Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rav Beivai: “Let the water…be gathered [yikavu]” (Genesis 1:9) – let a set measure be established for the water, just as it is stated: “A plumb line [kav]4A kav is a measure used in building. will be extended over Jerusalem” (Zechariah 1:16). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Levi: [It means,] let the water eagerly wait [yekavu] for Me, for what I am going to do with it in the future.5After confining it at first, when it is time to bring the Flood I will allow it to cover the entire earth once again.
This is analogous to a king who built a palace and settled mute residents in it. They would rise early and greet the king with gestures with fingers and with kerchiefs. The king said: If they, who are mute, rise early and greet me with gestures with fingers, if they could speak, all the more so. The king then settled speaking residents in it.
They rose up and seized the palace, and said: This palace is not the king’s; it is ours. The king said: Let the palace be restored to its previous state. So, in the beginning, the praises of the Holy One blessed be He would arise only from the water, as it is written: “It is from the sound of many waters…” (Psalms 93:4). What would they say?
“The Lord is mighty on High” (Psalms 93:4). The Holy One blessed be He said: If these [waters] that have no ability to talk and speak and yet they laud Me, when man will be created, all the more so. [But] the generation of Enosh rose up and rebelled against Him, the generation of the Flood rebelled against him, the generation of the Dispersion rebelled against Him. The Holy One blessed be He said: Let these [mankind] be expelled and let these [waters] come back.
That is what is written: “The Lord said: I will obliterate man whom I have created.” What do they think – that I need lions, or regiments of soldiers? Did I not create the world with [mere] speech? I will eradicate them from the world with speech. Rabbi Berekhya said: Did I not create them only from soil? What washes away soil? It is water.