God Remembers Noah and the Darkness That Covers the Wicked

[(Gen. 8:1:) AND GOD REMEMBERED NOAH.] This is what Scripture says (in Ps. 36:7 [6]): "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains [your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD]." It compares the righteous by their dwelling, and it compares the wicked by their dwelling. It compares the righteous [by their dwelling]: (Ezek. 34:14) "In a good pasture I will feed them, [and on the mountains of the height of Israel shall be their fold]." It compares the wicked [by their dwelling]: (Ezek. 31:15) "Thus says the LORD [God]: in the day that he went down to Sheol [I caused mourning, I covered the deep over him]." Rabbi Judah bar Hama said: With what does one cover a vat? With its own kind — surely not with another vessel of silver or of gold! So too: Sheol is darkness, and the deep that covers it is darkness, and the wicked who are within it are darkness, as it is said (Isa. 29:15): "And [their] deeds are in darkness." Let darkness come and cover darkness.