בראשית, פרק א׳, פסוק כ״א

On the fifth day of the world's formation, the process elevates from plant life to the animal kingdom. A distinctive shift occurs in the Divine action, moving away from standard expressions of making to the specific concept of creation out of nothing. The primary approach among commentators is that water and natural matter possessed only the capacity to generate the physical bodies of animals. To endow these creatures with a vital spirit and a feeling soul, direct Divine intervention and a completely new creation were required [ספורנו, אור החיים, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל, אלשיך]. Alternatively, this distinct act of creation highlights the immense and extraordinary proportions of marine life, which serve as a testament to the greatness of their Creator [רמב״ן, שד״ל, רבנו בחיי].

Within this marine world, special attention is given to massive sea creatures, such as whales, whose size surpasses anything found on land. Their specific mention serves a theological purpose: to dispel ancient myths of the Ancient Near East that depicted sea monsters as rebellious forces fighting against the gods. Instead, they are presented simply as natural beings formed to execute God's will [קאסוטו].

A homiletical tradition identifies these creatures as the Leviathan and its mate. Because their sheer size and power threatened to destroy the world if they were allowed to multiply, God intervened. He castrated the male and eliminated the female, setting her aside for a future feast reserved for the righteous [רש״י, רשב״ם, רמב״ן, מזרחי, גור אריה]. This future banquet is not a physical meal, but rather a metaphor for achieving ultimate spiritual perfection. Just as food sustains the physical body, this future feast represents receiving Divine abundance and achieving an elevated spiritual connection [רבנו בחיי, גור אריה]. In the mystical tradition, these massive creatures and the birds also serve as allusions to angels and the camps of the Divine Presence, which were similarly brought into existence on the fifth day [רבנו בחיי, רקנאטי, אדרת אליהו].

Beyond the giants of the deep, the waters teemed with other life. These beings are defined by a living soul, a vitality that distinctly separates them from the plant kingdom [רש״י, לבוש האורה]. The waters filled with swarms of fish and crawling creatures, characterized by rapid, continuous movement [אבן עזרא, שד״ל, רד״ק, הירש]. Above them, flying creatures took to the sky, equipped with wings that function both as a means of flight and as a protective covering for their bodies [הירש]. Furthermore, God implanted within these original species the inherent capacity to adapt and develop into a wide variety of sub-species over time [העמק דבר].

Noticeably, this stage of creation lacks the standard confirmation that things remained exactly as initially decreed. Some attribute this omission to the fact that the original state was altered when the female Leviathan was removed [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך]. Others suggest that the specific act of creation inherently includes both the Divine command and its immediate fulfillment [אור החיים]. A third perspective maintains that the overall creation of animal life was simply not yet complete, as it would only reach its conclusion on the sixth day with the emergence of land animals [מלבי״ם].

Ultimately, God observed the goodness of these new beings. Even creatures that appear intimidating in their massive size, or those that seem to offer no obvious practical benefit to humanity, are integral components of an exact, harmonious natural order. They are perfectly designed to be beneficial and essential to the ultimate purpose of the entire creation [אברבנאל, קאסוטו].