like a piece

<<that was torn off.

<<And this

<<that it goes

<<after her

<<is because it says

<<to her:

<<Give

<<me

<<my children!

<<For at the time

<<that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<sought

<<to bring

<<a flood

<<on the world,

<<He took

<<two

<<stars

<<from Kimah

<<and brought

<<a flood

<<on the world.

<<And when He sought

<<to close it [the gap],

<<He took

<<two

<<stars

<<from Ayish

<<and closed it.

And let Him return [them]

<<to her!

<<Not

<<is a pit

<<filled

<<from its own dirt [lit. its mound].

<<Alternatively:

<<not

<<does a prosecutor

<<become

<<a defender.

And let Him create

<<for her

<<two

<<stars

<<other ones!

<<“There is not

<<any

<<new thing

<<under

<<the sun.”

<<Rav Nachman said:

<<Is destined

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to return them

<<to her,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And Ayish

<<over

<<her children

<<will you comfort.”

“And over

<<the earthquakes [zeva'os].”

<<What are

<<zeva'os?

<<Rav Katina said:

<<A quake [guha].

<<Rav Katina

<<was

<<walking

<<on the road.

<<When

<<he reached

<<the entrance

<<of the house of

<<a necromancer

<<of bones,

<<rumbled

<<a quake.

<<He said:

<<Does

<<know

<<the necromancer

<<of bones

<<this

<<quake,

<<what it is?

<<He raised

<<to him

<<a voice:

<<Katina,

<<Katina!

<<Why

<<not

<<would I know?

<<At the time

<<that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<remembers

<<His children

<<who dwell

<<in distress

<<among

<<the nations of

<<the world,

<<He lets fall

<<two

<<tears

<<into the Great Sea,

<<and its sound

<<is heard

<<from the end of

<<the world

<<and until

<<its end;

<<and this is

<<the quake.

Rav Katina said:

<<The necromancer

<<of bones

<<a liar

<<is,

<<and his words

<<are lies.

<<If so,

<<a quake

<<[and another] quake

<<there should have been!

<<But it is not so:

<<a quake

<<[and another] quake

<<it makes.

<<And this

<<that not

<<he conceded

<<to him —

<<it is so that

<<not

<<would err

<<everyone

<<after him.

And Rav Katina,

<<his own [view],

<<said:

<<He claps

<<His hands,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And also

<<I

<<will strike

<<My hand

<<against

<<My hand,

<<and I will rest

<<My fury.”

<<Rabbi Nassan

<<says:

<<A sigh

<<He sighs,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And I will rest

<<My fury

<<upon them,

<<and I will be consoled.”

<<And the Rabbis

<<say:

<<He kicks

<<at the firmament,

<<as it is stated:

<<“A shout [heidad],

<<like those who tread [grapes],

<<He will call out

<<to

<<all

<<the inhabitants of

<<the earth.”

<<Rav Acha bar Yaakov

<<said:

<<He presses

<<His feet

<<beneath

<<the Throne of

<<Glory,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Thus

<<Hashem said:

<<The heavens

<<are My throne,

<<and the earth

<<is the footstool of

<<My feet.”

“And over

<<the thunders.”

<<What are

<<thunders?

<<Shmuel said:

<<Clouds

<<in the sphere [galgal],

<<as it is stated:

<<“The sound of

<<Your thunder

<<was in the sphere;

<<lit up

<<lightnings

<<the world;

<<trembled

<<and shook

<<the earth.”

<<And the Rabbis

<<say:

<<Clouds

<<that pour

<<water

<<into one another,

<<as it is stated:

<<“At the sound of

<<His giving

<<a multitude of

<<waters

<<in the heavens.”

<<Rav Acha bar Yaakov

<<said:

<<Lightning

<<that is powerful

<<that flashes

<<in the cloud

<<and breaks

<<the chunks

<<of hail.

<<Rav Ashi

<<said:

<<Clouds

<<that are hollow

<<are hollowed out,

<<and comes

<<a wind

<<and blows

<<across their mouths,

<<and it resembles

<<a wind

<<over

<<the mouth of

<<jugs.

<<And it is reasonable

<<like Rav Acha bar Yaakov,

<<for flashes

<<the lightning,

<<and rumble

<<the clouds,

<<and comes

<<the rain.

“And over

<<the winds.”

<<What are

<<winds?

<<Abaye said:

<<A storm wind.

<<And Abaye said:

<<We have a tradition

<<that a storm wind

<<at night

<<not

<<occurs.

<<But surely

<<we see

<<that it occurs!

<<That one

<<is one that began

<<by day.

<<And Abaye said:

<<We have a tradition

<<that a storm wind

<<two

<<hours

<<not

<<lasts,

<<to fulfill

<<what

<<is stated:

<<“Not

<<will rise

<<twice

<<trouble.”

<<But surely

<<we see

<<that it lasts!

<<It is that it stops

<<in between [lit. between, between].

“And over

<<the lightnings”

<<he says:

<<“Blessed is He

<<whose strength

<<and whose might

<<fill

<<the world.”

<<What are

<<lightnings?

<<Rava said:

<<A flash.

<<And Rava said:

<<Lightning

<<that is single,

<<and lightning

<<that is white,

<<and lightning

<<that is green,

<<and clouds

<<that rise

<<in the corner

<<of the west

<<and come

<<from the corner

<<of the south,

<<and two

<<clouds

<<that rise

<<one

<<facing

<<its fellow —

<<all of them

<<are harmful [lit. hard].

For what

<<is the practical difference?

<<To ask for

<<mercy.

<<And these words apply

<<at night,

<<but

<<in the morning

<<there is no

<<in them

<<substance.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzchak said:

<<These

<<clouds

<<of the morning —

<<there is no

<<in them

<<substance,

<<as it is written:

<<“And your kindness

<<is like a cloud of

<<morning,

<<etc.”

<<Rav Pappa said to Abaye:

<<But surely

<<say

<<people:

<<When

<<there open

<<the doors

<<— rain!

<<Donkey driver [lit. son of a donkey],

<<fold

<<your sack

<<and sleep!

<<It is not difficult:

<<this

<<is where it is knotted [i.e., covered]

<<in thick cloud,

<<this

<<is where it is knotted

<<in [thin] clouds.

Rabbi Alexandri said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi:

<<Not

<<were created

<<thunders

<<except

<<to straighten

<<the crookedness

<<that is in the heart,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And God

<<made [it]

<<so that they should fear

<<before Him.”

<<And Rabbi Alexandri said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi:

<<One who sees

<<the rainbow [lit. the bow]

<<in the cloud

<<must

<<fall

<<upon

<<his face,

<<as it is stated:

<<“Like the appearance of

<<the bow

<<that

<<will be

<<in the cloud,

<<etc.

<<And I saw,

<<and I fell

<<upon

<<my face.”

<<They curse

<<over it

<<in the West,

<<because

<<it looks

<<like one

<<who bows

<<to the bow.

<<But

<<to bless —

<<certainly

<<he blesses.

<<What

<<does he bless?

<<“Blessed is He

<<who remembers

<<the covenant.”

<<In a baraisa

<<it was taught:

<<Rabbi Yishmael,

<<the son of

<<Rabbi Yochanan ben Beroka,

<<says:

<<“Faithful

<<in His covenant

<<and enduring

<<in His word.”

<<Rav Pappa said:

<<Therefore

<<let us say

<<both of them:

<<“Blessed is He

<<who remembers

<<the covenant,

<<and is faithful

<<in His covenant

<<and enduring

<<in His word.”

“Over

<<the mountains

<<and over

<<the hills.”

<<Is that to say

<<all

<<these

<<that we have said

<<until

<<now —

<<not

<<the work of

<<Creation

<<are they?

<<But isn't it written:

<<“Lightnings

<<for the rain

<<He made”!

<<Abaye said:

<<Combine [them]

<<and teach [them].

<<Rava

<<said:

<<There

<<one blesses

<<two:

<<“Blessed is He

<<whose strength

<<fills

<<the world,”

<<and “Who makes

<<the work of

<<Creation.”

<<Here

<<“Who makes

<<the work of

<<Creation”

<<there is;

<<“whose strength

<<fills

<<the world”

<<there is not.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

<<One who sees

<<the firmament

<<in its purity

<<says:

<<“Blessed is He

<<who makes

<<[the work of] Creation.”

<<When?

<<Abaye said:

<<When

<<comes

<<rain

<<all night,

<<and in the morning

<<comes

<<a north wind

<<and uncovers

<<them,

<<the heavens.

And it disagrees

<<with that of Rafram bar Pappa

<<in the name of

<<Rav Chisda.

<<For Rafram bar Pappa said in the name of Rav Chisda:

<<From the day

<<that was destroyed

<<the Temple,

<<not

<<has been seen

<<the firmament

<<in its purity,

<<as it is stated:

<<“I clothe

<<the heavens

<<in blackness,

<<and sackcloth

<<I make

<<their covering.”