מדרש אויף איוב 1:19

“The wind goes to the south, and turns to the north; around and around the wind turns, and on its rounds the wind returns” (Ecclesiastes 1:6).
“The wind goes to the south, and turns to the north.” It “goes to the south” during the day, “and turns to the north” at night. “Around and around the wind turns, and on its rounds the wind returns” – toward the east and the west. “And on its rounds the wind returns” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya said: This wind, when it emerges into the world, the Holy One blessed be He weakens it in the mountains and breaks it on the hills, and He says to it: ‘Be careful that you do not harm My creations.’ What is the reason? “Because the wind, from before Me ya’atof” (Isaiah 57:16) – [I] make it faint, as it is stated: “When my soul was faint [nitatef] within me” (Jonah 2:8). Why to that extent? Because “and souls I have made” (Isaiah 57:16).
Rabbi Huna said: In three places the wind emerged disproportionately, and the wind sought to destroy the entire world with all its inhabitants: Once in the days of Job, once in the days of Elijah, and once in the days of Jonah. Once in the days of Job, as it is stated: “And behold a great wind came from across the wilderness [and smote the four corners of the house]” (Job 1:19). Once in the days of Elijah, as it is stated: “Behold, the Lord passed, and a great and strong wind, smashing mountains and breaking rocks” (I Kings 19:11). And once in the days of Jonah, as it is stated: “The Lord cast a great wind upon the sea” (Jonah 1:4). Rabbi Yehuda bar Shalom said: That wind that was during the days of Job was in the world only for that house alone. That of Jonah was in the world only for that ship alone. You do not have one that was worldwide other than that of Elijah, as it is stated: “He said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord” (I Kings 19:11).³¹This phrase indicates that the wind was everywhere, as the entire world is “before the Lord” (Midrash HaMevoar). Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Tanḥum [said], and some say it in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: The messianic king will never come until all the souls that entered His mind to be created will live, and these are the souls that are stated in the book of Adam the first man, as it is stated: “This is the book of the descendants of Adam” (Genesis 5:1).

“A man, if he will have on the skin of his flesh a spot, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it will become a mark of leprosy on the skin of his flesh, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests” (Leviticus 13:2).
“A man, if he will have on the skin of his flesh a spot, or a scab, or a bright spot” – that is what is written: “To set calibration of the wind and allocate water by measure” (Job 28:25).¹This is related to the verse regarding spots of leprosy in that leprosy was thought to be caused by an imbalance in the body between water and blood, as will be explained at the end of section two. Rav Huna said: In three instances wind emerged without calibration, and it had the capacity to destroy the world. These are they: One in the days of Job, one in the days of Jonah, and one in the days of Elijah. In the days of Job, as it is stated: “And behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness” (Job 1:19). In the days of Jonah, as it is stated: “But the Lord cast a great wind toward the sea” (Jonah 1:4). In the days of Elijah, as it is stated: “He said: Go out and stand on the mountain [before the Lord]. And behold, the Lord was passing, and there was a great and powerful wind, smashing mountains” (I Kings 19:11). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Shalom said: It was the same one [in the time] of Job, [in the time] of Jonah, [and in the time] of Elijah. The one [in the time] of Job was for that house.²It blew only on the house of Job’s eldest son and blew it down. The one [in the time] of Jonah was for that ship. The one [in the time] of Elijah was for that action.³It was only for God’s revelation to Elijah. But the greatest among them was the one of Elijah. That is what is written: “Go out and stand on the mountain [before the Lord].”⁴It smashed mountains and shattered stones everywhere that was before God, i.e., the entire world.
Rabbi Tanḥum ben Rabbi Ḥiyya said, and some say it in the name of the Rabbis: The messianic king will come only after all the souls that [God] intended to create will be finished. These are those that are stated in the book of Adam the first man. That is what is written: “This is the book of the descendants of Adam” (Genesis 5:1).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: When the wind emerges from before the Holy One blessed be He, He breaks it on the mountains, weakens it on the hills, and says to it: ‘Be careful that you do not harm My creations,’ as it is stated: “For the wind will submit before Me and it is I who crafted their souls” (Isaiah 57:16); ‘For the sake of the souls that I crafted.’ “And allocate water by measure” – Rabbi Yudan bar Rabbi Shimon said: Even water that descends from above is given only by measure.⁵Rain is a blessing, and it is given only in the proper measure lest it cause harm. That is what is written: “For He withholds [yegara] water drops” (Job 36:27), and it is written: “And it shall be deducted [venigra] from your valuation” (Leviticus 27:18).

Another matter, “this is the book of the descendants of Adam,” it is written: “For I [God] will not contend forever” (Isaiah 57:16) – with Adam the first man; “and I will not be eternally angry” (Isaiah 57:16) – with his descendants. “For the wind will be faint [yaatof] before Me” (Isaiah 57:16), Rabbi Huna said: This wind, when it goes out into the world it seeks to destroy the world, but the Holy One blessed be He weakens it on the mountains, breaks it on the hills, and says to it: ‘Take care that you do not harm My creations!’⁶This is alluded to in the concluding words of the Isaiah verse (57:16): “And the souls that I have created.” What is the source? “For the wind will be faint [yaatof] before Me.” What is yaatof? It means that He wears it down, as it says: “When my soul was worn down [behitatef] within me, I remembered the Lord” (Jonah 2:8).
Rabbi Huna said: There were three winds that, because they emerged untamed, the world was almost destroyed by them. They were: one in the days of Jonah, one in the days of Job, and one in the days of Elijah. Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Yishmael said: Jonah’s [wind] was on that ship [alone], as it is stated: “But the Lord cast a great wind upon the sea” (Jonah 1:4). Job’s was on that house [alone], as it is stated: “And behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness, [and it struck the four corners of the house]” (Job 1:19). You have only Elijah’s that was worldwide, as it is stated: “And behold, the Lord was passing, and there was a great and powerful wind, smashing mountains and shattering rocks” (I Kings 19:11).
Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥiyya, and some say it in the name of the Rabbis: The messianic king will not come⁷This is a new interpretation of ruaḥ not as “wind,” but as “the spirit [of the Messiah].” It will not go forth (yaatof) from before God until the depletion of “the souls that I have created.” until all the souls that entered God’s mind to be created are created, and those are the souls stated in the book of Adam.