Yalkut Shimoni on Torah Reader

"And Noah was five hundred years old" (Genesis 5:32). What is the reason that everyone in his generation fathered children at a hundred or two hundred years, while he fathered at five hundred? Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: If they are wicked, I do not wish that they perish in the waters; and if they are righteous, I would burden him to build many arks. So the Holy One, blessed be He, restrained his fountain and he fathered children at five hundred, so that even Japheth, the eldest, when the Flood came, would not yet be a hundred years old and liable to punishment. "And Noah fathered Shem." But was not Japheth the eldest? Rather, you first expound Shem because he was righteous, because he was born circumcised, because the Holy One, blessed be He, set His Name upon him, because Abraham came forth from him, because he served in the high priesthood, because the Temple was built within his territory. And the number of his letters the Holy One, blessed be He, suspended for the generations from the generation of the Flood until the generation of the Dispersion: three hundred and forty years. "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply" (Genesis 6:1). This teaches that they were spilling their seed upon the trees and upon the stones; and because they were steeped in fornication, the Holy One, blessed be He, increased females among them, as it is written, "and daughters were born to them." Rabbi Shimon son of Rabbi: his wife bore him a daughter. Rabbi Hiyya the Elder saw him and said to him, "The Holy One, blessed be He, has begun to bless you." He said to him, "How so?" He said, "As it is written, 'And it came to pass, when men began to multiply,' and so on [where multiplying is linked to daughters]." He went up to his father, who said to him, "The Babylonian has gladdened you. Even so, there is need for wine and need for vinegar; the need for wine is greater than for vinegar. There is need for wheat and need for barley; the need for wheat is greater than for barley. When a man marries off his daughter and lays out his expenses, he says to her, 'May you have no need to return here.'" Rabban Gamliel married off his daughter. She said to him, "Father, pray for me." He said to her, "May you have no need to return here." She bore a male child. She said to him, "Father, pray for me." He said to her, "May the cry of 'woe' never cease from your mouth." She said to him, "Father, at the two joys that have come to me you curse me?" He said to her, "Both are blessings. Since you will be at peace in your house: may you have no need to return here. And since you have a living blessed child: may the cry of woe never cease from your mouth, the woe of 'my child has not eaten,' the woe of 'my child has not drunk,' the woe of 'my child has not gone to the synagogue.'"

Another interpretation: "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply." Rabbi Yochanan said: Increase has come into the world. And Resh Lakish said: Strife has come into the world. Resh Lakish said to Rabbi Yochanan: According to you, who say it means increase, why were Job's daughters not doubled [when his fortunes were restored]? He said to him: Although they were not doubled in number, they were doubled in beauty, as it is written, "And he called the name of the first Jemimah" (Job 42:14), because she resembled the day; "Keziah," because her fragrance wafted like cassia; "Keren-happuch," like fine crocus dye. The Aramaic rendering of "spikenards" is rishkin. Rabbi Shimon son of Rabbi had a daughter born to him. His father said to him, "Increase has been born to you." Bar Kappara said to him, "Your father has comforted you with empty comfort. For it was taught: the world cannot endure without males and without females; happy is he whose children are male, woe to him whose children are female."

"And the sons of God saw" (Genesis 6:2). [This means] the sons of judges. Every breach that does not come from the great ones is no breach; [as the proverb says,] the priests steal the god, by what shall one swear, or to whom shall one draw near? And why does Scripture call them "sons of God"? Because they prolonged their days without trouble and without suffering. And why so much ease? In order that they might observe the seasons and the constellations, and so that they might receive their portion and the portion of the generations that came after them. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai would curse anyone who called them "sons of God." "That they were fair [tovot]." It is written tovat [in the construct], [teaching] that when they were beautifying a woman for her husband, the greatest among them would enter and lie with her first. "That they were fair": these are the unmarried women. "And they took for themselves wives": these are the wives of other men. "Of all that they chose": this refers to males and to beasts. And they were not blotted out from the world until they wrote marriage contracts for males and for beasts. In every place where you find fornication, mass destruction comes into the world and slays the good and the wicked alike. Over everything the Holy One, blessed be He, is long-suffering, except for fornication. What is the reason? "And they took for themselves wives of all that they chose," and it is written after it, "And the LORD said, I will blot out man" (Genesis 6:7).

All that night Lot was begging mercy for the men of Sodom, and they were accepting it from his hand. But once they said, "Where are the men? Bring them out to us, that we may know them" (Genesis 19:5) for intercourse, immediately they said to him, "Whom else have you here?" (Genesis 19:12) [meaning] until now you had permission to plead in their defense; from here on you have no permission. The disciples of Rav Yosef asked him, "What is Azael?" He said to them: When the generation of the Flood arose and served idols, the Holy One, blessed be He, was grieved. At once two angels, Shemhazai and Azael, arose and said before Him, "Master of the universe, did we not say before You when You created Your world, 'What is man that You are mindful of him?' (Psalms 8:5)." He said to them, "And the world, what shall become of it?" They said, "Master of the universe, we would make do with it." He said to them, "It is revealed and known before Me that if you were dwelling on the earth, the evil inclination would rule over you and you would be harder than human beings." They said, "Give us permission and we will dwell among the creatures, and You will see how we sanctify Your Name." He said to them, "Go down and dwell among them." At once they corrupted themselves with the daughters of men, who were beautiful, and they could not subdue their inclination. Shemhazai then saw a certain maiden whose name was Istehar. He set his eyes upon her and said, "Listen to me." She said to him, "I will not listen to you until you teach me the Ineffable Name by which you ascend to the firmament when you pronounce it." He taught her that Name; she pronounced it, ascended to the firmament, and was not corrupted. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Since she kept herself from the transgression, go and set her among these seven stars, so that you may be remembered for good through them," and she was fixed in the Pleiades. When Shemhazai and Azael saw this, they took wives and fathered sons, Hiwwa and Hiyya. And Azael was over the kinds of dyes and the kinds of women's ornaments that entice human beings to thoughts of transgression. At once Metatron sent a messenger to Shemhazai and said to him, "The Holy One, blessed be He, is about to destroy His world and bring a flood upon the world." Immediately he stood weeping and was distressed over the world and over his sons. What would his sons eat if the world were destroyed, for each one used to eat each day a thousand camels, a thousand horses, and a thousand oxen. That night Hiwwa and Hiyya both saw dreams. One of them saw a great stone spread over the earth like a table, and the earth was engraved and written in rows upon rows; and an angel was descending from the firmament, and in his hand was a kind of knife, and he scraped and erased all those rows and left in it only four words. The other saw a great and excellent orchard planted with all kinds of trees, and angels were in it with axes in their hands, and they cut down all the trees and left in it only one tree of three branches. When they awoke they arose in alarm and came to their father. He said to them, "The Holy One, blessed be He, is about to bring a flood, and He will leave none but Noah and his sons." When they heard this they cried and wept. He said to them, "Do not be distressed, for your names will not perish from the creatures; for whenever men quarry stones or launch ships, they will mention your names, Hiwwa and Hiyya." At once their minds were eased. Shemhazai repented and suspended himself between heaven and earth, his head downward and his feet upward, and he still hangs in repentance. Azael did not repent and still stands in his corruption, enticing human beings to matters of transgression through the colored garments of women. Therefore Israel would offer sacrifices on the Day of Atonement, one ram to the LORD to atone for Israel, and one ram to Azazel to bear the iniquities of Israel; and this is the Azazel of the Torah.

"My spirit shall not abide in man forever" (Genesis 6:3). [God says:] I will not place My spirit in them at the time when I grant the reward of the righteous, and so on.

Another interpretation: these spirits are not judged before the world [comes to its appointed time].

Another interpretation: at the time when I return the spirits to their sheaths [bodies], I will not return their spirits. Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said: I will not fill My spirit in them at the time when I fill My spirit in mankind, for in this world the spirit is scattered into one of a man's limbs, but in the time to come it will be scattered through the whole body, as it is written, "And I will put My spirit within you" (Ezekiel 36:27). Rabbi Yudan ben Beteira said: I will no longer judge by this manner of judgment forever. Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Yosef said: "I will not again" "I will not again" (Genesis 8:21) [is doubled] to mean abundantly, abundantly. The Rabbis said: "I will not again" toward the sons of Noah, "I will not again" toward the generations. I said that My spirit should judge them and they did not seek it; behold, I will scourge them with sufferings. I said that My spirit should judge them and they did not seek it; behold, I will set them one against another. For Rabbi Elazar said: you have none held liable through a man except a man like himself. Rabbi Natan says: even a dog, even a wolf. Rabbi Huna bar Guryon said: even a staff, even a strap, as it is written, "For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, You have broken as in the day of Midian" (Isaiah 9:3) like the day of judgment. Rabbi Aha said: even barren trees are destined to give judgment and accounting, as it is written, "for man is the tree of the field" (Deuteronomy 20:19) just as man gives judgment and accounting, so too the trees give judgment and accounting. Rabbi Yehoshua bar Nehemiah said: I will not judge their spirits by themselves, for they are flesh and blood, but behold, I will bring upon them the few years that I allotted them in this world, and afterward I will scourge them with sufferings. What caused them to rebel against Me? Was it not because I did not scourge them with sufferings? This door, what holds it up? Its hinges. Rabbi Elazar said: in every place where there is no judgment, there is judgment. Rav Bibi son of Rabbi Ami, following the view of Rabbi Eliezer: "My spirit shall not abide." Rabbi Meir said: they did not practice the measure of justice below; I will apply to them the measure of justice above. This is what is written, "Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom" (Job 4:21) without the wisdom of the Torah "They are broken in pieces from morning to evening; they perish forever without any regarding it" (Job 4:20) and "regarding" means nothing but judgment, as it is said, "And these are the judgments which you shall set before them" (Exodus 21:1). Furthermore: I will no longer set the measure of justice against the measure of mercy. Even Noah, who was left of them, was not because he was worthy, but because the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that Moses was destined to arise from him, as it is said, "in their erring he too is flesh [be-shaggam]" this be-shaggam is Moses, for the numerical value of this [word] equals the numerical value of that [name]. The Rabbis derive it from here: "and his days shall be a hundred and twenty years," and Moses lived a hundred and twenty years. Our Rabbis taught: the generation of the Flood has no share in the world to come, as it is said, "And He blotted out every living thing" in this world, "and they were blotted out" from the world to come, the words of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Yehudah says: they neither live nor are judged, as it is said, "My spirit shall not abide in man" neither judgment [din] nor spirit [ruach].

Another interpretation: "It shall not abide [lo yadon]," [meaning] that their soul shall not return to its sheath [body]. Rabbi Menahem son of Rabbi Yosi says: even at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, returns souls to dead corpses, it is hard for them in Gehinnom, as it is said, "You conceive chaff, you bring forth stubble; your breath is a fire that shall devour you" (Isaiah 33:11).

Six were called by their names before they were born, and these are they: Ishmael, Isaac, Moses, Solomon, Josiah, and the King Messiah. From where do we know Ishmael? As it is said, "Behold, you are with child and shall bear a son" and so forth (Genesis 16:11). And why was he called Ishmael ["God will hear"]? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to hear the groaning of the people because of what the children of Ishmael will do to them at the end of days. Isaac, as it is said, "But Sarah your wife" and so forth (Genesis 17:19). And why was he called Yitzchak? The yod [numerical value ten] is for the ten trials; the tzadi [ninety] is that Sarah was ninety years old when she gave birth; the chet [eight] is that he was circumcised at eight days; the kuf [one hundred] is that Abraham was a hundred years old when he became a father. Moses: "My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for that he also (be-shaggam) is flesh" (Genesis 6:3) — be-shaggam has, by gematria, the numerical value of Moshe. Solomon: "Behold, a son shall be born to you... Solomon shall be his name" (1 Chronicles 22:9), for the peace and quiet that was in his days. Josiah: "Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name" (1 Kings 13:2), who was accepted like a lamb upon the altar. The King Messiah: "May his name endure forever; before the sun, may his name be continued (yinnon)" (Psalms 72:17), for he is destined to bring grace to the world.

From where in the Torah is there a hint of Moses? As it is said, "for that he also (be-shaggam) is flesh" (Genesis 6:3) [be-shaggam equals Moshe in numerical value]. From where in the Torah is there a hint of Haman? As it is said, "Is it from (ha-min) the tree" (Genesis 3:11) [reading ha-min as Haman]. From where in the Torah is there a hint of Esther? As it is written, "And I will surely hide (haster astir) My face" (Deuteronomy 31:18) [reading haster as Esther]. From where in the Torah is there a hint of Mordechai? As it is written, "And you, take for yourself the finest spices, flowing myrrh (mar deror)" and so forth (Exodus 30:23), which we render in the Aramaic translation as meira dakhya [pure myrrh, echoing the name Mordechai].

"The Nephilim were on the earth" (Genesis 6:4). Seven names were given to them: Emim, Rephaim, Gibborim, Zamzummim, Anakim, Avvim, Nephilim. Emim, because anyone who saw them, terror (eimah) would fall upon him. Rephaim, because anyone who saw them, his heart would grow weak (rafeh) as wax. Gibborim — Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: the marrow of the thighbone of one of them measured twelve cubits. Zamzummim — Rabbi Yose bar Chanina said: masters and chiefs of war. Anakim — the Rabbis and Rabbi Acha differed: the Rabbis say they multiplied giants (anakim) upon giants; Rabbi Acha said they would reach the orb of the sun with their necks (anak) and say, "Bring down rain for us." Avvim, because they corrupted (tzadu) the world and were driven from the world and caused the world to be laid waste, as you say, "A ruin (avvah), a ruin, a ruin I will make it" (Ezekiel 21:32). Rabbi Eleazar son of Rabbi Shimon said: they were as expert in the soils as snakes; in the Galilee they call a snake an avya. Nephilim, because they cast down (hippilu) the world, and they fell (naflu) from the world, and they filled the world with miscarriages (nefalim) through their licentiousness. "And also after that" (Genesis 6:4) — the later ones did not learn from the earlier: the flood generation from the generation of Enosh, and the generation of the Dispersion from the flood generation. "And also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men." Rabbi Berekhiah said: a woman would go out to the marketplace and so forth, and she would go and have relations and conceive a young man like the one she had seen. "The men of renown (anshei ha-shem)" — Rabbi Acha said: "Children of churls, children of no-name" (Job 30:8), yet you say men of renown? Rather, they laid the world waste (heshimu) and were laid waste from the world and caused the world to be made desolate. Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: men whose names were specified above. For Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: all these names are expressions of rebellion — "Irad" (Genesis 4:18), he expelled (oradan) them from the world; "Mehujael," I am wiping out (matishan) them from the world; "Lamech," what need have I (mah li) of Lamech and his descendants? Rabbi Yochanan said: "These were the mighty men of old, the men of renown" — and who specified their deeds? Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. Rabbi says: had Job come into the world only to detail for us the doings of the flood, that would suffice for him. Rav Chanan said: had Elihu come only to explain for us the matter of the coming down of rains, that would suffice for him, for Rabbi Yochanan said: every mention of light regarding Elijah refers only to the coming down of rains. Rabbi Hoshaya the Great said: it refers only to the giving of the Torah, as you say, "For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23). Rabbi Acha in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: dispute is as grave as the flood generation; it is said here "men of renown," and it is said there, "princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown" (Numbers 16:2) — just as "men of renown" said there refers to dispute [the rebellion of Korah], so "men of renown" said here refers to dispute. "And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great" (Genesis 6:5) — great and ever-growing. We have heard of the flood generation, who were judged with water, and the Sodomites, who were judged with fire. From where do we apply what is said here to there and what is said there to here? Scripture says "great" here and "great" there as a gezeira shava [verbal analogy]. "And every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the day" — from when the sun rose until it set there was no hope in them, as it is written, "The murderer rises with the light" (Job 24:14). The evil inclination is grievous, for even its Maker called it evil, as it is said, "for the inclination of man's heart is evil" (Genesis 8:21). Rav Yitzchak said: a man's inclination renews itself against him every day, as it is said, "only evil all the day." "And the LORD repented that He had made man on the earth" (Genesis 6:6). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I did well that I prepared a grave for them; it is written here "and He repented (vayinnachem)," and it is written there, "and he comforted (vayenachem) them and spoke to their hearts" (Genesis 50:21).

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).

"He shall deliver the island of the innocent" (Job 22:30) — one measure [unkiya] in the hand of Noah. If so, why "shall be delivered"? Rather, "it is delivered by the cleanness of your hands" — that you found grace. Three discoveries the Holy One, blessed be He, made: "And You found his heart faithful before You" (Nehemiah 9:8) [of Abraham]; "I have found David My servant" (Psalms 89:21); "Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel" (Hosea 9:10). But is it not written, "And Noah found grace"? He said to him: he found, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not [reckon it among His own discoveries]. To one who was on the road and saw another and they became attached — how far? Until he bound love with him. It is said here "grace," and it is said there, "And Joseph found grace" (Genesis 39:4) [a verbal analogy].

Another interpretation: to one who was walking and saw another and they became attached — how far? Until he gave him authority [over himself]. It is said here "grace," and it is said there, "And Esther obtained grace" (Esther 2:15). To one who was walking on the road and saw another and they became attached — how far? Until he gave him his daughter. It is said here "grace," and it is said there, "And I will pour upon the house of David... a spirit of grace and supplication" (Zechariah 12:10). [Noah's righteousness extended] to knowing which animal is fed at two hours of the day and which animal is fed at three hours of the day. We have found that the Holy One, blessed be He, does kindness with the later ones in the merit of the earlier; and from where that He does kindness with the earlier ones in the merit of the later? "And Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" — by what merit? By the merit of his descendants, "These are the generations of Noah" (Genesis 6:9). Enosh son of Seth: in his days the creatures began to provoke their Maker with idolatry. He was the third generation, and they provoked with three transgressions, as it is said, "the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle" (Genesis 4:20) — and worshiped in secret (mikneh read as ke-kana, in jealousy/secret). They returned to provoke openly and made their voices heard, as it is said, "the father of all who handle the harp and pipe" (Genesis 4:21). They returned to making images and calling them by the name of their Creator, as it is said, "then men began to call upon the name of the LORD" (Genesis 4:26). They returned to mixing it with all manner of provocation, as it is said, "Tubal-Cain and the sister of Tubal-Cain" (Genesis 4:22) — that they returned to be seasoned (le-hitabel) in licentiousness, as in the matter that is said, "they wrought confusion (tevel)" (Leviticus 20:12). And three decrees were decreed against them corresponding to the provocation with which they provoked: one, that the Ocean was torn open and flooded a third of the dry land; one, that the whole world had been level plain and valley, and it was made mountains and crags and hills, and in the time to come it will return to a plain, as it is said, "all the land shall be turned into a plain" (Zechariah 14:10) as it was; and one, that their stature was diminished, as it is said, "and the lofty shall be brought low" (Isaiah 10:33). "And his days shall be a hundred and twenty years" (Genesis 6:3) — for the Holy One, blessed be He, grieved much over the flood generation that they not perish, therefore He warned them a hundred and twenty years, and they kept provoking exceedingly. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish expounded: there are seven dedications [of light]. The first: "In the beginning God created... and God said, Let there be light" (Genesis 1:1-3) — behold, one lamp. On the second day, "And there was evening and there was morning"; a parable to an architect who sought to fix a beam and took a lamp and it gave light — so the Torah gave light, as it is said, "For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23). On the third day the trees were created and the olive oil that gives light, as it is said, "and they shall take to you olive oil" and so forth (Exodus 27:20). On the fourth day the luminaries were created and the throne of David, as it is said, "and his throne as the sun before Me" (Psalms 89:37), and it is written, "I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have set up a lamp for My anointed" (Psalms 132:17). On the fifth day the lightnings were created, as it is said, "the voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world" (Psalms 77:19). On the sixth day Adam and Eve were created, as it is said, "the lamp of the LORD is the soul of man" (Proverbs 20:27). On the seventh day you find no lamp. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: a parable to a king who was betrothing his daughter and stood within the bridal canopy — you must ask whether it was all light. And from where do you say that all seven days were light? As it is said, "And the light of the moon shall be" and so forth (Isaiah 30:26). Once Rabbi Abbahu was walking on the road and gentiles joined him. They said to him: it is written in the Torah, "And the LORD God commanded the man" (Genesis 2:16) — the man was commanded not to sin, but the woman was not commanded. He said to them: what does Scripture say about the man, "saying" — what is "saying"? To his limbs; and Eve was created from his ribs. "And God finished on the seventh day" (Genesis 2:2). You find no night on the Sabbath. Of every single day it is written, "And there was evening," but on the Sabbath there is no night there. Why? Because it was all light.

"These are the generations" (Genesis 6:9). In every place where it says "these," it disqualifies the earlier ones; "and these" adds to the earlier ones. Here, where it says "these," what did it disqualify? It disqualified the flood generation. "These are the generations" — this is what Scripture says, "He is swift upon the face of the waters" (Job 24:18) — a decree was decreed that they should perish in the water. "Their portion is cursed in the earth" (Job 24:18) — He who exacted punishment from the flood generation. Why all this? "He turns not by the way of the vineyards" (Job 24:18) — their intent was only to plant vineyards; but Noah's intent was only to be fruitful and to multiply in the world and to raise up sons.

Portion of Noah. "These are the generations of Noah, Noah" (Genesis 6:9). Everyone whose name is doubled has a portion in this world and a portion in the world to come. They objected: but is it not written, "And these are the generations of Terah" (Genesis 11:27) — does Terah have a portion in this world and a portion in the world to come? This too is no refutation, for it is written, "And you shall come to your fathers in peace" (Genesis 15:15) — He brought him [Abraham] the tidings that his father has a share in the world to come; "you shall be buried in a good old age" — He brought him the tidings that Ishmael would repent. "These are the generations of Noah, Noah" — this is astonishing; the verse needed only to say "These are the generations of Noah, Shem." Rather, comfort (nayicha) to him, comfort to the world, comfort to the fathers, comfort to the children, comfort to the upper beings, comfort to the lower beings, comfort in this world, comfort in the world to come. "These are the generations of Noah; Noah was a righteous man" — this is what is written, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life" (Proverbs 11:30). The righteous one — what are his fruits? Commandments and good deeds. "And he who wins souls is wise" — that he sustained and provided for all the creatures twelve months in the ark. After all this praise, "Behold, the righteous shall be requited in the earth" (Proverbs 11:31) — he came out and was requited; this is astonishing. For Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yose the Galilean: when Noah came out of the ark, a lion struck him and maimed him, and he was not fit to offer sacrifice, so Shem his son offered in his place. "How much more the wicked and the sinner" — this is the flood generation. "A man" — wherever it says "a righteous man," he is expert: that for all of a hundred and twenty years he would plant cedars and cut them down. They said to him: why thus? He said to them: thus the Master of the world told me, that He is bringing a flood upon the world. They said: if a flood comes, it will come only upon that man's house. When Methuselah died, they said to him: behold, the flood will come only upon that man's house. "Perfect (tamim)" — everyone of whom it says "perfect" completed his years to the measure of a week [of years]. "Was (hayah)" — everyone of whom it says "was" is righteous from his beginning to his end. They objected: but is it not written, "Abraham was one" (Ezekiel 33:24)? He said to them: this too is no refutation, for Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Yochanan both say: at forty-eight years Abraham recognized his Creator; Resh Lakish said: at three years, as it is said, "because (ekev) Abraham obeyed My voice" (Genesis 26:5) — the numerical value of ekev [is one hundred seventy-two, his years minus three]. And how do I uphold "was"? That he was prepared to guide the whole world in repentance. "Behold, the man was" (Genesis 3:22) — prepared for death; "and the serpent was" (Genesis 3:1) — prepared for punishment; "Cain was" (Genesis 4:2) — prepared for exile; "Moses was" (Exodus 3:1) — prepared to be redeemer; "Mordechai was" (Esther 2:5) — prepared for redemption; "Job was" — prepared for sufferings; Noah was — prepared for a miracle. Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis: Rabbi Levi said: everyone of whom it says "was" saw a new world.

Rabbi Samuel said: There are five [men of whom Scripture says they "were"]. Noah: yesterday it was said, "The waters wear away the stones" (Job 14:19) - for Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, even the iron axle-pivot of a mill is dissolved in the waters - yet here you say, "And the sons of Noah who went out of the ark" (Genesis 9:18)! This is astonishing. Rather, he saw a new world. Joseph: yesterday, "They afflicted his foot with fetters, his soul came into iron" (Psalms 105:18), and now, "And Joseph was the ruler over the land" (Genesis 42:6). Rather, he saw a new world. Moses: yesterday fleeing before Pharaoh, and now he is sinking him in the sea. Rather, he saw a new world. Job: yesterday, "He pours out my gall upon the ground" (Job 16:13), and now, "And the LORD added to all that Job had, double" (Job 42:10). Rather, he saw a new world. Mordecai: yesterday he was set up for hanging, and now he hangs those who would have hanged him. Rather, he saw a new world. The Rabbis say: Everyone of whom "he was" is said, fed and provided. Noah fed and provided for all twelve months in the ark. Joseph fed and provided, "And Joseph sustained his father and his brothers" (Genesis 47:12). Moses fed and provided all forty years in the wilderness. Job fed and provided, "And I ate my morsel alone" (Job 31:17) - perhaps no orphan ate of it? [The verse implies the opposite.] Mordecai fed and provided: once he went around among the wet-nurses and found none for Esther, and he himself nursed her. When Rabbi Abbahu expounded this in public, the congregation laughed at his statement. He said to them: Is it not a teaching? The milk of a male is clean [ritually pure]. "In his generations" (Genesis 6:9). Rabbi Judah says: In his generations he was righteous; thus in the generations of Moses and Samuel he would not have been righteous. In the street of the blind they call the one-eyed man "full of light." A parable: of one who had a cellar of wine. He opened the first cask and found it vinegar, and so the second, and so the third, and found it fermenting. He said, "There is none here better than this." So, in his generations he was righteous; but had he been in the generation of Moses and Samuel he would not have been righteous. Rabbi Nehemiah says: If in his generations he was righteous, had he been in the generation of Moses, how much more so! A parable: of a flask of balsam-oil sealed tight with a stopper and set in a graveyard, and its scent wafted out; had it been outside the graveyard, how much more so! A parable: of a virgin who dwelt in a street of harlots and no evil report went out about her; had she been in a street of proper women, how much more so!

"Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). Rabbi Judah says: This is like a king who had two sons, one grown and one small. To the small one he said, "Walk with me," and to the grown one he said, "Walk before me." So Abraham, whose strength was good, was told, "Walk before Me and be perfect" (Genesis 17:1); but Noah, whose strength was weak, of him it says, "Noah walked with God." Rabbi Nehemiah says: This is like a friend of the king who was sinking in mud. The king looked out and saw him and said to him, "Rather than sinking in the mud, come and walk with me." This is what is written, "Noah walked with God." And to what is Abraham compared? To a friend of the king who saw the king walking in dark alleys and began to give him light through the window. The king said to him, "Rather than lighting for me through the window, come and give light before me." So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham our father, "Rather than giving Me light from Spain and its environs, come and give Me light in the Land of Israel." This is what is written, "And he blessed Joseph and said, the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked" (Genesis 48:15). Rabbi Yochanan compared it to a shepherd standing and watching over his flock [God watching Noah]. Resh Lakish compared it to a prince walking with elders before him. According to Rabbi Yochanan, we need His honor; according to Resh Lakish, He needs our honor. "Noah was a righteous man, perfect" - this teaches that he was born circumcised. Why is "Noah" written three times in the verse? Because he is one of three men over whom three worlds passed; therefore Scripture pairs them: "Noah, Daniel, and Job" (Ezekiel 14:14). "And Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth" (Genesis 6:10) - it lists them by order of their wisdom, for it is written, "And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem" (Genesis 5:32). Shem was older than Japheth by two years, for it is written, "And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came" (Genesis 7:6), and it is written, "These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a hundred years old when he begot Arpachshad two years after the flood" (Genesis 11:10) - so he was a hundred and two; rather, it lists them by their wisdom. Rav Kahana said: We learn it from here, "And to Shem also were born, he the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder" (Genesis 10:21). "And the earth was corrupt" (Genesis 6:11). The school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: Wherever "corruption" is stated, it refers only to idolatry and sexual immorality. Idolatry, as it is written, "Lest you act corruptly" (Deuteronomy 4:16). Sexual immorality, as it is written, "And the earth was corrupt." "For all flesh had corrupted" (Genesis 6:12) - this teaches that they mated domestic animal with wild animal, and wild with domestic, and all with man, and man with all. Rabbi Abba said: And all of them returned to their kind except for the tushlami, which did not return. "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence" (Genesis 6:13). Rabbi Elazar said: How great is the power of robbery, for the generation of the flood transgressed everything, yet their sentence was not sealed until they stretched out their hands in robbery, as it is said, "For the earth is filled with violence," and it is written, "Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness" (Ezekiel 7:11) - this teaches that it stood itself up like a staff and stood before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said before Him, "Master of the universe, not from them and not from their wealth and not with their pleasantness." And upon Noah too the sentence was sealed, as it is said, "I regret that I made them" (Genesis 6:7) - and Noah [is named there too].

Rabbi Elazar says: Anyone who grasps himself improperly is as if he brings a flood upon the world, as it is said, "For all flesh had corrupted" (Genesis 6:12). Rabbi Yochanan said: Anyone who emits seed in vain is liable to death, as it is said, "And what he did was evil in the eyes of the LORD, and He put him also to death" (Genesis 38:10). Rabbi Yitzhak of the school of Rabbi said: It is as if he sheds blood, as it is said, "You who inflame yourselves among the terebinths, under every leafy tree, who slay the children" (Isaiah 57:5) - do not read "slay" but "squeeze out." Rav Ashi said: It is as if he worships idols. It is written here, "under every leafy tree," and it is written elsewhere, "upon the high mountains and under every leafy tree" (Deuteronomy 12:2). Rav Assi said: Anyone who brings himself to lustful imagining is not admitted within the partition of the Holy One, blessed be He. It is written here, "and what he did was evil in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 38:10), and it is written, "Evil shall not dwell with You" (Psalms 5:5). What is the meaning of what is written, "Your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15)? These are the ones who commit adultery with the hand. As the school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:13) - there shall be no adulterer in you, whether by hand or by foot. Rabbi Ammi said: One who deliberately arouses himself is called an idolater, for such is the craft of the evil inclination: today it says to him, "Do this," and tomorrow it says to him, "Go worship idols."

"And God said to Noah, the end of all flesh has come before Me" (Genesis 6:13). Their time had come to be cut down; their time had come to be made unripe [destroyed before their season]; their accusation had arrived; their time had come to be made into ruins. Why so much? "For the earth is filled with violence because of them." "Violence" means the value of a perutah [a small coin]; "robbery" means less than the value of a perutah. One of them would find his basket full of lupines, and this one would come and take less than a penny's worth, and that one would come and take less than a penny's worth, until he reached the point where no court could extract it from them by law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: You acted improperly, so I too will act with you improperly. This is what is written, "Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them? They die, and that without wisdom" (Job 4:21) - without the wisdom of Torah. "From morning to evening they are shattered; without anyone regarding it, they perish forever" (Job 4:20). And "regarding" means only justice, as it is said, "And these are the ordinances which you shall set before them" (Exodus 21:1).

Another interpretation: "For the earth is filled with violence" (Genesis 6:13). "Violence" - this is idolatry, as it is written, "For the earth is filled with violence." "Violence" - this is sexual immorality, [as in] "My violence and my flesh be upon Babylon" (Jeremiah 51:35). "Violence" - this is bloodshed, [as in] "For the violence against the children of Judah, because they shed innocent blood in their land" (Joel 4:19). "Violence" according to its plain meaning [robbery]. "And behold, I will destroy them with the earth." Even the three handbreadths' depth of the plowshare was dissolved. To a king's son who had a tutor: whenever he misbehaved, his tutor was chastised. And to a king's son who had a wet-nurse: whenever he misbehaved, his wet-nurse was chastised. So, "And behold, I will destroy them with the earth" - behold, I will destroy them and destroy the earth with them.

"Make yourself an ark of gopher wood" (Genesis 6:14). In four places this expression is stated; in three it was explained, in one it was not explained. "Make yourself an ark of gopher wood" - wood of the kardus tree. "Make yourself swords of flint" (Joshua 5:2) - blades of rock. "Make yourself two trumpets of silver" (Numbers 10:2) - explained. "Make yourself a fiery serpent" (Numbers 21:8) - not explained. "The wise man will hear and increase learning" (Proverbs 1:5) - this is Moses. He said: If I make it of gold, this word does not match that word [nachash, serpent, does not echo zahav, gold]; and likewise of silver. Rather, I will make it of copper, because this word matches that word [nechoshet echoes nachash]. "And Moses made a serpent of copper" (Numbers 21:9). From here we learn that the Torah was given in the holy tongue, and just as it was given in the holy tongue, so the world was created in the holy tongue. Have you ever in your days heard one say gini, ginya, anthropi, anthropta, gever, gevarta? Rather, "man" [ish] and "woman" [ishah, which share a root] - from here that it was created in the holy tongue. "Make compartments for the ark" (Genesis 6:14) - just as the nest [ken] purifies the leper, so your ark [tevah] purifies you.

"And you shall cover it inside and out with pitch" (Genesis 6:14). Elsewhere it says [of Moses' basket], "And she daubed it with bitumen and with pitch" (Exodus 2:3). The difference: there, because the waters were gentle, "she daubed it with bitumen and with pitch" - bitumen because of the smell and pitch because of the water. "And this is how you shall make it" (Genesis 6:15). This one [ark] and that one [the Temple] - one was destined to be measured by your cubit. This is what is written, "The length, in cubits by the first measure, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits" (2 Chronicles 3:3). And why does one call them tevikin? Because they would store [grain] in them. And the Rabbis say: after the name of Noah's ark [tevah]. "Three hundred cubits the length of the ark" (Genesis 6:15). Bar Hunya said: "I will meditate on Your precepts; I will delight in Your statutes" (Psalms 119:15-16) - the Torah taught you proper conduct, that if one makes a ship to stand in the harbor, he should make its breadth one-sixth of its length and its height one-tenth of its length. "And this is how you shall make it" - with His finger the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Noah: like this and like this you shall make it. And before the days of the flood came, the unclean creatures were more numerous than the clean. The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded to increase the clean and reduce the unclean, and said to him, "Of every clean animal" and so forth (Genesis 7:2).

"Make a tzohar [window/light] for the ark" (Genesis 6:16). Rabbi Meir says: A single precious gem was suspended in the ark, and it gave light to all the creatures within it, like a lamp that lights a house and like the sun that shines at noon [tzohorayim]. Rabbi Yochanan said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Noah, "Set into it precious stones and pearls, that they may give light for them like noon." "And to a cubit you shall finish it above" (Genesis 6:16) - for thus it stood: the lowest deck for refuse, the second for man, the third for the animals. "Make a tzohar for the ark" - Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: a window. Rabbi Levi says: a pearl. All twelve months that Noah was in the ark he needed neither the light of the sun by day nor the light of the moon by night; rather he had a pearl, and when it dimmed he knew it was day, and when it shone brightly he knew it was night. Rav Huna said: We were fleeing from the troops in a certain swamp of Tiberias, and we had lamps with us; when they dimmed we knew it was day, and so forth. "And to a cubit you shall finish it above." Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nehemiah differed. Rabbi Judah says: three hundred sixty cells, each cell ten cubits by ten cubits, and two passageways of four cubits, cells on this side and cells on that side and two cubits to the sides. Rabbi Nehemiah says: nine hundred cells were in it, each cell six cubits by six, four cells in the middle and three passageways of four by four, a cell on this side and on that, and two cubits to the sides. According to Rabbi Judah it works out neatly, and according to Rabbi Nehemiah it does not work out neatly. Rabbi Judah says: as a cubit below, so a cubit above.

"And to a cubit you shall finish it from above" (Genesis 6:16). Rabbi Nehemiah says: it was shaped like a vault, and he kept narrowing it as it rose, narrowing it as it rose, until he brought it to a single cubit at the top, as it is said, "And to a cubit you shall finish it from above." (And there are those who report that Rabbi Judah says there were three hundred and thirty compartments in it. He explains: there were four compartments across its width, and four times thirty makes one hundred and twenty compartments. The lowest level had one hundred and twenty, the second had one hundred and twenty, totaling two hundred and forty. The upper third level had only three rows, since it narrowed as it rose and the width of the ark there was only forty cubits, and three rows make ninety; with the other two hundred and forty, that is three hundred and thirty compartments according to Rabbi Judah. According to Rabbi Judah it works out, since the height of the compartments reached up to the roof. And Rabbi Nehemiah holds it was shaped like a vault, sloping and descending like a sloped roof.) "And you shall set the door of the ark in its side" (Genesis 6:16). The Torah taught you proper conduct, that if a person builds a hall ten by ten, he should make its entrance from the side. "With lower, second, and third decks you shall make it" (Genesis 6:16). The lowest deck was for refuse, the second for himself and his sons and the clean animals, and the upper for the unclean. And some reverse it: the lowest for the unclean, the second for himself and his sons and the clean, and the upper for refuse. How did he manage it? He had a kind of trapdoor, and he would open them from the side. "You shall make it" [it shall help itself] - meaning it also helps itself along.

"And of every living thing, of all flesh" (Genesis 6:19). Even the spirits entered the ark, as it is said, "and of every living thing" - those who were created with souls but for whom no bodies were created. Rabbi Judah says: the reem [a giant wild ox] did not enter the ark, but its young entered. Rabbi Nehemiah says: neither it nor its young, but rather Noah tied it to the ark, and it plowed furrows like the distance from Tiberias to Susita. This is what is written, "Can you bind the reem with its rope in the furrow? Will it harrow the valleys after you?" (Job 39:10). In the days of Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba, one young reem came up into the Land of Israel and left no tree standing without uprooting it. They proclaimed a fast and Rabbi Hiyya prayed, and its mother bellowed from the wilderness, and it went down at her voice.

"Male and female they shall be" (Genesis 6:19). If you see a male running after a female, accept it; but if a female runs after a male, do not accept it. This works well for Rabbi Yohanan, who said that no flood came down upon the Land of Israel, so the reem could stand there. But according to Resh Lakish, where did the reem stand? Rabbi Yannai said: they brought the young of the reem into the ark. But did not Rabbah bar bar Hannah say, "I myself saw a day-old reem calf, and it was like Mount Tabor; and how large is Mount Tabor? Forty parsangs. The length of its neck was three parsangs, the resting place of its head a parsang and a half. It cast its dung and dammed up the Jordan." Rabbi Yohanan said: they brought its head into the ark. But you just said the resting place of its head was a parsang and a half! Rather, they brought its nostril into the ark. But did not Rabbi Yohanan say no flood came down on the Land of Israel? He said this according to the view of Resh Lakish. [But the ark was traveling about!] They tied its horns to the ark. But did not Rav Hisda say the generation of the flood sinned with boiling heat and were judged with boiling waters [which would have scorched it]? By your own reasoning, how did the ark itself travel, and how did Og king of Bashan survive? Rather, a miracle occurred and the sides of the ark cooled (Zevahim 113b). Rabbi Eleazar said: from where do we learn that an animal missing a limb is forbidden to the children of Noah? As it is said, "and of every living thing, of all flesh" - the Torah said: bring an animal whose limb-ends are alive [intact]. But this is needed to exclude a torn animal! A torn animal is derived from "to keep seed alive" (Genesis 7:3). This works for the one who says a torn animal cannot give birth; but for the one who says a torn animal does give birth, what can be said? Scripture says "with you" (Genesis 6:18) - meaning ones like you. But perhaps Noah himself was a torn one? "Blameless" is written of him. But perhaps blameless in his ways? "Righteous" is written of him. But perhaps blameless in his ways and righteous in his deeds, yet still flawed in body? That cannot enter your mind, for if Noah were a torn one, the Merciful One would have said to him, "Bring in ones like you," and whole ones he would not bring in. And now that we derive the matter from "with you," why do I need "to keep seed alive"? Had it come only from "with you," I would have said it was merely for company, even a sterile one; therefore the Merciful One wrote "to keep seed alive."

"And I, behold, I am bringing" (Genesis 6:17). [The Holy One, blessed be He, said:] I agree with the words of the angels who said, "What is man that You should remember him?" (Psalms 8:5). "The flood, water upon the earth" - it was water, and since it came down upon the earth it became a flood. "All that is on the earth shall perish" - shall shrivel away. "But I will establish My covenant with you" (Genesis 6:18). You need a covenant: the mighty ones, one of them would set his foot upon the deep and stop it up, and set his hand upon a window of the deep and stop it up. Then he would come to enter the ark, and his feet would buckle. This is what is written, "The shades tremble beneath the waters and their inhabitants" (Job 26:5). A lion came to enter the ark and its teeth were blunted, as it is written, "The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken" (Job 4:10). You need a covenant for the sake of the fruits you store, that they not rot, not decay, not change. "And you shall come to the ark" - Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said: you were a carpenter, and were it not for My covenant that was with you, you could not have entered; this is what is written, "And I will establish My covenant with you" - when? When you came to the ark. "You and your sons" (Genesis 6:18). Rabbi Judah bar Simon and Rabbi Hanin in the name of Rav Shmuel bar Yitzhak: once Noah entered the ark, procreation was forbidden to him; this is what is written, "you and your sons" by themselves, "and your wife and your sons' wives" by themselves. "In want and famine they are barren" (Job 30:3) - if you see scarcity coming into the world, regard your wife as though she were barren. So too in the coastal towns they call a menstruant woman "barren." Rav Huna said: "And to Joseph were born two sons" - when? "Before the year of famine came" (Genesis 41:50). Once Noah went out, the Holy One, blessed be He, permitted it to him, as it is written, "Go out of the ark, you and your wife" (Genesis 8:16). "And you, take for yourself of all food" (Genesis 6:21). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: he brought in with him pressed figs. It was taught in the name of Rabbi Nehemiah: most of what he brought in was pressed figs. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: he brought in vine-shoots for the elephants, chate-melons for the deer, and glass [shards] for the ostriches. Rabbi Levi says: he brought in vine-shoots for planting, fig cuttings, and olive saplings. According to Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, "it shall be for you and for them" means food that is for you and for them alike; according to Rabbi Levi, "it shall be for you and for them" means you are primary and they are secondary to you. "And gather it to yourself" - a person gathers a thing only if he needs it. "And Noah did" (Genesis 6:22) - this refers to the building of the ark. "And the LORD said to Noah, Come, you and all your household, into the ark, for you I have seen righteous before Me" (Genesis 7:1). We find that one states part of a person's praise to his face and all of it not to his face. Not to his face, what does it say? "Noah was a righteous, blameless man" (Genesis 6:9). To his face, what does it say? "Righteous before Me in this generation." "Of every clean animal you shall take to yourself, a man and his wife" (Genesis 7:2). Is there marriage among animals? Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: from those with whom no transgression had been committed. How did Noah know? Rav Hisda said: he passed them before the ark, and whichever the ark accepted, it was known that no transgression had been committed with it. Rabbi Abbahu said: from those that came of their own accord. Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: a person should never let an unseemly word leave his mouth, for Scripture bent its phrasing by eight letters rather than utter an unseemly word, as it is said, "and of the animal that is not clean" (Genesis 7:8) [rather than "unclean"]. Rav Pappa said: nine letters, as it is said, "if there be in you a man who is not clean" (Deuteronomy 23:11). Ravina said: ten, the vav of "clean." Rav Aha bar Yaakov said: sixteen, as it is said, "for he said, it is a mischance, he is not clean, surely he is not clean" (1 Samuel 20:26). The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: a person should always speak in respectful language, for regarding a man with a discharge [Scripture] called his seat "a riding-seat," and regarding a woman with a discharge it called hers "a sitting-seat," and it says, "and you choose the tongue of the crafty" (Job 15:5). What is the force of "and it says"? Should you say this applies only to Torah matters but not to rabbinic matters, therefore it teaches "and you choose the tongue of the crafty." And should you say this applies only to rabbinic matters but not to ordinary speech, therefore it teaches "and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly" (Job 33:3). "Also of the birds of the heaven" (Genesis 7:3). If you should say seven of each kind, then one of them would be found without a mate; rather, seven males and seven females of each kind. Not that I need them, but only "to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth."

"For in seven more days I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days" (Genesis 7:4). Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai said: they transgressed against the Torah, which was given in forty days; therefore forty days and forty nights. Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai said: they corrupted the form [of the embryo], which is given form in forty days; therefore forty days and forty nights. "And I will blot out all existence" (Genesis 7:4). Rabbi Berekhiah says: its sustenance. Rabbi Avin said: its standing things. Rabbi Levi and Resh Lakish said: this is Cain, who was hanging in suspension, and the flood came and washed him away, as it is said, "and He blotted out all existence" (Genesis 7:23). "And Noah did according to all that the LORD commanded him" (Genesis 7:5) - this refers to the gathering of animal, beast, and bird. "And Noah was six hundred years old, and the flood was water" (Genesis 7:6). Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nehemiah: Rabbi Judah says the year of the flood does not count in the reckoning. Rabbi Nehemiah said to him: even though it does not count in the reckoning of his years, it does count for the seasons and calculations. "And Noah came... because of the waters of the flood" (Genesis 7:7). Rabbi Yohanan said: Noah was lacking in faith. Had the waters not reached his ankles, he would not have entered the ark. "Two by two they came to Noah" (Genesis 7:9). Falsehood came and wished to enter. Noah said to it: you cannot, unless you take yourself a mate. It met Mishap [Calamity] and said, "Where do you come from?" It answered, "From Noah, where I went wishing to enter the ark, and he would not let me in, but said: if you have a mate you may enter. Would you like to be my mate?" It said, "And what will you give me?" It answered, "I undertake with you that all I acquire, you shall take." They made a pact between them that whatever Falsehood gathers, Mishap shall take. The two of them entered the ark. When they came out, Falsehood would go and gather, and Mishap would take whatever came first. Falsehood said, "Where is all that I acquired?" It answered, "Did you not make a pact with me that whatever you gather I shall take?" And Falsehood had no opening to reply. Therefore it is said, "He conceives mischief and gives birth to falsehood" (Psalms 7:15). "And it came to pass after the seven days" (Genesis 7:10). Rava said: these were the days of mourning for Methuselah the righteous, to teach you that the eulogy of the righteous holds back calamity.

Another interpretation of "And it came to pass after the seven days" (Genesis 7:10): that during those seven days the Holy One, blessed be He, altered for them the orders of Creation, so that the sun would rise in the west and set in the east.

Another interpretation of "after the seven days" (Genesis 7:10): it teaches that He set for them a short span of time after a long span of time.

Another interpretation of "after the seven days" (Genesis 7:10): that during those seven days the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them a foretaste of the World to Come, so that they would know how much goodness they had withheld from themselves.

Another interpretation: "And it came to pass after the seven days" (Genesis 7:10) teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, suspended for them the seven days of mourning for the righteous Methuselah, so that they might repent. But they did not repent.

Another interpretation: For seven days the Holy One, blessed be He, mourned over His world before He brought the flood. What is the reason? "And it grieved Him at His heart" (Genesis 6:6), and grief means nothing other than mourning, as you say, "The king was grieved over his son." Rabbi Tzadok says: On the tenth of Marcheshvan he entered the ark, and on the seventeenth of it the waters of the flood came down from heaven, which are male waters, and the waters of the deep rose up, which are female waters, and these joined with those and grew mighty to destroy the world, as it is said, "And the waters prevailed" (Genesis 7:19). And all that existed was wiped out except Noah, as it is said, "And only Noah remained," and except Og king of Bashan, for he sat himself upon one beam beneath the ladder of the ark and swore to Noah and to his sons that he would be a perpetual servant to them. What did Noah do? He bored a single hole in the ark and would hand him his food every single day, and so he too survived, as it is said, "For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim" (Deuteronomy 3:11). And except the Land of Israel, upon which the waters of the flood did not come down, as it is said, "Son of man, [say to her,] you are a land that is not cleansed, [it is] not rained upon in the day of indignation" (Ezekiel 22:24).

"And the waters of the flood were upon the earth." They sinned with the eyeball, which resembles water; therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, punished them only with water. They corrupted their channels; therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, changed for their sake the order of the world. The way of the world is that rain comes down and the deep rises, but here, "On this day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth" (Genesis 7:11). "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life." Rabbi Eliezer says: That day, the seventeenth of Marcheshvan, was a day on which the constellation Pleiades rises by day and the fountains grow strong; and because they changed their deeds, the Holy One, blessed be He, changed things for them and took two stars from the Pleiades and brought a flood upon the world. And Rabbi Yehoshua says: That day, the seventeenth of Iyyar, was a day on which the constellation Pleiades sets by day and the fountains diminish; and because they changed their deeds, the Holy One, blessed be He, changed for them the orders of creation, and raised the Pleiades by day, and took two stars from the Pleiades, and brought a flood upon the world. It works well for Rabbi Yehoshua, for thus it is written "second [month]"; but according to Rabbi Eliezer, what is "second"? Second to judgment. It works well for Rabbi Yehoshua, since He changed; but according to Rabbi Eliezer, what is "changed"? It is as Rav said: The generation of the flood corrupted with boiling heat and with boiling heat they were judged, for it is written here "And the waters subsided [vayashoku]," and it is written elsewhere, "And the king's wrath was assuaged [shakhakha]" (Esther 7:10). "And the rain was upon the earth." Until the twenty-seventh of Kislev. "And the waters prevailed a hundred and fifty days" (Genesis 7:24), until the first of Sivan, and the waters stood still and motionless, and the wicked were judged in them, each one according to his deeds, from the twenty-seventh of Kislev until the first of Sivan. "And the waters abated at the end of a hundred and fifty days" (Genesis 8:3); from the first of Sivan they began to diminish, as it is said, "And the waters went on diminishing until the tenth month, in the tenth, on the first of the month"; the tenth from the falling of the rains is Av, since part of a day counts as the whole. And the waters were fifteen cubits high; they were spent over sixty days, a cubit every four days, a handbreadth and a half each day. "And the ark rested in the seventh month" (Genesis 8:4); this is Sivan, when you begin to count from when the rains ceased falling; the ark is found to rest on the sixteenth day, so how high was it above the earth? Four cubits; and submerged within the water, eleven cubits. "And it came to pass at the end of forty days" from the end when the waters began to diminish, on the tenth of Tammuz. "And Noah opened the window of the ark," "And he sent forth the dove" (Genesis 8:8). He waited seven days, "And he sent forth the dove again." He waited another seven days, and he sent forth the dove, and it did not return to him again, but went and settled upon one of the mountains. "In the tenth month, on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen" (Genesis 8:5); so when you begin to count from the first of Av until the first of Tishrei, the waters were absorbed. "And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month"; we learn that one day entering a month counts as the whole month, and one month of the year counts as the whole year. One day enters the month, they count it a full month; one month enters the year, they count it a full year. "The waters were dried up from off the earth"; they were absorbed in their place, and the earth was still moist and like a thick paste; they waited and did not sow until rains came down for them, because the waters of the flood were for a curse and not included in blessing. "And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month" (Genesis 8:14), this is Marcheshvan, "the earth was dry," and it became bare ground. So there are twelve months and eleven days. And those eleven days, what is their nature? They teach that the days of the solar year exceed the days of the lunar year by eleven days. "And the windows of heaven were opened." He took two stars from the Pleiades and brought a flood upon the world, and He took two stars from the Bear and restored them to the Pleiades. "And He filled it from its own"; the cistern is not filled from its own rim. The measure of good is greater than the measure of punishment: regarding the measure of punishment He says, "And the windows of heaven were opened"; but regarding the measure of good, what does He say? "And He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven" (Psalms 78:23). "On this very day Noah came" (Genesis 7:13). Had Noah entered the ark by night, his whole generation would have said, "In such and such a way we did not know; had we known of it, we would not have let him enter." Rather, "on this very day," and let him who has the strength speak. "They and every beast" (Genesis 7:14). They are the essence, and all the rest are secondary to them. "Every bird, every wing"; this excludes those plucked, maimed, castrated, and lacking limbs, which are unfit for the sons of Noah as offerings. "And they that came in, male and female" (Genesis 7:15-18). He said to Him, "I am a hunter." He said to him, "It is no concern of yours"; it is not written here "those that were brought in" but "those that came in," of their own accord they came. "And the flood was forty days upon the earth." So was Noah's ark submerged in the water like a ship that stands in the harbor. "And the waters prevailed." So was Noah's ark floating upon the face of the waters as upon two beams, as from Tiberias to Susita.

"And the LORD shut him in" (Genesis 7:16). The Holy One, blessed be He, shut up the sun and the moon, and they did not give light all twelve months, as it is said, "Who commands the sun [cheres] and it does not shine." And how did Noah see to function? The Holy One, blessed be He, prepared for him a precious stone, and he made use of its light. When the wicked saw that they were lost, they sought to overturn the ark; He surrounded the ark with lions, and they devoured them, as it is said, "And the LORD shut him in," just as it says, "My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions, and they did not harm me" (Daniel 6:23). "Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail," and so forth (Genesis 7:19-20). And which measure is greater, the measure of good or the measure of punishment? You must say the measure of good is greater. Regarding the measure of punishment He says, "And the windows of heaven were opened"; regarding the measure of good He says, "And He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven" (Psalms 78:23-24). How many windows are in a door? Four and four, hence eight. It is found that the manna that fell for Israel was sixty cubits high. Are they comparable? There it was over forty days, here in a single hour; there for the whole world, here for Israel alone. Rather, Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in derives it by a verbal analogy of "opening" with "opening." Issi ben Yehuda says: The manna that came down for Israel kept rising up higher until all the kings of east and west could see it, as it is said, "You prepare before me a table in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows" (Psalms 23:5). Abaye said: Learn from this that the cup of David in the world to come holds two hundred and twenty-one log, as it is said, "my cup overflows [revayah]"; revayah in gematria equals this.

"And the mountains were covered" (Genesis 7:19). Rabbi Yonatan went up to pray in Jerusalem. A certain commoner accompanied him. As he passed by this Platanus, a certain Samaritan saw him and said to him, "Where are you going?" He said to him, "To pray in Jerusalem." He said to him, "Would it not be better to pray on this blessed mountain rather than at that dunghill?" He said to him, "In what way is it blessed?" He said to him, "Because it was not flooded by the waters of the flood." The law slipped from the mind of Rabbi Yonatan for the moment. The donkey-driver said to him, "Rabbi, permit me and I will answer him." He said to him, "Yes." He said to the Samaritan: "This mountain, what category do you make it? If you make it one of the high mountains, behold it is written, 'And all the high mountains were covered.' And if you make it one of the low hills, Scripture paid it no heed and did not reckon it as anything." At that moment Rabbi Yonatan brought him down from the donkey and made him ride three miles, and he proclaimed over him three verses: "You shall be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be male or female barren among you or among your cattle" (Deuteronomy 7:14), even among the cattle that are yours, and this one; "No weapon formed against you shall prosper," and this one; "Your temple is like a slice of pomegranate" (Song of Songs 4:3), the empty ones among you are crammed with answers like a pomegranate. "Fifteen cubits upward." Rabbi Yehuda says: fifteen over the mountain and fifteen over the valley. Rabbi Nechemiah says: fifteen over the mountain, but over the valley however much there was. "All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life" (Genesis 7:22). Here he treats neshamah and ruach, and so forth, as written above. "Of all that was on the dry land they died." This excludes the fish; and some say even they were among those gathered, except that they fled to the great sea. "And only Noah remained" (Genesis 7:23). "Only" is a limiting term, for he too was spitting blood because of the cold. Shmuel said: the head does not exempt in the case of premature infants, as it is said, "all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life"; wherever there is the breath of the spirit of life in the nostrils, its head counts, and otherwise its head does not count. We learned: he who comes after premature infants, even though its head came out alive, and a nine-month child whose head came out dead, is a firstborn for inheritance but not a firstborn for the priest. This is a refutation of Shmuel; it is a refutation. Rabbi Yochanan said: no flood came down upon the Land of Israel. And Resh Lakish said: a flood did come down upon the Land of Israel. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish challenged Rabbi Yochanan: "Of all that was on the dry land they died." "It works well for me, that is why they died; but for you, of what did they die?" "Of the heat," for Rav Chisda said: the generation of the flood corrupted with boiling heat and with boiling heat they were judged. Some say it was Rabbi Yochanan who challenged Resh Lakish: "Of all that was on the dry land they died." "It works well for me, that there was dry land; but for you, what dry land?" "The dry land from the outset," and so forth. "And He wiped out every living thing" (Genesis 7:23). If man sinned, how did the beast sin? It was taught in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korcha: A parable of a man who made a wedding canopy for his son and prepared in it every kind of feast. In time his son died. He arose and broke up the canopy. He said, "Did I make it for anything but for my son? Now that my son is dead, why do I need a canopy?" So too the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Did I create beast and animal for anything but for man? Now that man has sinned, why do I need animal and beast?" Rav Ami said: "You have hemmed me in behind and before" (Psalms 139:5); "behind" with respect to the work of creation, and "before" with respect to punishment, as it is written, "And He wiped out every living thing, from man to beast," first man and then beast. Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: "only," "but," and "from" are limiting terms. How does "only" limit? "And only Noah remained," why does the verse say "only"? Because Noah too was spitting blood in the ark because of the cold. Similarly you say, "But on the tenth of the month" (Leviticus 23:27); one might think it atones for the penitent and the non-penitent, so the verse says "but," limiting the atonement. How does "but" limit? "For I said, there is but no fear of God"; one might think they had no fear of God at all, so the verse says "but": say from now that until they heard with their ears they had no fear, but once they heard with their ears they did fear, as it says, "And the men were greatly afraid" (Genesis 20:8). Similarly, "And the king said to him, How many times must I adjure you that you speak to me but the truth"; this teaches that he did not speak it with his whole heart, but only because Yehoshafat king of Judah was there. How does "from" limit? "And the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening" (Exodus 18:13); one might think he was judging the whole day, but if so when did they study? The verse says "from," limiting: he judged only until the sixth hour. Similarly, "The LORD thundered from heaven" (II Samuel 22:14); one might think the thunder was heard from all the corners of heaven, so the verse says "from," that it is heard only from the province against which it is summoned, as it says, "God thunders wondrously with His voice."

"And God remembered Noah," and so forth (Genesis 8:1). This is what Scripture says: "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains" (Psalms 36:7), the charity You did with Noah in the ark is like the mighty mountains, as it is written, "And the ark rested," and so forth. "Your judgments are a great deep," the judgments You executed upon his generation, You were exacting with them down to the great deep, as it is written, "On this day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth" (Genesis 7:11). And moreover, when You remembered him, You did not remember him alone, but him and all who were with him in the ark, as it is written, "And God remembered Noah." A man boards a ship and a beast is with him; if a storm arises at sea, what do they do? They cast the beast into the sea and save the man. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so: when He had compassion on Noah He had compassion on the beast, as it is said, "And God remembered Noah and every living thing." "A righteous man knows the soul of his beast" (Proverbs 12:10): the Righteous One of the world knows the soul of His beast. "The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him" (Nahum 1:7). Woe to the wicked, who turn the attribute of mercy into the attribute of judgment. Everywhere it says "the LORD," this is the attribute of mercy, as it is said, "The LORD, the LORD, God merciful and gracious," yet it is written, "And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great; and the LORD repented that He had made man; and the LORD said, I will wipe out man" (Genesis 6:5-7). Happy are the righteous, who turn the attribute of judgment into the attribute of mercy everywhere. As it is said, "God [Elohim]" is the attribute of judgment, as it is said, "You shall not revile God" (Exodus 22:27), "the matter of both shall come before God," yet it is written, "And God remembered Noah," "And God remembered Rachel" (Genesis 30:22), "And God heard their groaning" (Exodus 2:24). What remembrance was remembered for him? That He sustained and fed all twelve months in the ark. "Noah"; in the merit of the clean animals that were with him in the ark. "And the fountains of the deep were stopped" (Genesis 8:2), for good; but not all the fountains, except the spring of Tiberias, Avlonim, and the cave of Paneas. For ill, "On this day all the fountains of the deep burst forth" (Genesis 7:11). Rabbi Yochanan said: three of them remained, the bottomless one of Gader, the hot springs of Tiberias, and the great spring of Toram.

Our Rabbis taught: The generation of the flood became arrogant only because of the goodness that the Holy One, blessed be He, lavished upon them. They said, "Do we need anything but a drop of rain? We have rivers and springs from which we supply ourselves." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "With the very goodness I lavished upon them they provoke Me; with it I will judge them," as it is said, "And behold, I, even I, am bringing the flood of waters" (Genesis 6:17). Rabbi Yochanan said: The generation of the flood corrupted with abundance [be-rabbah], "And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great [rabbah]" (Genesis 6:5); with abundance they were judged, "all the fountains of the great [rabbah] deep."

"And Noah opened the window" (Genesis 8:6). This supports what Rav Abba bar Kahana said, "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 to and fro." It began answering him back: "Of all the beasts and birds here, you send out no one but me!" Noah said to it, "What need does the world have of you? Not for eating and not for offering." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Accept it, for the world will need it in the future." He said, "When?" He said, "When the waters dry up; a certain righteous man will arise and dry up the world," as it is written, "And the ravens brought him bread" (I Kings 17:6). Resh Lakish said: The raven gave Noah a triumphant answer. It said to him, "Your Master hates me and you hate me. Your Master hates me, for He said, 'Of every clean animal take seven,' but of the unclean two; and you hate me, for you left a species of which there are seven and sent out a species of which there are two. Were the prince of heat or the prince of cold to strike me, would the world not be lacking one creature? Or perhaps you need my mate?" He said to it, "Wicked one! With what is permitted to me it was forbidden me; with what is forbidden me, how much more so!" From where do we learn it was forbidden him? As it is written, "And you shall come into the ark, you and your sons" (Genesis 6:18), separately; from here that marital relations were forbidden them. Our Rabbis taught: Three engaged in relations in the ark, and all were punished: Ham, the dog, and the raven. The dog became tied, the raven spits, and Ham was struck in his skin, and from him came Cush, as it is written, "And the sons of Ham, Cush and Egypt" (Genesis 10:6). "And he sent forth the raven" to know what was in the world, and it went and found the carcass of a man cast upon the tops of the mountains and settled down to eat, and did not return to its mission. And he sent forth the dove, and it completed its mission. From here they said: one who sends matters by the hand of an unclean person is like one who sends by the hand of a fool, but one who sends matters by the hand of a clean person is "like a faithful envoy to those who send him" (Proverbs 25:13). "And he sent forth the dove from him" (Genesis 8:8-11). From here that the dwelling of clean birds is beside the righteous. "And behold, a plucked olive leaf was in its mouth." The dove said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the world, let my food be bitter as an olive but given by Your hand, and not sweet as honey and given by the hand of man." And how do we know that this word taraf is an expression of food? As it is said, "Feed me [hatrifeni] with my allotted bread."