“And the dove came to him at evening time, etc.” Why should we care whether it came in the evening and returned in the morning or vice versa? It appears that she brought him an olive leaf specifically to produce light which was particularly needed in the evening time. This is because according to the opinion that tzohar means window, it’s difficult [to understand] what would provide light at night. Therefore, the Chizkuni explains that tzohar is related to the word “yitzhar” [oil], meaning that he would light oil in the ark at night, while during the day light would enter through the ark’s window, as it is written And Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. Support for these words comes from what is concluded in the Midrash Tanchuma and the Yalkut on Parshat Tetzaveh regarding the verse Your eyes are like doves (Song of Songs 4:1): Just as the dove brought light to the world, so too you shall bring olive oil and light candles before Him, etc. This is difficult: How did the author of this Midrash know that the dove brought light to the world, and how did he derive this from the verse and behold, a torn olive leaf was in its mouth? Rather, he must have certainly learned this from the fact that it specifically states at evening time, as mentioned above.

And regarding what Rashi explained: The dove said, “Let my sustenance be bitter like an olive…” — the explanation is not that she actually said this with her mouth, for the dove was not capable of speech from times past. Rather, we understand from the fact that she brought an olive leaf for her food — which is very bitter food — and did the dove not know that she had regular meals provided at Noah’s table daily? Rather, certainly she chose this bitter food because it was [provided] by the hands of Heaven and not by the hands of flesh and blood.

“Go out from the ark, you and your wife.” And regarding their entrance [into the ark], He mentioned the males separately and the females separately, namely in order that they should not be fruitful and multiply in the ark. For if not for this [separation], there would be concern that all the other living creatures would observe them [being intimate] and would [likewise] be fruitful and multiply in the ark. Then the ark would not be able to contain them, as it was only built to accommodate the [original] number of those who entered it. And even if you were to say that those who entered there were sustained by a miracle, nevertheless, why would the Holy One, Blessed be He, perform an unnecessary miracle, particularly for those who were not suffering at a time when the entire world was in distress?

And regarding what was said about the exit [from the ark], And Noah went out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives — even though the Holy One, Blessed be He, permitted Noah to have marital relations, nevertheless, he did not accept this upon himself because he said “Perhaps they will continue to sin and the flood waters will come and sweep them away — so why should I give birth [to children] in vain and for chaos?” Until God swore that He would not bring the flood waters again, only then was it said Be fruitful and multiply, etc. And Noah wanted to first offer a sacrifice before engaging in procreation. According to the simple interpretation, we can say that when Noah entered the ark, he was forbidden even from seclusion with his wife, which is why it says And you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, etc. And upon leaving, intimate relations were not yet permitted to him, only seclusion alone was permitted, as this is what is understood from the statement Go out from the ark, you and your wife. And since only seclusion was permitted to him but not intimate relations, Noah added his own restriction and forbade himself even from seclusion, and thus Noah and his sons went out [separately from the women] until he was explicitly told Be fruitful and multiply — only then was everything permitted to him.

“I will not continue to curse the ground anymore because of man.” Similarly, it was said to Adam (Genesis 3:17), Cursed is the ground because of you. From here we have proof that the earth was a cause of man’s sin, for it gave him coarse and thick matter that tends greatly toward materiality, as it is written (Leviticus 18:25), And the land became defiled and I visited its iniquity upon it. This was said specifically about the seven nations who previously dwelt in the Holy Land, because although the Holy One, Blessed be He, gathered his dust from all four corners of the world, and thus all lands have a share in man’s sin since they all contributed thick and coarse matter to him, nevertheless, all other lands received their judgment and were purified by the waters of the flood, as three handbreadths of plowed soil were damaged, and through this the earth’s matter was softened and its hardness was removed. From then on, the earth’s matter was not as bad as it was initially, both from the perspective of punishment — as it was purified by the flood waters like any immersion that purifies and removes contamination and impurity — and from the natural perspective, as all the earth was softened by the flood waters, and since then the earth’s matter is not as hard as it was before. However, regarding the Land of Israel, it is said in Ezekiel (22:24), You are a land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of wrath. Since it was not purified by the flood waters, its impurity remains within it, and when the inhabitants of that land sin, the sin can be attributed to the land. Therefore, it was specifically said regarding the lands of the seven nations, And the land became defiled and I visited its iniquity upon it. This resolves what could be questioned: The verse says Like the practice of the land of Egypt… and like the practice of the land of Canaan, equating them to each other, so why doesn’t the land of Egypt vomit out its inhabitants as the land of Canaan vomited out its nations? The answer is that since Egypt was rained upon in the day of wrath, their transgressions can no longer be attributed to the land, so why should it vomit them out? It is sufficient that the sinning nation receives their punishment on their land. But the Land of Israel, which was not rained upon, can still have sin attributed to it. Therefore it is said (Deuteronomy 29:21), And they will see the plagues of that land. As will be explained in its place, God willing, this is why it was said after this flood, I will not continue to curse the ground anymore because of man. For from here onward, man’s transgression cannot be attributed to the land, but rather to his evil inclination which draws its power from the serpent and from Samael who rides it. This is why He gave the reason: for the inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth — that the main source of his sin would be attributed to his inclination and not to the physicality of the earth.

And the proof of this: In the generation of the flood it is written and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all day, meaning it would continually worsen from day to day. This sin was certainly dependent on the physicality of the earth, not from the intellectual capacity within man, for wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days comes understanding (Job 12:12). How could it be that man would not regret his evil as he advances in years? However, if physicality alone is the cause, it makes sense, because physicality, due to its bestial nature, even as it ages, its foolishness does not depart from it. But after the flood, when the physicality of the earth was purified, from then on one cannot attribute sin except to the evil inclination which becomes stronger particularly in youth, but when one ages, one’s intellectual eye opens and one does not return to foolishness. Therefore it does not say “all day” but rather only from his youth. Indeed, when one reaches 13 years, “his friend” also comes and examines — this is the good inclination, and this is the cause of their survival.