וַיִּהְיוּ חַיִּי שָׂרָה מֵאָה שָׁנָה ועֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה ושֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (יונה א׳:ט״ו) ויִּשְׂאוּ אֶת יוֹנָה ויְטִלֻהוּ אֶל הַיָּם ויַּעֲמֹד הַיָּם מִזַּעְפּוֹ. הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא, מַאי טַעְמָא אַרְעִישַׁת יַמָּא עֲלֵיהּ דְּיוֹנָה, ולָא אַרְעִישַׁת עֲלֵיהּ אַרְעָא, כֵּיוָן דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל בְּגִין דְּלָא תִשְׁרֵי עֲלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, יַמָּא (עלאה) אַמַּאי אָחִיד בֵּיהּ כַּד הֲוָה אָזִיל. AND THE LIFE OF SARAH WAS A HUNDRED AND SEVEN AND TWENTY YEARS. R. Jose discoursed on the verse: And they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging (Jonah 1, 15). ‘The question may here be asked,’ he said, ‘why it was the sea and not the earth that raged against him, seeing that he fled to prevent the Shekinah from resting upon him.
אֶלָא וַדַּאי מִלָּה בְּאַתְרֵיהּ הֲוָה. יַם, תְּנַן יַם דַּמְיָא לְרָקִיעַ וְרָקִיעַ לְכִסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד, וּבְגִין כָּךְ יַמָּא אָחִיד בֵּיהּ וְנְטַל לֵיהּ (בגין דהוה עריק) מִקַּמֵּי יַמָא עָרַק (נ"א ומקמי ימא ביה שרא יראה בדוכתיה), שָׁדֵי יַמָּא יְדָא בֵּיהּ בְּדוּכְתָּהָא (נ"א תשרי ידא בדוכתהא). In fact, however, it was appropriate that it should be so. Our teachers say that the sea resembles the sky and the sky resembles the Throne of Glory; hence the sea seized him and held him fast. For as he, in effect, fled from the sea, the sea was the proper agent to fill him with fear and trembling.
וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת יוֹנָה וַיְטִלֻהוּ אֶל הַיָּם. אוֹלִיפְנָא כַּד הֲווּ נָטְלֵי לֵיהּ וְטָבְעֵי יַרְכוֹי בְּיַמָּא, הֲוָה יַמָּא שָׁכִיךְ, זָקְפִין לֵיהּ, אִתְרְעִישׁ יַמָּא, כָּל מַה דְּטָבְעֵי לֵיהּ הָכִי אִשְׁתְּכִיךְ יַמָּא, עַד דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר שָׂאוּנִי וַהֲטִילוּנִי אֶל הַיָּם, מִיָּד וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת יוֹנָה וַיְּטִלוּהוּ אֶל הַיָּם. “And they took up Jonah and cast him into the sea.” Tradition says that as they took him up and plunged him into the water up to his thighs, the sea was assuaged, and when they lifted him up again the sea resumed its violence. This happened repeatedly, until finally Jonah said: “Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea” (Ibid. 1, 12). Forthwith they did so.
כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְרַמֵּי בַּיָּם פָּרְחָה מִנֵּיהּ נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ, וְסָלְקָא עַד כֻּרְסְיָיא דְמַלְכָּא, וְאִתְדָּנַת קַמֵּיהּ, וְאַהֲדָרַת לֵיהּ נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ, וְעָאל בְּפוּמָא דְהַהוּא נוּנָא, וּמִית נוּנָא, לְבָתַר אִתְקְיַּים הַהוּא נוּנָא, וְאוּקְמוּהָ. No sooner was he cast forth into the sea than his soul took flight from him and ascended to the Throne of the King, before whom she was brought to judgement. She was then restored to Jonah, and then the fish swallowed him. The fish died, but afterwards came to life again. This is the accepted explanation.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּבַר נָשׁ סָלִיק בְּעַרְסֵיהּ כָּל לֵילְיָא וְלֵילְיָא, נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ נָפְקַת מִנֵּיהּ וְאִתְדָּנַת קַמֵּי בֵּי דִינָא דְמַלְכָּא, אִי זַכָּאָה לְאִתְקָיְימָא, אִתְהַדָּרַת לְהַאי עַלְמָא. In the same way, every night when a man retires to his bed his soul leaves him and ascends to be judged before the King’s tribunal. If she is found deserving to continue in her present state, she is allowed to return to this world.
וְדִינָא הוּא בִּתְרֵין גְּוָונִין, דְּהָא לָא דָיְינִין לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ עַל בִּישִׁין דְּאִיהוּ עָתִיד וְזַמִּין לְמֶעְבַּד דִּכְתִיב (בראשית כ״א:י״ז) כִּי שָׁמַע אֱלהִים וְגו' בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם. וְלָא תֵימָא דְּדָנִין לֵיהּ עַל טָבִין דְּעָבִיד לְחוּד, אֶלָּא לְאוֹטָבָא לֵיהּ עַל אִינוּן טָבִין דְּהַשְׁתָּא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר, וְדָנִין לֵיהּ עַל זָכְיָין דְּאִיהוּ זַמִּין לְמֶעְבַּד, וּבְגִינַיְיהוּ אִשְׁתְּזִיב אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ הַשְׁתָּא חַיָּיבָא. בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד טִיבוּ עִם כָּל בִּרְיָין וְכָל אָרְחוֹי דְאִיהוּ עָבִיד לְאוֹטָבָא לְכֹלָּא, וְלָא דָאִין לְבַר נָשׁ עַל בִּישִׁין דְּאִיהוּ זַמִּין לְמֶעְבַּד, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְדָּן בַּר נָשׁ קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. In the judgement, good and evil actions are not weighed in the same way. No account is taken of evil deeds which a man is likely to perpetrate in the future, for so it is written, “for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is” (Gen. 21, 17). But in regard to good actions, not only those already performed in the past are taken into consideration, but also those which a man is going to perform in the future; so that even if the present account would prove a man guilty, the Holy One in His bounty towards His creatures puts to his credit all his future good deeds, and the man is thus saved.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כֵּיוָן דְּאַטִּילוּ לֵיהּ לְיוֹנָה בְּיַמָּא, מַה כְּתִיב, וַיַּעֲמֹד הַיָּם מִזַּעְפּוֹ. הַיָּם עִלָּאָה, מַאי וַיַּעֲמֹד, דְּקָאִים בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, בַּעֲמִידָה אִיהוּ כַּד רוּגְזָא שָׁכִיךְ, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּדִינָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעַלְמָא, הַהוּא בֵּי דִינָא אִיהוּ כְּאִתְּתָא דְּמִתְעַבְּרָא, וְקַשְׁיָא לְאוֹלָדָא, וְכַד אוֹלִידַת שְׁכִיךְ רוּגְזָא. הָכִי נָמֵי כַּד דִּינָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעַלְמָא, לָא שָׁכִיךְ וְלָא נָח עַד דְּאִתְעֲבִיד דִּינָא בְּחַיָּיבַיָא, כְּדֵין הוּא נַיְיחָא דִילֵיהּ, לְמֵיקַם בְּדוּכְתָּא שְׁלִים, וּלְמֵיקַם בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (משלי י״א:י׳) וּבַאֲבֹד רְשָׁעִים רִנָּה. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא. Observe that when Jonah was cast forth into the sea, “the sea”-as we read-“stood still from raging”. This means the supernal sea, which is said to “stand still” when its wrath is assuaged. For the heavenly tribunal, at a time when the world is under judgement, is like a pregnant woman who is convulsed with the pangs of childbirth, which cease, however, as soon as she is delivered of the child. Similarly the heavenly tribunal in time of judgement is agitated and convulsed, but once judgement is executed it becomes pacified and resumes with gladness its wonted calm, as it is written, “And when the wicked perish there is joy” (Prov. XI, IO).
בַּאֲבֹד רְשָׁעִים רִנָּה. וְהָכְתִיב (יחזקאל י״ח:כ״ג) הֶחָפֹץ אֶחְפֹּץ מוֹת רָשָׁע וְהָא לֵית נַיְיחָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד אִתְעֲבִיד דִּינָא בְּרַשִּׁיעַיָּיא. אֶלָּא כָּאן קוֹדֶם דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים קִיסְטָא, כָּאן לְבָתַר דְּאִשְׁתְּלִים קִיסְטָא (אית ליה נייחא): There is, indeed, a passage to the contrary, saying, “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” (Ezek. 18, 23). This passage, however, speaks of those sinners who have not yet gone to the limit of provocation, whereas the previous passage speaks of those sinners whose measure is full.’