Pt2 The Biblical Flood in Genesis 6-7: The Generation’s Sins, Noah’s Role, the Ark’s Construction, and the Survival of Animals (Sanhedrin 108a-b)

This is the second part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline for the series can be found at Part 1.

Noah’s Role and Status; Rebukes His Generation

R' Yishmael’s School - Even Noah’s sentence was sealed, but he was spared through favor - Genesis 6:7–8

(ואף על נח נחתם גזר דין,

שנאמר: ״ולא נח בהם״).

תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל:

אף על נח נחתך גזר דין,

אלא שמצא חן בעיני ה׳,

שנאמר:

״נחמתי כי עשיתם

ונח מצא חן בעיני ה׳״.

And the sentence of Noah was also sealed; he was going to die with the rest of the Generation of the Flood,

as it is stated: “Nor shall there be No’aḥ for them”

The Talmud interprets the term spelled nun, heh, in the aforementioned verse, as if it were spelled nun, ḥet.

The school of R' Yishmael taught:

The sentence of Noah was also decided;

but he was spared through the kindness of God due to the fact that he found favor in the eyes of God,

as it is stated:

“For I regret that I have made them.

And Noah found favor in the eyes of YHWH” (Genesis 6:7-8).

The juxtaposition of the term “and Noah” to the phrase “for I regret that I have made them” indicates that Noah should have been killed as well.

Rav Dimi - “Va-yinaḥem” means God did well by providing graves on earth - Genesis 6:6; 50:21

״וינחם ה׳ כי עשה את האדם בארץ״.

כי אתא רב דימי אמר:

אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא:

יפה עשיתי שתקנתי להם קברות בארץ.

It is written: “Va-yinaḥem YHWH that He made man on the earth [ba’aretz]” (Genesis 6:6).

The meaning of the term “va-yinaḥem” is subject to a dispute.

When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he said in explanation:

God said:

I did well that I prepared graves for people in the earth [ba’aretz].

מאי משמע?

• כתיב הכא

  • ״וינחם ה׳״,

• וכתיב התם

  • ״וינחם אותם וידבר על לבם״.

The Talmud asks: From where is it inferred that the term “va-yinaḥem” has a positive connotation?

The Talmud answers:

• It is written here:

  • “Va-yinaḥem,”

• and it is written there:

  • “And he comforted them [va-yenaḥem otam] and spoke to their heart” (Genesis 50:21).

Alternative interpretation - “Va-yinaḥem” means regret for creating humans destined for destruction - Exodus 32:14

ואיכא דאמרי:

לא יפה עשיתי שתקנתי להם קברות בארץ.

• כתיב הכא

  • ״וינחם״,

• וכתיב התם:

  • ״וינחם ה׳ על הרעה אשר דבר לעשות לעמו״.

And there are those who say that

the term “va-yinaḥem” has a different meaning: I did not do well that I prepared graves for people in the earth, as I should not have created them in order to destroy them.

From where is it inferred that the term “va-yinaḥem” has a negative connotation?

• It is written here:

  • “Va-yinaḥem,”

• and it is written there:

  • “And YHWH regretted [va-yinaḥem] the evil that He thought to do to His people” (Exodus 32:14).

Amoraic dispute re Noah: R' Yoḥanan - Noah was righteous only relative to his generation; Reish Lakish - Noah would have been righteous in any generation - Genesis 6:9

״אלה תולדות נח

[נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו]״.

אמר רבי יוחנן:

״בדורותיו״ --

ולא בדורות אחרים.

וריש לקיש אמר:

״בדורותיו״ --

כל שכן בדורות אחרים.

§ With regard to the verse: “These are the generations of Noah;

Noah was a righteous man, and wholehearted in his generations” (Genesis 6:9),

R' Yoḥanan says:

Relative to the other people of his generation he was righteous and wholehearted,

but not relative to those of other generations.

And Reish Lakish says:

In his generation he was righteous and wholehearted despite being surrounded by bad influences;

all the more so would he have been considered righteous and wholehearted in other generations.

R' Ḥanina - Parable for R' Yoḥanan’s interpretation: wine jug among vinegar—fragrance relative only to its setting

אמר רבי חנינא:

משל דרבי יוחנן, למה הדבר דומה?

לחבית של יין שהיתה מונחת במרתף של חומץ:

• במקומה –

  • ריחה נודף,

• שלא במקומה –

  • אין ריחה נודף.

R' Ḥanina says:

There is a parable for the statement of R' Yoḥanan; to what is this matter comparable?

It is comparable to a jug of wine that was placed in a cellar where vinegar is stored:

• in its place,

  • its fragrance diffuses (נודף), i.e., is noticeable, relative to the odor of the vinegar.

• When it is not in its place surrounded by vinegar,

  • its fragrance does not diffuse, and its pleasant odor is not sensed.

R' Oshaya - Parable for Reish Lakish’s interpretation: perfume flask among filth—fragrance strong even in adverse setting

אמר רבי אושעיא:

משל דריש לקיש, למה הדבר דומה?

לצלוחית של פלייטון שהיתה מונחת במקום הטנופת.

במקומה –

ריחה נודף,

וכל שכן במקום הבוסם.

R' Oshaya says:

There is a parable for the statement of Reish Lakish; to what is this matter comparable?

It is comparable to a flask of perfume¹ that was placed in a location of filth.

In its place —

its fragrance diffuses despite the ambient odor,

and all the more so is its fragrance noticeable if it is placed in a location where there is perfume.

R' Yehoshua b. Korḥa - Parable: animals destroyed with humans, as a wedding canopy dismantled when the son dies - Genesis 7:23

״וימח את כל היקום אשר על פני האדמה״.

אם אדם חטא,

בהמה מה חטאה?

With regard to the verse: “And He obliterated every living thing that was upon the face of the ground, from man to cattle to creeping animal to the birds of the heaven” (Genesis 7:23),

the Talmud asks:

If man sinned,

in what way did the animal kingdom sin that it, too, warranted destruction?

תנא משום רבי יהושע בן קרחה:

משל לאדם שעשה חופה לבנו,

והתקין מכל מיני סעודה.

לימים —

מת בנו.

עמד ובלבל את חופתו.

אמר:

כלום עשיתי אלא בשביל בני?!

עכשיו שמת—

חופה למה לי?!

The Talmud answers: It was taught in the name of R' Yehoshua ben Korḥa:

There is a parable for this matter, to a man who fashioned a wedding canopy² for his son

and prepared all sorts of food for the wedding feast.

Sometime later, before the wedding —

his son died.

What did the man do? He arose and dismantled his son’s wedding canopy.

He said:

Did I do this for any reason other than for my son?!

Now that my son has died —

why do I need a wedding canopy?!

אף הקדוש ברוך הוא אמר:

כלום בראתי בהמה וחיה אלא בשביל אדם?!

עכשיו שאדם חוטא —

בהמה וחיה למה לי?!

So too, God said:

Did I create domesticated animals and non-domesticated animals for any reason other than for man?!

Now that man sins and is sentenced to destruction —

why do I need domesticated animals and non-domesticated animals?!

Fish in the sea were spared - Genesis 7:22

״מכל אשר בחרבה מתו״,

ולא דגים שבים.

It is written: “Of all that was on dry land died” (Genesis 7:22),

from which it is inferred: But not the fish that are in the sea, which are not on dry land.

R' Yosei of Caesarea - Noah rebuked them - Job 24:18

דרש רבי יוסי דמן קסרי:

מאי דכתיב

״קל הוא על פני מים

תקלל חלקתם בארץ״?

מלמד ש:

היה נח הצדיק מוכיח בהם

R' Yosei from Caesarea taught:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“He is swift upon the face of the waters;

their portion is cursed in the earth; he turns not by way of the vineyards” (Job 24:18)?

This teaches that

Noah the righteous would rebuke³ the people of his generation

Warned them that corpses would float like wineskins

ואומר להם:

עשו תשובה!

ואם לאו --

הקדוש ברוך הוא מביא עליכם את המבול

ומקפה נבלתכם על המים כזיקין,

שנאמר: ״קל הוא על פני מים״.

and say to them:

Repent!

And if you do not --

God will bring a Flood upon you

and float (מקפה) your corpses (נבלתכם) on the water like wineskins (זיקין) filled with air that float on water,

as it is stated: “He is swift upon the face of the waters.”

…. Their fate became a curse formula

ולא עוד,

אלא שלוקחין מהם קללה לכל באי עולם,

שנאמר: ״תקלל חלקתם בארץ.

Moreover,

a curse is taken from them to all who enter the world, as people will curse others, saying: They shall be like the Generation of the Flood.

As it is stated: “Their portion is cursed in the earth.”

Noah (to them) - Methuselah’s lifespan delayed the flood

לא יפנה דרך כרמים״,

מלמד ש:

היו מפנים דרך כרמים.

אמרו לו: ומי מעכב?

אמר להם: פרידה אחת יש לי להוציא מכם.

אם כן,

לא נפנה דרך כרמים.

The conclusion of that verse: “He turns not by way of the vineyards,”

teaches that

they would clear (מפנים) a path through vineyards.

They said to Noah: And who is preventing (מעכב) the Flood from coming?

Noah said to them: I have one pigeon (פרידה), Methuselah, who will die at his appointed time, which I must remove from among you before the flood.

They said to him:

If so

we will not clear a path through vineyards, i.e., we will continue to sin.

Rava - Noah rebuked them, but they mocked him - Job 12:5

דרש רבא:

מאי דכתיב

״לפיד בוז לעשתות

שאנן נכון למועדי רגל״?

מלמד ש:

היה נח הצדיק מוכיח אותם,

ואמר להם דברים שהם קשים כלפידים,

והיו בוזים אותו.

Rava taught:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“A contemptible (בוז) torch [lapid] in the thought of him that is at ease,

a thing ready for them whose foot slips” (Job 12:5)?

This teaches that

Noah the righteous would rebuke the people of his generation,

and he said to them statements that are harsh as torches [ke-lapidim],

and they would treat him with contempt.

They boasted of fireproofing and waterproofing methods

אמרו לו:

זקן!

תיבה זו למה?!

אמר להם: הקדוש ברוך הוא מביא עליכם את המבול.

They said to him:

Old man!

why are you building this ark?!

Noah said to them: God is bringing a Flood upon you.

אמרו:

מבול של מה?!

1. אם מבול של אש --

   1. יש לנו דבר אחד, ועליתה שמה.

2. ואם של מים הוא מביא,

   1. אם מן הארץ הוא מביא --

      1. יש לנו עששיות של ברזל, שאנו מחפין בהם את הארץ.

   2. ואם מן השמים הוא מביא --

      1. יש לנו דבר, ועקב שמו –

      2. ואמרי לה: עקש שמו.

They said to him:

A Flood of what?!

1. If it is a Flood of fire --

   1. we have another item and it is called alita, and it is fireproof.

2. And if it is a Flood of water that He brings --

   1. if He brings the water from the earth --

      1. we have iron plates (עששיות), with which we can plate the earth to prevent the water from rising.

   2. And if He brings the water from the heavens --

      1. we have an item, and it is called ekev,

      2. and some say it is called ikkesh, which will absorb the water.

Noah (reply) - Floodwaters can come from their very feet - Job 12:5

אמר להם:

הוא מביא מבין עקבי רגליכם,

שנאמר ״נכון למועדי רגל״.

Noah said to them:

If He wishes He will bring the water from between the soles (עקבי) of your feet and you can do nothing to prevent it,

as it is stated: “For them whose foot slips.”

Baraita - Waters of the Flood were as thick as semen - Job 12:5

תניא:

מימי המבול קשים כשכבת זרע,

שנאמר ״נכון למועדי רגל״.

It is taught in a baraita:

The waters of the Flood were as hard and thick as semen,

as it is stated: “For them whose foot slips”; foot is a euphemism.

Rav Ḥisda - They sinned with hot semen, punished with hot water - Genesis 8:1; Esther 7:10

אמר רב חסדא:

• ברותחין

  • קלקלו בעבירה,

• וברותחין

  • נידונו.

• כתיב הכא:

  • ״וישכו המים״,

• וכתיב התם:

  • ״וחמת המלך שככה״.

Rav Ḥisda says:

• With hot (רותחין) semen

  • they sinned,

• and with hot water

  • they were punished.

As

• it is written here, at the conclusion of the flood:

  • “And the waters assuaged (ישכו)” (Genesis 8:1),

• and it is written there:

  • “Then the king’s wrath was assuaged (שככה)” (Esther 7:10).

Just as the term “assuaged” there is referring to the heat of Ahasuerus’s wrath, so too, “assuaged” with regard to the Flood is referring to the heat of the waters.

Rav - “Seven days” were mourning for Methuselah, delaying punishment - Genesis 7:10

״ויהי לשבעת הימים

ומי המבול היו על הארץ״,

מה טיבם של שבעת הימים?

אמר רב:

אלו ימי אבילות של מתושלח,

ללמדך ש:

הספדן של צדיקים מעכבין את הפורענות לבא.

With regard to the verse: “And it came to pass that after seven days

the waters of the Flood were upon the earth” (Genesis 7:10),

the Talmud asks: What is the nature of these seven additional days?

Rav says:

These were the days of mourning for the death of Methuselah;

and this is to teach you that

eulogies (הספדן) for the righteous prevent calamities from ensuing.

Alternative interpretation - reversal of Creation’s order

דבר אחר:

לשבעת [הימים] —

ששינה עליהם הקדוש ברוך הוא סדר בראשית,

שהיתה חמה

• יוצאת ממערב

• ושוקעת במזרח.

Alternatively,

“after 7 days” —

means that God altered the order of Creation (בראשית) for that generation, i.e., in 7 days He reversed the process of Creation,

so that the sun would

• emerge [=rise] in the west

• and set in the east.

Alternative interpretation - final brief chance to repent

דבר אחר:

שקבע להם הקדוש ברוך הוא זמן גדול,

ואחר כך זמן קטן.

Alternatively,

it means that God designated a substantial period for them, 120 years,⁴ to repent,

and thereafter designated a brief period for them, an additional 7 days, as a final opportunity for them to repent.

Alternative interpretation - foretaste of World-to-Come delights

דבר אחר:

לשבעת הימים —

שהטעימם מעין העולם הבא,

כדי שידעו מה טובה מנעו מהן.

Alternatively,

“after seven days”

means that during those 7 days, God gave them a foretaste of the delights of the World-to-Come, which will be actualized during the 7th millennium,

so that they would know what goodness (טובה) their sins prevented them from receiving.

1. פלייטון.

From Greek, see Jastrow:

פּוֹלְיָיטוֹן

m.

(foliatum (“leafy”),

φουλιᾶτον [=pholiaton]

S.)

an ointment or oil prepared from leaves of spikenard.

2. חופה - chuppah.

3. מוכיח.

On this concept in general, compare Wikipedia, “Tokhachah“ (with slight adjustments):

The Hebrew word tokhaḥah (Hebrew: תּוֹכָחָה […]) meaning “chastisement, correction, admonition, rebuke, reproof”, refers to the prescriptive practice of intervening in the incorrect or improper actions of others, an obligatory mitzvah in Judaism based on Leviticus 19:17.

And see at length at the corresponding Hebrew Wikipedia entry, “מצוות תוכחה“.

4. Referring to Genesis 6:3, right before the Flood starts, where God declares:

And YHWH said:

My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he also is flesh;

yet his days shall be 120 years.

This verse comes in the context of the corruption of humankind before the Flood. The meaning of this is debated:

• Some read it as God shortening the human lifespan to 120 years.

• Others (including many rabbinic commentators) interpret it as a grace period of 120 years given to humanity before the Flood, during which Noah was to warn them and build the ark.