בראשית רבה ז׳Bereshit Rabbah 7

Section 1א׳

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם, כְּתִיב (תהלים פו, ח): אֵין כָּמוֹךָ בָּאֱלֹהִים ה' וְאֵין כְּמַעֲשֶׂיךָ, בְּנֹהַג שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם בָּשָׂר וָדָם צָר צוּרָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, אֲבָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא צָר צוּרָה בַּמַּיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה.

“God said: Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth on the face of the firmament of the heavens” (Genesis 1:20). “God said: Let the water swarm” – it is written: “There is none like You among the gods, Lord, and nothing akin to Your deeds” (Psalms 86:8). It is the usual way of the world that a mortal human fashions a form on dry land. But the Holy One blessed be He fashions a form in the water, as it is stated: “God said: Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures.”

Section 2ב׳

יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ כְּפַר נְבוֹרָאִי, הוֹרָה בְּצוֹר דָּגִים טְעוּנִין שְׁחִיטָה. שָׁמַע רַבִּי חַגַּי שָׁלַח לֵיהּ, תָּא לָקֵי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ בַּר אֵינָשׁ דַּאֲמַר מִלְּתָא מִן אוֹרָיְיתָא לָקֵי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִנַּיִן הִיא דְאוֹרָיְיתָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִן הָדָא דִכְתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל הָאָרֶץ, וּמָה עוֹף טָעוּן שְׁחִיטָה אַף דָּגִים טְעוּנִין שְׁחִיטָה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, לָא הוֹרֵית טַב. אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִנַיִן אַתְּ מוֹדַע לִי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ רְבִיעַ וַאֲנָא מוֹדַע לָךְ, דִּכְתִיב (במדבר יא, כב): הֲצֹאן וּבָקָר יִשָּׁחֵט לָהֶם וּמָצָא לָהֶם וְאִם אֶת כָּל דְּגֵי הַיָּם יֵאָסֵף לָהֶם וּמָצָא לָהֶם, יִשָּׁחֵט אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא יֵאָסֵף. אֲמַר חֲבוֹט חֲבָטָךְ, רְצוֹף רִצְפָּךְ, דְּהִיא טָבָא לְאוּלְפָנָא. יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ כְּפַר נְבוֹרָאִי הוֹרָה בְּצוֹר מֻתָּר לָמוּל בְּנָהּ שֶׁל עוֹבֶדֶת כּוֹכָבִים בְּשַׁבָּת, שָׁמַע רַבִּי חַגַּי שָׁלַח לֵיהּ, תָּא לָקֵי, אָמַר בַּר נָשׁ דַּאֲמַר מִלְּתָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא לָקֵי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּמִן הִיא דְאוֹרָיְיתָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ (במדבר א, יח): וַיִּתְיַלְּדוּ עַל מִשְׁפְּחוֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבוֹתָם, מִשְׁפַּחַת אָב קְרוּיָה מִשְׁפָּחָה, מִשְׁפַּחַת אֵם אֵינָהּ קְרוּיָה מִשְׁפָּחָה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָא הוֹרֵית טַב. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּמִנַּיִן אַתְּ מוֹדַע לִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רְבִיעַ וַאֲנָא מוֹדַע לָךְ. אֲמַר אִם אָתֵי בַּר עוֹבֶדֶת כּוֹכָבִים לְגַבָּךְ וְיֹאמַר לָךְ אֲנָא בָּעֵי מִתְעַבְּדָה יְהוּדִי עַל מְנָת לְמִגְזְרָה בְּיוֹמָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא אוֹ בְּיוֹמָא דְּכִפּוּרַיָא, מְחַלְּלִין אוֹתוֹ עָלָיו, וַהֲלוֹא אֵין מְחַלְּלִין שַׁבָּת וְיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים אֶלָּא עַל בְּנָהּ שֶׁל בַּת יִשְׂרְאֵלִית בִּלְבָד. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּמִנַּיִן לָךְ, מִן הָדָא, דִּכְתִיב (עזרא י, ג): וְעַתָּה נִכְרָת בְּרִית לֵאלֹהֵינוּ לְהוֹצִיא כָל נָשִׁים וְהַנּוֹלָד מֵהֶם בַּעֲצַת ה' וגו'. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי וּמִן הַקַּבָּלָה אַתָּה מַלְקֵנִי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְהָכְתִיב תַּמָּן (עזרא י, ג): וְכַתּוֹרָה יֵעָשֶׂה, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מֵאֵיזוֹ תּוֹרָה, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִן הַהוּא דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי (דברים ז, ג): וְלֹא תִתְחַתֵּן וגו', מִפְּנֵי מָה (דברים ז, ד): כִּי יָסִיר אֶת בִּנְךָ מֵאַחֲרַי, בִּנְךָ הַבָּא מִיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית קָרוּי בִּנְךָ, וְאֵין בִּנְךָ הַבָּא מִן עוֹבֶדֶת כּוֹכָבִים קָרוּי בִּנְךָ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ חֲבוֹט חֲבָטָךְ, דְּהִיא טָבָא בְּקוּלְטָא, וּרְצוֹף רִצְפָּךְ, דְּהִיא טָבָא בְּאוּלְפָנָא.

Yaakov of Kefar Nevorai once issued a ruling in Tyre that fish require ritual slaughter. Rabbi Ḥagai heard this and sent a message to him: ‘Come here to be flogged.’ He said to him: ‘Is a man who says a Torah concept to be flogged?’ He said to him: ‘From where in the Torah is this derived?’ He said to him: ‘From what is written: “God said: Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth” – just as a bird requires ritual slaughter, so, too, fish require ritual slaughter.’ He said to him: ‘You did not issue a proper ruling.’ He said to him: ‘From where can you prove it to me?’ He said to him: ‘Bend over, and I will prove it to you. It is as it is written: “Will flocks and cattle be slaughtered for them and it suffice for them? If all the fish of the sea will be gathered for them, will it suffice for them?” (Numbers 11:22). “Will be slaughtered” is not written here [regarding fish], but rather, “will be gathered.”’ He said to him: ‘Strike your blows, beat your beating, as it is helpful in learning a lesson.’ Yaakov of Kefar Nevorai once issued a ruling in Tyre that it is permitted to circumcise the son of a non-Jewish woman on Shabbat. Rabbi Ḥagai heard this and sent a message to him: ‘Come here to be flogged.’ He said: ‘Is a man who says a Torah concept to be flogged?’ He said to him: ‘From where in the Torah is this derived?’ He said to him: ‘“They verified their lineages by their families, by their patrilineal houses” (Numbers 1:18) – the family of the father is called family; the family of the mother is not called family.’ He said to him: ‘You did not issue a proper ruling.’ He said to him: ‘From where can you prove it to me?’ He said to him: ‘Bend over and I will prove it to you.’ He said: ‘If the son of a non-Jewish woman were to come to you and say: I want to become a Jew, with the stipulation that I be circumcised on Shabbat or on Yom Kippur, would one desecrate it for him? Is it not so that one desecrates Shabbat and Yom Kippur only for [circumcising] the son of an Israelite woman?’ He said to him: ‘From where do you derive this?’ [He said:] ‘It is from what is written: “Now, let us establish a covenant with our God to send away all the [non-Jewish] wives, and those born from them, according to the counsel of the Lord…”’ (Ezra 10:3). He said to him: ‘Rabbi, are you flogging me based on received Scripture?’ He said to him: ‘But is it not written there: “It shall be done in accordance with the Torah”?’ (Ezra 10:3). He said to him: ‘From which [verse in the] Torah?’ He said to him: ‘From what Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: “You shall not intermarry [with them]” (Deuteronomy 7:3). Why? “Because he will divert your son from following Me” (Deuteronomy 7:4) – your [grand]son who comes from an Israelite woman is called your son, but your [grand]son who comes from a non-Jewish woman is not called your son.’ He said to him: ‘Strike your blows, as it is helpful for absorbing [a lesson]; beat your beating, as it is helpful in learning a lesson.’

Section 3ג׳

וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף, בְּנֹהַג שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם מֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם בּוֹנֶה פָּלָטִין וּמַשְׁרֶה דִּיּוּרִין בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים וּבַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, שֶׁמָּא בַּחָלָל. אֲבָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַשְׁרֶה דִּיּוּרִין בַּחָלָל, כְּדִכְתִיב: וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף עַל הָאָרֶץ וגו'.

“And let birds fly” – it is the usual way of the world that a flesh-and-blood king builds a palace and settles occupants in the upper and lower levels. Does he, perhaps, do so in its air space? The Holy One blessed be He, however, settles occupants even in the air space, as it is written: “And let birds fly above the earth…”