(ב) מוֹדִים אֲנַֽחְנוּ לָךְ שָׁאַתָּה הוּא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד צוּר חַיֵּֽינוּ מָגֵן יִשְׁעֵֽנוּ אַתָּה הוּא לְדוֹר וָדוֹר נֽוֹדֶה לְּךָ וּנְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ עַל־חַיֵּֽינוּ הַמְּ֒סוּרִים בְּיָדֶֽךָ וְעַל נִשְׁמוֹתֵֽינוּ הַפְּ֒קוּדוֹת לָךְ וְעַל נִסֶּֽיךָ שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם עִמָּֽנוּ וְעַל נִפְלְ֒אוֹתֶֽיךָ וְטוֹבוֹתֶֽיךָ שֶׁבְּ֒כָל עֵת עֶֽרֶב וָבֹֽקֶר וְצָהֳרָֽיִם הַטּוֹב כִּי לֹא כָלוּ רַחֲמֶֽיךָ וְהַמְ֒רַחֵם כִּי לֹא תַֽמּוּ חֲסָדֶֽיךָ מֵעוֹלָם קִוִּֽינוּ לָךְ:
(ו) עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַפֻּרְקָן וְעַל הַגְּ֒בוּרוֹת וְעַל הַתְּ֒שׁוּעוֹת וְעַל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת שֶׁעָשִֽׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בִּזְּ֒מַן הַזֶּה:
בִּימֵי מַתִּתְיָֽהוּ בֶּן יוֹחָנָן כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל חַשְׁמוֹנָאִי וּבָנָיו כְּשֶׁעָמְ֒דָה מַלְכוּת יָוָן הָרְ֒שָׁעָה עַל־עַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַשְׁכִּיחָם תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ וּלְהַעֲבִירָם מֵחֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶֽךָ,
וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶֽיךָ הָרַבִּים עָמַֽדְתָּ לָהֶם בְּעֵת צָרָתָם רַֽבְתָּ אֶת־רִיבָם דַּֽנְתָּ אֶת־דִּינָם נָקַֽמְתָּ אֶת־נִקְמָתָם מָסַֽרְתָּ גִבּוֹרִים בְּיַד חַלָּשִׁים וְרַבִּים בְּיַד מְעַטִּים וּטְמֵאִים בְּיַד טְהוֹרִים וּרְשָׁעִים בְּיַד צַדִּיקִים וְזֵדִים בְּיַד עוֹסְ֒קֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ וּלְךָ עָשִֽׂיתָ שֵׁם גָּדוֹל וְקָדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶֽךָ וּלְעַמְּ֒ךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָשִֽׂיתָ תְּשׁוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וּפֻרְקָן כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה
וְאַחַר־כֵּן בָּֽאוּ בָנֶֽיךָ לִדְבִיר בֵּיתֶֽךָ וּפִנּוּ אֶת־הֵיכָלֶֽךָ וְטִהֲרוּ אֶת־מִקְדָּשֶֽׁךָ וְהִדְלִֽיקוּ נֵרוֹת בְּחַצְרוֹת קָדְשֶֽׁךָ וְקָבְ֒עוּ שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה אֵֽלּוּ לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל:
(2) We are thankful to You,
that You Adonoy are our God and the God of our fathers forever; Rock of our lives, You are the Shield of our deliverance in every generation. We will give thanks to You and recount Your praise, for our lives which are committed into Your hand, and for our souls which are entrusted to You, and for Your miracles of every day with us, and for Your wonders and benefactions at all times— evening, morning and noon. (You are) The Beneficent One— for Your compassion is never withheld; And (You are) the Merciful One— for Your kindliness never ceases; we have always placed our hope in You.
[We thank You] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the deliverances and for the wars that You performed for our fathers in those days at this season.
In the days of Matityahu, son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the evil Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to turn them away from the statutes of Your will— You, in Your abundant mercy, stood by them in their time of distress, You defended their cause, You judged their grievances, You avenged them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, many into the hands of the few, defiled people into the hands of the undefiled, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and insolent [sinners] into the hands of diligent students of Your Torah. And You made Yourself a great and sanctified name in Your world. And for Your people, Israel, You performed a great deliverance and redemption unto this very day. Afterwards, Your sons entered the Holy of Holies of Your Abode, cleaned Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, and kindled lights in the Courtyards of Your Sanctuary, and designated these eight days of Chanukah to thank and praise Your great Name.
מַאי חֲנוּכָּה? דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן: בְּכ״ה בְּכִסְלֵיו יוֹמֵי דַחֲנוּכָּה תְּמָנְיָא אִינּוּן דְּלָא לְמִסְפַּד בְּהוֹן וּדְלָא לְהִתְעַנּוֹת בְּהוֹן.
שֶׁכְּשֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ יְוָוֽנִים לַהֵיכָל טִמְּאוּ כׇּל הַשְּׁמָנִים שֶׁבַּהֵיכָל. וּכְשֶׁגָּבְרָה מַלְכוּת בֵּית חַשְׁמוֹנַאי וְנִצְּחוּם, בָּדְקוּ וְלֹא מָצְאוּ אֶלָּא פַּךְ אֶחָד שֶׁל שֶׁמֶן שֶׁהָיָה מוּנָּח בְּחוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, וְלֹא הָיָה בּוֹ אֶלָּא לְהַדְלִיק יוֹם אֶחָד. נַעֲשָׂה בּוֹ נֵס וְהִדְלִיקוּ מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים. לְשָׁנָה אַחֶרֶת קְבָעוּם וַעֲשָׂאוּם יָמִים טוֹבִים בְּהַלֵּל וְהוֹדָאָה.
The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah, and why are lights kindled on Hanukkah? The Gemara answers: The Sages taught [in Megillat Ta’anit]: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize on them and one may not fast on them.
When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary by touching them. And when the Hasmonean monarchy overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the candelabrum for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the candelabrum from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings.
וזה הוא תנור של עכנאי.... תנא באותו היום השיב רבי אליעזר כל תשובות שבעולם ולא קיבלו הימנו.
אמר להם אם הלכה כמותי חרוב זה יוכיח. נעקר חרוב ממקומו מאה אמה.... אמרו לו אין מביאין ראיה מן החרוב.... אמת המים יוכיחו.... כותלי בית המדרש יוכיחו
רבי יהושע אמר להם אם תלמידי חכמים מנצחים זה את זה בהלכה אתם מה טיבכם?
אם הלכה כמותי מן השמים יוכיחו יצאתה בת קול ואמרה מה לכם אצל ר"א שהלכה כמותו בכ"מ.
עמד רבי יהושע על רגליו ואמר (דברים ל, יב) לא בשמים היא מאי לא בשמים היא? אמר רבי ירמיה שכבר נתנה תורה מהר סיני אין אנו משגיחין בבת קול שכבר כתבת בהר סיני בתורה (שמות כג, ב) אחרי רבים להטות.
אשכחיה רבי נתן לאליהו. א"ל מאי עביד קוב"ה בההיא שעתא? א"ל קא חייך ואמר, נצחוני בני נצחוני בני.
And this is known as the oven of akhnai....
On that day, when they discussed this matter, Rabbi Eliezer answered all possible answers in the world to support his opinion, but the Rabbis did not accept his explanations from him. After failing to convince the Rabbis logically, Rabbi Eliezer said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, this carob tree will prove it. The carob tree was uprooted from its place one hundred cubits.... the stream will prove it....
the walls of the study hall will prove it.... Rabbi Yehoshua scolded the walls and said to them: If Torah scholars are contending with each other in matters of halakha, what is the nature of your involvement in this dispute...?
Rabbi Eliezer then said to them: If the halakha is in accordance with my opinion, Heaven will prove it. A Divine Voice emerged from Heaven and said: Why are you differing with Rabbi Eliezer, as the halakha is in accordance with his opinion in every place that he expresses an opinion?
Rabbi Yehoshua stood on his feet and said: It is written: “It is not in heaven” (Deuteronomy 30:12).
The Gemara asks: What is the relevance of the phrase “It is not in heaven” in this context? Rabbi Yirmeya says: Since the Torah was already given at Mount Sinai, we do not regard a Divine Voice, as You already wrote at Mount Sinai, in the Torah: “After a majority to incline” (Exodus 23:2).
Years after, Rabbi Natan encountered Elijah the prophet and said to him: What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do at that time, when Rabbi Yehoshua issued his declaration? Elijah said to him: The Holy One, Blessed be He, smiled and said: My children have triumphed over Me; My children have triumphed over Me.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב פָּפָּא לְאַבָּיֵי: מַאי שְׁנָא רִאשׁוֹנִים דְּאִתְרְחִישׁ לְהוּ נִיסָּא, וּמַאי שְׁנָא אֲנַן דְּלָא מִתְרְחִישׁ לַן נִיסָּא?
אִי מִשּׁוּם תַּנּוֹיֵי, בִּשְׁנֵי דְרַב יְהוּדָה כּוּלֵּי תַּנּוֹיֵי בִּנְזִיקִין הֲוָה, וַאֲנַן קָא מַתְנִינַן שִׁיתָּא סִדְרֵי.....
וְאִילּוּ רַב יְהוּדָה כִּי הֲוָה שָׁלֵיף חַד מְסָאנֵיהּ, אָתֵי מִטְרָא,וַאֲנַן קָא מְצַעֲרִינַן נַפְשִׁין וּמִצְוָח קָא צָוְחִינַן, וְלֵית דְּמַשְׁגַּח בַּן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: קַמָּאֵי הֲווֹ קָא מָסְרִי נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ אַקְּדוּשַּׁת הַשֵּׁם, אֲנַן לָא מָסְרִינַן נָפְשִׁין אַקְּדוּשַּׁת הַשֵּׁם.
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Comment by R. Yaakov Reisher (in his Iyun Yaakov to Ein Yaakov; 1729):
"Just as they dedicated themselves in excessive ways to (fulfill) "kiddush haShem," - they would give all their goods on their behalf (i.e., to consecrate God's name) - so too a miracle was done on their behalf an excessive way
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כִּי הָא דְּרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה חַזְיַיהּ לְהַהִיא כּוּתִית דַּהֲוָת לְבִישָׁא כַּרְבַּלְתָּא בְּשׁוּקָא. סְבַר דְּבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא, קָם קַרְעֵיהּ מִינַּהּ. אִגַּלַּאי מִילְּתָא דְּכוּתִית הִיא. שַׁיְּימוּהָ בְּאַרְבַּע מְאָה זוּזֵי.
אֲמַר לַהּ: מָה שְׁמִךְ? אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: מָתוּן. אֲמַר לַהּ, מָתוּן — מָתוּן אַרְבַּע מְאָה זוּזֵי שַׁוְיָא....
וְאִי בָּעֵית אֵימָא: עַיִן שֶׁלֹּא רָצְתָה לִזּוֹן מִמַּה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ — אֵין עַיִן הָרָע שׁוֹלֶטֶת בּוֹ.
The Gemara responds: In the context of the discussion whether or not human dignity overrides honoring God in the sense of fulfilling his mitzvot, Rav Pappa said to Abaye: What is different about the earlier generations, for whom miracles occurred and what is different about us, for whom miracles do not occur?
If it is because of Torah study; in the years of Rav Yehuda all of their learning was confined to the order of Nezikin, while we learn all six orders!
While, with regard to miracles, after declaring a fast to pray for a drought to end, when Rav Yehuda would remove one of his shoes the rain would immediately fall, whereas we torment ourselves and cry out and no one notices us.
Abaye said to Rav Pappa: The previous generations were wholly dedicated to the sanctification of God’s name, while we are not as dedicated to the sanctification of God’s name.
Typical of the earlier generations’ commitment, the Gemara relates: Like this incident involving Rav Adda bar Ahava who saw a non-Jewish woman who was wearing a garment made of a forbidden mixture of wool and linen [karbalta] in the marketplace. Since he thought that she was Jewish, he stood and ripped it from her. It was then divulged that she was a non-Jew and he was taken to court due to the shame that he caused her, and they assessed the payment for the shame that he caused her at four hundred zuz. Ultimately, Rav Adda said to her: What is your name? She replied: Matun. In a play on words, he said to her: Matun, her name, plus matun, the Aramaic word for two hundred, is worth four hundred zuz.
Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed, Book II, ch. 29 (greatly edited):
IF we hear a person speaking whose language we do not understand, we undoubtedly know that he speaks, but do not know what his words mean; it may even happen that we hear some words which mean one thing in the tongue of the speaker, and exactly the reverse in our language….
The very same thing happens to the ordinary reader of the Prophets: some of their words he does not understand at all, like those to whom the prophet says (Isa. 29:11), “the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed”.... Besides, it must be borne in mind that every prophet has his own peculiar diction, which is, as it were, his language, and it is in that language that the prophecy addressed to him is communicated to those who understand it….
I do not think that any person is so foolish and blind...to assume that at the fall of the Babylonian kingdom a change took place in the nature of the stars of heaven, or in the light of the sun and moon, or that the earth moved away from its centre. For all this is merely the description of a country that has been defeated: the inhabitants undoubtedly find all light dark, and all sweet things bitter: the whole earth appears too narrow for them, and the heavens are changed in their eyes.
The following figurative language is employed in Scripture in referring to the death of the Egyptians in the Red Sea: “The waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled, etc. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world; the earth trembled and shook” (Ps. 77:17-19). “Was the Lord displeased against the rivers?” etc. (Hab. 3:8). “There went up a smoke out of his nostrils,” etc. (Ps. 18:9). “The earth trembled,” etc. (Judges 5:4, in the Song of Deborah).
Our opinion [is that] that no prophet or sage has ever announced the destruction of the Universe, or a change of its present condition, or a permanent change of any of its properties.
But on the other hand the words, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Eccles. 1:9), in the sense that no new creation takes place in any way and under any circumstances, express the general opinion of our Sages, and include a principle which every one of the doctors of the Mishnah and the Talmud recognises and makes use of in his arguments.
When I, however, said that no prophet ever announced “a permanent change of any of its properties,” I intended to except miracles. For although the rod was turned into a serpent, the water into blood, the pure and noble hand into a leprous one...these changes were not permanent, they have not become a physical property. On the contrary, the Universe since continues its regular course. This is my opinion; this should be our belief.
Our Sages, however, said very strange things as regards miracles: they are found in Bereshit Rabba, and in Midrash Koheleth, namely, that the miracles are to some extent also natural: for they say, when God created the Universe with its present physical properties, He made it part of these properties, that they should produce certain miracles at certain times, and the sign of a prophet consisted in the fact that God told him to declare when a certain thing will take place, but the thing itself was effected [i.e., caused by] the fixed laws of Nature.
For we believe that this Universe remains perpetually with the same properties with which the Creator has endowed it, and that none of these will ever be changed except by way of miracle in some individual instances, although the Creator has the power to change the whole Universe, to annihilate it, or to remove any of its properties. The Universe, had, however, a beginning and commencement, for when nothing was as yet in existence except God, His wisdom decreed that the Universe be brought into existence at a certain time, that it should not be annihilated or changed as regards any of its properties, except in some instances; some of these are known to us, whilst others belong to the future, and are therefore unknown to us.
This is our opinion and the basis of our religion.
(ו) וְאַתָּה הָרֵם אֶת מַטְךָ...."
אָמַר משֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אַתָּה אוֹמֵר לִי שֶׁאֶקְרַע אֶת הַיָּם וְאֶעֱשֶׂה אֶת הַיָּם יַבָּשָׁה, וְהָכְתִיב (ירמיה ה, כב): אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי חוֹל גְּבוּל לַיָּם, וַהֲרֵי נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה קוֹרְעוֹ לְעוֹלָם.
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַקַּפָּר: אָמַר לוֹ משֶׁה, לֹא כָךְ אָמַרְתָּ שֶׁאֵין הַיָּם נַעֲשֵׂית יַבָּשָׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי חוֹל גְּבוּל לַיָּם....
אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא קָרָאתָ מִתְּחִלַּת הַתּוֹרָה, מַה כְּתִיב (בראשית א, ט): וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם, אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁהִתְנֵיתִי עִמּוֹ, כָּךְ הִתְנֵיתִי מִתְּחִלָּה שֶׁאֲנִי קוֹרְעוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר....
מִיָּד שָׁמַע משֶׁה לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְהָלַךְ לִקְרֹעַ הַיָּם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהָלַךְ לִקְרֹעַ אֶת הַיָּם, לֹא קִבֵּל עָלָיו לְהִקָּרֵעַ, אָמַר לוֹ הַיָּם, מִפָּנֶיךָ אֲנִי נִקְרַע, אֲנִי גָּדוֹל מִמְּךָ, שֶׁאֲנִי נִבְרֵאתִי בַּשְּׁלִישִׁי וְאַתָּה נִבְרֵאתָ בַּשִּׁשִּׁי.
כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַע משֶׁה כָּךְ הָלַךְ וְאָמַר לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵין הַיָּם רוֹצֶה לְהִקָּרֵעַ, מֶה עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נָתַן יְמִינוֹ עַל יְמִינוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר... מִיָּד רָאָה לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּבָרַח, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיד, ג): הַיָּם רָאָה וַיָּנֹס, מַה רָאָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁרָאָה לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁנָּתַן יַד יְמִינוֹ עַל משֶׁה וְלֹא יָכֹל לְעַכֵּב אֶלָּא בָּרַח מִיָּד.
(6) "And you, raise your staff" (Exodus 14:15) Moses said before the Holy One Blessed Be He, "You say to me that I will split the sea and I will make the sea dry land, but is it not written, 'that I have placed sand as the boundary of the sea' (Jeremiah 5:22)? And behold, you have sworn that you will not split ever!"
Rabbi Eliezer ha Kappar said: Moses said to Him"Not so, for you have said that the sea will not be made dry land, as was said 'that I have placed sand as the boundary of the sea' and it is written, 'And who shut up the sea with doors' (Job 38:8)!" The Holy One Blessed Be He said to him, "You have not read the Torah from the beginning. What is written? 'And God said, let the waters be gathered' (Genesis 1:9). I am the one who placed a condition on it - such I placed a condition from the beginning that I would split it, as was said, 'the sea returned according to its condition at the approach of morning' (Exodus 24:27) [reading l'eitano - "to its strength" as liteinao "according to its condition"]" Immediately, Moses listened to God and went to split the sea, but when he went to divide the sea, it would not accept from him to split. The sea said to him, "I should split before you? I am greater than you! I was created on the third day, and you were created on the sixth day!" When Moses heard this, he went and said to the Holy One Blessed Be He, "The sea doesn't want to be split." What did the Holy One Blessed Be He do? He put His right hand on the the right hand of Moses, as it is said, "who caused [His glorious arm] to go at the right hand of Moses [dividing the waters before them to make Himself an eternal name]" (Isaiah 63:12) Immediately, it saw the Holy One Blessed Be He and fled, as was said, "the sea saw and fled" (Psalms 114:3). What did it see? It saw none other than the Holy One Blessed Be He who gave His right hand upon Moses, and it could not delay, but split immediately.
(א) וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם....
רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִקָּווּ לִי הַמַּיִם, מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי עָתִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם....
(ה) אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן תְּנָאִין הִתְנָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עִם הַיָּם שֶׁיְהֵא נִקְרַע לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (שמות יד, כז): וַיָּשָׁב הַיָּם לְאֵיתָנוֹ, לִתְנָאוֹ שֶׁהִתְנָה עִמּוֹ.
אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר לֹא עִם הַיָּם בִּלְבָד הִתְנָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא עִם כָּל מַה שֶּׁנִּבְרָא בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְרֵאשִׁית, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ישעיה מה, יב): אֲנִי יָדַי נָטוּ שָׁמַיִם וְכָל צְבָאָם צִוֵּיתִי....
צִוִּיתִי אֶת הַיָּם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נִקְרַע לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, צִוִּיתִי אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ שֶׁיִּשְׁתְּקוּ לִפְנֵי משֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לב, א): הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וַאֲדַבֵּרָה וְתִשְׁמַע הָאָרֶץ אִמְרֵי פִי, צִוִּיתִי אֶת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶת הַיָּרֵחַ שֶׁיַּעַמְדוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע י, יב): שֶׁמֶשׁ בְּגִבְעוֹן דּוֹם, צִוִּיתִי אֶת הָעוֹרְבִים שֶׁיְכַלְכְּלוּ אֶת אֵלִיָּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א יז, ו): וְהָעֹרְבִים מְבִיאִים לוֹ לֶחֶם וּבָשָׂר וגו', צִוִּיתִי אֶת הָאוּר שֶׁלֹא תַּזִּיק לַחֲנַנְיָה מִישָׁאֵל וַעֲזַרְיָה, צִוִּיתִי אֶת הָאֲרָיוֹת שֶׁלֹא יַזִּיקוּ אֶת דָּנִיֵּאל, צִוִּיתִי אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם שֶׁיִּפָּתְחוּ לְקוֹל יְחֶזְקֵאל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל א, א): נִפְתְּחוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וגו', צִוִּיתִי אֶת הַדָּג שֶׁיָּקִיא אֶת יוֹנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יונה ב, יא): וַיֹּאמֶר ה' לַדָּג וַיָּקֵא אֶת יוֹנָה.
(1) “God said: Let the water under the heavens be gathered [yikavu]to one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so” (Genesis 1:9)....
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Let the water eagerly await [yekavu] for Me, for what I am going to do with it in the future.’ ....
(5) Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be He stipulated a condition with the sea [upon its creation] that it should split before Israel. That is what is written: “The sea returned to its power [le’eitano]” (Exodus 14:27), in accordance with its condition [litna’o] that He stipulated with it.
Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: It is not only with the sea alone that the Holy One blessed be He stipulated, but with everything that was created during the six days of Creation. That is what is written: “My hands stretched the heavens and commanded all their host” (Isaiah 45:12) – right from when “My hands stretched the heavens,” “I commanded all their host.” I commanded the sea that it should split before Israel. I commanded the heavens and the earth that they should be silent before Moses, as it is stated: “Listen, the heavens, and I will speak, and the earth will hear the sayings of my mouth” (Deuteronomy 32:1). I commanded the sun and the moon that they should stand still before Joshua, as it is stated: “Sun, stand still at Givon; [and Moon, in the Valley of Ayalon]” (Joshua 10:12). I commanded the ravens that they should sustain Elijah, as it is stated: “The ravens would bring him bread and meat…” (I Kings 17:6). I commanded the fire that it should not harm Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya. I commanded the lions that they should not harm Daniel. I commanded the heavens that they should open before Ezekiel, as it is stated: “The heavens opened…” (Ezekiel 1:1). I commanded the fish that it should spew out Jonah, as it is stated: “The Lord said to the fish, and it spewed out Jonah” (Jonah 2:11).