Stubborn Rocks and Disobedient Seas: Nature's Personified Power in Classical Sources

When David came to dig the foundations of the Temple he dug five thousand cubits and did not find the Deep [tehom]. Finally he found one cluster / potsherd of stone and was about to lift it, when the rock spoke to him, saying: do not.

"Why?" asked David.

The rock said: "I was placed here to block the Deep [Tehom, flood waters]."

David said, "How long have you been here?"

"Since the time that the Compassionate One's voice was sounded in Sinai 'I am the Lord your God' [the first of the ten utterances], the earth trembled and sank, [and therefore the waters rose] and I was placed here to block the Deep.

Even so, he did not listen to the rock. He lifted it and the Deep rose up and wanted to flood the world.

Achitophel came and stood there. He said, "now therefore David will drown and I will rule."

David said: "One who is wise and knows how to solve [this potential disaster] and does not solve it, may his end be suffocation."

He said what he said, and he [Achitophel] gave the answer [to the rising waters].

David began, saying: "a song, Song of Ascent [Shir HaMa'alot], a song for one hundred ascents, of all one hundred amot [a standard Temple measurement of six handbreaths]" he was saying this song;

even so [Achitophel] died by suffocation.

(4) The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses! "Stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it" (ibid. 16). "And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea" (ibid. 21), but the sea refused to be divided. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He looked at the sea, and the waters saw the face of the Holy One, blessed be He, and they trembled and quaked, and descended into the depths, as it is said, "The waters saw thee, O God; the waters saw thee, they were afraid: the depths also trembled" (Ps. lxxvii. 16).

(10) Rabbi Simon said: On the fourth day the Israelites encamped by the edge of the sea, and to the south of the sea. The Egyptians were floating like skin-bottles upon the surface of the waters, and a north wind went forth and cast them opposite the camp of Israel, and the Israelites went and saw them, and they recognized them, and they said: These (here) were the officials of the palace of Pharaoh, and those (there) were the taskmasters, and they recognized every one, as it is said, "And Israel saw the Egyptians || dead upon the sea shore" (ibid. xiv. 30).

(14) "Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Ex. xv. 12). The Holy One, blessed be He, told the earth to bury the slain. (The earth) said unto Him: Sovereign of all worlds! The waters have killed them, let the waters swallow them. He answered (the earth) saying: On this occasion receive them; on another occasion such that be killed by thee in the future will I cast into the sea, namely, Sisera and all his host, these will I cast into the sea, as it is said, "The river Kishon swept them away, that ancient river" (Judg. v. 21 ). (The earth) continued, saying to Him: Give me the oath by Thy right hand, that Thou wilt not claim them at my hand. The Holy One, blessed be He, put forth His right hand, and swore to the earth that He would not claim them, as it is said, "Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Ex. xv. 12). All the kings of the earth heard of the departure from Egypt, and the dividing of the Reed Sea; they trembled and feared, and fled from their place, as it is said, "The peoples have heard, they tremble" (ibid. 14).

And Rav Yehuda, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya, says: From the day the earth opened its mouth and received the blood of Abel, its mouth has not opened again, as it is stated: “From the corner of the earth have we heard songs: Glory to the righteous” (Isaiah 24:16): One can infer that the songs are heard “from the corner of the earth,” but not from the mouth of the earth, as the earth never again opened its mouth. Ḥizkiyya, Rav Yehuda’s brother, raised an objection to Rav Yehuda, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya: The verse states concerning Korah and his assembly: “And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods” (Numbers 16:32). Rav Yehuda, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya, said to him: It opened again for a deleterious purpose; it did not open again for a constructive purpose.

(9) "And God said: let the earth put forth grass"(Gen. 1:11). It was taught in the name of Rabbi Natan: three entered for judgment, and four emerged guilty, and these are they: Adam and Eve and the serpent entered for judgment, and the Earth was cursed with them, as it says: "The earth will be cursed because of you" (Gen. 3:17),[which means] it will bring up cursed things for you, like flies and mosquitos and fleas. Rabbi Yitzchak from Gedela'ah said: Even they are the source of some benefit. Why was the Earth cursed? Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Shimon [Shalom] and Rabbi Pinchas [disagreed], Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Shimon [Shalom] said: because the Earth transgressed a commandment; The Holy Blessed One said to her [Earth] "let the earth put forth grass etc." just as the fruit is eaten, so too the tree is eaten and she did not do so, but rather "the earth put forth grass" - the fruit was edible, but the tree was not edible. Rabbi Pinchas said: she added to the commandment - she strengthened the will of her Creator "a fruit-bearing tree" - even barren trees produced fruit. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Shimon [Shalom] it makes sense, but according to the opinion of Rabbi Pinchas why was the Earth cursed? Rather, it's like a person who says: 'they were cursed due to their disgraceful nursemaid.'

The Gemara asks: And is it correct that one who repents of the sin of forbidden sexual intercourse does not die? But isn’t it taught in a baraita: They said about Rabbi Elazar ben Durdayya that he was so promiscuous that he did not leave one prostitute in the world with whom he did not engage in sexual intercourse. Once, he heard that there was one prostitute in one of the cities overseas who would take a purse full of dinars as her payment. He took a purse full of dinars and went and crossed seven rivers to reach her. When they were engaged in the matters to which they were accustomed, a euphemism for intercourse, she passed wind and said: Just as this passed wind will not return to its place, so too Elazar ben Durdayya will not be accepted in repentance, even if he were to try to repent. This statement deeply shocked Elazar ben Durdayya, and he went and sat between two mountains and hills and said: Mountains and hills, pray for mercy on my behalf, so that my repentance will be accepted. They said to him: Before we pray for mercy on your behalf, we must pray for mercy on our own behalf, as it is stated: “For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed” (Isaiah 54:10). He said: Heaven and earth, pray for mercy on my behalf. They said to him: Before we pray for mercy on your behalf, we must pray for mercy on our own behalf, as it is stated: “For the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment” (Isaiah 51:6). He said: Sun and moon, pray for mercy on my behalf. They said to him: Before we pray for mercy on your behalf, we must pray for mercy on our own behalf, as it is stated: “Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed” (Isaiah 24:23). He said: Stars and constellations, pray for mercy on my behalf. They said to him: Before we pray for mercy on your behalf, we must pray for mercy on our own behalf, as it is stated: “And all the hosts of heaven shall molder away” (Isaiah 34:4). Elazar ben Durdayya said: Clearly the matter depends on nothing other than myself. He placed his head between his knees and cried loudly until his soul left his body. A Divine Voice emerged and said: Rabbi Elazar ben Durdayya is destined for life in the World-to-Come. The Gemara explains the difficulty presented by this story: And here Elazar ben Durdayya was guilty of the sin of forbidden sexual intercourse, and yet he died once he repented. The Gemara answers: There too, since he was attached so strongly to the sin, to an extent that transcended the physical temptation he felt, it is similar to heresy, as it had become like a form of idol worship for him. When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi heard this story of Elazar ben Durdayya, he wept and said: There is one who acquires his share in the World-to-Come only after many years of toil, and there is one who acquires his share in the World-to-Come in one moment. And Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi further says: Not only are penitents accepted, but they are even called: Rabbi, as the Divine Voice referred to Elazar ben Durdayya as Rabbi Elazar ben Durdayya.