Мидраш к Берешит 6:12

R. Ahava the son of R. Ze’era said: Even Noah’s sons, the animals, the beasts, the birds, and the creeping things that accompanied him into the ark were righteous. At the time of the generation of the flood, all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth (Gen. 6:12), as it is stated in Scripture concerning them. The domesticated animals copulated with the beasts, the beasts with the animals, they with men, and the men with them. Therefore, it is stated: Behold, I will destroy them with the earth (ibid., v. 13). How do we know that at the very hour that they were created, the animals, the beasts, the birds, and the creeping things were commanded not to copulate with any species other than their own? It is written: And God made the beast of the earth after its kind (Gen. 1:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, told them: Each shall cleave to its own and is forbidden to go to another.

(Lev. 5:1:) “And if a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing […, if he does not speak out, he shall bear his iniquity].” This text is related (to Eccl. 5:1), “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart hasten to bring forth a word before God.” These [words refer to] people who vilify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. Come and see, when the celestial beings were created, those below were created with half of the [divine] name, as stated (in Is. 26:4), “for through Yh,³⁸YH is the first half of the divine name, which the Hebrew spells out where the translation reads THE LORD. the Lord formed the worlds.”³⁹The midrash interprets tsur ‘olamim as FORMED THE WORLDS (i.e., this world and the world to come) rather than as the more usual EVERLASTING ROCK. For similar interpretations, see yHag. 2:1 (77c); Men. 29b; Gen. R. 12:10; M. Pss. 62:1; 114:3; cf. also M. Pss. 118:14. But why were they not created with all of it? So as not to mention the full name [of the Holy One, blessed be He] with him. Woe to those creatures who vilify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, in vain. See what is written about offerings (in Lev. 1:2), “When one of you presents an offering to the Lord.” It does not say "to the Lord, an offering," but “an offering to the Lord” (so that who changes his mind about an offering in mid-sentence not mention God’s name for no reason).⁴⁰Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 1:6; Ned. 10ab; Sifra to Lev. 1:2, Wayyiqra, Parashah 2; Sifre, Deut.32:3 (306); Gen. R. 1:13. And [yet] people vilify the name of the Lord in vain. It is therefore stated (in Eccl. 5:1), “Do not be rash with your mouth…. for God is in heaven and you are on earth.” For who would say that God is not in heaven and that people are not on earth? [Accordingly], Solomon has said, “Every time that the weakest of the weak is above, he defeats the warrior below.” Go and learn from Abimelech (in Jud. 9:53), “But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and cracked his skull.”⁴¹Since the woman was above the warrior Abimelech in the tower of Thebez, her killing him is an example of a relatively weak person defeating a warrior from above. And if he was a warrior among warriors and there was none like him, and [yet] a woman [was able to] kill him from above, how much the more so in the case of the Holy One, blessed be He! See what is written about Him (in Dan. 4:32), “All the inhabitants of the earth are of no account, and He does as He wishes [with the host of heaven and with the inhabitants of the earth].” It is also written (in Ps. 47:3), “For the Lord most high is awesome, a great King over all the earth,” and people are below. (Eccl. 5:1:) “Therefore let your words be few.” So what is there for you to do? To put your hand upon your mouth and upon your ear in order to neither speak nor hear. Ergo (in Lev. 5:1), “If a soul sins.”⁴²These words also appear in Lev. 5:21 [6:2]. (Lev. 5:1:) [“And if a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing,] when he is a witness to what he has either seen or come to know, [if he does not speak out, he shall bear his iniquity].” This text is related (to Prov. 29:24), “The one who shares with a thief hates his own soul; he hears swearing and does not speak out.” What has caused anyone to say of him, “If a soul sins?” [It is] simply because he did not come and tell a sage, “So-and-so blasphemed the name of the Holy One, blessed be He.” He therefore shares his iniquities with him, as stated (in Lev. 5:1), “if he does not speak out, he shall bear his iniquity.” Therefore Solomon has said (in Prov. 29:24), “The one who shares with a thief hates his own soul.” Just as when the thief is caught, his partner is convicted along with him;⁴³Cf. Lev. R. 6:2. so whoever hears blasphemy of the Holy One, blessed be He, and does not speak out is convicted along with him. And let no one say, “What denunciation (lashon hara’ah) do I say?” The Holy One, blessed be He, has said (in Lev. 5:1ff.), “’On every matter,’ there is a denunciation in it. [But] with cursing the name, there is no denunciation.” Why? Because [it is] just like a case of a person cursing his companion. When he hears him, it is of no concern to him. But if he has cursed his father in his presence, he puts his life on the line and says, “You have cursed my father.” Moses said (in Deut. 32:6), “Is He not your Father who created you?” (Lev. 5:1:) [“And if a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing,] when he is a witness to what he has seen.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “If you want to bear witness, bear witness; but if not, I will bear witness.” Thus it is stated (ibid.), “when he (He) is a witness.” And where is it shown that the Holy One, blessed be He, is called a witness? Where it is stated (in Jer. 29:23), “I am the One who knows and bears witness, says the Lord.” Come and see. All the parashioth written in this book have “mistake” written in them, except for this parashah, in which “mistake” is not mentioned.⁴⁴In fact, MISTAKE (shegagah), i.e., UNINTENTIONAL SIN, does appear in this parashah (in 5:15, 18). Elsewhere in Lev. the word only appears in 4:2, 22, 27; 22:4.) About him Solomon has said (in Eccl. 5:5), “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not say before the angel that it was a mistake,” (in Eccl. 5:1), “for God is in the heavens.” It is comparable to two people who threw stones at an image of a king.⁴⁵Gk.: eikonion, a diminutive form of eikon. One was drunk, and one was in possession of his senses. Both of them were caught and went to trial. [The judge] rendered a [guilty] verdict⁴⁶Gk.: apophasis. against the one with his senses and acquitted the one who was drunk. So it is in the case of whoever sins. It is concerning him that “mistake” is written (in Lev. 4:2) – “When a soul sins by mistake (rt.: shgg) [against any of the Lord's commandments]….”; (and likewise in Lev. 4:13) “And if the whole congregation of Israel should err (rt.: shgg).” And [about] all of them; because they sinned by mistake, they bring an offering and it shall be forgiven them. It is so stated (in Numb. 15:26), “The whole congregation of the Children of Israel and the stranger who resides in their midst shall be forgiven because [it happened] to all the people by mistake.” But the one who blasphemes receives a [guilty] verdict, as stated (in Lev. 24:16) “And the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death.” It is also written (in Jer. 4:2), “And you shall swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; then shall nations bless themselves in Him, and Him shall they glory.” Scripture also says (in Deut. 10:20), “The Lord your God you shall fear, Him you shall serve, to Him you shall hold fast”; then after that, “and by Him you shall swear.”⁴⁷See Tanh. (Buber), Numb. 9:1; Numb. R. 9:1. (Ibid.:) “The Lord your God you shall fear,” so that you will be like those three of whom it is written, “he feared God (yr' 'lhym)”: Abraham, Joseph and Job. About Abraham it is written (in Gen. 22:12), “for now I know that you fear God (yr' 'lhym).” About Joseph it is written (in Gen. 42:18), “I fear (yr') God ('lhym).” About Job it is written (in Job 1:2), “he feared God (yr' 'lhym) and shunned evil.” (Deut. 10:20, cont.:) “Him you shall serve,” in that you will be busy with the Torah and with [fulfilling] the commandments. (Ibid. cont.:) “To him you shall hold fast,” in that you will honor the Torah scholars and benefit them with your property. Moses said to Israel, “Do not think that I have allowed you to swear by His name, even in truth. It is only, if all these conditions (mentioned earlier in the verse) abide with you, that you are entitled to swear; and if not, you are not entitled to swear [by His name], even in truth.” You shall not be like those of whom it is written (in Jer. 7:9), “[Will you …] swear falsely and sacrifice to Baal?” Rather, fulfill all these conditions and after that you are Mine, as stated (in Jer. 4:1), “If you return, O Israel, says the Lord, if you return unto Me [….]” Then after that [it says] (in vs. 2), “And you shall swear, ‘as the Lord lives’….” Our masters have said, “Even in truth one cannot swear.” Why? Thus have our masters taught (in Dem. 2:3): Let not someone from Israel be unrestrained in vows⁴⁸See also Ned. 20a. or in jesting, (or to lead one's companion astray with an oath by saying it is not an oath). There is a story about the royal mountain where there were two thousand towns, and all of them were destroyed because of a truthful oath that was unnecessary.⁴⁹Tanh. (Buber), Numb. 9:1; Numb. R. 9:1; cf. also Git. 57a. Now if one who swears in truth has this happen, how much the more so in the case of one who swears to a lie? How did they act? One would utter an oath to his companion that he was going to such and such a place to eat and drink. Then they would go and act to fulfill their oath. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 5:1), “If a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing.” Now when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to judge all people in the world to come, He will judge them along with sorcerers and adulterers. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Mal. 3:5), “Then I will draw near to you in judgment; and I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against those who swear to a lie (in My name).” And I am finding them guilty and bringing them down to Gehinnom. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “With the mouth that I gave you to be praising and glorifying My name, you are reproaching, blaspheming, and swearing to a lie in My name? Since I created all people to praise Me, as stated (in Prov. 16:4), “The Lord has made everything for His own purpose.” So is it not enough for you that you do not praise Me, but [that] you blaspheme [Me as well]! The Scripture has said (in Is. 57:20), “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, [for it cannot rest (rt.: shqt)].” [They are] just like this [kind of] sea which has waves in its midst exalting themselves upward. When each and every one of them reaches the sand, it is broken and returns (hozer).⁵⁰The word also means “repents.” And its companion also looks at it breaking, and [yet] exalts itself upward without repenting (hozer). So are the wicked, who look at one another and exalt themselves. Therefore, they are likened to the sea, as stated (in Is. 57:20), “But the wicked are like the troubled sea….” So did all the generations, the generation of Enosh, the generation of the flood, and the generation of the dispersion (i.e., of the Tower of Babel), not learn from each other. Instead they were exalting themselves. Therefore they are compared to the sea (in Is. 57:20), “But the wicked are like the troubled sea.” (Is. 57:20, cont.:) “For it cannot rest (rt.: shqt).” The wicked have no rest in the world, but the righteous have serenity (shqt), as stated (in Jer. 30:10), “and Jacob shall again have peace (shqt) and quiet with none to make him afraid.” Another interpretation (of Is. 57:20), “But the wicked are like the troubled sea.” Just as the sea has its dirt and mud in its mouth, so the wicked have their stench in their mouth. Thus it is stated (at the end of Is. 57:20), “and its waters toss up slime and mud.” It is not from choice that one hears blasphemies and invectives, but from the midst of the sins which are within him. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 5:1), “If a soul sins and hears a voice swearing….”⁵¹Most translations equate the sinning with the swearing. This more literal translation illustrates the point that the swearing comes from a soul which has already sinned. You find [that there are] three things under human control and three things not under human control ….⁵²Tanh., Gen. 6:12 (i.e., Toledot 12); Gen. R. 67:12. And not only [now] but even in the world to come. [So it is stated] (in Job 12:23), “He exalts (msgy') nations and destroys them.” The written text (ketiv) is “mshg'” (which means, misleads).⁵³In unpointed Hebrew the Sin (S) and the Shin (Sh) look alike. Since MShG’, which is pointed mashge’, can also be spelled with the extra yod (i.e., Y), the two words are interchangable in an unpointed text. Then He destroys them [and] brings them down to Abaddon,⁵⁴Abbadon is a name for Hell, which means “destruction.” while the righteous watch them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 66:24), “Then they shall go out and look at the corpses of the people who have rebelled against Me; their worms shall not die nor shall their fire be quenched”.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 8:1): THEN GOD REMEMBERED NOAH, < ALL THE BEASTS, AND ALL THE CATTLE >. If he remembered Noah, why < also > the beasts and the cattle? May the name of the Holy One be blessed, who never deprives any creature of its reward. If even a mouse has preserved its family³⁷As in English, the Hebrew word for “family” can also mean “species.” and not intermingled with another species, it deserves to receive a reward. But all the people from the generation of the flood did mingle their families, as stated (in Gen. 6:12): THEN GOD SAW THE WORLD; AND BEHOLD, IT WAS CORRUPT. Thus, just as he had exacted retribution from the humans who had sinned, so he exacted retribution from the cattle, the beasts, and the fowl. And where is it shown that retribution was exacted from them? Where it is stated (in Gen. 6:7): AND THE LORD SAID: I WILL BLOT OUT < THE HUMANITY WHICH I CREATED FROM UPON THE FACE OF THE GROUND, HUMANITY TOGETHER WITH CATTLE, CREEPING THINGS, AND THE FOWL OF THE HEAVENS >…. And why all those? In order to teach you that they also had mingled their families and were having intercourse with species that were not their own, each and every species with a species that was not its own. Then the Holy One called Noah and said to him: Choose for yourself cattle, beasts, and fowl [from those] who have not mingled their families, as stated (in Gen. 7:2): FROM EVERY CLEAN BEAST, < those > just as clean as when they were created. Then, when they went out from the ark, the Holy One testified concerning them that they had not mingled their families. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 8:19): THEY WENT OUT BY THEIR FAMILIES. The Holy One, therefore, remembered them along with Noah, as stated (in Gen. 8:1): THEN GOD REMEMBERED NOAH, < ALL THE BEASTS, AND ALL THE CATTLE >.

(Ib. 6, 12) For all flesh has corrupted his way upon the earth. R. Jochanan said: "Infer from this that cattle, beast and men had intercourse with each other." R. Aba b. Cahana said: "All of them returned to their kind, except the bird Thushl'imi." (Ib ib. 13) The end of all the flesh is come before Me. R. Jochanan said: "Come and see how severe is the force of robbery, for although the generation of the flood had committed all kinds of crimes, nevertheless their evil decree was not sealed until they stretched out their hand to commit robbery, as it is said (Ib.) For all the earth is filled with violence through them, and I will destroy them with the earth, and it is also written (Eze. 7, 11) Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; nought cometh from them, nor from their turmoil, neither is there eminency then; and there shall be no lamenting for them." R. Elazar said: "Infer from the last passage, that the violence has raised itself as a cane and placed itself before the Lord, saying, 'Sovereign of the Universe, nothing shall be left of them, etc'." At the college of R. Ishmael, it was taught: "Also Noah was included in that evil decree, but he found favor in the eyes of the Lord, as it is said (Gen. 6, 7) For it repenteth Me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Ib. ib. 6) And it repenteth the Lord that he had made man on the earth. When R. Dimi came from Palestine, he said: "The Holy One, praised be He! said, 'I have done well that I prepared for them graves in the earth'." Where is the inference? It is written here, Vayinachem (and the Lord bethought himself), and it is also written (Ib. 50) Vayinochem (And he comforted them). According to others, He said, "I have not done well that I prepared for them graves in the earth, [because they might have repented]. It is written here Vayinachem, and it is written there (Ex. 32, 14) Vayinachem (And the Lord repented) of the evil which He said He would do unto His people.

The animals, likewise, copulated with species other than their own: the horse with the ass, the ass with the horse, and the serpent with the bird, as it is said: And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth (Gen. 6:12). Notice that Scripture does not say in this verse “all man” but all flesh. Therefore, He blotted out every living substance which was upon the face of the ground, both man and cattle (ibid. 7:23). No being that had copulated with a species other than its own entered the ark, as it is said: From all the pure cattle (ibid., v. 2). Because the ark could harbor only pure beings, they came from among those alone, as it is said: Two and two unto Noah (ibid., v. 9).

(Gen. 9:18:) AND THE CHILDREN OF NOAH < WHO WENT FORTH FROM THE ARK > WERE < SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH >.⁵⁸Tanh. Gen. 2:12. [Let our master instruct us: Who is the one commanded about being fruitful and multiplying, the man or the woman? Thus] have our masters taught (in Yev. 6:6): THE MAN IS COMMANDED ABOUT BEING FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLYING BUT NOT THE WOMAN. R. Johanan ben Baroqah says: It says concerning both of them (in Gen. 1:28): AND GOD BLESSED THEM, [AND GOD SAID TO THEM: BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY].⁵⁹yTa‘an. 7:9 (69c); yMeg. 1:6 (70c); Gen. R. 8:12. However, the man is commanded more than the woman. You know yourself that it is so. Look at how Abraham showed a lot of determination in taking a wife for his son Isaac; for thus it says (in Gen. 24:2-4): SO ABRAHAM SAID UNTO THE SENIOR SERVANT OF HIS HOUSE … AND I WILL MAKE YOU SWEAR BY THE LORD, THE GOD OF THE HEAVENS … THAT YOU < GO > UNTO MY LAND < WHERE I WAS BORN >…. Thus Abraham showed determination about being fruitful and multiplying. So also Isaac sent Jacob, as stated (in Gen. 28:2): ARISE, GO TO PADDAN-ARAM, TO THE HOUSE OF BETHUEL. He sent him to take a wife who was suitable for him. < In doing so he was > unlike the people of the flood generation, who were lecherous, who were going for what was indecent for them. See what is written (in Gen. 6:2): THE DIVINE SONS SAW < HOW BEAUTIFUL THE HUMAN DAUGHTERS WERE AND TOOK WHOMEVER THEY CHOSE AS THEIR WIVES >. The Holy One said: Inasmuch as they have done this, let them perish from the earth. But why were the cattle destroyed with them, as stated (in Gen. 7:23): BOTH HUMAN AND CATTLE? Because the cattle also were acting immorally and going with species that were not their own, the horse with the donkey, the lion with the bull, the snake with the lizard.⁶⁰Cf. Sanh. 108a. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 6:12): THEN GOD SAW THE EARTH, AND, BEHOLD, IT WAS CORRUPT; [FOR ALL FLESH HAD CORRUPTED ITS WAY UPON THE EARTH]. It does not say "Every person," but ALL FLESH, < i.e., > even the cattle, the wild beasts, and the fowl. Therefore, they were blotted out along with them. R. Pinhas bar Hama the Priest said: Just as none but the righteous entered the ark,⁶¹See Sanh. 108b. so the cattle, wild beasts, and fowl who were with them were righteous, as stated (in Gen. 8:19): < THEY WENT FORTH FROM THE ARK > BY THEIR FAMILIES. Do cattle have families? Only those cattle who had not joined themselves to another species entered the ark; therefore, the Holy One ascribed a lineage for them. So, if cattle, wild beasts, and fowl, who are nothing, were ascribed a lineage, was it not proper for Noah and his sons to be ascribed a lineage? The Holy One immediately ascribed them a {lineage, according to what is written} [lineage. Where is it shown? In what we have read] on the matter (in Gen. 9:18): AND THE SONS OF NOAH WHO WENT FORTH FROM THE ARK WERE < SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH >….

Another interpretation (of Is. 57:20): BUT THE WICKED ARE LIKE THE TROUBLED SEA. Just as the sea has its mud in its mouth, so the wicked have their stench in their mouth. Thus it is stated (at the end of Is. 57:20): AND ITS WATERS TOSS UP SLIME AND MUD. It is not from choice that one hears blasphemies and invectives, but from the midst of the sins which are within him. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 5:1): IF A SOUL SINS AND HEARS A VOICE SWEARING….⁶⁷Most translations equate the sinning with the swearing. This more literal translation illustrates the point that the swearing comes from a soul which has already sinned. You find <that there are> three things under human control and three things not under human control.⁶⁸Tanh., Gen. 6:12 (i.e., Toledot 12); Gen. R. 67:12. The following are under one's control: The mouth, the hands and the feet. The mouth: If one wants to be engaged in the Torah, he is engaged; <if one wants> to blaspheme and revile, he does so, because his lips are under his control. The hands: If one wants to give alms, he gives them; <if one wants> to steal, he steals. Why? Because they are under his control. The feet: One wanting to go to the synagogue goes; <one wanting> to steal, commit adultery, <or> murder goes, because his feet are under his control. But the following are not under one's control: The eyes, the ears, and the nose. The eyes: If one was passing through the market place and saw someone committing a transgression in the market place, he was seeing what was not under his control. The ears: If one heard the sound of blasphemies and invectives and did not want to hear them, what should he do? He heard what was not under his control. The nose: If one passed through a place of idolatry, smelled idolatrous incense, and did not smell it willingly, what should he do? He smelled what was not under his control. But when the Holy One desires, even these things which are < ordinarily > under one's control are not <any longer> under one's control. The mouth: When Balaam came to curse Israel, the Holy One did not allow him. He blessed them instead, as stated (in Deut. 23:6): BUT THE LORD YOUR GOD DID NOT WANT TO HEED BALAAM; <SO THE LORD YOUR GOD TURNED THE CURSE INTO A BLESSING FOR YOU>…. Also the hands: Thus you find in the case of Jeroboam, when the prophet came AND (according to I Kings 13:2) CRIED OUT {UNTO} [AGAINST] THE ALTAR [ACCORDING TO] THE WORD OF THE LORD AND SAID: O ALTAR, ALTAR, [THUS SAYS THE LORD: BEHOLD, A SON SHALL BE BORN UNTO THE HOUSE OF DAVID…. ] Then Jeroboam said: Moses wrote in the Torah (in Deut. 13:2 [1]): IF THERE ARISES AMONG YOU A PROPHET… AND GIVES YOU A SIGN OR A PORTENT. Now as for you, what portent are you giving me? He said to him: Is it a portent that you want? (I Kings 13:3:) THIS IS THE PORTENT WHICH THE LORD HAS DECREED: BEHOLD, THE ALTAR WILL BE TORN ASUNDER. Then (in vs. 4): JEROBOAM {RAISED} [STRETCHED OUT] HIS ARM FROM OVER THE ALTAR, SAYING: SEIZE HIM, BUT HIS HAND < WHICH HE STRETCHED AGAINST HIM > WITHERED, <AND HE COULD NOT DRAW IT BACK TO HIMSELF>. <This is written > to teach you that it was not under his control. Also the feet: Where it shown concerning them? From the men of Aram (i.e., Syria). When they came against Elisha, the Holy One said to them: Is it in your own right that you have come? What did he do to them? He misdirected them, as stated (in II Kings 6:19): THEN ELISHA SAID TO THEM: THIS IS NOT THE ROAD, AND THIS IS NOT THE CITY. <This is written > to teach you that even the feet are not under one's control. And not only <now> but even in the world to come.⁶⁹Tanh., Lev. 1:7. [So it is stated] (in Job 12:23): HE EXALTS (MSGY') NATIONS AND DESTROYS THEM. The written text (ketiv) is MShG' (which means, "misleads").⁷⁰In unpointed Hebrew the Sin (S) and the Shin (Sh) look alike. Since MShG’, which is pointed mashge’, can also be spelled with the extra yod (i.e., Y), the two words are interchangable in an unpointed text. Then he DESTROYS THEM <and> brings them down to Abaddon,⁷¹Abbadon is a name for Hell, which means “destruction.” while the righteous watch them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 66:24): THEN THEY SHALL GO OUT AND LOOK AT THE CORPSES OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE REBELLED AGAINST ME: THEIR WORMS SHALL NOT DIE NOR SHALL THEIR FIRE BE QUENCHED.

Noah said to them: Turn from your ways and evil deeds, so that He bring not upon you the waters of the Flood, and destroy all the seed of the children of men. They said to him: Behold, we will restrain ourselves from multiplying and increasing, so as not to produce the offspring of the children of men. What did they do? When they came to their wives they spilled the issue of their seed upon the earth so as not to produce offspring of the children of men, as it is said, "And God saw the earth, and behold it was spilled" (Gen. 6:12). They said: If He bring from heaven the waters of the Flood upon us, behold, we are of high stature, and the waters will not reach || up to our necks; and if He bring the waters of the depths against us, behold, the soles of our feet can close up all the depths. What did they do? They put forth the soles of their feet, and closed up all the depths. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He heated the waters of the deep, and they arose and burnt their flesh, and peeled off their skin from them, as it is said, "What time they wax warm, they vanish; when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place" (Job 6:17). Do not read thus ("When it is hot," בחֻמו), but (read) "in his hot waters" (בחמימיו).