Hebraic Beasts and Where to Find Them Part 3: The Leviathan

(1) (Gen. 2:4, end:) IN THE DAY THAT THE LORD MADE EARTH AND HEAVEN. The Bet Shammay say:³⁸Cf. the longer version of this section in Gen. R. 12:14, where R. Simeon ben Johay gives the view represented here by the Bet Hillel. The conception < of creation came > by night; and the doing, by day. The Bet Hillel say: The conception <came> either by day or by night, and he completed work with the sun on the horizon.³⁹I.e., at sunset or dawn. See the Jastrow lexicon, s.v., dimdum. R. Levi said in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina:⁴⁰Gen. R. 11:9; see PR 46:2. On every day the Holy One created three creations. On the first he created heaven, earth, and the light. On the second he created the firmament, Gehinnom, and the ministering angels. On the third, trees, herbs, and rivers. On the fourth, sun, moon, and stars. On the fifth, fish, Leviathan,⁴¹See BB 74b; Gen. R. 7:4. and fowl. Now on the sixth, there were six things to create, those for the Sabbath eve and those for the Sabbath. These were the following (according to Gen. 1:24): LET THE EARTH BRING FORTH (1) THE LIVING CREATURE AFTER ITS KIND, (2) CATTLE, (3) CREEPING THINGS, AND (4) BEAST OF THE EARTH, plus Adam and Eve. The work of Adam, Eve, and of the beasts was completed. Then, when he had completed these, he wanted to create the rest; but the Sabbath was holy, as stated (in Gen. 2:1-3): THEN THE HEAVENS < AND THE EARTH > WERE FINISHED…. SO GOD FINISHED < ON THE SEVENTH DAY > … AND GOD BLESSED < THE SEVENTH DAY > … < BECAUSE ON IT HE RESTED FROM ALL HIS WORK > WHICH GOD HAD CREATED < TO MAKE >.

(1) (Exod. 16:29:) OBSERVE THAT THE LORD HAS GIVEN YOU THE SABBATH. What is the meaning of OBSERVE (re'u)? R. Isaac said: OBSERVE (re'u) how you reply to the peoples of the world. So if they say to you: Why do you keep the Sabbath? What miracles were done for you? OBSERVE THAT THE LORD HAS GIVEN YOU THE SABBATH. Say to them: On every day there came down one portion of manna; but on the day before the Sabbath, two portions. It is so stated (in Exod. 16:5): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS ON THE SIXTH DAY, THAT WHEN THEY PREPARE WHAT THEY BRING, IT WILL BE TWOFOLD…. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF TWOFOLD (MShNH)? If you say two, is it not already so stated (in Exod. 16:22): TWO OMERS APIECE? Hezekiah bar Hiyya said that it was different (MShNH) in its taste, in its aroma, and in its appearance. And not only that, but on every day, whoever had some of it left over from evening until morning caused a stench; yet concerning the Sabbath, it is written (in vs. 24): IT DID NOT HAVE A STENCH. Ergo, they gathered bread TWOFOLD (in the sense that it was different). [(Exod. 16:22:) THEN ALL THE PRINCES OF THE CONGREGATION CAME AND TOLD MOSES.] At that time he remembered that he had forgotten to tell them the section of Torah on the Sabbath, as the Holy One had told him. As soon as they came and spoke to him, Moses said to them (in vs. 23): THIS IS WHAT THE LORD HAS SPOKEN: TOMORROW IS A COMPLETE REST, A SABBATH HOLY TO THE LORD…. Jeremiah said (in Jer. 2:29): WHY DO YOU COMPLAIN AGAINST ME…? Even Moses, when I told him to tell them the section of Torah on the Sabbath, forgot and did not tell them. (Ibid., cont.:) ALL OF YOU HAVE SINNED AGAINST ME. R. Judah says: The Holy One honored the Sabbath in that on every day the manna came down, but on the Sabbath it did not come down. It is so stated (in Exod. 16:27): AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT ON THE SEVENTH DAY SOME OF THE PEOPLE WENT OUT TO GATHER < MANNA > AND FOUND NOTHING. Moses said to them: Whoever takes an omer per capita should not take more than that, as stated (in Exod. 16:19–20): LET NO ONE LEAVE ANY OF IT <UNTIL MORNING >. BUT THEY DID NOT HEED MOSES, AND <CERTAIN> PEOPLE LEFT SOME OF IT <UNTIL MORNING >. These were Dathan and Abiram.⁷⁷Below, Exod. 8:7; Exod. R. 1:29; 25:10. R. Joshua [of Sikhnin] said in the name of R. Levi: When they left some manna, worms came out from their tents (i.e., the tents of Dathan and Abiram) and entered the tents of Israel. So the Holy Spirit cries out and says over them: Do you think that you act in secret without it being revealed to me? (Jer. 23:24:) IF SOMEONE HIDES IN SECRET PLACES, SHALL I NOT SEE HIM? <SAYS THE LORD>…. The Holy One said: In this world you have eaten manna through the merit of your ancestors; but in the world to come I will feed you cattle, <i.e.,> Ziz and Leviathan. You will eat through your own merit. Thus it is stated (concerning Leviathan in Job 40:30 [41:6]): SHALL TRADE ASSOCIATES MAKE A BANQUET OF HIM? SHALL THEY DIVIDE HIM UP AMONG MERCHANTS?

(1) (Deut. 3:23:) I BESOUGHT THE LORD. For what? That he should enter the land. This text is related (to Ps. 61:2 [1]): HEAR {A JUST CAUSE}[MY SONG OF PRAYER],¹⁷Buber in a note suggests that there is a confusion here with Ps. 17:1. O GOD. He said to him: What do you want. He said to him (in vs. 3) FROM THE END OF THE EARTH I CALL UNTO YOU WHEN MY HEART IS FAINT. <LEAD ME TO A ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I.> The Holy One said to him (in Deut. 3:26): ENOUGH FROM YOU! DO NOT <EVER SPEAK UNTO ME ON THIS MATTER> AGAIN. [Moses said to him:] Sovereign of the World, you addressed me as MY SERVANT MOSES (in Numb. 12:7): NOT SO WITH MY SERVANT ('eved) MOSES. I am a servant ('eved), and Leviathan is a servant ('eved). I act the suppliant before you, and he acts the suppliant before you, as stated (in Job 40:27 [41:3]): WILL HE MAKE MANY SUPPLICATIONS UNTO YOU? The supplication of Leviathan you hear, for you have made a covenant with him and sustain him, as stated (in Job 40:28 [41:4]): WILL HE MAKE A COVENANT WITH YOU FOR YOU TO TAKE HIM AS YOUR SERVANT ('eved) FOREVER? Now I am your servant ('eved), you have said to me (in Exod. 34:10): I HEREBY MAKE A COVENANT. But you have not carried it out. Instead you have said to me (in Deut. 32:50): AND YOU SHALL DIE ON THE MOUNTAIN <THAT YOU ARE ASCENDING>…. And not only that, but you have written in the Torah and said (in Exod. 21:5–6): BUT IF THE SLAVE ('eved) SAYS: I LOVE MY MASTER, <MY WIFE, AND MY CHILDREN>; I WILL NOT GO AWAY A FREE PERSON. THEN HIS MASTER SHALL BRING HIM BEFORE GOD, AND HE SHALL BRING HIM UNTO THE DOOR OR UNTO THE DOORPOST, WHERE HIS MASTER SHALL PIERCE HIS EAR WITH AN AWL, AND HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOREVER. > Now I love you and I love your children; (in accord with Exod. 21:5) I WILL NOT GO AWAY A FREE PERSON. I do not want to die. (Exod. 21:6:) THEN HIS MASTER SHALL BRING HIM BEFORE GOD …, AND HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOREVER. But you have not carried it out with me. So now please, (Ps. 61:2 [1]:) HEAR MY SONG OF PRAYER, O GOD. (Ps. 55:2 [1]:) DO NOT HIDE YOURSELF FROM MY BESEECHING. The Holy One said to me: Impossible! (Deut. 3:26:) ENOUGH FROM YOU! The litigant against you (Satan) has already made a decision over you that you and all creatures like you are to die.

(8) At Thy rebuke they fled (ibid.). When a man sees that his winepress is filled with grapes, and that his vineyard is ready for cutting, others may ask him: “What will you do with these grapes, since the vat is too small to contain them?” What does he do? He treads down the grapes in the vat and then puts in the new grapes. Then it is able to contain all his grapes. Similarly, though the entire world was submerged under water, the Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Let the dry earth appear (Gen. 1:9). The water thereupon cried out: “Though we fill the entire world, it is cramped for us. Whither shall we go?” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He trampled upon the ocean⁴Normally the Mediterranean, but in this instance, as indicated a few lines below, the Dead Sea. and slew its prince,⁵See Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews 5:26, Bava Batra 74b Leviathan was a legendary sea animal destined to be eaten by the righteous in the future. as it is said: He stirreth up the sea with His power, and by His understanding he smiteth through Rahab (Job 26:12). Smiteth is an expression that indicates slaying, as it is said: And with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote through his head, yea, she pierced and struck through his temple (Judg. 5:26). The seas mourn (bohin) to this very day because He slew the prince of the sea, as is said: Hast thou entered into the springs (nibhe) of the sea? (Job 38:16). Why did He slay him? Because a house that can accommodate a hundred living people can contain a thousand dead. That is why the ocean is called the Dead Sea. Ultimately, however, the Holy One, blessed be He, will heal it, as it is said: When they shall enter into the sea of the putrid waters, the waters shall be healed (Ezek. 47:8). When the other waters observed that the Holy One, blessed be He, had trampled upon the ocean, they fled from the loud cries of their fellow-waters, as it is said: At Thy rebuke they fled, at the voice of Thy thunder they hastened away (Ps. 104:7).

(9) They fled, but they did not know where to flee, as it is said: The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, unto the place which Thou hast founded for them (ibid., v. 8). This may be compared to a slave whose master commands him to wait for him in the market but neglects to tell him where to wait. The slave asks himself: “Perhaps my master meant that I should wait near the basilica, or the bathhouse, or the theater.” When they finally meet, the master slaps him on the face, and says: “I sent you to the gate of the duke’s palace.” Similarly, when the waters heard the decree, Let the waters underneath the heavens gather in one place (Gen. 1:9), they did not know whether (they were to go) to the north or the south. And so, they raced about, as it is said: The mountains rose, the valley sank (Ps. 104:8), until the Holy One, blessed be He, struck them, and declared: I ordered you to assemble at the place of the Leviathan, as is said: There go the ships; there is the leviathan, whom Thou hast formed to sport therein (ibid., v. 26).

(2) And Aaron forthwith cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent (Exod. 7:10). Whereupon Pharaoh said: “Is this the full power of your God? Why, my magicians travel throughout the world performing such feats.” Then Pharaoh called also (ibid., v. 11) the youths, and babes of five, yea, even of four years, and each of them cast his rod. It is written: Pharaoh called also because he disdained at first to summon his magicians and sorcerers. Our sages of blessed memory said: He actually performed a great miracle with that rod. When one serpent is able to swallow other serpents, that is not unusual, but this serpent turned itself back into a rod again, as it is written: But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods (ibid., v. 12). If a man made bundles out of the rods that were cast to the ground to become serpents, there would have been more than ten bundles, yet Aaron’s rod swallowed them all and it became no larger than it was previously. When Pharaoh beheld that, he was amazed and exclaimed: “Surely if he should command the rod to swallow Pharaoh and his throne, it could swallow them.” That was the sign that He had given to Moses at the bush when He said: This which is in thy hand, cast it to the earth (ibid. 4:2). The word this alludes to Pharaoh, who is compared to a snake, as is said: The Lord with His sore and great and strong sword will punish leviathan the slant serpent (Isa. 27:1). When Moses withdrew from Pharaoh’s presence, the wicked one said: “If this son of Amram comes near me again, I will slay him, I will hang him, I will burn him.” That is why, when Moses returned, Pharaoh became like a rod. And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he harkened not unto them, as the Lord had spoken (Exod. 7:13). With reference to the first five plagues, the words Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, etc., are written, but after the fifth plague occurred and he still would not permit them to leave, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Henceforth, even if he desires to send them away, I will not allow it. Hence, with reference to the last five plagues it is written: But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart (ibid. 10:20). Moses decreed what was to transpire, and the Holy One, blessed be He, executed it, as it is said:: Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee (Job 22:28).

(1) And He called to Moshe: And why does it say, "And He called?" Rather it is is because it stated above (Exodus 40:35), "and Moshe could not come to the Tent of Meeting" - when the Divine Presence rested upon the Tent of Meeting. And he could not come since the cloud [of glory] was resting upon it. Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, called him. "Saying": What is "saying?" To say to the Children of Israel. "A man from you that brings a sacrifice": Why does it state, "a man (adam)" and it does not say, "eesh?" It wants to say, when a man sins like Adam (the first man) started to sin - he should bring a sacrifice. Why does it state, "from the beast," when it [also] states, "from the cattle or the sheep?" Rather, it wanted to say [that we should] distinguish them from the beast; that his soul does not descend to the lowest pit like the beast, the soul of which descends below to the earth - as it is stated (Ecclesiastes 3:21), "Who knows if the [soul] of man ascends above, and the [soul] of the beast is the one that descends below." And truly does a man not know? Rather it is like the verse stated (Joel 2:14), "Who knows, [God] may turn and regret" - and this is its understanding: He "who knows" that he is a sinner, should "turn" to "God," and He will atone for him for all of his iniquities. What is "and regret?" Rather, He will relent about the bad that He planned to do to him. And likewise it is saying [here], "Who is the one that knows and understands and has intelligence and understanding - he will understand and know that the soul of man ascends above to the place from which it was fashioned, and the spirit of the beast descends below to earth." As so did King Shlomo, peace be upon him, state (Ecclesiastes 12:7), "and the spirit returns to God who gave it." And which spirit returns to "God who gave it?" These are the spirits of the righteous ones, the pious ones and the penitents who stand in front of Him in great stature. And that is the life that has no death with it, and the good which has [nothing] bad with it. This is the [meaning of] that which is written in the Torah (Deuteronomy 22:7), "so that it shall be good for you," forever. And we learned from the heard tradition, "'so that is shall be good to you,' in the world that is completely good; 'and you shall have length of days,' in the world that is completely long." And the reward of the righteous is that they will merit and live for the good. Happy is the man that merited good and delight; may the Omnipresent have us merit it with the righteous! And the early sages have already informed us that man does not have the ability to investigate and speak [about] the goodnesses of the world to come, as it has no measure, nor comparison nor model. And so did the verse state (Isaiah 64:3), "no eye has seen, God, but You, who acts for those who wait for Him" - meaning to say, the good that no eye has seen besides You, God. And that which they called it, "the world to come," is not because it is not found now. [Rather,] for us who are in this world now, it is [still] to come. And hence he says, the world to come - after a man leaves this world. And one who says that [first] this world is destroyed, and afterwards comes the world to come - the matter is not like that. Rather, when the righteous depart from the world, they immediately ascend and stand in this stature, as it is stated (Psalms 31:20), "How great is Your goodness that You have stored for those that fear You, that You have done for those that take refuge in You." But [the souls] of the evildoers float throughout the whole world and do not find rest for the soles of their feet. And they only ascend to the place from which they were fashioned [after] twelve months. What does it do [during this time]? It goes to the grave and comes back, and its seeing the body rotten and that it is maggots and worms is difficult for it. To what is the thing comparable? To a man that had a nice house and it fell. He goes to see it every day, that thorns are growing on it, brambles are covering its face and its stone fence is destroyed - and he cries and mourns over it, since he sees it like this. And so is the spirit floating throughout all of the world and coming back to the grave. And so did our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, say (Berakhot 18b), "Maggots are as harsh for the dead as a needle for the flesh of the living." And from where [do we know] that the soul mourns over it? As it is stated (Job 14:22), "But his flesh pains him, and his soul mourns over it." That is [the meaning of] "the beast" - and it is destroyed like a beast. And therefore it stated, "from the beast," and it stated "from the cattle and from the sheep" - since they will offer from the cattle and from the sheep, so that his soul not descend below like a beast. And why do we offer sacrifices from fowl, from lambs, from sheep and from goats, but not from fish - as it is stated, "if from the fowl is his burnt-offering sacrifice?" Rather, since they are flesh and blood like man and they come out of the belly of their mothers like man, [so too, do] they atone for a man. But fish are eggs - they come out of them and live. Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said "Any image that the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the dry land, He [also] created in the ocean with fish." Rabbi Tarfon said, "The fish was designated from the six days of creation to swallow Yonah, as it is stated (Jonah 2:1), 'And the Lord designated a great fish.'" Yonah fled from his God on the fifth day. And why did he flee? Rather the first time, [God] sent him to restore the border of Israel; and his words were fulfilled, as it is stated (II Kings 14:25), "He restored the border of Israel." The second time, He sent him to Jerusalem to destroy it; but the Holy One, blessed be He, worked up His great mercies and relented from the bad, and did not destroy it. And [so] they would call him a false prophet. The third time, He sent him to Nineveh to destroy it. Yonah judged the case between him and himself - Yonah said: I know that the [other] nations are close to repentance. Now if I go on my mission, they will repent immediately and the Holy One, blessed be He, is long-suffering and of great kindness - at the time that they repent, He will immediately have mercy [on them]. And the Holy One, blessed be He will [resultantly] become enraged towards Israel, as He did at the time of Sancheriv. When Ravshakeh came to blaspheme the living God, he said, "You are saying that mere words of the lips is counsel and valor for war; now, on whom are you relying, that you have rebelled against me? And if you tell me, 'we are relying on the Lord, our God,' He is the one whose shrines and altars Hizkiyahu did away with" (II Kings 18:20, 22) - what did Hizkiyahu do at that time? "And Hizkiyahu prayed to the Lord and said, 'Lord, God of Israel, enthroned on the cherubs - You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth; You made the heavens and the earth. Lord, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see - hear the words that Sancheriv has sent to blaspheme the living God!' And Yishayahu son of Amots sent to Hizkiyahu, saying, 'Thus said the Lord, God of Israel, "I have heard that which you prayed to Me concerning King Sancheriv of Assyria. I will [delude] him, etc."' (II Kings 19:15-16, 20, 7)." And four hundred angels armed with swords and spears came and drove him away, etc. - "And it was on that night that an angel of the Lord went out and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp, and the following morning behold, they were all dead corpses. And King Sancheriv of Assyria moved and went and returned, and he stayed in Nineveh" (II Kings 19:25-26). He said to [his] sages, "Why is the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, with Israel more than all the nations of the world?" They said to him, "They had an ancient father and his name was Avraham, and he went to slaughter his son to bring up as a burnt-offering." He said to them, "Did he slaughter him?" They said to him, "No." He said to them, "[With] him, it was because it was his will to slaughter [his son, that] there was [such] love between him and his God." He said, "I will [then actually] slaughter my son and bring him up as a burnt-offering." And so did he do, as it is stated (II Kings 3:27), "And he took his first-born son, who was to reign in his place, and brought him up as a burnt-offering." [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "How much do the nations of the world, to whom I did not give statutes and judgments, do for My name; as it is stated (Malachi 1:11), 'and everywhere incense is presented for My name.'" [And] immediately, "and a great wrath came upon Israel" (II Kings 3:27). Therefore Yonah said, "The nations will repent and the anger of the Holy One, blessed be He, will be upon Israel; as He will say, 'The nations, to whom I did not give statutes and judgments - when I make a decree upon them and they know [about it], they immediately repent. But Israel is not like this, as I send them My prophets all the time, yet they are stiff-necked.' And therefore, 'a great wrath [will come] upon Israel.'" And not only does Israel call him a false prophet, but even the nations of the world [will] call him so. Yonah said, "I am fleeing from in front of Him to a place where His glory is not [found]. What shall I do? If I ascend to the heavens, His glory is there, as it is stated (Psalms 113:4), 'upon the heavens is His glory.' And if upon the earth, His glory is there [too], as it is stated (Isaiah 6:3), 'the whole earth is full of His glory.' Behold, I will flee to the sea, as His glory is not stated there." [So] he went down to Jaffa, but he did not find a ship to board there. And the ship that Yonah would board upon was two days' journey away from Jaffa, in order to test Yonah. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brought a great storm in the sea and brought [the ship quickly] to Jaffa. And Yonah saw this and rejoiced in his heart and said, "Now, I know that my path is straight in front of me." And he did not know that the Holy One, blessed be He, was causing the thing to let him know that His glory was there (in the sea). He said to [the boatsmen], "I will come with you." And the way of all ships is that when a man exits from them, he gives his payment. But in the joy of Yonah's heart, He preceded and gave his wage [right away], as it is stated (Jonah 1:3), "And Yonah arose to flee to Tarshish from in front of the Lord [... and he gave its pay]." And they traveled the distance of a day, and a great storm came upon them in the sea from their right and from their left. And the way of all ships is to come and go in peace and quiet. And the ship upon which Yonah boarded was in great distress to break apart, as it is stated (Jonah 1:4), "And the Lord placed a great wind upon the sea." Rabbi Chaninah said, "[Men of all] the seventy languages were in the ship, and each and every one had his god in his hand." They said, "The god that answers and saves us from this distress, he is the [true] God." And they stood and each man cried out in the name of his god, but they did not help. [Meanwhile,] Yonah dozed off and was sleeping in the distress of his soul; and the captain came to him. He said to him, "Behold, we are standing between death and life, and you are dozing off? From which people are you?" He said to them, "I am a Hebrew." They said to him, "And have we not heard that the God of the Hebrews is great? 'Cry out to your God' (Jonah 1:6). Maybe He will do for us like all of His wonders at the Red Sea." He said to them, "This distress has come upon you because of me, as I am fleeing from in front of Him, as I thought that His glory was not in the sea, and now I see that His glory is on the dry land and in the sea." He said to them, "Because of me; 'Lift me and put me in the sea, and the sea will be quiet upon you' (Jonah 1:12)." Rabbi Shimon said, "The men did not accept from Yonah to drop him into the sea; and [so] they cast lots, as it is stated (Jonah 2:7), 'and they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Yonah.'" What did they do? They took the vessels that were on the ship and threw them to the sea to make themselves lighter, but it did not help a bit. They sought to return to dry land, but they were not able, as it is stated (Jonah 1:13), "And the men rowed, etc." What did they do? They took Yonah and stood him upon the edge of the ship and said, "God of the world, Lord, 'do not put innocent blood upon us' (Jonah 1:14), as we do not know what is the nature of this man; yet he says to us with his mouth, 'because of me has this distress come upon you.'" They placed him [into the sea] until his knees, and the sea stopped from its fury. They [then] took him back towards them, and the sea stormed against them. They placed him [into the sea] until his navel, and the sea stopped from its fury. They [then] took him back towards them, and it stormed against them. They placed him completely [in the sea, and] the sea was immediately quiet from its fury, as it is stated (Jonah 1:15), "And they lifted Yonah and placed him, etc." "And the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Yonah, and Yonah was in the innards of the fish three days and three nights"(Jonah 2:1) - and Yonah entered its mouth, like a man that enters a large synagogue, and the two eyes of the fish were like opened windows giving light to Yonah. Rabbi Meir said, "A pearl was hanging in the innards of the fish, and it would give light to Yonah, like the sun lights up in its strength in the afternoon. And Yonah could see everything that was in the sea and that was in the depths, as it is stated (Psalms 97:11), "Light is planted for the righteous, and joy for the righteous of heart." The fish said to Yonah, "Do you not know that my time has come to be eaten into the mouth of the Leviathan?" He said to it, "Take me there and I will save you, and my soul." It took him to the Leviathan. He said to the Leviathan, "Because of you have I come to see your dwelling place in the sea. And not only that, but in the future I will come down to put a rope on your neck and to bring you up for the great meal of the righteous ones." He showed it his seal from Avraham, our father (his circumcision). The Leviathan saw it and fled the journey of two days from before Yonah. He said to the fish, "Behold, I saved you from the mouth of the Leviathan; [now] show me all that is in the sea and in the depths." And [so] it showed him the great river of the waters of the ocean, as it is stated (Yonah 2:6), "up to my soul was the deep." And it showed him the paths of the Red (literally Reed) Sea, as it is stated, "reeds are twined around my head." And it showed him the place from where the breakers of the sea and its waves go out, as it is stated (Yonah 2:4), "all Your breakers and waves passed over me." And it showed him the pillars of the Earth in its foundation, as it is stated (Jonah 2:7), "the bars of the earth were around me forever." And it showed him Geihinnom, as it is written (Jonah 2:3), "from the belly of the pit I cried out; You heard my voice." And it showed him under the Chamber of God, as it is stated (Jonah 2:7), "I descended to the bases of the mountains." From here we learn that Jerusalem stands on seven mountains. And he saw the Stone of the Foundation there, set in the depths. And he saw the sons of Korach, standing and praying upon it. It said to Yonah, "Behold, you are standing under the Chamber of the Lord; pray and you shall be answered." Immediately Yonah said to the fish, "Stand in the place that you are standing, as I would like to recite a prayer." And the fish stopped. And Yonah began to pray in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the Universe, You have been called the One that brings down and raises up - behold, I have gone down, [now] raise me up; You have been called the One that brings death and that brings life - behold, my soul has reached death, [now] bring me life." And he was not answered until [this] came out from his mouth (Jonah 2:10): "that which I have vowed, I will fulfill, etc." - "That which I have vowed" to bring up the Leviathan in front of You, "I will fulfill" on the day of Israel's salvation, as it is stated, "But I, with loud thanksgiving, will sacrifice to You that which I have vowed." And immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, indicated [to the fish], and it spewed Yonah out to the dry land, as it is stated (Jonah 2:11), "And the Lord said to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out to the dry land." When the sailors saw all of the great miracles, signs and wonders that the Holy One, blessed be He, did with Yonah, they got up and every man cast away his god, as it is stated (Jonah 2:9), "They who preserve the vanities of emptiness forsake their kindness." And they went back to Jaffa and went up to Jerusalem, and they circumcised the flesh of their foreskin, as it is stated (Jonah 1:15), "And the men feared a great fear of the Lord, and they slaughtered a sacrifice to the Lord and they made vows" - and did they slaughter a sacrifice? Rather, [this was] circumcision, which is like the blood of a sacrifice. And each man of them vowed to bring his children and everything that he had to the God of Yonah. And they vowed and they fulfilled [it]. And about them is it said, the converts were righteous converts.

(1) (Lev. 11:1-2) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses…, saying, ‘… these are the creatures that you may eat….’” Let our master instruct us: How many [types of] pure animals are there are in the world? Thus have our masters taught: There are ten beasts: “The deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, the mountain sheep”; (Deut. 14:5) “the ox, the sheep and the goat” (Deut. 14:4). There are no more than these in the world. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, “Guard yourselves, not to defile yourselves with an impure beast and with an impure swarming creature.” So did David say (in II Sam. 22:31 = Ps. 18:31), “As for God, His way is perfect, the word of the Lord is pure (rt.: tsrp).” Thus, the commandments were given only to purify (rt.: tsrp) [mortals] through them. They said to him. “Rabbi, what does the Holy One, blessed be He, care whether one ritually slaughters cattle and eats [the meat] or whether one slaughters cattle by stabbing and eats it? Will some such thing benefit Him (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) or harm Him?” Know that this ritual slaughter was given only to purify (rt.: tsrp) Israel. As in the future to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a meal for the righteous from the behemoth and the leviathan, and there is no ritual slaughter there. Know that the leviathan is an unusual creature, and the angels fear him, as stated (in Job 41:17), “From his rising do the powers fear.” And if they throw many spears of iron upon him, he considers them like straw, as stated (in Job 41:19), “He considers iron like straw.” And also the behemoths of my fields are harsh, as it crouches on a thousand mountains as stated (in Psalms 50:10), “the behemoths on a thousand mountains.” And [so] how are they slaughtered? Rather, they come and fight, one with the other, as stated (in Job 41:8), “One approaches to the other.” The behemoths approach the leviathan and hold him by his horn and split him, and the leviathan’s death [that he inflicts] will be the opposite, as he smites him with his tail and kills him. [Then] the righteous ones go and all take portions. From here [we see] that ritual slaughter was given only to examine and to purify (rt.: tsrp) Israel.

(1) And you say, "I shall eat meat" (Deuteronomy 12:20): Rabbi Eliezer beRabbi Yehoshua said, "From here you learn that a man should not acquire a litra of meat until he consults with his household." See what is [the difference] between the Israel and the [other] nations of the world. When Israel do not [ritually] slaughter, they do not eat [meat]. But the nations of the world stab and eat. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, "By your life, in the world to come, you will eat from those [animals] that are not slaughtered, from the behemoths and the Leviathan, about which it is written, 'One [scale] touches the other; not even a breath can enter between them.'"

(1) You who are present today, all of you: You are the existence of this world and the world to come. When the Holy One, blessed be He, will come to give a goodly reward to the righteous, He will show them behemoths that crouch on a thousand mountains; and a thousand mountains will bring up grasses and they will eat. And from where [do we know] that they crouch on a thousand mountains? As it is stated (Psalms 50:11), "The behemoths on a thousand mountains." And they drink all [the water] that the Jordan draws, as it is stated (Job 40:23), "he is certain that he will draw the Jordan to his mouth." Rav Yosef said, "They take one swallow and draw all that the Jordan draws for six months. And it is a full verse (Job 39:24), 'With trembling and anger, he swallows the earth.'" And the Leviathan also crouches upon the deep. In the world to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to the ministering angels, "Come and fight with him." But when they descend to fight against him, he suspends his eyes and stares at them. And [then] they fear and flee, as it is stated (Job 41:17), "From his rising do the powers fears, the breakers are lacking." When he seeks to eat, he makes a wave in the sea. And [so] the fish think that it is [bringing] something edible, and they go to it; and he opens his mouth and swallows them. And not one of them escapes, but rather all of them enter into his mouth. And [then] the Holy One, blessed be He, says to the ministering angels, "Cast arrows." And they fling [them] at him, but he pays no attention, but they are rather considered like straw by him - as it is stated (Job 41:20), "The son of the bow does not make him flee." And [then] the Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, "Take projectile stones and hurl them at him." And they do it, but he thinks it is straw - as it is stated (Job 41:21), "The catapult is considered like straw." And if you say, where is he crouching; the Holy One, blessed be He, said, upon the clay that is better than gold - as it is stated (Job 41:22), "he reclines on the broken leaves of clay." And if you say [that] if he seeks to leave, he [can] leave - [hence] we learn to say, "he is enclosed with a narrow (tsar) seal" (Job 41:7) - I have closed in front of him, and sealed across from him and I have even restricted (hetsarti) him. And [so] how do the righteous ones eat [it]? Rather the Holy One, blessed be He, puts a spirit into the behemoths and also into the Leviathan, and they come and fight, one with the other - as it is stated (Job 41:8), "One approaches to the other." This one overturns the ground and quiets the behemoths, and these split the Leviathan. [Then] the righteous ones immediately gather around them, and the Holy One, blessed be He, says to each and every one [to eat]. And [each righteous one] eats according to his reward, as it is stated (Job 40:30), "Will the charmers (chavarim) repast upon him?" - Chizkiyah said, "These are [Torah] colleagues (chaverim)." Another [understanding]: "Will the charmers repast upon him?" - anyone who has charmed himself from doing [evil]. "Will it be divided by the traders?" (Job 40:30) - there are among men those that engage in trade: This one gives fifty gold pieces and this one gives ten; they purchase a pearl and it produces revenue. According to what each and every one gave do they take from the revenue. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say - "Let anyone that was involved with Torah [study] and with [practice of] the commandments, come and take his reward"; as it is stated (Job 42:2), "There is no one so fierce as to rouse him; [and] who can stand (yityatsev) in front of Me?" Who are the ones that are eating in front of [God]? "You who are present." Said the Holy One, blessed be He, "You stood in front of Me in this world to accept the commandments; so too will I stand you in the world to come"; as it is stated (Isaiah 66:22), "For as the new heaven and the new earth, which I will make, shall stand in front of Me - speaks the Lord - so shall your seed and your name stand." Thus did Rabbi Tanchuma expound.

(7) On the fifth day He brought forth from the water the Leviathan, the flying serpent, and its dwelling is in the lowest waters; and between its fins rests the middle bar of the earth. All the great sea monsters in the sea are the food for the Leviathan. Every day it opens its mouth, and the great sea monster destined to be eaten that day (tries) to escape and flee, but it enters the mouth of the Leviathan; and the Holy One, blessed be He, plays with it, as it is said, "This is the Leviathan, whom thou hast created to play with him" (Ps. 104:26).

(1) THE HISTORY OF JONAH
ON the fifth day Jonah fled before his God. Why did he flee? Because on the first occasion when (God) sent him to restore the border of Israel, his words were fulfilled, as it is said, "And he restored the border of Israel from the entering in of Hamath" (2 Kings 14:25). On the second occasion (God) sent him to Jerusalem to (prophesy that He would) destroy it. But the Holy One, blessed be He, did according to the abundance of His tender mercy and repented of the evil (decree), and He did not destroy it; thereupon they called him a lying prophet. On the third occasion (God) sent him against Nineveh to destroy it. Jonah argued with himself, saying, I know that the nations are nigh to repentance, now they will repent and the Holy One, blessed be He, will direct His anger against Israel. And is it not enough for me that Israel should call me a lying prophet; but shall also the nations of the world (do likewise)? Therefore, behold, I will escape from His presence to a place where His glory is not declared. (If) I ascend above the heavens, it is said, "Above the heavens is his glory" (Ps. 113:4). (If) above the earth, (it is said), "The whole earth is full of his glory" (Isa. 6:8); behold, I will escape to the sea, to a place || where His glory is not proclaimed. Jonah went down to Joppa, but he did not find there a ship in which he could embark, for the ship in which Jonah might have embarked was two days' journey away from Joppa, in order to test Jonah. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He sent against it a mighty tempest on the sea and brought it back to Joppa. Then Jonah saw and rejoiced in his heart, saying, Now I know that my ways will prosper before me.

(2) He said to the (sailors), We will embark with you. They replied to him, Behold, we are going to the islands of the sea, to Tarshish. He said to them, We will go with you. Now (this) is the custom on all ships that when a man disembarks therefrom he pays his fare; but Jonah, in the joy of his heart, paid his fare in advance, as it is said, "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord; and he went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them" (Jonah 1:3).

(3) They had travelled one day's journey, and a mighty tempest on the sea arose against them on their right hand and on their left hand; but the movement of all the ships passing to and fro was peaceful in a quiet sea, but the ship into which Jonah had embarked was in great peril of shipwreck, as it is said, "But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like || to be broken" (Jonah 1:4).

(4) Rabbi Chanina said: (Men) of the seventy languages were there on the ship, and each one had his god in his hand, (each one) saying: And the God who shall reply and deliver us from this trouble, He shall be God. They arose and every one called upon the name of his god, but it availed nought. Now Jonah, because of the anguish of his soul, was slumbering and asleep. The captain of the ship came to him, saying, Behold, we are standing betwixt death and life, and thou art slumbering and sleeping; of what people art thou? He answered them, "I am an Hebrew" (Jonah 1:9). (The captain) said to him, Have we not heard that the God of the Hebrews is great? Arise, call upon thy God, perhaps He will work (salvation) for us according to all His miracles which He did for you at the Reed Sea. He answered them, It is on my account that this misfortune has befallen you; take me up and cast me into the sea and the sea will become calm unto you, as it is said, "And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you" (Jonah 1:12).

(5) Rabbi Simeon said: The men would not consent to throw Jonah into the sea; but they cast lots among themselves and the lot fell upon Jonah. What did they do? They took all their utensils which were in the ship, and cast them into the sea in order to lighten it for their (safety), but it availed nought. || They wanted to return to the dry land, but they were unable, as it is said, "Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not" (Jonah 1:13). What did they do? They took Jonah and they stood on the side of the ship, saying, God of the world ! O Lord ! Do not lay upon us innocent blood, for we do not know what sort of person is this man; and he says deliberately, On my account has this misfortune befallen you.

(6) They took him (and cast him into the sea) up to his knee-joints, and the sea-storm abated. They took him up again to themselves and the sea became agitated again against them. They cast him in (again) up to his neck, and the sea-storm abated. Once more they lifted him up in their midst and the sea was again agitated against them, until they cast him in entirely and forthwith the sea-storm abated, as it is said, "So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging" (Jonah 1:15).

(7) "And the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah" (Jonah 1:17). Rabbi Ṭarphon said: That fish was specially appointed from the six days of Creation to swallow up Jonah, as it is said, "And the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah" (ibid.). He entered its mouth just as a man enters the great synagogue, and he stood (therein). The two eyes of the fish were like windows of glass giving light to Jonah.

(8) Rabbi Meir said: || One pearl was suspended inside the belly of the fish and it gave illumination to Jonah, like this sun which shines with its might at noon; and it showed to Jonah all that was in the sea and in the depths, as it is said, "Light is sown for the righteous" (Ps. 97:11).

(9) The fish said to Jonah, Dost thou not know that my day had arrived to be devoured in the midst of Leviathan's mouth? Jonah replied, Take me beside it, and I will deliver thee and myself from its mouth. It brought him next to the Leviathan. (Jonah) said to the Leviathan, On thy account have I descended to see thy abode in the sea, for, moreover, in the future will I descend and put a rope in thy tongue, and I will bring thee up and prepare thee for the great feast of the righteous. (Jonah) showed it the seal of our father Abraham (saying), Look at the Covenant (seal), and Leviathan saw it and fled before Jonah a distance of two days' journey. (Jonah) said to it (i.e. the fish), Behold, I have saved thee from the mouth of Leviathan, show me what is in the sea and in the depths. It showed him the great river of the waters of the Ocean, as it is said, "The deep was round about me" (Jonah 2:5), and it showed him the paths of the Reed Sea through which Israel passed, as it is said, "The reeds were wrapped about my head" (ibid.); and it showed him the place whence the waves of the sea and its billows flow, as it is said, "All || thy waves and thy billows passed over me" (Jonah 2:3); and it showed him the pillars of the earth in its foundations, as it is said, "The earth with her bars for the world were by me" (Jonah 2:6); and it showed him the lowest Sheol, as it is said, "Yet hast thou brought up my life from destruction, O Lord, my God" (ibid.); and it showed him Gehinnom, as it is said, "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and thou didst hear my voice" (Jonah 2:2); and it showed him (what was) beneath the Temple of God, as it is said,"(I went down) to the bottom of the mountains" (Jonah 2:6). Hence we may learn that Jerusalem stands upon seven (hills), and he saw there the Eben Shethiyah (Foundation Stone) fixed in the depths. He saw there the sons of Korah standing and praying over it. They said to Jonah, Behold thou dost stand beneath the Temple of God, pray and thou wilt be answered. Forthwith Jonah said to the fish, Stand in the place where thou art standing, because I wish to pray. The fish stood (still), and Jonah began to pray before the Holy One, blessed be He, and he said: Sovereign of all the Universe ! Thou art called "the One who kills" and "the One who makes alive," behold, my soul has reached unto death, now restore me to life. He was not answered until this word came forth from his mouth, "What I have vowed I will perform" (Jonah 2:9), namely, I vowed to draw up Leviathan and to prepare it before Thee, I will perform (this) on the day of the Salvation of Israel, as it is said, "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving" (ibid.). Forthwith the Holy One, blessed be He, hinted (to the fish) and it vomited out Jonah || upon the dry land, as it is said, "And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land" (Jonah 2:10).

(10) The sailors saw all the signs, the miracles, and the great wonders which the Holy One, blessed be He, did unto Jonah, and they stood and they cast away every one his God, as it is said, "They that regard lying vanities forsake their own shame" (Jonah 2:8). They returned to Joppa and went up to Jerusalem and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins, as it is said, "And the men feared the Lord exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice unto the Lord" (Jonah 1:16). Did they offer sacrifice? But this (sacrifice) refers to the blood of the covenant of circumcision, which is like the blood of a sacrifice. And they made vows every one to bring his children and all belonging to him to the God of Jonah; and they made vows and performed them, and concerning them it says, "Upon the proselytes, the proselytes of righteousness."

(2) It was taught that R’ Eliezer says: the waters of Egypt were turned to blood on the fifth day of the week. On that very day our ancestors left Egypt, on that very day the waters of the Jordan stood still before the ark of the Lord, on that very day Hezekiah blocked up all of the springs. Yonah fled before God on the fifth day of the week. And why did he flee? Because the first time God sent him to bring the cities of Israel to repentance and his words succeeded, as it says ‘he restored the cities of Israel.’ (see Kings II 14:25) The second time Gd sent him against Jerusalem to destroy it. Since they repented, the Holy One acted out of the abundance of His mercy, regretted the evil, and did not destroy it. Then they called him a false prophet. The third time God sent him against Nineveh to destroy it. Yonah took counsel with himself and said: I know that the nations are easily moved to repentance and my anger will be disposed of on Israel. It is not enough that Israel calls me a false prophet, should even the nations call me so?! I will flee to a place where His glory is not found. This is like a king of flesh and blood whose wife died while she was nursing and he sought a wet nurse to nurse his son. What did he do? He called to his wet nurse to nurse his son that he not die of hunger. What did the king’s wet nurse do? She left his son and fled. When the king saw that this was so he sent out a message to seize her and detain her in prison and to lower her down into a place with snakes and scorpions. After a few days the king stood at the lip of the pit and she was weeping and crying out to him. The mercy of the king was awakened for her and he gave order that she be lifted out and returned before him. So too Yonah. Since he fled from the Holy One, He locked him up in the belly of the fish until he cried out before the Holy One and He brought him forth. He went down to Yaffo and found no ship on which to flee, because the ship was already two days out from Yaffo. What did the Holy One do? He brought a storm wind upon it and returned it to Yaffo. Yonah saw this and rejoiced greatly, saying: now I know that my path is smooth before me. He said to them: I will go with you. They said to him: we are going to the far islands of Tarshish. He replied: nonetheless! Out of Yonah’s great joy he paid them in advance, as it says “…paid its hire, and went down into it…” (Jonah 1:3) They set out to sea and a storm wind came against them from their left and their right. All the other boats were passing to and fro in peace and quiet while their ship was in great distress and looked as if it would founder. R’ Chanina says: there were representatives of all seventy languages on that boat, each one had his god in his hand and was prostrating himself. They said: everyone call out to their god and the one who answers and saves is the true god. They called out and it did no good. In his distress and exhaustion, Yonah fell asleep. The captain of the ship came to him and said: we are hanging between life and death and you are sleeping! From what people are you? He replied: I am a Hebrew. He said to him: we have heard that your god is great. Get up and call to your god, maybe he will do for us like all the wonders that he did at the sea. He said to them: this distress is because of me. Lift me up and toss me into the sea. R’ Shimon said: they did not resolve to throw him into the sea until they drew lots and the lot fell out on Yonah. What did they do? They took all of the baggage from the ship and threw it into the sea in order to lighten their load, but it did not help. They wanted to return to land, but they were not able. They took Yonah and stood him on the edge of the ship, saying: Master of the World! Do not place upon us innocent blood, because we do not know what this man has done. They lowered his legs into the water and the sea calmed, they lifted him up and it raged again. They lowered him in to his belly and the sea calmed, they drew him back up to them and it raged again. They lowered him in to his neck and so on until they lowered him all the way, as it says “And they picked Jonah up and cast him into the sea…” (Jonah 1:15) R’ Meir says: the fish was appointed to swallow Yonah from the six days of creation, as it says “And the Lord appointed a huge fish…” (Jonah 2:1) He entered its mouth like a man who entered a great synagogue and his two eyes were like windows. He said – lanterns are giving light for Yonah. R’ Meir says: there was a pearl hanging in the belly of the fish which gave light for Yonah like the sun at its strength in the midday and Yonah saw all that was in the seas and in the depths. The fish said to Yonah: don’t you know that my day to be eaten by leviathan has arrived? He said to him: bring me to him and I will save both you and me from his mouth. The fish brought him to leviathan and he said: for you I descended, to see your dwelling place in the sea. Furthermore, in the future I will come down and put a rope around your head in order to make a feast out of you for the righteous. Yonah showed him the seal of our father Avraham (circumcision). Leviathan saw it and fled before him a distance of two days. Then Yonah said to the fish: I saved you from leviathan, now show me everything which is in the seas and the depth. It showed him the great river of the waters of the ocean as it says, “…and a river surrounded me…” (Jonah 2:4) It showed him the paths of the Red Sea through which Israel passed as it says, “…the weeds were wrapped about my head.” (Jonah 2:6) It showed him the place from which the waves of the sea come forth as it says, “…all Your breakers and waves passed over me.” (Jonah 2:4) It showed him the pillars of the earth on its base as it says, “…the earth with her bars closed on me forever…” (Jonah 2:7) It showed him the lowest part of the netherworld as it says, “…out of the belly of She’ol I cried…” (Jonah 2:3) It showed him Gehinnom as it says, “…yet you have brought up my life from the pit…” (Jonah 2:7) It showed him the palace of the Lord as it says, “I went down to the bottom of the mountains…” (Jonah 2:7) From here we learn that Jerusalem stands on seven mountains. And he saw there the foundation stone fixed in the deeps, and he saw there also the sons of Korach standing and praying for it. Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish without praying. The Holy One said: I made a broad space for him in the belly of a male fish in order that he not be distressed and he isn’t praying! I will prepare a fish that is pregnant with three hundred and sixty five thousands and tens of thousands of little fish in order that he be distressed and pray before me. This is because the Holy One desires the prayers of the righteous. In that hour the Holy One brought a pregnant fish and she said to the other fish: the Holy One sent me to swallow up the prophet who is in your belly. If you will spit him out, good. If not I will swallow you with him. He said to her: who knows if what you say is true? She replied: leviathan. They went to leviathan and she said to him: leviathan, king over all the fish of the sea! Do you not know that the Holy One sent me to this fish to swallow the prophet who is in his belly? He said to her: yes. The fish said to leviathan: when? He replied: in the last three hours, when the Holy One descends to play with me. Thus I heard. He immediately spit out Yonah. The female fish right away swallowed him and he was in great distress because of the confinement and the filth. He immediately focused his heart in prayer, as it says “And Jonah prayed to the Lord his God, from the belly of the fish.” (Jonah 2:2) He said: Master of the World! Where can I go to escape Your spirit and to where can I flee from before You? “If I ascend to the heavens, there You are…” (Psalms 139:8) You are King over all kingdoms and Master over all rulers of the world. The high heavens are Your throne and the earth is Your footstool. Your kingdom is on high and Your dominion in the deeps, the actions of all humanity are revealed before You and the secrets of all men spread out before You. You search out the ways of all people and examine the footsteps of all living things. You know the hidden things of the kidneys and the secrets of the heart You understand. All which is hidden is revealed before You, there are no secrets before the throne of your glory and nothing shielded from Your eyes. You collect every secret and tell every single thing. You are there in every place, Your eyes see evil and good. I beseech You, answer me from the belly of Sheol and save me from the depths. Let my cry come into Your ears and fulfill my request because You sit far away and hear as if near. You are called the One who lifts up and casts down, please lift me up! You are called the One who kills and gives life, I have reached the point of death – revive me! He was not answered until he said this: that which I vowed to bring up leviathan and prepare him before them, I will fulfill on the day of Israel’s salvation. “But I-with a voice of thanks will I sacrifice to You…” (Jonah 2:10) Immediately the Holy One gestured to the fish and she vomited Yonah nine hundred and sixty eight parsa to dry land. The sailors saw all the signs and wonders which the Holy One did with Yonah and everyone threw away his god, as it says “Those who keep worthless futilities…” (Jonah 2:9) They returned to Yaffo, went up to Jerusalem and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins, as it says “And the men feared the Lord exceedingly…” (Jonah 1:16) And did they make sacrifices?! Rather they performed circumcision which is like the blood of sacrifice. Each man vowed his wife, children and all he had to the Gd of Yonah, and fulfilled his vow. Of them it says ‘and on the righteous converts.’