“And you, take for you from all food that is eaten, and gather it to you, and it shall be for you and for them for food” (Genesis 6:21). “And you, take for you…” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: He took in cakes of pressed figs with him.61Such fig cakes are nourishing for both man and animal. It is taught in the name of Rabbi Neḥemya: Most of what he took in was cakes of pressed figs. Rabbi Levi62The Hebrew text has “Rabbi Abba bar Kahana.”
The translation follows the emendation put forward by Rashash and others. said: He took in with him branches for [feeding the] elephants, wild onions for the gazelles, glass for the ostriches.63Rabbi Levi maintains that Noah did not take in fig cakes as the main food for all, but rather, human food for the humans, and animal food for the animals. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: He took in with him vine branches for planting vines [after the Flood], fig branches for planting fig trees, olive branches for planting olive trees.
According to the opinion of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: “It shall be for you and for them [for food]” – an item that is [food] for both you and them.64That is why he said that Noah took cakes of pressed figs. According to the opinion of Rabbi Levi: “It shall be for you and for them” – you are primary and they are secondary to you.65“You and them” does not mean that the same food should be eaten by both you and them; rather, it means that your food takes precedence over theirs. “[Take for you from all food that is eaten] and gather it to you” – a person should not store up what he does not need.66The Torah here is teaching a practical lesson for everyday life.
“And Noah did; according to everything that God commanded him, so he did” (Genesis 6:22). “And Noah did; according to everything that God commanded him, so he did” – this pertains to the construction of the ark.