(2013/5774)
Many of the stories in the Gemara appear fantastic and unreasonable. However, when we learn how to properly analyze and decode the stories to uncover their underlying message we find that they yield precious and invaluable life lessons. In this essay, we will explore one of Rabbah Bar Bar Chanah’s incredible tales and present the vitally important lessons it yields for Jewish survival in Exile.
An Incredible Story – The Whale that Appeared like an Island
Bava Batra 73b records Rabbah Bar Bar Chanah relating that once when traveling on a boat he saw a large fish upon which a great amount of sand had accumulated. He and his fellow travelers thought it was an island, so they disembarked from the ship and began to cook and bake on the back of the whale. When it became too hot for the large fish to tolerate, it turned over. Rabbah Bar Bar Channah observed that had the ship not been close by the fish, he and his fellow travelers would have drowned. What follows is an expansion of the Maharsha (ad loc. s.v. Chazinan) and Rav Soloveitchik’s (Yemei Zikkaron, pp.166-167) explanation of this anecdote.
Interpreting Aggadda
Rambam (introduction to Perek Cheilek, the last Perek of Masechet Sanhedrin) clarifies that not every Agadah must be taken literally. One Rav expressed this idea very appropriately: “Agadah is meant to be taken seriously but not necessarily literally.” Rav Yehuda Amital once told me that classic commentators on Agadah adopts this approach without exception.
A Mashal
The first step to analyzing this story is recognizing (as does the Maharsha) that it is a Mashal (parable). The story is a classic example of an Agadah that is to be taken seriously but not necessarily literally. An excellent way to analyze a Mashal is to first break it down into its components. In our story, there are ten components: 1. The sea 2. The passengers 3. The ship 4. The great fish 5. The fish appears like an island 6. The cooking and baking on the fish 7. The fish getting hot and being irritated 8. The fish turning over 9. Had the ship not been near the passengers, 10. the passengers would have drowned.
The Nimshal
Let us now try to identify the Nimshal, that to which each component of the story corresponds. When one is at sea, he is not at home and is on a journey for a particular purpose. The sea represents the Exile, when we are not living in our home, Eretz Yisrael. Hashem has sent us on this journey for various purposes, most prominently to improve ourselves and perform Teshuvah in order to merit returning to Eretz Yisrael. The passengers are the Jews who are at sea, i.e. in Exile.
The ship refers to the Torah. A ship is the only thing standing between the passengers and their deaths. They can survive on the high seas only if they remain on the ship. The ship is a perfect analogy to the Torah since without devotion to the Torah the Jewish People cannot survive. Only those Jews who are committed to full Torah observance survive as Jews in the long run.
The large fish disguised as an island distracts the passengers from their journey and their mission. It represents the host Nochri, gentile, countries in which we reside in Exile. The great fish appearing like an island refers to the illusion of safety Jews think they have in their host Nochri country. Cooking and baking on the “island” refers to our making ourselves at home and forgetting that we are guests and ought to act in ways that avoid irritating “the great fish.” The fact that the story presents the passengers both cooking and baking refers to our making ourselves too comfortable in the host country.
The fish becoming hot refers to our making ourselves too comfortable in the host country to the extent that we irritate our Nochri hosts. We should add that the passengers leaving the ship refers to our abandoning Torah values in favor of making ourselves comfortable on the island.
Soon enough the Nochrim become sufficiently annoyed with our overindulgent lifestyle that our presence becomes utterly intolerable to them. The story closes with the fish turning over. Had we strayed too far from a Torah lifestyle, we would have deserved to die when the host country turns over. Luckily, though, the ship was near the passengers- we did not stray too far from the Torah. It also could refer to our assimilating, i.e. experiencing spiritual death, if we stray irretrievably far from a Torah lifestyle.
When we overindulge in the pleasures of Galut and forget that we are not in our Homeland we become distracted from the goal of our journey in Chutz LaAretz, just as the passengers who disembarked on the “island” became sidetracked from their journey. Sometimes the only way we have “returned to the ship” is when were aggressively reminded (Rachmana Leitzlan) of the true goal of the Galut.
The Purim Story
The Purim story perfectly matches this story. Chazal (Megillah 12a) explain that we deserved the scare of Haman because “we enjoyed Achaveirosh’s inordinately lavish party.” We not only partook of his party out of respect to the king; we actually enjoyed the party, losing perspective on the purpose of our stay in Galut. When we made ourselves too comfortable in the Persian Galut and let down our guard, Haman and his supporters became irritated and sought to destroy us all.
Fortunately, because we had not strayed too much from Torah, when we needed to pray we were able to engage in a three day fast/prayer vigil to which Hashem responded and proceeded to facilitate Esther saving us. The practices of Purim are intended to remind us of this lesson and to keep us on the “right track” in the Galut.
The Pesach Story
The Pesach story matches this as well, especially according to the Netziv’s interpretation of Shemot 1:7. Yosef wanted us to be living separately in Eretz Goshen. However, we decided to “make ourselves at home” and live anywhere in Mitzrayim. Indeed, the last Pasuk in Parashat VaYigash (BeReishit 47:27) describes us as having “taken hold” (not merely living in) in the land of Mitzrayim. Our making ourselves too comfortable in that land provoked Par’oh and his allies to oppress us.
In fact, the Zohar teaches that we were on the 49th level of Tumah in Mitzrayim, and had we sunk to the 50th level, we would have been unworthy of redemption. This, once again, reflects the idea that if we stray too far “from the ship” we will not survive.
The Gemara (Pesachim 39a) encourages using romaine lettuce for Maror at the Seder. Romaine lettuce reflects the Mitzrayim experience – it is pleasant at first, only to become bitter soon after. Such a perspective is necessary to maintain in the Galut.
Lessons for the Galut
A most primary lesson from this story is to always remember that we are in a land not our own, and we must exercise caution to avoid irritating the “great fish.” Kli Yakar (to Devarim 2:3-4) homiletically interprets the instruction, “Penu Lachem Tzafonah” (head north) because we are “Overim BiGevul Acheichem Benei Eisav,” passing through the land of Eisav.
Kli Yakar explains that when “we pass through the land of Eisav” (i.e. live among Nochrim) we must “Penu Lachem Tzafonah” (act inconspicuously; note the play on words), and refrain from displaying our wealth. In previous generations, this was taken very seriously, to the extent that certain Jewish communities in Europe forbade wearing furs in public, lest it spark jealousy amongst “Bnei Eisav.”
Honest dealings, courteous driving and scrupulous adherence to the rule of Dina DeMalchuta Dina are all required aspects of Torah life. They will keep us from irritating the proverbial great fish and hopefully keep it from turning over. This lesson is relevant even regarding those who have made the correct decision to live in Israel. The Israeli government traditionally takes heed to avoid unnecessarily provoking the “great fish,” and Israeli citizens follow suit.
Conclusion
Rabbah Bar Bar Chanah’s story is an extraordinary tale. We see that a figurative interpretation yields vitally important lessons for those who have chosen to live in Exile and even for those who have made the correct decision to live in our Homeland. We look forward to the day when our journey will be successfully completed and we will be able to live in peace and security without having to be unduly cautious about provoking the “great fish.”