The Sun at Gibeon and the Conditions God Set with Creation

"Sun, stand still at Gibeon" (Joshua 10:12). This is what Scripture means: "It is I who made the earth and created man upon it; My own hands stretched out the heavens, and all their host I commanded" (Isaiah 45:12). Rabbi Yonatan said: The Holy One, blessed be He, set conditions with the sea, that it should split for the children of Israel. This is the meaning of "and the sea returned at the break of morning to its strength [le-eitano]" (Exodus 14:27) — to its stipulated condition [le-tena'o]. Rabbi Yirmiyah son of Rabbi Elazar said: Not with the sea alone did the Holy One, blessed be He, set a condition, but with everything created in the six days of creation, as it is said, "My own hands stretched out the heavens, and all their host I commanded" (Isaiah 45:12). I commanded the sea to split before the children of Israel. I commanded the sun and the moon to stand still before Joshua, as it is said, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon." I commanded the heavens and the earth to fall silent before Moses, as it is said, "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak" (Deuteronomy 32:1). I commanded the ravens to feed Elijah, as it is said, "and the ravens brought him bread" (1 Kings 17:6). I commanded the fire not to harm Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. I commanded the lions not to harm Daniel. I commanded the heavens to open before Ezekiel, as it is said, "the heavens opened and I saw visions of God" (Ezekiel 1:1). I commanded the fish to spit out Jonah, as it is said, "and the LORD spoke to the fish, and it spat out Jonah" (Jonah 2:11). This is what Scripture means: "I know that whatever God does shall endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it, and God has done it so that men should fear before Him" (Ecclesiastes 3:14). Rabbi Yosei son of Zimra said: At the beginning of the world's creation the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Let the waters be gathered and the dry land appear" (Genesis 1:9). Why then is it written, "He who summons the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth, the LORD is His name" (Amos 5:8)? So that they should fear before Him. A parable: this may be compared to a province that rebelled against the king. What did the king do? He brought one harsh legion and surrounded it, so that the inhabitants of the province should see and fear before him. So too the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world. On the day that should have been long, Jacob came and the sun set out of its season, as it is said, "and he lodged there, for the sun had set" (Genesis 28:11). Joshua came and made the night day, as it is said, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon." Thus the righteous diminish and add to His words, so that creatures should fear before Him. The Holy One, blessed be He, created seas; Moses made the sea dry land, as it is said, "and the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea" (Exodus 14:29). Elisha came and made dry land into sea: "Thus says the LORD: Make this valley full of ditches" (2 Kings 3:16). The Holy One, blessed be He, created winter and summer; Elijah came and made winter into summer: "As the LORD lives, there shall not be these years dew or rain" (1 Kings 17:1). Samuel came and made summer into winter, as it is said, "Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, and He will send thunder and rain" (1 Samuel 12:17). The Holy One, blessed be He, created the upper realms for the upper beings and the lower realms for the lower beings, as it is said, "The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, but the earth He has given to the children of men" (Psalms 115:16). Moses came and made the lower realms upper and the upper realms lower, as it is said, "and Moses went up to God" (Exodus 19:3), and "the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai" (Exodus 19:20).