“Noah was five hundred years old and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Yefet” (Genesis 5:32). “Noah was five hundred years old” – it is written: “Happy is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked” (Psalms 1:1). “Happy is the man” – this is Noah. “Who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, has not stood in the path of sinners [and has not sat in the company of scoffers]” (Psalms 1:1), Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: In three generations – in the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood, and the generation of the Dispersion.1Noah resisted the influence of those generations and remained righteous.
This is alluded to in the three expressions of resistance to sin in the Psalms verse. Rabbi Neḥemya says: In the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Dispersion, but as for the generation of Enosh, he was still a minor.2Noah was eighty-four years old when Enosh died, and with life expectancy in those days approaching one thousand, people were not considered accountable until they were one hundred years old (see next section).
According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, who said: “Happy is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked,” this is the generation of Enosh; “has not stood in the path of sinners,” this is the generation of the Flood; “and has not sat in the company of scoffers,” this is the generation of the Dispersion; “but whose desire is in the Torah of the Lord” (Psalms 1:2) – these are the seven mitzvot that he [Noah] was commanded; “and he meditates on His Torah day and night” (Psalms 1:2) – as he derived one matter from another.
He said: ‘What is the reason that the Holy One blessed be He set the number of the pure animals more than the impure animals? Is it not because He wants me to sacrifice an offering from them?’ Immediately, “he took from every pure animal…[and offered up offerings]” (Genesis 8:20). “He will be like a tree planted by streams of water” (Psalms 1:3), as the Holy One blessed be He implanted him in the ark; “which gives its fruit in season” (Psalms 1:3), this is Shem; “whose leaf does not wither” (Psalms 1:3), this is Ḥam; “and whatever he does he will prosper” (Psalms 1:3), this is Yefet.