Genesis Rabbah 31

¹“God said to Noah: The end of all flesh has come before Me, as the earth is filled with injustice because of them and, behold, I am destroying them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). “God said to Noah: The end of all flesh [has come before Me, as the earth is filled with injustice…]” – “Injustice rises up into a rod of wickedness” (Ezekiel 7:11). Does injustice indeed rise up? That is a rhetorical question. God forbid; it does not rise up. But if it does rise up, it will be to act as a rod of wickedness, to bring culpability against the wicked. “Not among them and not among their multitudes [ mehamonam ] and not among anything of theirs [ mehemehem ]” (Ezekiel 7:11) – not from them, nor from their wealth [ mamonam ], nor from their offspring [ timhatehon ]. “And there is no mourning [ noa ] among them” (Ezekiel 7:11) – no person experienced any satisfaction [ naḥat ] , ending in heh , is interpreted as if it were written noaḥ , ending in ḥet, meaning relief or satisfaction . from them, and neither did the Holy One blessed be He experience any satisfaction [ naḥat ] from them. “And there is no noa among them” – this is as Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: “As I regret that I made them. And Noah…” (Genesis 6:7–8) as if it were a reference to Noah. –even Noah, who remained from among them, among them” means: Noah, who was the only survivor among them. it is not that he was worthy, but rather that he found favor [before God, as it is written:] “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). And because they were steeped in licentiousness, they were obliterated from the world. ²“God said to Noah: The end of all flesh has come before Me” – “They would make oil between their rows; they have trodden winepresses and are thirsty” (Job 24:11). “They would make oil between their rows” – they would make small oil presses. “They have trodden winepresses and are thirsty” – even though they trod winepresses, they were thirsty. Why have they “trodden winepresses and are thirsty”? It is because there was a curse on whatever the wicked produced. And because they were steeped in licentiousness and robbery, they were obliterated from the world. ³“God said” – “They hated the admonisher at the gate, and they despised the speaker of uprightness” (Amos 5:10). He [Noah] would say to them: ‘Worthless people, do you forsake the one whose voice “shatters cedars” (Psalms 29:5), and bow down to a shriveled tree?’ And because they were steeped in robbery, they were obliterated from the world, as it is stated: “God said to Noah: The end of all flesh has come…” ⁴Another interpretation, “the end of all flesh” – it is written: “They cause people to cry out from their great oppression; they shout out from the strong arm of the multitudes” (Job 35:9). “They cause people to cry out from their great oppression” – this refers to the oppressed ones; “they shout out from the strong arm of the multitudes” – this refers to the oppressors. These surpassed those and those surpassed these. These surpassed those – in terms of their monetary wickedness; and those surpassed these – in terms of wickedness of speech, until sentence was passed against them. And because they were steeped in robbery, they were obliterated from the world. ⁵“The end [ ketz ] of all flesh has come [ ba ] before Me” – their time has come, to be cut off [ lehikatzetz ]; their time has come to become desolate [ bata ]; their indictment “has come before Me.” Why to such an extent? It is “as the earth is filled with injustice because of them.” What is injustice and what is stealing? ] refers to monetary wrongdoing, so what is the difference between that and stealing? Rabbi Ḥanina said: Injustice involves less than a peruta is a small coin of trifling value. Anything worth less than a peruta is considered of negligible value, and there is no legal recourse to retrieve it, as the Midrash goes on to explain. and robbery involves a peruta . This is what the members of the generation of the Flood would do: One of them would take out a basket filled with lupin beans [to the marketplace]. One person would come and take less than a peruta worth [of beans] and another one would come and take less than a peruta worth; less than the amount for which one would be able to collect compensation in court. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘You acted improperly; I, too, will act improperly with you.’ That is what is written: “Behold, their remnant has gone away from them, and they die without wisdom (Job 4:21) – without the wisdom of the Torah. “From morning to evening they are broken; forever unnoticed [ mibli mesim ], forever they will perish” (Job 4:20). Mesim is nothing other than a judge, means without a judge. They made sure their crimes could never be brought before a judge. as it says: “These are the monetary ordinances that you shall place [ tasim ] before them” (Exodus 21:1). ⁶Another interpretation, “as the earth is filled with injustice [ ḥamas ].” Rabbi Levi said: Ḥamas refers to idolatry; ḥamas refers to sexual immorality; ḥamas refers to bloodshed. Ḥamas refers to idolatry, as it is stated: “As they filled the earth with ḥamas ” (Ezekiel 8:17). Ḥamas refers to sexual immorality, as it is stated: “The ḥamas done to me and my flesh is upon Babylon” (Jeremiah 51:35). Ḥamas refers to bloodshed, as it is stated: “[Egypt shall be a desolation and Edom a desolate waste] due to the ḥamas against the children of Judah, that they shed innocent blood” (Joel 4:19). Ḥamas [is also to be understood] in its usual sense, [injustice]. ⁷“Behold, I am destroying them with the earth” – Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeya in the name of Rav Kahana bar Malkiya: Even the three handbreadths [of soil] in which the plow operates were obliterated. This is analogous to a prince who had a tutor. Anytime he would misbehave, his tutor would be punished. Or to a prince who had a nursemaid. Anytime he would misbehave, his nursemaid would be punished. So, the Holy One blessed be He said: “Behold, I am destroying them with the earth” – I will destroy them and destroy the earth with them. ⁸“Craft for you an ark of cypress wood; you shall craft the ark with compartments, and you shall coat it within and without with pitch” (Genesis 6:14). “Craft for you an ark of cypress wood” – Rabbi Isi said: In four places, this expression, “craft,” is stated; in three it [the material] is specified, and in one it is not specified. “Craft for you an ark of [cypress [ gofer ] wood]…” – Rabbi Natan said: An ark of the wood of kardinon . into a more commonly known word, kardinon . “Craft for you flint knives” (Joshua 5:2) – it was specified, knives of flint. “Craft for you silver trumpets” (Numbers 10:2), it was specified. “Craft for you a serpent” (Numbers 21:8) – it [its material] was not specified. Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Aivu: “Let the wise man hear and gain a lesson” (Proverbs 1:5) – this is Moses, as the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Craft for you a serpent” (Numbers 21:8), but did not specify [the material]. He said: ‘If I craft it of gold, this word is not related to that word; if of silver, this word is not related to that word. ] does not correspond to gold [ zahav ] or silver [ kesef ]. But rather, I will craft it of bronze [ neḥoshet ], as the words are related,’ as it is stated: “Moses crafted a bronze serpent [ neḥash ] (Numbers 21:9). From here we learn the Torah was given in the sacred tongue [Hebrew]. Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥizkiya in the name of Rabbi Simon: Just as the Torah was given in the sacred tongue, so, the world was created in the sacred tongue. Have you ever heard anyone saying: Gyne , gynea ; , but it is not the Greek word for “man,” which is anthropos . anthropos , anthropa ; , but it is not the Greek word for “woman,” which is gyne . gavra , gavreta ? , but it is not the Aramaic word for “woman,” which is itta . There are completely different, unrelated words for man and woman in Greek and Aramaic. But ish and isha [makes sense]. Why, because one form corresponds to the other. ], because this was taken from Man [ ish ]” (Genesis 2:23), as isha is the feminine form of ish . ⁹“You shall craft the ark with compartments [ kinim ]” – rooms and dwelling quarters. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Just as a nest of birds [ ken ] refers to a pair of birds, in this case the two birds used in the purification of the leper (see Leviticus 14:22). purifies the leper, so, too, your ark purifies you. “You shall coat it within and without with pitch” – here it says: “You shall coat it [within and without with pitch]…” and elsewhere it says: “She coated it with clay and with pitch” (Exodus 2:3). It is because in that case the water current was weak, so “she coated it with clay and with pitch” – with clay to block the odor, and with pitch to block [penetration of] water. ¹⁰“And this is how you shall craft it: Three hundred cubits is the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height” (Genesis 6:15). “And this is how you shall craft it” – Rabbi Yudan said: “This” [is not written, instead we read:] “And this” – someone else is destined to measure in accordance with your cubit. That is what is written [regarding Solomon’s Temple]: “Its length, according to the original measurement, was sixty cubits, and the breadth was twenty cubits” (II Chronicles 3:3). Why does one call it a cubit of tavikin ? Rabbi Huna said: It is because it is based on a comparison [ matbiot ]. The Rabbis say: It is named after Noah’s ark [ teiva ]. “Three hundred cubits is the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height” – bar Ḥatya said: “I speak about Your edicts” (Psalms 119:15), “I delight in Your statutes” (Psalms 119:16) – the Torah gives you instruction about practical matters. If a person wants to build a ship capable of standing sturdily in port, he should make its width one-sixth of its length and its height one-tenth of its length. ¹¹“You shall make a bright item for the ark, and to a cubit you shall complete it at the top, and the entrance of the ark you shall place at its side; with lower, second-level, and third stories you shall craft it” (Genesis 6:15). “You shall make a bright item [ tzohar ] for the ark” – Rabbi Ḥunya, Rabbi Pinḥas, Rabbi Ḥanin, and Rabbi Hoshaya did not disagree about this. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana and Rabbi Levi did disagree. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: It was a window. Rabbi Levi said: It was a [luminous] precious stone. Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Levi: All twelve months that Noah was in the ark, he needed neither the light of the sun during the day nor the light of the moon at night; rather, he had a precious stone that he had suspended. When it was dim he knew that it was day, and when it shined brightly he knew that it was night. Rabbi Huna said: We were once fleeing from enemy troops in a cave in Tiberias, and we had lamps with us. When they were dim, we knew that it was day, and when they shined brightly, we knew that it was night. “And to a cubit you shall complete it at the top” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: There were three hundred and sixty compartments in it [the ark], each one ten cubits by ten cubits, and two four-cubit aisles with chambers on one side and the other side, and again chambers on one side and the other side, and two cubits [for two additional aisles] on either side. Rabbi Neḥemya said: There were nine hundred compartments in it, each compartment being six cubits by six cubits, and three aisles, each four cubits, with chambers on one side and on the other side, and two cubits [for two additional aisles] on each of the sides. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda it is difficult and according to the opinion of Rabbi Neḥemya it is difficult. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: Like the cubit below, so was the cubit above – “and by the cubit you shall complete it at the top.” Rabbi Neḥemya said: It was [built] like a kind of vault continuously inclining as it ascended, until it reached its single cubit, as it is stated: “and to a cubit…” “And the entrance of the ark you shall place at its side” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The Torah gives you instruction about practical matters: If a person builds a large room that is ten by ten cubits [or more], one should place its doorway entrance off to the side. “Lower, second-level, and third stories you shall craft it” – the lower ones [compartments] were for refuse, the second-level ones were for him, his sons and the pure animals, and the upper ones were for the impure animals. Some exchange this: The lower ones were for the impure animals, the second-level ones for him, his sons and the pure animals, and the upper ones for the refuse. How would he do this? There was a partitioned opening and he would sweep it to the side. “You shall craft it [ taaseha ]” – it [the ark], too, assisted [in building] itself. is expounded as though it was written as te’aseh, it shall become made. The construction of the ark was too much for any person to accomplish, so there was a miraculous element in its building, as if the ark itself assisted in its own construction. ¹²“And behold, I am bringing the flood, water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the breath of life, from under the heavens; everything that is on the earth will perish” (Genesis 6:17). “And behold, I am” – I am concurring with the words of the angels, who were saying: “What is man that You remember him?” (Psalms 8:5). 8:6. The Midrash is expounding on the superfluous “and” in “and behold, I,” which suggests that God was in agreement with someone else regarding man’s destruction. “The flood, water” – it was water at first, but after it continued to fall, it became a flood. “To destroy all flesh… everything that is on the earth will perish [ yigva ]” – will waste away. can also mean to expire peacefully. That is not its meaning here. “But I will keep My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark: You, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you” (Genesis 6:18). “But I will keep My covenant with you” – you require a covenant [from Me] so that the produce that you gather [into the ark] will not rot, will not become moldy and will not go bad. You require a covenant because of the mighty ones. [They were so mighty that] one of them could place his foot on the [opening to the] depths and stop it up, or place his hand on the window [to the heavens] and block it up. But if one would attempt to enter the ark, his legs would teeter. That is what is written: “The giants will tremble under the water and its dwellers” (Job 26:5). If an [unauthorized] lion would attempt to enter the ark, its teeth would become dulled. That is what is written: “The roar of the lion and the voice of the great cat, and the teeth of the lion cubs are broken” (Job 4:10). Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: You were a carpenter, but if it not for My covenant that was with you, you would be unable to enter the ark. 32:8). That is what is written: “But I will keep My covenant with you” – when? When you enter the ark. “You, and your sons” – Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon and Rabbi Ḥanin said in the name of Rav Shmuel bar Rabbi Yitzḥak: When Noah entered the ark, it was prohibited to him to engage in procreation. That is what is written: “You shall come to the ark: You, and your sons” by yourself, “and your wife, and your sons' wives,” by themselves. When he emerged, He permitted it for him. That is what is written: “Go out of the ark: You and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives” (Genesis 8:16). Rabbi Avun said: It is written: “They are in want and in famine, they are solitary [ galmuda ]” (Job 30:3) – if you see want come to the world, and famine come to the world, they are solitary [ galmuda ] – look upon your wife as though she is galmuda , as in the coastal cities, they call a menstruating woman galmuda . Rabbi Huna said: It is written: “Two sons were born to Joseph before the advent of the year of the famine” (Genesis 41:50). ¹³“And of every living being, of all flesh, two of each you shall bring to the ark, to keep alive with you; they shall be male and female” (Genesis 6:19). “And of every living being, of all flesh, two…” – Rabbi Hoshaya said: Even [malevolent] disembodied spirits entered the ark with Noah, as it is stated: “…of every living being” – of those for whom souls were created, but bodies were not created for them. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: The re’em did not enter [the ark] with him, but its young did enter. Rabbi Neḥemya said: Neither it nor its offspring [could enter], but Noah tied it to the ark and it would dig furrows [in the ground] like the one from Tiberias to Susita. That is what is written: “Can you bind the re’em with his rope to a furrow? Will he loosen the soil of valleys after you?” (Job 39:10). In the days of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, one of its [a re’em ’s] young ascended to the Land of Israel and it did not leave a single tree that it did not uproot. They declared a fast and Rabbi Ḥiyya prayed, whereupon its mother bellowed from the wilderness, and it went back down following her voice. “They shall be male and female” – if you see a male pursuing a female accept it; a female pursuing a male, do not accept it. ¹⁴“And you, take for you from all food that is eaten, and gather it to you, and it shall be for you and for them for food” (Genesis 6:21). “And you, take for you…” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: He took in cakes of pressed figs with him. It is taught in the name of Rabbi Neḥemya: Most of what he took in was cakes of pressed figs. Rabbi Levi said: He took in with him branches for [feeding the] elephants, wild onions for the gazelles, glass for the ostriches. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: He took in with him vine branches for planting vines [after the Flood], fig branches for planting fig trees, olive branches for planting olive trees. According to the opinion of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: “It shall be for you and for them [for food]” – an item that is [food] for both you and them. According to the opinion of Rabbi Levi: “It shall be for you and for them” – you are primary and they are secondary to you. “[Take for you from all food that is eaten] and gather it to you” – a person should not store up what he does not need. “And Noah did; according to everything that God commanded him, so he did” (Genesis 6:22). “And Noah did; according to everything that God commanded him, so he did” – this pertains to the construction of the ark.