישׁ לְמַיָּא, וַעֲבַד מֵהַהוּא כְּנִישׁוּ דְּאִתְכְּנָשׁוּ לְאֲתָר חַד, יַמָּא. וְאַתְנֵי בְּיַמָּא לְמֶעְבַּר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגַוֵּיהּ בְּיַבֶּשְׁתָּא, וּלְמִטְבַּע לְמִצְרָאֵי, וְכַךְ הֲוָה, דִּכְתִּיב וַיָּשָׁב הַיָּם לִפְנוֹת בֹּקֶר לְאֵיתָנוֹ. אַל תִּקְרֵי לְאֵיתָנוֹ, אֶלָּא לִתְנָאוֹ, לְמַּה דְּאַתְנִי עִמֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּבְרֵאשִׁית. תּוּ אַתְנֵי בְּאַרְעָא, דְּתִפְתַּח יַת פּוּמָהָא בְּמַחְלְקוֹתָא דְּקֹרַח, וְתִבְלַע לְקֹרַח וּלְכָל כְּנִישָׁתֵיהּ, וְכַךְ הֲוָה, דִּכְתִּיב וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת פִיהָ וְתִבְלַע אוֹתָם וְאֶת קֹרַח.

78. On the fourth day He created the sun and moon, as is written: "let there be lights in the firmaments of heaven" (Beresheet 1:14), and stipulated that with the sun, that it will stand on the zenith in the days of Joshua, as is written: "so the sun stood still in the middle of the sky" (Hoshea 10:13). He stipulated with the stars that they would fight Sisra, as is written: "the stars in their courses fought against Sisra" (Shoftim 5:20).

78. בְּיוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה, בָּרָא שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא, דִּכְתִּיב יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאַתְנֵי עִם שִׁמְשָׁא, לְמֶהֱוֵי קָאֵים בְּפַלְגּוּ שְׁמַיָּא בְּיוֹמֵי דִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ, דִּכְתִּיב וַיַּעֲמוֹד הַשֶּׂמֶשׁ בַּחֲצִי הַשָּׁמַיִם. אַתְנֵי בְּכֹכָבַיָּא לְמֶעְבַּד קְרָבָא בְּסִיסְרָא, דִּכְתִּיב הַכֹּכָבִים מִמְּסִלּוֹתָם נִלְחַמוּ עִם סִיסְרָא.

79. On the fifth day, He created the fish of the sea and the birds in the sky. He stipulated with the birds that the ravens would feed Elijah as is written: "and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there" (I Melachim 17:4); "commanded" precisely, AT THE WORKS OF CREATION. Also He stipulated with the fish that one fish would come and swallow Jonah, and then vomit him out.

79. בְּיוֹמָא חֲמִישָׁאָה בָּרָא נוּנֵי יַמָּא, וְעוֹפֵי דִּשְׁמַיָּא, אַתְנֵי בְּעוֹפֵי לְמֵיזָן עוֹרְבִים לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, בְּזִמְנָא דְּעָצַר לִשְׁמַיָּא, דִּכְתִּיב וְאֶת הָעוֹרְבִים צִוִּיתִי לְכַלְכְּלְךָ שָׁם. צִוִּיתִי דַּיְיקָא. וְאַתְנֵי בְּנוּנֵי יַמָּא לְאִזְדַּמְּנָא נוּנָא חַד, לְמִבְלַע לֵיהּ לְיוֹנָה, וּלְאַשְׁדָּאָה לֵיהּ לְבַר.

80. On the sixth day He created Adam, and stipulated with him that a certain woman would descend from him and sustain Elijah, as is written: "behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain you" (I Melachim 17:9). I have commanded, namely, at the time of the Creation of the World. In the same manner, "Hashem spoke to the fish," spoke on the six days of Creation.

80. בְּיוֹמָא שְׁתִּיתָאָה בָּרָא לְאָדָם, וְאַתְנֵי עִמֵּיהּ, דְּתִפּוֹק מִנֵּיהּ אִתְּתָא, דְּתֵיזוּן לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב הִנֵּה צִוִּיתִי שָׁם אִשָׁה אַלְמָנָה לְכַלְכְּלֶךָ. הִנֵּה צִוִּיתִי, מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא. וְכֵן בְּכָל עוֹבָדָא וְעוֹבָדָא דְּאִתְחַדֵּשׁ בְּעָלְמָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּקִיד הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי עָלְמָא. אוּף הָכָא, וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' לַדָּג. וַיֹּאמֶר, מִשִּׁית יוֹמִין דִּבְרֵאשִׁית קָאָמַר לֵיהּ.

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