AND THE DREAD OF YOU. The root of ve-chittechem (and the dread of you) is chet, tav, tav. It comes from the same root as chatat (terror) in Ye, see a terror (chatat) (Job 6:21). Chittechem is synonymous with chatattekhem.¹ (terror or dread) with the pronominal suffix would read chatattekhem (your dread). In chittekhem a tav is missing; in chatattechem the whole root is present.

footnotes: ¹ Chatat

AND UPON ALL WHEREWITH THE GROUND TEEMETH. It means everything which creeps upon the ground.² as tirmos al ha’adamah. Or, ha’adamah (the ground) is the subject.³ means, upon all creeping things which the ground will bring forth (Weiser). In the former, ground (adamah) is the object, in the latter the subject. According to the second interpretation, tirmos means will give birth to creeping things.

footnotes: ² Interpreting tirmos ha’adamah ³ According to this interpretation be-khol asher tirmos ha’adamah

INTO YOUR HAND ARE THEY DELIVERED. This is to be read as if written, “because” into your hand are they delivered.

[AND UPON ALL.] Some say that the bet of be-khol (and upon all) and of u-ve-khol (and upon all) are in place of a vav.⁴, and u-ve-khol should be read as if written ve-khol (and all). According to this interpretation the second half of our verse is an independent clause stating: and all wherewith the ground teemeth and all the fish of the sea; into your hand are delivered. According to this interpretation we do not have to add the word “because” before into your hand are they delivered. However, it should be noted that this comment is difficult. U-ve-khol has a vav. Weiser suggests interpreting I.E.: and the bet of u-ve-khol is superfluous. Cf. Weiser and Cherez. However, it is more likely that this clause is connected to And the fear of you.⁵ has the meaning of on; be-khol thus means upon all rather than and all as in the former interpretation. The same is true for u-ve-khol (Weiser). According to this explanation the second half of the verse is a continuation of the first half. The entire verse should be read as follows: And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth… and upon all (be-khol) wherewith the ground teemeth, and upon all (u-ve-khol) the fish of the sea; because into your hand are they delivered. According to this interpretation “because” has to be added to the text (Cherez).

footnotes: ⁴ That is, be-khol ⁵ According to this interpretation the bet

EVERY MOVING THING. Remes (moving thing) is a general term for wild and domesticated animals and for all fowl and fish. Man was now permitted to kill and eat them all.

AS THE GREEN HERB. Yerek (green) can be vocalized in two ways.⁶ (yerek) or two kematzim. The point is that green and smoke can follow either of two paradigms, pe’el (two segolim) or pa’al (two kematzim). The same is true with smoke. We thus find, behold a smoking (ashan)⁷ (ashan). furnace (Gen. 15:17), and as the smoke (ke-eshen)⁸ (eshen). of a furnace (Ex. 19:18).

footnotes: ⁶ It is vocalized either with two segolim ⁷ Vocalized with two kematzim ⁸ Vocalized with two segolim

ONLY FLESH WITH THE LIFE THEREOF, WHICH IS THE BLOOD THEREOF, SHALL YE NOT EAT. The meaning of this verse is that you shall not eat flesh with its life (nefesh), which is its blood, as in and thou shalt not eat the life (nefesh, i.e., the blood) with the flesh (Deut. 12:23), and For as to the life (nefesh) of all flesh, the blood thereof is all one with the life (nefesh) thereof (Lev. 17:14). The nefesh (life) which moves and feels is the body.⁹ does not here refer to soul; it means body. However, by extension it also refers to the blood which gives life to the body. Krinsky has an alternate reading: the nefesh spoken of here refers to that which moves and feels within the body, i.e., the blood. According to Cherez, I.E. uses the term body for the blood.

footnotes: ⁹ The word nefesh

AND SURELY YOUR BLOOD OF YOUR LIVES WILL I REQUIRE. I have permitted you to shed the blood of all living creatures. However, I have prohibited you the spilling of the blood of your lives because you are human. On the contrary, I will avenge that blood (edreshennu), as in For He that avengeth (doresh) blood (Ps. 9:13). Scripture first lays down a general rule, And surely your blood of your lives will I require, and then goes into detail and tells us whom God will punish for taking human life. AND AT THE HAND OF MAN. If many people kill one person or if one man kills another person (even at the hand of every man’s brother), I will avenge that death. I will also punish a beast that kills a man by having another animal kill it.¹⁰. Thus man is permitted to kill animals but animals are prohibited from killing humans. In my opinion it is farfetched to maintain that and surely your blood of your lives refers to suicide.¹¹ 91b. This verse teaches that a person is prohibited from harming himself. See also Rabbi B. Epstein, Torah Temimah on this verse.

footnotes: ¹⁰ This explains, at the hand of every beast will I require it ¹¹ Cf. Baba Kama

[WHOSO SHEDDETH MAN’S BLOOD, BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED.] This is a further elaboration.¹². God will see to it that the murderers will somehow be killed by another person (Filwarg). It may also be taken, and this appears most likely, as a command to the sons of Noah to execute murderers. The term ba-adam (by man) can be interpreted in one of three ways: in front of witnesses;¹³ meaning in front of; ba-adam, in front of people, i.e. witnesses or in public. The verse thus reads, Whoso sheddeth man’s blood before witnesses (or before many people), his blood shall be shed. in front of people; or because a man was killed. There are many other such instances.¹⁴ to mean because (Krinsky). The verse thus reads, Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, because he killed a man, his blood shall be shed.

footnotes: ¹² On at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, will I require the life of man ¹³ The bet ¹⁴ Taking the bet

AND GOD SPOKE UNTO NOAH, AND TO HIS SONS. God spoke to Noah’s sons through Noah. It is also possible that they were all prophets and God addressed all four of them.

AND WITH YOUR SEED. Ve-et zarakhem is to be rendered: and with your seed.¹⁵ here has the meaning of im (with). The third with you (v. 10) is to be interpreted as meaning: that were with you.¹⁶ (with your) appears three times in verses 9 and 10. The third with you, i.e., and every beast of the earth with you, appears redundant because it follows and with every living creature that is with you, the fowl, the cattle. Hence I.E. interprets the former to mean that were with you in the Ark. It is also possible that with you is repeated for additional explanation.¹⁷ The covenant spoken of is that all flesh not be cut off anymore by the waters of the flood (v. 11).¹⁸, etc. Hence it appears that a covenant was made and then God promised neither shall, etc. I.E. points out that neither shall opens the covenant (Krinsky).

footnotes: ¹⁵ In other words, et ¹⁶ Ittekhem ¹⁷ The Bible repeats itself in order to further explain itself; i.e., the beasts spoken of are those that are with you. ¹⁸ Verse 11 reads, And I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall

[NEITHER SHALL ALL FLESH BE CUT OFF.] Flesh refers to the body. The body is so designated because flesh senses and the bones do not. The covenant is a promise that all bodies will never again be destroyed by a flood. God included in His covenant a pledge not to bring a comparable deluge ever again because the first part of His promise, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, may be taken to imply that there will be other floods but that God will save humanity. It is concerning this covenant that the prophet says, For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah Should no more go over the earth (Is. 54:9).

THE TOKEN. Ot (token) may be either masculine or feminine.¹⁹

footnotes: ¹⁹ Here it is feminine. In Ex. 3:12 it is masculine.

MY BOW. Behold, I now set a bow in the clouds. Saadiah Gaon’s interpretation that the rainbow was previously in existence is incorrect.²⁰ (I have set) is employed, hence Saadiah’s interpretation.

footnotes: ²⁰ The past tense natati

WHEN I BRING CLOUDS OVER THE EARTH. The nun of be-aneni (when I bring clouds) does not have a dagesh even though it is a pi’el and therefore should have a dagesh in the middle radical of the root, as in when I speak (be-dabberi) with thee (Ex. 19:9).²¹ of dabberi has a dagesh. I.E. reads, be-dabberi ittakh. However, Ex. 19:9 reads, be-dabberi immakh. According to Vat. Ebr. 38 the reference is to Ezek. 3:27. However, here, too, the quote is not exact. If not a scribal error, it shows that I.E. quoted verses from memory.

footnotes: ²¹ The bet

AND THE BOW IS SEEN IN THE CLOUDS. If we would believe what the Greek scholars tell us, that the rainbow is produced by the sun’s flames, then we must assume that after the flood God strengthened the sun’s light.²² This is the way that a person who understands the sciences will interpret this verse.

footnotes: ²² According to I.E. the rainbow was created after the flood. Hence he believes that God now strengthened the sun’s power so that its rays would produce a rainbow.

[AND THE WATERS SHALL NO MORE BECOME.] The use of the singular yiheyeh (shall become) with mayim (waters) does not prove that mayim is singular.²³ We find the same word used with a plural in But there were (va-yehi)²⁴ is singular. certain men (Num. 9:6).

footnotes: ²³ See I.E.’s comment on Gen. 1:14. ²⁴ Va-yehi

[AND THE BOW SHALL BE IN THE CLOUD.] The bow is always hidden in the cloud and there seen by God.²⁵

footnotes: ²⁵ Even when man does not see the bow, God sees it and remembers his covenant. When man does not see the bow it is hidden in the clouds.

AND GOD SAID UNTO NOAH. This is the covenant that I disclosed to you and this is the oath which I have established.²⁶ does not refer to sign because a sign is not established. It is made. Hence he interprets established as referring to an oath not to bring a flood (Meijler).

footnotes: ²⁶ According to I.E. which I have established

AND HAM IS THE FATHER OF CANAAN. This teaches that both Ham and Canaan were wicked, and as the father does, so do the children. Canaan and not Cush²⁷ is mentioned in this verse because Canaan was going to be cursed. This chapter²⁸ was written to inform us that all Canaanites, both male and female, bear a curse from the time of Noah. Abraham thus commanded his servant, thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites (Gen. 24:3). Rebecca similarly said, If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth…what good shall my life do me (Gen. 27:46). Should someone ask, what sins were the Hittites guilty of, let him open his eyes; the Hittites and the Amorites and the others are all descendants of Canaan.²⁹ We therefore read, unto the land of Canaan (Josh. 22:32).³⁰

footnotes: ²⁷ Cush was Ham’s first-born (Gen. 10:6). Thus he, rather than Canaan, the youngest, should have been mentioned in this verse. ²⁸ Telling of what Canaan did, and that Noah cursed him. ²⁹ Cf. Gen. 10:15,16. ³⁰ It was inhabited by the Hittites, Amorites and other nations. It was known as the land of Canaan because they were all decended from Canaan.

AND NOAH…BEGAN. Va-yachel (began) is derived from techillah (beginning). It belongs to those roots whose second and third letters are identical.³¹. It is a hifil, similar to va-yasekh (shut up) in Or who shut up³², and it is also in the hifil. (va-yasekh) the sea with doors (Job 38:8).

footnotes: ³¹ Its root is chet, lamed, lamed ³² Its root is samekh, caf, caf

THE HUSBANDMAN. A skilled agriculturalist, agriculture being a great science. The Rabbinic statement that Noah drank from his vineyard on the day he planted it is not to be taken literally.³³ 36:7. There is a secret meaning to it. Similarly and the woman conceived, and bore a son (Ex. 2:2) did not take place on one and the same day.³⁴ did not take place on the same day.

footnotes: ³³ Bereshit Rabbah ³⁴ The women obviously did not conceive and bear on the same day. Similarly and he planted a vineyard And he drank

AND HE WAS UNCOVERED. Va-yitgal (and he was uncovered) comes from the root gimel, lamed, heh, meaning to uncover. It is a hitpa’el. Yital (lift himself up) in And let him lift himself up (yital) (Jer. 51:3)³⁵ and a lamed heh. Its root is ayin, lamed, heh. is similar.

footnotes: ³⁵ It, too, is a hitpa’el

[HIS TENT.] The heh of oholoh (his tent) is in place of a vav.³⁶. The heh of be-re’oh (as they shouted), in the noise of the people as they shouted (be-re’oh) (Ex. 32:17), and the heh of fera’oh (let them loose) in for Aaron had let them loose (fera’oh) (Ex. 32:25), are similar.

footnotes: ³⁶ The masculine pronominal suffix is usually a vav

UPON BOTH THEIR SHOULDERS. Each one placed an edge of the blanket on his shoulders. Shekhem (shoulders) does not come in the plural.³⁷. The plural in the construct would be shikhme. The Bible employs the singular (shekhem) because the word does not appear in the plural.

footnotes: ³⁷ The word for shoulder is shekhem

BACKWARD. Opposite of the normal way of walking, which is to go forward.

AND NOAH AWOKE. Scripture does not reveal what was done to Noah. Be that as it may, Canaan was the culprit. The sequence of events was as follows: Ham saw his father’s nakedness and unlike his brothers did not cover him. On the contrary, he revealed what he saw. Canaan heard that Noah was lying naked in his tent and did something to Noah. However, the Bible does not tell us what he did to him.³⁸. 70a.

footnotes: ³⁸ The sages of the Talmud are divided as to what was done to Noah. Some say that he was castrated. Others say that he was sodomized. Cf. San

The meaning of the verse and (Noah) knew what his youngest son had done unto him is proof³⁹ cannot refer to him. Canaan was a youngest son and the verse can thus apply to him. that Canaan was the culprit, for we read, And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan (Gen. 10:6).⁴⁰ Furthermore, the his in his youngest son refers to Ham, who is previously mentioned.⁴¹ That is why Noah cursed Canaan. The one who says that Ham was the culprit, and that Canaan was cursed because Noah did not want to curse his son (Ham) because God had blessed Noah’s sons, is indulging in Midrash.⁴² 31:11.

footnotes: ³⁹ Ham was not Noah’s youngest son; therefore his youngest son ⁴⁰ We thus see that Canaan was Ham’s youngest son. ⁴¹ The verse should be understood as follows: And Noah knew what Ham’s youngest son had done to him. ⁴² Cf. Bereshit Rabbah

A SERVANT OF SERVANTS. Eved avadim (a servant of servants) means a servant like all other servants.⁴³ means a member of the servant class. If Scripture meant a servant to servants then it would have read eved ha-avadim. Proof of this is: it is most holy (kodesh kodashim) (Lev. 6:18), and In a most holy place (be-kodesh ha-kodashim) (Num. 18:10).⁴⁴ means holy (kodesh) as one of the holy objects (kodashim). When Scripture wants to say most holy it uses the term kodesh ha-kodashim. Similarly had Scripture read eved ha-avadim, it would have meant a servant of (to) servants.

footnotes: ⁴³ Thus eved avadim ⁴⁴ See I.E.’s comment to Lev. 6:18 where I.E. points out that kodesh kodashim

[UNTO HIS BRETHREN.] To Cush, Mizraim and Put, the sons of Ham his father. There are some who say that the Cushites are enslaved because Noah cursed Ham. However, they have forgotten that the first king to rule after the flood was a Cushite. Thus it is written, and Cush begot Nimrod…And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar (Gen. 10:8-10).⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴⁵ Thus the curse was put on the Canaanites and not on all of Ham’s descendants.

BLESSED BE THE LORD, THE GOD OF SHEM. We are duty-bound to be bountiful in praise of the Lord, who is the God of Shem, for He will make Canaan a servant of God and Shem.⁴⁶ The meaning of our verse is, God will compel Canaan to serve Shem, for lamo (their) has the same meaning as la-hem (to them).⁴⁷). I.E. points out that lamo means to them (la-hem) and refers to God and Shem who are mentioned in the first half of the verse. The vav of lamo is superfluous and is similar to the vav of tevi’emo (Thou bringest them in) (Ex. 15:17).⁴⁸ of tevi’emo is also superfluous. Therefore the term “to them” is not encountered in Scripture, spelled either without a heh or a vav.⁴⁹ or lamo, the term lam is not found in Scripture (Netter). The Tetragrammaton is invoked in connection with Shem to honor Shem.⁵⁰ It is not employed with regard to Japheth because he was not his brother’s equal. Saadiah Gaon says that Cursed be Canaan is short for cursed be Canaan’s father.⁵¹ He says that In the presence of Hanamel my uncle (Jer. 32:12) is similar, as Hanamel was really Jeremiah’s uncle’s son.⁵² However, it is possible that Hanamel was older than Jeremiah and the latter referred to him as “my uncle” because it was an honor for him to be called by his father’s title.⁵³ Similarly one’s father’s brother’s wife is called aunt in Scripture.⁵⁴, his wife is a dodah. She is so called in order to honor her, because she is married to one’s uncle. See I.E. to Lev. 18:14. Similarly Lot is called Abraham’s brother, rather than his nephew (Gen. 14:14). However, in our case there is no reason to refer to Ham by the name of his son.⁵⁵

footnotes: ⁴⁶ I.E.’s paraphrase of our verse. ⁴⁷ The second half of the verse literally reads, and let Canaan be a servant to them (lamo ⁴⁸ The vav ⁴⁹ Since the term for them is either la-hem ⁵⁰ The ancestor of the Israelites who worshiped the Lord (Krinsky). ⁵¹ This answers the question: Why was Canaan cursed when it was in fact Ham who allowed his father to lie naked at the doorway of the tent? ⁵² Cf. Jer. 32:8. We thus see that Scripture employs such abridgments. ⁵³ The point is that Jeremiah wanted to honor his cousin who was older than he. He did so by calling him uncle. Hence Saadiah cannot offer proof from this verse that Scripture employs this type of abridgment. ⁵⁴ An uncle is a dod ⁵⁵ What honor is there to Ham if he is referred to as Canaan?

[ENLARGE.] Saadiah also explains the word yaft (enlarge) as coming from the Hebrew word for beautiful (yafeh). However, his comment is not beautiful (yafeh).⁵⁶ Yaft means he will enlarge.⁵⁷. Compare Deut. 12:20. The Aramaic word for He shall enlarge (Deut. 12:20) is similar.⁵⁸ as are yafte (Deut. 12:20). Yaft (enlarge) is a hifil. It is like yard in And maketh him rule (yard) over kings (Is. 41:2).⁵⁹, like yard, is an abridged word. Yaft is short for yafteh and yard for yardeh. Both Shem and Japheth were blessed in this verse, for the meaning of And he shall dwell in the tents of Shem is: may God dwell in the tents of Shem. The previous verse (v. 26) relates the blessing with which Noah blessed God.⁶⁰

footnotes: ⁵⁶ A sarcastic pun, telling us that Saadiah is wrong. ⁵⁷ Yafte ⁵⁸ Onkelos renders ki yarchiv ⁵⁹ The point is that yaft ⁶⁰ God rather than Shem is the object of the blessing. Hence in verse 26 Noah blessed God. In verse 27 he blessed Shem and Japheth. Thus the blessing of Shem in verse 27 is not redundant.

AND LET CANAAN BE THEIR SERVANT. To Shem, to Japheth and also to his brothers. Thus Canaan was to be a slave to all of the world, for from Shem, Japheth and Canaan’s brothers all of humanity is descended. This came to pass many years after the flood.⁶¹

footnotes: ⁶¹ According to Krinsky, I.E.’s words apply to the blessing and curse uttered by Noah, namely, that God would dwell in the tents of Shem, that he would enlarge Japheth, and that Canaan would be a slave.