Why the Sea Fled and What Keeps the World Standing

"And I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; the LORD of hosts is His name" (Isaiah 51:15). And what did the sea see that it fled? Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nehemiah differed. Rabbi Judah said: it saw the staff of Moses and fled. And Rabbi Nehemiah said: the Ineffable Name was engraved upon it, "the LORD of hosts is His name," the sea saw it and fled. "And I have put My words in your mouth, and with the shadow of My hand have I covered you" (Isaiah 51:16). There we learned: Simeon the Righteous was among the last survivors of the Great Assembly. Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Aha said: those who passed through the sea explained it. "In Your steadfast love You led the people whom You redeemed" (Exodus 15:13), this refers to deeds of loving-kindness. "You guided them by Your strength to Your holy dwelling" (Exodus 15:13), this refers to the Torah, "the LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless" (Psalms 29:11). And still the world was tottering. And when was the world made firm? When they came to Your holy dwelling. There we learned: Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says: upon three things the world endures, and all three are in one verse, "These are the things that you shall do: speak truth to one another, render true and peaceful judgment in your gates" (Zechariah 8:16). And the three are one thing: when judgment is done, truth is done, peace is done. Rabbi Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: "And I have put My words in your mouth" (Isaiah 51:16), these are the words of Torah. "And with the shadow of My hand have I covered you" (Isaiah 51:16), this refers to deeds of loving-kindness, to teach you that whoever occupies himself with Torah and with deeds of loving-kindness merits to take shelter in the shadow of the Holy One, blessed be He. This is as it is written, "How precious is Your steadfast love, and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings" (Psalms 36:8). "To plant the heavens and to lay the foundations of the earth" (Isaiah 51:16), these are the sacrifices. "And to say to Zion, You are My people" (Isaiah 51:16), Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa said: we searched through all of Scripture and we did not find a place where Israel is called Zion, and where do we find it so? "And to say to Zion, You are My people" (Isaiah 51:16). The end.