R. Abba then discoursed on the text: “And the Lord (had) said unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 2, 11). ‘Where and when did God speak to the fish?’ he asked. ‘It was’, he replied, ‘at the time of Creation, when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world; to wit, on the fifth day, when He created the fishes of the sea. Then He ordained and appointed a certain fish to swallow up Jonah and retain him in its body three days and three nights and then eject him.
And not only in this case, but with all that He created did God make certain stipulations. Thus, on the first day, when He created the heavens, He stipulated with them that they should take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, and so it was, as it is written, “and Elijah went up1And it does not say, “and God took up”, by a special act. by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2, 11). On the same day He created the light and stipulated with it that the sun should become darkened in Egypt three days, as it is written, “and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days” (Ex. 10, 22).
On the second day He created the firmament to divide the waters from the waters, and in doing so He stipulated that they should separate between defilement and purity on behalf of Israel and be to them a means of cleansing, and so it was.
On the third day He made the dry land emerge from the waters and caused the waters to be gathered together into one place, forming from them the sea, and He stipulated with it that it should allow the Israelites to pass through it on dry land and then overwhelm the Egyptians. And so it happened, as it is written, “and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared” (Ex. 14, 27), where the term I’ethano (to its strength), by a transposition of letters, can be read litnao (to its stipulation). In addition, God stipulated with the earth that it should open its mouth on the occasion of the rebellion of Korah and swallow him up with all his company. And so it happened.
On the fourth day he created the sun and the moon, and He stipulated with the sun that he should stand still in the midst of heaven in the days of Joshua; He also stipulated with the stars that they should wage war against Sisera.
On the fifth day He created the fishes of the sea and the birds of heaven. With the birds he stipulated that they should feed Elijah when he restrained the heaven from rain, as it is written: “and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there” (I Kings 17, 4); and He stipulated with the fishes of the sea to appoint one fish that should swallow up Jonah and then eject him.
On the sixth day He created Adam and stipulated with him that a woman should descend from him who should sustain Elijah, as it is written, “Behold I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee” (Ibid. 17, 9). Similarly, in regard to every unique phenomenon that has happened in the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, had predestined it from the time when the world was created. And so here the meaning of “And the Lord said to the fish” is that He had commanded it at the creation of the world.
פָּתַח רִבִּי אַבָּא וְאָמַר, (יונה ב) 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.
R. Abba then discoursed on the text: “And the Lord (had) said unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 2, 11). ‘Where and when did God speak to the fish?’ he asked. ‘It was’, he replied, ‘at the time of Creation, when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world; to wit, on the fifth day, when He created the fishes of the sea. Then He ordained and appointed a certain fish to swallow up Jonah and retain him in its body three days and three nights and then eject him.
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, (מלכים ב ב׳:י״א) וַיַּעַל אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּסֳּעָרָה הַשָּׁמָיִם. בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא בָּרָא נְהוֹרָא, וְאַתְנִי עִמֵּיהּ דְּיַחְשִׁיךְ לְשִׁמְּשָׁא בְּמִצְרַיִם תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמות י׳:כ״ב) וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים.
And not only in this case, but with all that He created did God make certain stipulations. Thus, on the first day, when He created the heavens, He stipulated with them that they should take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, and so it was, as it is written, “and Elijah went up1And it does not say, “and God took up”, by a special act. by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2, 11). On the same day He created the light and stipulated with it that the sun should become darkened in Egypt three days, as it is written, “and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days” (Ex. 10, 22).
בְּיוֹמָא תִּנְיָינָא בָּרָא רְקִיעָא, דִּיהֵא מַפְרִישׁ בֵּין מַיָּא לְמַיָּא, כְּדִכְתִיב (בראשית א׳:ו׳) וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי רָקִיעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּיִם וַיְהִי מַבְדִּיל בֵּין מַיִם לָמָיִם. וְאַתְנִי עִמְּהוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּמַיָּא יְהוֹן מַפְרִישִׁין לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין טוּמְאָה לְטָהֳרָה, לְאִתְדַכְּאָה בְּהוּ, וְכַךְ הֲוָה.
On the second day He created the firmament to divide the waters from the waters, and in doing so He stipulated that they should separate between defilement and purity on behalf of Israel and be to them a means of cleansing, and so it was.
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, (שמות י״ד:כ״ז) 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, (במדבר ט״ז:ל״ב) וַתִּפְתַּח הָאָרֶץ אֶת פִיהָ וְתִבְלַע אוֹתָם וְאֶת קֹרַח.
On the third day He made the dry land emerge from the waters and caused the waters to be gathered together into one place, forming from them the sea, and He stipulated with it that it should allow the Israelites to pass through it on dry land and then overwhelm the Egyptians. And so it happened, as it is written, “and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared” (Ex. 14, 27), where the term I’ethano (to its strength), by a transposition of letters, can be read litnao (to its stipulation). In addition, God stipulated with the earth that it should open its mouth on the occasion of the rebellion of Korah and swallow him up with all his company. And so it happened.
בְּיוֹמָא רְבִיעָאָה, בָּרָא שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא, דִּכְתִּיב יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאַתְנֵי עִם שִׁמְשָׁא, לְמֶהוֵי קָאִים בְּפַלְגּוּ שְׁמַיָּא בְּיוֹמֵי דִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ, דִּכְתִּיב, (יהושע י יב) וַיַּעֲמוֹד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בַּחֲצִי הַשָּׁמַיִם. אַתְנִי בְּכֹכָבַיָּא לְמֶעְבַּד קְרָבָא בְּסִיסְרָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (שופטים ה׳:כ׳) הַכֹּכָבִים מִמְּסִלּוֹתָם נִלְחַמוּ עִם סִיסְרָא.
On the fourth day he created the sun and the moon, and He stipulated with the sun that he should stand still in the midst of heaven in the days of Joshua; He also stipulated with the stars that they should wage war against Sisera.
בְּיוֹמָא חֲמִישָׁאָה בָּרָא נוּנֵי יַמָּא, וְעוֹפֵי דִּשְׁמַיָּא, אַתְנִי בְּעוֹפֵי לְמֵיזָן עוֹרְבִים לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, בְּזִמְנָא דְּעָצַר לִשְׁמַיָּא, דִּכְתִּיב, (מלכים א י״ז:ד׳) וְאֶת הָעוֹרְבִים צִוִּיתִי לְכַלְכְּלְךָ שָׁם. צִוִּיתִי דַּיְיקָא. וְאַתְנֵי בְּנוּנֵי יַמָּא לְאִזְדַּמְּנָא נוּנָא חַד, לְמִבְלַע לֵיהּ לְיוֹנָה, וּלְאַשְׁדָּאָה לֵיהּ לְבַר.
On the fifth day He created the fishes of the sea and the birds of heaven. With the birds he stipulated that they should feed Elijah when he restrained the heaven from rain, as it is written: “and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there” (I Kings 17, 4); and He stipulated with the fishes of the sea to appoint one fish that should swallow up Jonah and then eject him.
בְּיוֹמָא שְׁתִּיתָאָה בָּרָא לְאָדָם, וְאַתְנֵי עִמֵּיהּ, דְּתִפּוֹק מִנֵּיהּ אִתְּתָא, דְּתֵיזוּן לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב, (מלכים א י״ז:ט׳) 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 דִּבְרִאשִׁית קָאָמַר לֵיהּ.
On the sixth day He created Adam and stipulated with him that a woman should descend from him who should sustain Elijah, as it is written, “Behold I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee” (Ibid. 17, 9). Similarly, in regard to every unique phenomenon that has happened in the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, had predestined it from the time when the world was created. And so here the meaning of “And the Lord said to the fish” is that He had commanded it at the creation of the world.