"And it came to pass at the end of forty days that Noah opened" (Genesis 8:6). This supports what Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: it was a window. "And he sent forth the raven" (Genesis 8:7). This is what is written: "He sent darkness and made it dark" (Psalms 105:28). "And it went forth to and fro" (Genesis 8:7). Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Simon said: it began to answer him back with arguments. It said to him: Of all the cattle, beasts, and birds that are here, you send out none but me. He said to it: What need does the world have of you? You are fit neither for food nor for an offering. Rabbi Berekhiah in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Receive it back, for the world will one day have need of it. He said to Him: When? He said to him: Until the waters dry up from upon the earth, a certain righteous man will one day arise and dry up the world, and I will make him have need of it. This is what is written: "And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening" (1 Kings 17:6). Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Nehemiah differed. Rabbi Yehuda says: there is a city within the district of Beth-shean named Aravi. Rabbi Nehemiah said: they were actual ravens, and from where did they bring it to him? From the table of Jehoshaphat. Rabbi Akiva expounded the affair of the generation of the Flood in Ginzak of Media, and they did not weep; but when he mentioned to them the affair of Job, at once they wept, and he read over them this verse: "The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken like a tree" (Job 24:20). "The womb shall forget him": they caused My mercies to be forgotten from the creatures, and so too the Holy One, blessed be He, caused His mercies to be forgotten from them. "The worm shall feed sweetly on him": for the worm fed sweetly upon them. "He shall be no more remembered, and wickedness shall be broken like a tree": Rabbi Abbahu said: it is not written "shall be uprooted," but rather "shall be broken," like a thing that is broken and brings forth no replacements. And which is this? The generation of the Dispersion.
Noah And The Raven
Bereshit Rabbah 33:5
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וַיִּפְתַּח נֹחַ, הֲדָא מְסַיְעָא לְהַהוּא דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא, חַלּוֹן. וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת הָעֹרֵב, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב שָׁלַח חשֶׁךְ וַיַּחְשִׁךְ. וַיֵּצֵא יָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב, רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי סִימוֹן הִתְחִיל מְשִׁיבוֹ תְּשׁוּבוֹת, אָמַר לוֹ מִכָּל בְּהֵמָה חַיָּה וָעוֹף שֶׁיֵּשׁ כָּאן אֵין אַתָּה מְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶלָּא לִי, אָמַר לוֹ מַה צֹּרֶךְ לָעוֹלָם בָּךְ, לֹא לַאֲכִילָה וְלֹא לְקָרְבָּן. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קַבְּלוֹ, שֶׁעָתִיד הָעוֹלָם לְהִצְטָרֵךְ לוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ אֵימָתַי, אָמַר לוֹ עַד יְבשֶׁת הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ, עָתִיד צַדִּיק אֶחָד לַעֲמֹד וּלְיַבֵּשׁ אֶת הָעוֹלָם, וַאֲנִי מַצְרִיכוֹ לוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְהָעֹרְבִים מְבִאִים לוֹ לֶחֶם וּבָשָׂר בַּבֹּקֶר וְלֶחֶם וּבָשָׂר בָּעָרֶב. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר עִיר הִיא בִּתְחוּם בֵּית שְׁאָן וּשְׁמָהּ עַרָבִי, רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אָמַר עוֹרְבִים מַמָּשׁ הָיוּ, וּמֵהֵיכָן הָיוּ מְבִיאִים לוֹ מִשֻּׁלְחָנוֹ שֶׁל יְהוֹשָׁפָט. דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מַעֲשֵׂה דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל בְּגִנְזָק שֶׁל מָדַי וְלֹא בָכוּ, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִזְכִּיר לָהֶם מַעֲשֶׂה אִיּוֹב מִיָּד בָּכוּ, וְקָרָא עֲלֵיהֶם הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה יִשְׁכָּחֵהוּ רֶחֶם מְתָקוֹ רִמָּה עוֹד לֹא יִזָּכֵר וַתִּשָּׁבֵר כָּעֵץ עַוְלָה. יִשְׁכָּחֵהוּ רֶחֶם, הֵן שִׁכְּחוּ רַחֲמַי מִן הַבְּרִיּוֹת, אַף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שִׁכַּח רַחֲמָיו מֵהֶם. מְתָקוֹ רִמָּה, שֶׁמִּתְּקוּ רִמָּה מֵהֶן. עוֹד לֹא יִזָּכֵר וַתִּשָּׁבֵר כָּעֵץ עַוְלָה, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ תֵּעָקֵר אֵין כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא תִּשָּׁבֵר, כְּדָבָר שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּר וְאֵינוֹ מַעֲלֶה חֲלִיפִין, וְאֵיזֶה זֶה דּוֹר הַפְלָגָה.