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.

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).

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.