“He called his name Noah, saying: This one will comfort us from our work and from the misery of our hands, from the ground, which the Lord cursed” (Genesis 5:29). “He called his name Noah, saying,” Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The interpretation does not correspond to the name and the name does not correspond to the interpretation. It should have said instead: ‘Noah, this one will give us rest [yaniḥenu],’ or ‘Naḥman, this one will comfort us [yenaḥamenu].’
However, when the Holy One blessed be He created Adam the first man, He gave him control over everything; the cow would heed the plowman and [even] the furrow would heed the plowman. When Adam sinned, they rebelled against him; the cow did not heed the plowman and the furrow did not heed the plowman. When Noah appeared, they abstained6From their rebellion. [naḥu]. From where is that derived?
Rest [neyaḥa] is stated here and elsewhere it is stated: “So that your ox and your donkey will rest [yanuaḥ]” (Exodus 23:12). Just as neyaḥa that is stated there refers to the resting of an ox, so, too, neyaḥa that is stated here refers to the resting of an ox. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The name does not correspond with the interpretation and interpretation does not correspond with the name. It should have said instead: ‘Noah, this one will give us rest [yaniḥenu],’ or ‘Naḥman, this one will comfort us [yenaḥamenu].’
However, until Noah appeared, the water would rise and inundate them in their graves. “Who calls the water of the sea” is written twice (Amos 5:8; 9:6) corresponding to the two times that the water would rise and inundate them in their graves, once in the morning and once in the evening. That is what is written: “Like corpses lying in the grave” (Psalms 88:6) – those of them who were lying were desecrated.
When Noah appeared, they rested [in their graves]. Rest [neyaḥa] is stated here and elsewhere it is stated: “May he depart in peace…may they rest [yanuḥu] upon their resting places” (Isaiah 57:2). Just as neyaḥa that is stated there refers to the rest of the grave, so, too, neyaḥa that is stated here refers to the rest of the grave. Rabbi Eliezer said: He was called after the name of his offering, as it is stated: “The Lord smelled the pleasing [niḥoaḥ] aroma” (Genesis 8:21).
Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: He was called for the name of the resting of the ark, as it is written: “The ark rested [vatanaḥ]” (Genesis 8:4). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The constellations did not function all those twelve months [of the Flood].7He was called Noah because the constellations ‘rested’ from their function in his day. Rabbi Yonatan said to him: They functioned, but their effect was imperceptible. “[All the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, night and day] will not cease” (Genesis 8:22), Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Eliezer said: “Will not cease” – from here we learn that they did not cease [during the Flood]. Rabbi Eliezer said: “Will not cease” – [on the contrary,] from here we learn that they did cease.