תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל: פַּעַם אַחַת הָיִיתִי מְהַלֵּךְ בִּסְפִינָה, וְרָאִיתִי סְפִינָה אַחַת שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּרָה. וְהָיִיתִי מִצְטַעֵר עַל תַּלְמִיד חָכָם שֶׁבָּהּ, וּמַנּוּ — רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. וּכְשֶׁעָלִיתִי בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, בָּא וְיָשַׁב וְדָן לְפָנַי בַּהֲלָכָה. אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ: בְּנִי, מִי הֶעֶלְךָ? אָמַר לִי: דַּף שֶׁל סְפִינָה נִזְדַּמֵּן לִי, וְכׇל גַּל וְגַל שֶׁבָּא עָלַי — נִעְנַעְתִּי לוֹ רֹאשִׁי.
מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים: אִם יָבוֹאוּ רְשָׁעִים עַל אָדָם — יְנַעְנֵעַ לוֹ רֹאשׁוֹ.
It is taught in a baraita: Rabban Gamliel said: Once I was traveling on a boat, and from a distance I saw a boat that shattered and sank. And I was grieved over the apparent death of the Torah scholar who was on board. And who was it? Rabbi Akiva. But when I disembarked onto dry land, he came, and sat, and deliberated before me about halakha. I said to him: My son, who brought you up from the water? He said to me: A plank from the boat came to me, and I bent my head before each and every wave that came toward me. [The waves did not wash me off of the board, and I reached the shore.]
From here the Sages stated: If wicked people come upon a person, he should bend his head before them. [That is, he should temporarily restrain himself and not fight them, and he will therefore be saved.]
תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: פַּעַם אַחַת הָיִיתִי מְהַלֵּךְ בִּסְפִינָה, וְרָאִיתִי סְפִינָה אַחַת שֶׁמִּטָּרֶפֶת בַּיָּם, וְהָיִיתִי מִצְטַעֵר עַל תַּלְמִיד חָכָם שֶׁבָּהּ, וּמַנּוּ — רַבִּי מֵאִיר. כְּשֶׁעָלִיתִי לִמְדִינַת קַפּוֹטְקְיָא, בָּא וְיָשַׁב וְדָן לְפָנַי בַּהֲלָכָה. אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ: בְּנִי, מִי הֶעֶלְךָ? אָמַר לִי: גַּל טְרָדַנִי לַחֲבֵרוֹ, וַחֲבֵרוֹ לַחֲבֵרוֹ, עַד שֶׁהֱקִיאַנִי לַיַּבָּשָׁה.
It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Akiva said: Once I was traveling on a boat, and I saw a certain boat sinking at sea, and I was grieved over the apparent death of the Torah scholar who was on board. And who was it? Rabbi Meir. But when I disembarked at the province of Cappadocia, he came, and sat, and deliberated before me about halakha. I said to him: My son, who brought you up from the water? He said to me: One wave carried me to another, and that other wave to another, until I reached the shore, and a wave cast me up onto dry land.
אָמַר רַבָּה, אִשְׁתַּעוּ לִי נָחוֹתֵי יַמָּא: הַאי גַּלָּא דִּמְטַבַּע לִסְפִינָה – מִיתְחֲזֵי כִּי צוּצִיתָא דְנוּרָא חִיוּוֹרְתָּא בְּרֵישָׁא, וּמָחֵינַן לֵיהּ בְּאַלְווֹתָא דַּחֲקִיק עֲלֵיהּ – ״אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה יָהּ ה׳ צְבָאוֹת אָמֵן אָמֵן סֶלָה״, וְנָיַיח.
The Gemara cites several incidents that involve ships and the conversation of seafarers. Rabba said: Seafarers related to me that when this wave that sinks a ship appears with a ray of white fire at its head, we strike it with clubs that are inscribed with the names of God: I am that I am, Yah, the Lord of Hosts, amen amen, Selah. And the wave then abates.
וְאָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה: זִימְנָא חֲדָא הֲוָה קָא אָזְלִינַן בִּסְפִינְתָּא, וַחֲזֵינַן הָהוּא כְּווֹרָא דְּיָתְבָא לֵיהּ חָלְתָּא אַגַּבֵּיהּ וְקָדַח אַגְמָא עִילָּוֵיהּ. סָבְרִינַן יַבֶּשְׁתָּא הִיא, וּסְלֵקִינַן וַאֲפֵינַן וּבַשְּׁלִינַן אַגַּבֵּיהּ. וְכַד חַם גַּבֵּיהּ אִתְהֲפִיךְ, וְאִי לָאו דַּהֲוָה מְקָרְבָא סְפִינְתָּא, הֲוָה טָבְעִינַן.
And Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: Once we were traveling on a ship and we saw a certain fish upon which sand had settled, and grass grew on it. We assumed that it was dry land and went up and baked and cooked on the back of the fish, but when its back grew hot it turned over. And were it not for the fact that the ship was close by, we would have drowned.