אָז הוּחַל (בראשית ד, כו), אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן בִּשְׁלשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת נֶאֱמַר בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה לְשׁוֹן מֶרֶד, אָז הוּחַל לִקְרֹא בְּשֵׁם ה', (בראשית ו, א): וַיְהִי כִּי הֵחֵל הָאָדָם, (בראשית י, ח): הוּא הֵחֵל לִהְיוֹת גִּבֹּר בָּאָרֶץ. אֲתִיבוּן וְהָכְתִיב (בראשית יא, ו): וְזֶה הַחִלָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת, אָמַר לָהֶם קִיפַּח עַל רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל נִמְרוֹד וְאָמַר זֶה הַמּוֹרְדָן עָלַי. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי לְאִשָּׁה שֶׁאָמְרָה לְבַעֲלָהּ רָאִיתִי בַּחֲלוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מְגָרְשֵׁנִי, אָמַר לָהּ וְלָמָּה בַּחֲלוֹם הֵא לָךְ בַּעֲלִילוֹת. אָמַר רַב אַחָא אַתֶּם עֲשִׂיתֶם עַצְמְכֶם עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּקְרָאתֶם לְשִׁמְכֶם, אַף אֲנִי אֶקְרָא לְמֵי הַיָּם לִשְׁמִי וַאֲכַלֶּה אוֹתָן הָאֲנָשִׁים מִן הָעוֹלָם. דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ אוֹקְיָנוֹס גָּבוֹהַּ מִכָּל הָעוֹלָם. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן מְנַחֵם וַהֲלוֹא מִקְרָא מָלֵא הוּא (עמוס ה, ח): הַקּוֹרֵא לְמֵי הַיָּם וַיִּשְׁפְּכֵם עַל פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ ה' שְׁמוֹ, אֶתְמְהָא, כְּזֶה שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹפֵךְ מִלְּמַעְלָן לְמַטָּן. שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים כְּתִיב הַקּוֹרֵא לְמֵי הַיָּם, כְּנֶגֶד שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים שֶׁעָלָה הַיָּם וְהֵצִיף אֶת הָעוֹלָם. וְעַד הֵיכָן עָלָה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, וְעַד הֵיכָן עָלָה בַּשְּׁנִיָּה, רַבִּי יוּדָן וְרַבִּי אַבָּהוּ וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה עָלָה עַד עַכּוֹ וְעַד יָפוֹ, וּבַשְּׁנִיָּה עָלָה עַד כֵּפֵי בַּרְבַּרִיאָה. רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָה וְרַבִּי אַחָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה עַד כֵּפֵי בַּרְבַּרִיאָה, וּבַשְּׁנִיָּה עַד עַכּוֹ וְעַד יָפוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (איוב לח, יא): וָאֹמַר עַד פֹּה תָבוֹא וְלֹא תֹסִיף וּפֹא יָשִׁית בִּגְאוֹן גַּלֶּיךָ. עַד פֹּה תָבוֹא וְלֹא תֹסִיף, עַד עַכּוֹ תָבוֹא וְלֹא תֹסִיף. וּפֹא יָשִׁית בִּגְאוֹן גַּלֶּיךָ, בְּיָפוֹ יָשִׁית בִּגְאוֹן גַּלֶּיךָ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אָמַר בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה עָלָה עַד קַלַבְּרִיאָה, וּבַשְּׁנִיָּה עַד כֵּפֵי בַּרְבַּרִיאָה.
“Then commenced [huḥal]” – Rabbi Simon said: In three places this term is stated as an expression of rebellion: “Then commenced the proclaiming of the name of the Lord”; “it was [heḥel] when man began” (Genesis 6:1); “he began [heḥel] to be a mighty one in the earth” (Genesis 10:8). They raised an objection: But is it not written [as well]: “This is what they began [haḥilam] to do”? (Genesis 11:6). He said to them: He struck upon the head of Nimrod and said of him: ‘This is the one who incited them to rebel against Me.’
Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a woman who said to her husband: ‘I saw in a dream (ḥalom) that you are divorcing me.’ He said to her: ‘Why in a dream? Here it is for you in reality.’
Rav Aḥa said: You made idolatrous objects of yourselves and called your own names [as divinities]. I, too, will call the seawater by My name and eradicate those people from the world. Rabbi Abahu expounded: The ocean is higher than the rest of the world. Rabbi Elazar ben Menaḥem said: Is this not an explicit verse? “He who calls forth the water of the sea and pours it upon the face of the earth”? (Amos 5:8). This was a rhetorical question. It is like something that is poured from above to below.
“Who calls forth the water of the sea” is written twice, corresponding to the two times that the sea rose and inundated the world.
Until where did it reach the first time and until where did it reach the second time? Rabbi Yudan, Rabbi Abahu, and Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: The first time it rose until Akko and until Yafo, and the second time it rose until the rocky peaks overlooking the Barbary Coast. Rabbi Ḥananya and Rabbi Aḥa in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: The first time until the rocky peaks overlooking the Barbary Coast, and the second time until Akko and until Yafo. That is what is written: “I said: You shall come this far and not continue, and here the foam of your waves will be set” (Job 38:11). “You shall come this far and not continue” – to Akko, “you shall come this far and not continue.” “And here (ufo) the foam of your waves will be set” – in Yafo, “the foam of your waves will be set.” Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: The first time it rose until Calabria, and the second time until the rocky peaks overlooking the Barbary Coast.
Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a woman who said to her husband: ‘I saw in a dream (ḥalom) that you are divorcing me.’ He said to her: ‘Why in a dream? Here it is for you in reality.’
Rav Aḥa said: You made idolatrous objects of yourselves and called your own names [as divinities]. I, too, will call the seawater by My name and eradicate those people from the world. Rabbi Abahu expounded: The ocean is higher than the rest of the world. Rabbi Elazar ben Menaḥem said: Is this not an explicit verse? “He who calls forth the water of the sea and pours it upon the face of the earth”? (Amos 5:8). This was a rhetorical question. It is like something that is poured from above to below.
“Who calls forth the water of the sea” is written twice, corresponding to the two times that the sea rose and inundated the world.
Until where did it reach the first time and until where did it reach the second time? Rabbi Yudan, Rabbi Abahu, and Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: The first time it rose until Akko and until Yafo, and the second time it rose until the rocky peaks overlooking the Barbary Coast. Rabbi Ḥananya and Rabbi Aḥa in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: The first time until the rocky peaks overlooking the Barbary Coast, and the second time until Akko and until Yafo. That is what is written: “I said: You shall come this far and not continue, and here the foam of your waves will be set” (Job 38:11). “You shall come this far and not continue” – to Akko, “you shall come this far and not continue.” “And here (ufo) the foam of your waves will be set” – in Yafo, “the foam of your waves will be set.” Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: The first time it rose until Calabria, and the second time until the rocky peaks overlooking the Barbary Coast.