According to our tradition, the fifth day of creation was all about bringing forth life into the waters and the skies.
The Legends of the Jews, as retold by Ginzberg, tells us that God took fire and water, seemingly opposing elements, and from them fashioned the fishes of the sea. And get this: the number of water-dwelling animals dwarfs those on land! For nearly every land animal (except maybe the weasel, for some reason!), there's a corresponding creature in the sea, plus a whole host more that exist only in the watery depths.
And who rules this vast underwater kingdom? Why, it's Leviathan! This isn't just any fish; it's the fish. Leviathan, along with all the other sea creatures, was created on the fifth day. The story goes that initially, God created a male and female Leviathan, but fearing that their combined power could obliterate the Earth, He… well, He took care of the female. Let's just say she was "put into brine" to be preserved for a future, very special occasion.
Leviathan is so colossal that to quench his thirst, he needs all the water flowing from the Jordan River into the sea. Imagine that! And when he's hungry, a hot breath blasts from his nostrils, causing the ocean to churn and boil. Even Behemot, another monstrous creature, feels uneasy until he knows Leviathan has had his fill.
Now, you might think nothing could keep such a behemoth in check, but there's one tiny fish, the stickleback, that Leviathan fears. Apparently, this little fish was specifically created to keep the big guy in line. Talk about David and Goliath!
But Leviathan isn't just about size and power. He's also a being of incredible beauty. His fins radiate light so brilliant they can obscure the sun. His eyes shine with such splendor that they light up the sea. It's no wonder the text describes him as God's plaything, a creature in whom He takes delight.
But here’s the kicker: Leviathan has a bit of a… hygiene problem. His foul odor is so potent that if it were to reach Paradise, it would make the place uninhabitable. So, what's the deal with this massive, odorous, yet magnificent creature? Well, according to tradition, Leviathan isn't just swimming around for kicks. He has a destiny.
His ultimate purpose? To be served as a delicacy to the righteous in the world to come! Remember that female Leviathan preserved in brine? She’s part of the meal! The male Leviathan is destined to offer a spectacular sight before being consumed.
When the time comes, God will summon the angels to battle Leviathan. But Leviathan is so formidable that the angels will flee in terror at the mere sight of him. Swords will bounce off his scales like straw, and darts and stones will simply rebound without leaving a mark. Dejected, the angels will give up, and God will command Leviathan and Behemot to fight each other. The battle will end with both monsters dead – Behemot slain by Leviathan's fins, and Leviathan killed by Behemot's tail.
From Leviathan's skin, God will construct tents to shelter the righteous while they feast on his flesh. Each person will receive a portion according to their merits, with no envy or resentment. What remains of Leviathan's skin will be stretched over Jerusalem as a canopy, illuminating the entire world. And the leftover flesh? It will be distributed among the rest of humanity for trade.
But the fifth day wasn't just about sea creatures. It was also the day the birds were created. Interestingly, fish and birds are seen as closely related. Fish are formed from water, while birds are made from marshy, water-saturated ground. And just as Leviathan reigns over the fishes, the Ziz rules over the birds.
The Ziz gets its name from the variety of flavors its flesh possesses – "it tastes like this (zeh), and like that (zeh)." According to Ginzberg, the Ziz is as enormous as Leviathan, with ankles resting on the earth and its head reaching the sky. There's even a story of travelers who mistook the Ziz standing in shallow water for a safe place to bathe, only to be warned by a heavenly voice of the unimaginable depth!
The Ziz's wings are so massive that they darken the sun when unfurled, protecting the Earth from the destructive storms of the south. One time, a rotten Ziz egg fell to the ground, causing a flood that destroyed sixty cities and crushed three hundred cedars. Yikes!
The Ziz is also known as Renanin, the celestial singer. He's also called Sekwi, "the seer," due to his connection to the heavens. And "son of the nest," because his young break free from the shell directly from the nest, without needing to be hatched.
Like Leviathan, the Ziz is destined to be a delicacy served to the righteous at the end of time, a reward for abstaining from unclean fowl. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, everything in creation has a purpose, even the most fantastical creatures.
So, the next time you look up at the sky or out at the ocean, remember the fifth day of creation. Remember Leviathan and the Ziz, these colossal, wondrous beings, and the promise of a time when even they will play a part in the ultimate reward. What does it all mean? Perhaps it reminds us that even in the most bizarre and seemingly impractical aspects of our tradition, there are layers of meaning, hinting at a future beyond our wildest imaginations.