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Noah the Donkey Driver and the City God Remembered

Noah walks off the ark and a lion bites him. A scholar is outpaced by his own donkey driver. A tiny besieged city turns out to be the whole world.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Fruits of Noah Were a Feeding Schedule
  2. A Righteous Man Bitten by a Lion
  3. The Scholar Embarrassed by His Donkey Driver
  4. The Small City That Was the Whole World

The Fruits of Noah Were a Feeding Schedule

Bereshit Rabbah opens its reading of Noah's offspring with Proverbs 11:30: the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. What are the fruits of Noah? The rabbis answered: mitzvot. The exhausting, endless work of feeding every species in the ark for twelve months while the world outside dissolved. Noah's fruits were concrete. They were grain carried to animals who could not ask. They were water distributed in darkness at specific intervals to creatures that would have eaten each other given the chance. Noah did not have a tree of life. He had a feeding schedule.

A Righteous Man Bitten by a Lion

Then the same chapter of Proverbs turns. Behold, retribution is made to the righteous on the earth. Rav Huna, citing Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili, gave the detail the Torah never tells. As Noah was walking off the ark, a lion attacked him. Not a stranger's lion. One of the lions he had fed for twelve months. The bite was not savage, the rabbis clarified. Noah was not killed. But he was hurt badly enough that he could not perform certain priestly duties, because the blemish remained on his body.

The most righteous man in his generation, the one man God chose to survive the end of the world, walked off the ark with a wound from the animals he had saved. The rabbis did not apologize for this. They said: the righteous are not exempt from the world's edge. They are often closer to it than anyone else.

The Scholar Embarrassed by His Donkey Driver

Rabbi Yonatan of Beit Guvrin was walking behind his donkey driver and thinking theological thoughts. He was puzzling over a problem in Proverbs. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the wise man wins souls. What does one line have to do with the other?

His donkey driver turned around and gave him the answer. The fruits of the righteous win souls for heaven. Every act of righteousness produces a person who is closer to God. The connection was obvious once you saw it. Rabbi Yonatan stopped walking. He said to his donkey driver: you have just taught me something I was thinking about. And then he sat down on the ground, right there on the road, and prayed. Not for insight. For humility. He had been carrying a question and his donkey driver had been carrying the answer, and neither of them had known it until the road put them in that order.

The dust settled where the scholar knelt. Above him the driver waited with the reins, having said his one sentence and gone quiet again. Wisdom did not distribute according to rank on that road. The one who feeds the animals might know something the priests have missed. The one walking behind the donkey might be the one carrying the question.

The Small City That Was the Whole World

There was a small city, few people in it, and a great king came and besieged it. This is Ecclesiastes 9:14, and the rabbis read it as a parable with one referent. The small city is the human body. The few people in it are the limbs. The great king is the evil inclination, which comes with its army and builds siege works around the body until it has found its entrance.

But there was found in the city a poor wise man who saved it by his wisdom. That man is the good inclination. It does not have an army. It does not have siege engines. It has wisdom, which is quieter than armies and lasts longer.

The rabbis took Ecclesiastes' forgotten wise man and said: that is Noah. Not the flood-survivor, not the ark-builder, but the poor wise man in the besieged city who saved it and whom no one remembered afterward. Noah's righteousness saved the world. The world dried off and moved on. The righteous man walked away from the ark with a lion's bite and a generation that was already forgetting him. He had saved the city. No one remembered him. The Preacher said it plainly. The poor wise man's wisdom was despised, and his words were not heard.

Midrash RabbahRighteousTree Of LifeNoahFloodWisdom
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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Bereshit Rabbah 30:6Bereshit Rabbah

Bereshit Rabbah turns to Fruits of the Righteous Are a Tree of Life.

What are the fruits of the righteous? According to the Bereshit Rabbah, they are mitzvot (commandments) and good deeds. Noah was righteous, and that righteousness bore fruit in his actions – specifically, in the incredible feat of saving not just his family, but all those animals.

The verse in Proverbs continues, "and he who gathers souls is wise." And that's exactly what Noah did. He gathered souls, the animals. And sustained them. Think about the sheer logistics! The Bereshit Rabbah emphasizes that he fed and sustained these creatures for twelve whole months in the ark. That's a long time to be cooped up with a bunch of animals!

Here's where it gets interesting, even a little unsettling. After all that praise, after being called righteous and wise, the Bereshit Rabbah points to another part of (Proverbs 11:31): "Behold, retribution is made to the righteous on the earth." Wait, what? Retribution? What did Noah do wrong?

The Rabbis aren't saying Noah was a bad person, but rather, that even the righteous face consequences. Even they are held accountable. And in Noah's case, that accountability came swiftly.

Rav Huna, quoting Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili, shares a startling tradition: as Noah was emerging from the ark, a lion bit him, maiming him. Ouch! This wasn't just a random accident. The injury rendered Noah unfit to offer a sacrifice. In his place, his son Shem had to step in.

Why this harsh turn of events? The Bereshit Rabbah doesn't explicitly say, but the implication is powerful. Even after such a monumental act of righteousness, Noah wasn't exempt from the trials and tribulations of earthly existence. Perhaps it was a reminder that even the most righteous among us are still human, still fallible.

And the verse concludes with an a fortiori argument – a "how much more so" conclusion: "all the more so, the wicked and the sinner." If even Noah, the righteous Noah, faced retribution, then imagine what awaits the truly wicked, like the generation of the Flood.

It's a sobering thought, isn't it? The Bereshit Rabbah uses Noah's story not to diminish his righteousness, but to highlight the complexities of justice and accountability. It reminds us that even when we strive to do good, we are still subject to the imperfections and challenges of this world. And that, perhaps, is a lesson we can all take to heart.

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Bereshit Rabbah 32:10Bereshit Rabbah

Because sometimes, the universe has a funny way of showing us that insight isn't exclusive to the scholars and sages.

We find a perfect example in Bereshit Rabbah, specifically section 32, which retells and expands on the stories we know from the Book of Genesis. This particular passage centers on a fascinating encounter involving Rabbi Yonatan.

Rabbi Yonatan was on his way to Jerusalem, making a pilgrimage to pray. The story tells us he was passing near Palatinos – the sacred area of the Samaritans on Mount Gerizim. There, he met a Samaritan who, knowing Rabbi Yonatan was heading to Jerusalem, challenged him. Why, the Samaritan asked, would he pray on "that mountain of ruins" when he could pray on the "blessed mountain" of Gerizim? The Samaritan's reasoning? Gerizim, he claimed, was not inundated during the Great Flood.

Rabbi Yonatan, a learned man, was momentarily stumped. He didn't have an immediate answer. Can you imagine that? A scholar, caught off guard!

But here's where it gets interesting. Rabbi Yonatan's donkey driver – the person leading the animal he was riding – spoke up. This seemingly ordinary individual asked the Samaritan a piercingly logical question: "If it [Gerizim] is one of the highest mountains, is it not written: “All the high mountains…were covered”? And if it is one of the lower ones, the verse does not pay any attention to it and gave it no consideration at all." In other words, either Gerizim was high, in which case it must have been covered by the flood according to the Torah, or it was low, in which case it wasn't worth mentioning at all!

Boom. Mic drop.. The Torah (Genesis 7:19) states clearly "And the water accumulated exceedingly upon the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.” It's hard to argue with that!

Rabbi Yonatan was so impressed by the donkey driver's wisdom that he immediately dismounted and honored him by letting him ride the donkey for three miles.

And then, in a beautiful move, Rabbi Yonatan quotes three verses to highlight the driver’s unexpected wisdom. He says of the driver, "There will not be an infertile male or a barren female among you, or among your animals [behema]" (Deuteronomy 7:14). Rabbi Yonatan cleverly extends this to include animal drivers [bahamot], implying that even the lowliest among us can possess wisdom. Even the lowly animal drivers will not be “barren” of wisdom.

He continues with a verse from (Song of Songs 4:3), "Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice behind your braid." He interprets rakatekh to mean even the empty ones [reikanin] among you are as full of responses as a pomegranate [is full of seeds]. Think about a pomegranate – packed with seeds. Even those who seem empty can be full of insight.

Finally, he quotes (Isaiah 54:17), "Any weapon crafted against you will not succeed, and any tongue that will rise against you in judgment will be condemned. This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord…" This final verse emphasizes that even those who might be underestimated are ultimately protected and possessors of divine inheritance.

What can we take away from this little story found in the pages of Bereshit Rabbah? It's a powerful reminder that wisdom can appear in the most unexpected forms and from the most unexpected sources. It challenges us to look beyond appearances and preconceived notions, to listen to everyone, regardless of their position or status. Because sometimes, the person leading the donkey might just have the answer you're looking for. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing.

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Bereshit Rabbah 33:2Bereshit Rabbah

(Ecclesiastes 9:14) tells a strange little story: "There was a small city, with few men in it, and a great king came against it and surrounded it." What does it mean?

In Bereshit Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Genesis, the rabbis take this verse and run with it. "A small city," they say, "that is the world!" And "with few men in it?" That's the generation of the Flood, the people so wicked that God decided to wipe the slate clean.

The "great king" who comes against it? That, my friends, is the Holy One, blessed be He.

Powerful stuff. The verse continues: "And built great siege works against it." The rabbis interpret this as God surrounding the world, setting ambushes. And ultimately, inundating everything. The Flood. The ultimate siege.

But there's hope. Ecclesiastes goes on: "A poor and wise man was found in it, and he saved the city in his wisdom." Ah, here's where Noah enters the picture.

Noah, the righteous man in a world of corruption, is the "poor and wise man" who saves the city – saves the world, really – through his wisdom. But how does he do it? Bereshit Rabbah connects this to (Genesis 8:20), where Noah "offered up burnt offerings on the altar" after the Flood subsided. This act of devotion, of sacrifice, is what saved the world.

But here's the kicker, the part that really makes you think. The verse concludes: "But no person remembered that poor man." Ouch. After everything Noah did, nobody remembered him? It seems harsh.

According to this midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), or interpretation, God Himself says, "It is you who do not remember him, but I do remember him.” And that’s why "God remembered Noah" (Genesis 8:1). Humanity might be forgetful, ungrateful even. But God remembers. He sees the good, the righteous acts, even when no one else does.

So, what can we take away from this? Maybe it’s this: even when we feel like we’re facing impossible odds, even when the world seems to be against us, a little bit of wisdom, a little bit of faith, can go a long way. And even if our efforts go unnoticed by others, they are never forgotten by the One who truly sees.

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Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Noach 3:1Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Noach

(Proverbs 11:31:) “Behold, a righteous one shall be requited on earth.” “Behold, a righteous one”, this is Noah, as it is stated (in Genesis 6:9), “Noah was a righteous man.” Because he was diligent [in making] the ark, he was immediately requited, as it is stated (in Proverbs 11:31), “Behold, a righteous one shall be requited on earth.”

Rabbi Huna said: When he came out of the ark, he groaned from his heart, as it is stated (in Genesis 7:23), “And Noah only was left.” It is not written here “And Noah was left,” but rather “And Noah only was left”, this is a term of diminishment.

Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yose the Galilean: Noah did not go out of the ark until the lion had injured him. The Holy Spirit said: Are the righteous requited and the wicked not requited? (Proverbs 11:31:) “Behold, a righteous one shall be requited on earth.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said: The righteous one, His anger toward him is but for a moment, and immediately He is reconciled; but the generation of the flood, not one of them was left over. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: What caused Noah to escape? The righteousness that was in his hand, (Genesis 6:9:) “Noah was a righteous man.”

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Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Noach 2:1Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Noach

[These are the generations of Noah.] Thus Rabbi Tanchuma bar Abba opened in the house of study: It is written, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life," etc. (Proverbs 11:30). Rabbi Yehuda the Levite bar Shalom said: At the time when a righteous man departs from the world without children, he is distressed and weeps. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him, "Why are you distressed and weeping?" "Because I have not produced the fruit of children." "In this world I have a fruit more beautiful than children." And he says before Him, "Master of the universe, what is that fruit?" The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him, "This is the Torah with which you toiled," for thus it is written, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life," and there is no tree of life but the Torah, as it is said, "It is a tree of life to those who lay hold of it" (Proverbs 3:18). Who is this? This is Noah. Our Rabbis said: Noah did not die until he saw the whole world in its settled state, until he saw the smallness of Sepphoris, and until he saw seventy nations going forth from his loins; and of all of them only his righteousness was mentioned of him, as it is said, "These are the generations of Noah [Noah was a righteous man, blameless]" -- "Shem, Ham, and Japheth" is not written here, but rather his righteousness, as it is said, "Noah was a righteous man." Know this, that this verse speaks of Noah, for it is written at its end, "and one who takes souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30) -- this was Noah, who took souls and sustained them and fed them. And what did he feed them? Rabbi Akiva says: he fed them all pressed figs -- beast and man and animal and bird -- as it is said, "and it shall be food for you and for them" (Genesis 6:21). And which is the thing that human beings eat of it, and the beast and the animal and the bird? You must say: this is the pressed fig-cake. And the Rabbis said: No, rather each and every kind ate according to what it was accustomed to -- the camel straw, and the donkey barley, the elephant vine-wood, the ostrich glass -- you must say, "and one who takes souls is wise."

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