God Grieves Seven Days Before the Flood and the Bone That Cannot Be Destroyed

Another interpretation: "And the LORD repented that He had made man" (Genesis 6:6). There was regret before Me that I created him from below, for had I created him from above he would not have rebelled against Me. Rabbi Nechemiah says: I am consoled that I created him from below, for had I created him from above, just as he incited the lower beings to rebel against Me, so he would have incited the upper beings against Me. There was regret in My heart that I created the evil inclination in him, for had I not created it in him, he would not have rebelled against Me; I am consoled that I made him and placed him on the earth. "And He was grieved to His heart" (Genesis 6:6). A certain gentile asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korchah, saying to him: Do you not say that the Holy One, blessed be He, foresees what will come to be? He said to him: Yes. But is it not written, "And He was grieved to His heart"? He said to him: Has a male child ever been born to you in your days? He said to him: Yes. He said to him: And what did you do? He said to him: I rejoiced and made everyone rejoice. He said to him: And did you not know that in the end he would die? He said to him: At the time of gladness, gladness; at the time of mourning, mourning. He said to him: So it was before the Holy One, blessed be He. Seven days the Holy One, blessed be He, mourned over His world before He brought the flood. What is the reason? "And He was grieved (vayit'atzev)" — and grief means only mourning, as you say, "The king was grieved (ne'etzav) for his son" (2 Samuel 19:3). "And the LORD said, I will blot out man" (Genesis 6:7-8). What do they think — that I need armies and legions? Did I not create the world by a word? By a word I bring them forth and destroy them from the world. Rabbi Berekhiah said: did I not create him only from the dust? Who dissolves the dust if not the water? "And the LORD said, I will blot out man." Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Yochanan said: even the millstones' axle was blotted out. Rabbi Yehuda son of Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Yochanan said: even the dust of the first man was blotted out. Rabbi Yochanan in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak says: even the luz of the spine — the bone from which the Holy One, blessed be He, will sprout man in the time to come — was blotted out. Hadrian, may his bones be crushed, asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananiah: from where will the Holy One, blessed be He, sprout man in the time to come? He said to him: from the nut of the spine. He said to him: how do you know? He said to him: bring it to me. He brought it. He threw it into fire and it did not burn, into water and it did not dissolve, ground it in the mill and it was not ground, placed it on the anvil and the hammer split while it was not diminished. "I will blot out man." I will blot out My creatures, and My creatures shall not protest against Me. "From man to beast" (Genesis 6:7). A parable: to a king who handed his son to a tutor who led him into evil ways. The king grew angry at his son and killed him. The king said: did anyone lead my son into evil ways but this one? My son is lost and this one survives? Therefore "from man to beast." Another parable: to a king who was marrying off his son and made him a bridal canopy, plastered it, decorated it, and painted it. The king grew angry at his son and killed him. What did he do? He entered the canopy and began to smash the jugs, break the partitions, and tear the hangings. The king said: did I make this only for my son's sake? My son is lost and this survives? Therefore "from man to beast," as it is written, "I will utterly consume all from the face of the earth, says the LORD; I will consume man and beast, I will consume the birds of the heaven and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks together with the wicked" (Zephaniah 1:2-3) — they caused the wicked to stumble. When a man would hunt a bird and say to it, go and grow fat and come back, it would go and grow fat and come back. "From man to beast." All corrupted their ways in the flood generation: the dog went to the wolf, the rooster to the peacock, as it is written, "for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth" (Genesis 6:12). And the earth too played the harlot: they would sow it with wheat and it brought forth darnel — that darnel comes from the flood generation. "For I repent that I have made them, and Noah" — even Noah, who was left of them, was not worthy, but that he found grace, as it is written, "Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; none of them shall remain" (Ezekiel 7:11).