(Mishnah): On shooting stars, earthquakes, lightning, thunder, and winds one says "blessed is He Whose might fills the world";

One mountains, hills, seas, rivers, and wildernesses, he says "blessed is He Who makes [Ma'aseh] Bereishis";

R. Yehudah says, if one sees the Great Sea, he says "blessed is He Who made the Great Sea", if he sees it sporadically;

On rain and good tidings, one says "Baruch ha'Tov veha'Metiv";

On bad tidings, one says "Baruch Dayan ha'Emes".

(Gemara - Bar Kapara - Beraisa): We are Masri'a (blow the Shofar - R. SHLOMO SIRILIYO) (to arouse people to Tefilah) due to earthquakes.

(Shmuel): If a shooting star would pass through the constellation Kesil, it would destroy the world.

Question (against Shmuel): We see that it passes [through, and the world persists]!

Answer (Shmuel): It is impossible that it is not above it or below it.

Shmuel: I know the 'markets' (trajectories of heavenly bodies) in Shamayim like [I know] the markets of Nehardai, my city, except for shooting stars. I do not know what are [their trajectories].

Question: Did Shmuel ascend to Shamayim?! (How does he know them?)

Answer: It is due to "Mi Yesaper Shechakim b'Chachmah" (he understood through Chachmah).

Question (Eliyahu, to R. Nehurai): Why do earthquakes come to the world?

Answer #1 (R. Nehurai): It is due to the Aveirah of [not giving] Terumos and Ma'aseros;

Contradiction: One verse says "Tamid Einei Hash-m Elokecha Bah" (to bless Eretz Yisrael), and one verse says "ha'Mabit la'Aretz va'Tir'ad Yiga be'Harim v'Ye'eshanu"! How can we resolve these two verses?

Resolution: When Yisrael do Hash-m's will, and separate their Ma'aseros properly, "Tamid Einei Hash-m Elokecha Bah me'Reishis ha'Shanah v'Ad Acharis ha'Shanah", and they are not damaged at all;

When Yisrael do not do Hash-m's will, and they do not separate their Ma'aseros properly, "ha'Mabit la'Aretz va'Tir'ad."

Answer #2 (Eliyahu): My son, [I swear by] your life, that is the most logical reason for the matter! However, [in truth] the primary reason is that when Hash-m looks at the theaters and drinking houses sitting serenely, and His Beis ha'Mikdash is destroyed, He wants to destroy His world! (Earthquakes reveal that he had such a desire);

We learn from "Sha'og Yish'ag Al Navehu" - due to His abode.

Answer #3 (R. Acha): It is due to the Aveirah of homosexuality. Hash-m says, you moved your Ever on something that is not yours - [I swear] in your life, I will agitate My world on (or due to) that man!

Answer #4 (Rabanan): It is due to feuding - "v'Nastem Gei Harai Ki Yagi'a Gei Harim El Eztel [Ka'asher Nastem Mipnei ha'Ra'ash bi'Ymei Uziyah", when he contested the Kehunah].

Rebuttal (R. Shmuel): 'Ra'ash' refers to an end of the kingship (and not earthquakes), like it says "va'Tir'ash ha'Aretz va'Tachol" What is the reason? "Ki Kamah Al Bavel Machshevos Hash-m" (He decided to destroy it).

Question (Eliyahu, to R. Nehurai): Why did Hash-m create vermin in His world?

Answer #1 (R. Nehurai): They were created for a need. When people sin, He looks at [the vermin] and says 'there is no need for these, and I sustain them. These (people), that there is a need for them, all the more so I will sustain them!'

Rebuttal (and Answer #2 - Eliyahu): There is a need for them! A fly is for [curing a sting of] a wasp, a bedbug is for (driving away) a leech [biting him - R. SHLOMO SIRILIYO], a snake is for boils, a worm is for a sore on the back of the hand or foot, and a spider is for [curing a sting of] a scorpion.