Genesis Rabbah 32

¹“The Lord said to Noah: Come, you and your entire household, into the ark, as I have seen you to be righteous before Me in this generation” (Genesis 7:1). “The Lord said to Noah: Come, you and your entire household, into the ark.” It is written: ]David said:] “Destroy those who speak falsehood; the Lord abhors a man of bloodshed and deceit” (Psalms 5:7) – this is speaking of Do’eg and Aḥitofel. “Those who speak [ doverei ] falsehood” – they and their speech. , “those who speak [falsehood]” is spelled in a manner that it can also be read as divrei , the words of [falsehood]. It is both the speakers and the speech that the Lord abhors. Rabbi Pinḥas said: They and their conduct [ midaberoteihen ]. “A man of bloodshed and deceit” – this one permitted sexual immorality and bloodshed, and that one permitted sexual immorality and bloodshed, as it is stated in Aḥitofel’s regard: “Go consort with your father’s concubine” (II Samuel 16:21). And as for bloodshed, it is written: “I will come upon him while he is weary and dispirited” (II Samuel 17:2), and it is written: “And I will smite the king alone” (II Samuel 17:2). And that one [Do’eg] permitted sexual immorality and bloodshed – Naḥman son of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani: He said to Saul: ‘Is David’s marriage valid? Is he not a traitor against the throne, and hence considered [as if already] dead? So now release his wife and declare him a condemned man, so it is as if he is already dead, his life forfeited, and his wife is permissible [to marry].’ Saul arose, and in accordance with his [Do’eg’s] arguments, gave Mikhal, David’s wife, to Palti son of Layish. As for bloodshed, it is as it is written: “And the king's servants were unwilling to extend their hand against the priests of the Lord” (I Samuel 22:17), but Do’eg did kill them, as it is stated: “Do’eg the Edomite turned, and he smote the priests” (I Samuel 22:18). “The Lord abhors” (Psalms 5:7) – as they will neither come to life nor will they be judged [at the resurrection]. [David continued:] “And I, [in Your great mercy, come to Your House]” (Psalms 5:8) – just as they did, so did I. What is the difference between me and them? It is that You dealt kindly with me and said to me: “The Lord has also expunged your sin…” (II Samuel 12:13). Another interpretation, “Destroy those who speak falsehood” (Psalms 5:7) – this is speaking of the generation of the Flood. They and their false speech. Rabbi Pinḥas said: They and their conduct. “A man of bloodshed” (Psalms 5:7) – as it is stated: “The murderer would rise up in broad daylight, he would kill the poor and indigent, and at night he would be like a thief” (Job 24:14). “And deceit” (Psalms 5:7) – as it is stated: “As the earth was filled with injustice because of them” (Genesis 6:13). “The Lord abhors” – as they neither come to life nor will they be judged [at the resurrection]. [Noah continued:] “And I [in Your great mercy, come to Your House]” (Psalms 5:8) – just as they did, so did I. What is the difference between me and them? It is that You dealt kindly with me and said to me: “Come, you and your entire household, into the ark.” ²Another interpretation, “Come, you…” – it is written: “For the Lord is righteous and He loves righteousness. Their faces will behold the upright One” (Psalms 11:7). Rabbi Tanḥuma in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon and Rabbi Menaḥama in the name of Rabbi Eliezer bar Yosei said: There is no person who likes his competitor craftsman, but a Torah scholar loves his competitor craftsman, as illustrated [by the friendship of] Rabbi Ḥiyya towards Rabbi Hoshaya, and Rabbi Hoshaya towards Rabbi Ḥiyya. And the Holy One blessed be He [also] likes His competitor craftsman, as it is stated: “For the Lord is righteous and He loves righteousness” (Psalms 11:7) – this refers to Noah, as it is stated: “The Lord said to Noah: Come, you […into the ark, as I have seen you to be righteous before Me…]” (Genesis 7:1). ³It is written: “The Lord tests the righteous, but He hates the wicked and the one who loves injustice” (Psalms 11:5) – Rabbi Yonatan said: A potter does not test flimsy jugs, as he would not be able to knock on them even once without breaking them. What does he test? Sturdy jugs, as even if he knocks on them several times, they do not break. So, too, the Holy One blessed be He does not test the wicked, but only the righteous, as it is stated: “The Lord tests the righteous,” and it is written: “God tested Abraham” (Genesis 22:1). Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥanina said: A linen producer, when he knows that his flax is high quality, the more he crushes it, the better it becomes, the more he beats it the more it improves. But when he knows that the flax is low quality, he would not be able to beat it even once without it breaking. So, too, the Holy One blessed be He does not test the wicked, but only the righteous, as it is stated: “The Lord tests the righteous.” Rabbi Elazar said: This is analogous to a proprietor [of a farm] who had two cows, one strong and one feeble. Upon which does he place the yoke? Is it not upon the strong one? So, too, the Holy One blessed be He tests the righteous, as it is stated: “The Lord tests the righteous.” “The Lord tests the righteous” – this refers to Noah, as it is stated: “The Lord said to Noah…as I have seen you to be righteous before Me in this generation.” Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya said: We find that one speaks some of a person’s praises in his presence, and all of it [his praises] when not in his presence, as it says in Noah’s regard: “Noah was a righteous man, faultless [in his generation]” (Genesis 6:9) – when not in his presence; and it is written: “As I have seen you to be righteous before Me in this generation” – when in his presence. Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili said: We have found that one speaks some of the praises of the One who spoke and made the world come into being when in His presence, as it is stated: “Say to God: How awesome are Your deeds…” (Psalms 66:3). And when not in His presence, it says: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His kindness is forever” (Psalms 136:1). ⁴“From every pure animal, you shall take to you seven pairs, a male and his mate, and of the animals that are not pure, two, a male and his mate” (Genesis 7:2). “From every pure animal…” – Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan, Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Eliezer, and Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥanin in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: We find that the Holy One blessed be He went out of His way to add two or three words in the Torah so as to avoid uttering an expression of impurity. That is what is written: “From every pure animal, you shall take to you seven pairs, a male and his mate,”; “and of the unclean animals” is not written here, but rather, “and of the animals that are not pure.” Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Menashe said: Also, when He came to tell them [the people of Israel] the signs of an unclean animal, He began only with the signs of the pure animal: “The camel, because its hoof is not split” is not written [first] here, but rather, “because it brings up the cud” (Leviticus 11:4). “And the hyrax, because its hoof is not split” is not written [first] here, but rather, “because it brings up the cud” (Leviticus 11:5). “And the pig, because it does not bring up its cud” is not written [first] here, but rather, “because its hoof is split” (Leviticus 11:7). “Also from the birds of the heavens, seven each, male and female, to sustain offspring on the face of all the earth” (Genesis 7:3). “Also from the bird of the heavens, seven each” – if you say that this means [just seven birds] from each species, would there not be one [bird] that remains without a mate? It means, rather, seven males and seven females. It is not that I [God] need them, but rather, it is “to sustain offspring on the face of all the earth.” ⁵“For in seven more days, I will make it rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will obliterate all existence that I made from on the face of the earth” (Genesis 7:4). “For in seven more days, [I will make it rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights]” – Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: They violated the Torah that was given in forty days; therefore, [the Flood lasted] “forty days and forty nights.” Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Zakai said: They corrupted the human form that comes into being at forty days, therefore [the Flood lasted] “forty days and forty nights.” “I will obliterate all existence [ hayekum ]” – Rabbi Berekhya said: The living beings [ kiyum ]. Rabbi Avun said : Its sustainers [ yekuminei ]. Rabbi Levi said in the name of Reish Lakish: This refers to Cain, ] against Abel to kill him (Genesis 4:8). who had been suspended in abeyance until the Flood came and swept him away, as it is stated: “He obliterated all existence [ yekum ]” (Genesis 7:23). “Noah did; according to everything that God commanded him, so he did” (Genesis 6:22) – this pertains to the gathering of the animals, beasts, and birds. ⁶“And Noah was six hundred years old, and the flood was water upon the earth” (Genesis 7:6). “And Noah was six hundred years old, and the flood was water…” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: The year of the Flood is not included in the tally [of Noah’s years]. Rabbi Neḥemya said to him: Even though it is not included in the tally [of Noah’s years] it is included in the calendrical solar and lunar calculations. “Noah, and his sons, and his wife and his sons’ wives with him, came into the ark, because of the water of the flood” (Genesis 7:7). “Noah, and his sons, and his wife [… came into the ark, because of the water of the flood]” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Noah was lacking in faith; if the water had not reached up to his ankles, he would not have entered the ark. ⁷“It was after the passage of seven days, and the water of the Flood was upon the earth” (Genesis 7:10). “It was after the passage of seven days, and the water of the Flood” – this teaches that the Holy One blessed be He gave them a reprieve during the seven days of mourning over the righteous Methuselah, so that they might repent [in the interim], but they did not do so. Another matter, “it was after the passage of seven days” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The Holy One blessed be He observed mourning over [the destruction of] His world for seven days before the Flood came upon the world. What is the source? “He was saddened in His heart” (Genesis 6:6), and sadness denotes nothing other than mourning, as it is stated: “The king is saddened over his son” (II Samuel 19:3). Rabbi Yosei ben Durmaskit said: They sinned with the orb of the eye, that is like water; the Holy One blessed be He, too, exacted retribution against them only with water. “In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, during the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the wellsprings of the great depth were breached, and the windows of the heavens were opened” (Genesis 7:11). Rabbi Levi said: They acted corruptly with their conduits; the Omnipresent, too, changed the natural order for them. The natural way of the world is that rain falls and then the depths rise, as it is written: “Depths call to depths to the sound of your conduits” (Psalms 42:8). 13:13. However, here, “the wellsprings of the great depths were breached,” and after that, “the windows of the heavens were opened.” ⁸“On that very day, Noah, and Shem and Ham and Yefet, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ark” (Genesis 7:13). “On that very day, Noah…entered” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be He said: If Noah enters the ark at night, his entire generation would then say this: We did not know about him [entering the ark]. Had we known about him, we would not have allowed him to enter. Rather, it was “on that very day” – let anyone who is bothered by this speak up. “They, and every beast according to its kind, and every animal according to its kind, and every crawling creature that crawls upon the earth according to its kind, and every flying thing according to its kind, every bird, every winged creature” (Genesis 7:14). “They, and every beast” – they are primary, and the rest are secondary to them. “Every bird, every winged creature” – Rabbi Eliezer said to the group, in the name of Rabbi Asi: To the exclusion of those with clipped wings and severed legs, which are not valid for offerings for Noahides. “And they that came, male and female from all flesh came, as God commanded him, and the Lord shut it for him” (Genesis 7:16). “And they that came, male and female” – Rabbi Asi said: To the exclusion of those with extra limbs and those with severed limbs, which are not valid for offerings for Noahides. “And they that came, male and female” – Noah said to Him: ‘Am I a hunter?’ He [God] said to him: ‘Why are you concerned? “They that will be brought” is not written here, but rather, “they that came” – they came of their own accord.’ Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “Examine the book of the Lord and read it” (Isaiah 34:16) – if to be shut up in the ark for twelve months they came on their own, to be fattened from the flesh of the mighty men, all the more so. That is what is written: “You, Son of man, so said the Lord God: Say to every winged bird and to every beast of the field: Gather and come, assemble yourselves from all around to My feast that I am slaughtering for you, a great feast upon the mountains of Israel, and you will eat flesh and drink blood. The flesh of the mighty men you will eat, and the blood of the princes of the earth you will drink: rams, lambs and goats, bulls, fattened bulls of Bashan, all of them” (Ezekiel 39:17–18). “And the Lord shut it for him” – Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a prince who issued a decree of annihilation against a province, and he took his friend and placed him in prison and placed his seal upon it. So, “and the Lord shut it for him.” People sought to overturn the ark, and He surrounded it with lions so they would not touch it. ⁹“The flood was forty days upon the earth, and the water increased, and lifted the ark, and it was raised above the earth” (Genesis 7:17). “The flood was forty days upon the earth” – Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Levi: So Noah’s ark was submerged in the water, like a ship that is submerged while standing in the port. [Only after that:] “The water increased [and lifted the ark]…” – Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Levi: So Noah’s ark floated on the water’s surface as if on two planks, like from Tiberias to Susita. ¹⁰“And the water accumulated exceedingly upon the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered” (Genesis 7:19). “And the water accumulated exceedingly upon the earth” – Rabbi Yonatan was once going up to pray in Jerusalem. He was passing near Palatinos when he saw a certain Samaritan. He [the Samaritan] said to him: ‘Where are you going?’ He said to him: ‘I am going up to Jerusalem to pray.’ He said to him: ‘But is it not preferable for you to pray on this blessed mountain, and not on that mountain of ruins?’ He said to him: ‘In what way is it [Gerizim] blessed?’ [Replied the Samaritan:] ‘In that it was not inundated in the Flood.’ It [a response] escaped Rabbi Yonatan, and he did not answer him at that moment. His donkey driver said to him: ‘Rabbi, allow me and I will answer him.’ He said to him: ‘All right.’ He said to him [the Samaritan]: ‘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.’ Immediately, Rabbi Yonatan dismounted the donkey and led him on it for three miles [to honor him]. He applied three verses to him: “There will not be an infertile male or a barren female among you, or among your animals [ behema ]” (Deuteronomy 7:14) – even among the animal drivers [ bahamot ] among you. “Your temple [ rakatekh ] is like a pomegranate slice behind your braid” (Song of Songs 4:3) – even the empty ones [ reikanin ] among you are as full of responses as a pomegranate [is full of seeds]. That is what is written: “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…” (Isaiah 54:17). ¹¹“Fifteen cubits upward the water accumulated, and the mountains were covered” (Genesis 7:20). “Fifteen cubits…” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: Fifteen cubits in the mountain, and fifteen cubits in the valley. Rabbi Neḥemya said: Fifteen cubits in the mountain, but in the valley an indeterminate amount. “And all flesh that crawls upon the earth, of the birds, and of the animals, and of the beasts, and of all the swarming creatures that swarm upon the earth, and all mankind, perished” (Genesis 7:21). “All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, from all that was on the dry land, died” (Genesis 7:22). “All flesh that crawls…perished…all in whose nostrils was the breath [ nishmat ] of the spirit [ ruaḥ ] of life [ ḥayim ]…” – Rabbi Shmuel, son in law of Rabbi Ḥanina, colleague of the Rabbis, said: Here it calls neshama ruaḥ , and elsewhere it calls neshama nefesh . ] of life, and man became a living soul [ nefesh ]” (Genesis 2:7). From where is it derived that we should apply what is stated here, there, and what is stated there, here? The verse states: Ḥayim, ḥayim appears in both verses. as a verbal analogy. “From all that was on the dry land, died” – to the exclusion of fish. Some say that they were included in [the decree] to be annihilated, but they fled to the Great Sea, to the Atlantic Ocean, [where they survived]. “He obliterated all existence that was on the face of the earth, from man, to animal, to crawling creature, to birds of the heavens, they were obliterated from the earth; only Noah remained, and they that were with him in the ark” (Genesis 7:23). “He obliterated all existence…only [ akh ] Noah remained” – Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Yosei: Akh is an exclusionary term. This was because he, too, was groaning and spitting blood due to the cold. indicates that although Noah “remained,” he was diminished in his health.