AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN MEN BEGAN TO MULTIPLY ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. When Scripture mentioned Noah and his sons and wanted to begin the account of the flood, it said that as soon as men began to multiply they began to sin, and they continued their sinful ways for many years until Noah was four hundred and eighty years⁴⁹⁰ of age. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed against them that “His spirit will not abide in them forever,”⁴⁹¹ but that He will prolong their years until their measure of sin is full, for such is the way of G-d’s judgment.

footnotes: ⁴⁹⁰ Noah begot children at the age of 500 (Verse 32 in Chapter 5). Twenty years before, G-d decreed the advent of the flood. (See Rashi here, Verse 3.) ⁴⁹¹ See Verse 3.

BNEI HA’ELOHIM. The sons of princes and rulers. This is the language of Rashi, and so it is in Bereshith Rabbah.⁴⁹² If so, Scripture relates that the judges whose duty it was to administer justice among them committed open violence without anyone interfering.

footnotes: ⁴⁹² 26:8.

‘KI’ (WHEN) THEY WERE FAIR. [The meaning of the word ki here] is the same as in the verses: *‘Ki’ (when) thou seest the ass of him that hateth thee;*⁴⁹³ ‘ki’ (when) a bird’s nest chance to be before thee.⁴⁹⁴ When the daughters of men were fair, they would take them forcibly as wives for themselves. Thus Scripture tells of the violence and mentions further, whomsoever they chose, in order to include those who were married to others. Scripture, however, did not mention the prohibition concerning them clearly, and the punishment decreed upon them was only because of the violence,⁴⁹⁵ because this is a reasoned concept and does not require the Torah to prohibit it.

footnotes: ⁴⁹³ Exodus 23:5. ⁴⁹⁴ Deuteronomy 22:6. ⁴⁹⁵ Further, Verse 13.

‘BESHAGAM’ (FOR THAT ALSO) HE IS FLESH. It is as if beshagam were written beshegam with a segol under the shin. And Rashi explained: “This quality is also in him, that he is only flesh, and yet he is not humble before Me. What would he do if he were made of fire or some hard substance.” This explanation has neither rhyme nor reason. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained that G-d said, “My spirit will not abide in man forever because of this violence and also because man is flesh, and when he reaches a certain age he disintegrates.” Ibn Ezra thus understands the verse as if it said, gam beshehu basar (also because he is flesh). But what need is there for stating this contention when it is known that they were but flesh.⁴⁹⁶ and death had been decreed on them, as it says, *For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return?*⁴⁹⁷ The correct interpretation appears to me to be that G-d said: “My spirit shall not abide in man forever because man also is flesh as all flesh that creepeth upon the earth in the forms of fowl and cattle and beast, and it is not fitting that the spirit of G-d be within him.” The purport is to state that G-d made man upright⁴⁹⁸ to be like the ministering angels by virtue of the soul He gave him. But he was drawn after the flesh and corporeal desires; he is like the beasts that perish,⁴⁹⁹ and therefore the spirit of G-d will no longer be sheathed in him for he is corporeal and not godly. However, He will prolong for them [this withdrawal of spirit] if they repent. The sense of this verse is thus similar to [the verse in Psalm 78]: So He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

footnotes: ⁴⁹⁶ Psalms 78:39. ⁴⁹⁷ Above, 3:19. ⁴⁹⁸ Ecclesiastes 7:29. ⁴⁹⁹ Psalms 49:13.

THE NEPHILIM. Rashi comments: “[They were called nephilim because] they fell (naphlu) and caused the downfall (hipilu) of the world.” This is found in Bereshith Rabbah.⁵⁰⁰ The masters of language⁵⁰¹ say that they [the Nephilim] were so called because the heart of man fell from fear of them. The same applies to the word ha’eimim.⁵⁰² means terror. The Eimim thus induced terror into the hearts of those who saw them.

footnotes: ⁵⁰⁰ 26:7. ⁵⁰¹ Found in R’dak. ⁵⁰² Genesis 14:5. Eimah

IN THOSE DAYS. Rashi comments: “in the days of the generation of Enosh. AND ALSO AFTER THAT. Although they witnessed the destruction of the generation of Enosh when the ocean rose and flooded a third of the world, still they did not humble themselves and take a lesson from them.” Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained: “also after the flood, since the sons of Anak⁵⁰³ were of the family of bnei ha’elohim.” If so, we must say that either the wives of Noah’s sons were of their [the Nephilim’s] descendants and resembled them or that ibn Ezra will accept the statement of the Rabbi⁵⁰⁴ who advanced the interpretation that Og⁵⁰⁵ (Genesis 14:13); i.e., escaped from the flood. escaped from the flood, to which Rabbi Abraham will add that others too escaped with him [since the verse states: “The ‘Nephilim’ — (in the plural) — were in the earth…and also after that”, which Ibn Ezra interprets as meaning after the flood]. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Adam and his wife are called bnei ha’elohim because they were G-d’s handiwork and He was their father; they had no father besides Him. And he [Adam] begot many children, as it is written, And he begot sons and daughters.⁵⁰⁶ Now these men, first to be born of a father and mother, were of great perfection in height and strength because they were born in the likeness of their father, as it is written concerning Seth, And he [Adam] begot a son in his own likeness, after his image.⁵⁰⁷, Verse 3. And it is possible that all the children of the first generations — Adam, Seth, Enosh — were called bnei ha’elohim because these three men were in the likeness of G-d. But then the worship of idols commenced, and there came upon men a weakness and slackness. And so they said in Bereshith Rabbah:⁵⁰⁸ “This is the book of the generations of Adam.⁵⁰⁹ Are not the first ones toldoth (offspring)! But what are they? [They are in the image and likeness of] G-d. They raised a question before Aba Kohen Bardela: ‘Adam, Seth, Enosh?’ At first, he was silent, but then he said to them: ‘Up to here [Seth] they were in the image and likeness of G-d; after that, Kenan, vexers.’”⁵¹⁰. Enosh’s son was Kenan (Above, 5:9), which name is interpreted as having the same root as the word kanteir (he who makes himself disagreeable). Now when men began to multiply and daughters were born to them, the men of these first generations were in their strength, and because of their great desire they would choose the beautiful women of tall stature and good health. Now first Scripture tells that by force they took them unto themselves as wives, and afterwards it tells that they came in a promiscuous manner to the daughters of men who were not of that high degree, and the matter was not known until they begot children for them, and everyone recognized that they were not the offspring of other people but that they had been born to these bnei ha’elohim because these children were very tall. They were, however, inferior to their fathers in height and strength, [This is the meaning of the name Nephilim — inferior ones], just as the word Nephilim is used in the expression: I am not ‘nophel’ (inferior) to you.⁵¹¹ Still they were mighty men in comparison with the rest of the people. And Scripture tells that this happened in the first generation to those who were called bnei ha’elohim because they were of absolute perfection, and it is they who caused the daughters of men to beget nephilim (inferior ones); and also after that, for the nephilim themselves begot nephilim from them. The meaning of the expression, that were of old, is that after the flood, the men, upon seeing the mighty, would remember these nephilim and say: “There have already been mightier men than these in the ages which were before us.” They were the men of renown in all generations afterward. This is a fitting explanation of this chapter. But the Midrash of Rabbi Eliezer the Great,⁵¹² in the chapters concerning the angels that fell from their place of holiness in heaven — as is mentioned in the Gemara of Tractate Yoma —⁵¹³ fits into the language of the verse more than all other interpretations. But it would necessitate delving at length into the secret of this subject.

footnotes: ⁵⁰³ Numbers 13:33. The giants. ⁵⁰⁴ Rabbi Yochanan (Niddah 61 a). ⁵⁰⁵ Og, King of Bashan (Numbers 21:33). It is he, according to Rabbi Yochanan, of whom Scripture says: And there came one that had escaped ⁵⁰⁶ Above, 5:4. ⁵⁰⁷ Ibid. ⁵⁰⁸ 24:6. ⁵⁰⁹ Above, 5:1. ⁵¹⁰ Kenan, vexers ⁵¹¹ Job 12:3. ⁵¹² Chapter 22. ⁵¹³ 67b.

AND THE ETERNAL REPENTED… AND IT GRIEVED HIM AT HIS HEART. The Torah speaks in the language of men. The purport is that they rebelled, and grieved His holy spirit⁵¹⁴ with their sins. The sense of the expression at His heart is that He did not tell this to a prophet, a messenger of G-d. This expression is also found with respect to thinking, just as: to speak to my heart,⁵¹⁵ and other similar expressions. In Bereshith Rabbah⁵¹⁶ there is a significant matter concerning this, expressed by a parable which the Rabbis bring of an agent and an architect.⁵¹⁷.” This constitutes a great secret which is not permitted to be written down. The one who knows it will understand why here the Tetragrammaton is written while in the whole of the rest of the chapter and the account of the flood, the name Elokim is used.

footnotes: ⁵¹⁴ Isaiah 63:10. ⁵¹⁵ Genesis 24:45. ⁵¹⁶ 27:6. ⁵¹⁷ Rabbi Berachyah said: “It is like a king who had a palace built by an architect, and when he saw it, it displeased him. Against whom is he to complain? Surely against the architect.” Rabbi Assi said: “It is like one who traded through an agent and suffered a loss. Whom does he blame? The agent. Here too It grieved Him at His heart

BUT NOAH FOUND GRACE IN THE EYES OF THE ETERNAL. The meaning thereof is that all his deeds were pleasing and sweet before Him. Similarly: For thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name.⁵¹⁸ This is like the verses: *And He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison;*⁵¹⁹ And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all of them that looked upon her.⁵²⁰ Scripture mentions this in contrast to what it said concerning his [Noah’s] generation, namely, that all their deeds brought grief before Him, blessed be He. But of Noah it says that he found grace in His eyes, and afterwards it tells⁵²¹. why he was pleasing before G-d: because he was a perfectly righteous man. Noach

footnotes: ⁵¹⁸ Exodus 33:17. ⁵¹⁹ Genesis 39:21. ⁵²⁰ Esther 2:15. ⁵²¹ In the following Seder Noach

THESE ARE ‘TOLDOTH’ NOAH. Commentators¹ to mean “progeny” or “generations” since it further states, And Noah begot three sons. have explained the word toldoth to mean “his experiences” [or “his events”] much the same as the sense of: what a day ‘yeiled’ (may bring forth).² In this way the word toldoth refers to the entire section [since all the events of the flood are occurrences in the life of Noah]. But this does not appear to me to be correct since the external events in the life of a person, [over which he has no control], are not his toldoth. The correct interpretation is that the word toldoth here retains its literal meaning of “progeny,” just as, *These are ‘toldoth’ (the progeny of) the sons of Noah;*³ And these are ‘toldoth’ (the progeny of) Ishmael.⁴, 25:12. Thus Scripture is saying, “These are the progeny of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Scripture however repeats, And Noah begot three sons,⁵ because [at the end of the first verse] it interrupted by saying, Noah was a righteous man, and whole-hearted, in order to inform us why He commanded him concerning the ark. And even though Scripture has already stated above, And Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth,⁶ it returns to mention them a second time in order to relate that Noah was unlike all his ancestors who begot daughters and sons. This is the meaning of the words, *three sons;*⁵ Scripture mentions their number in order to say that these three alone were his progeny, and they were saved by his merit, and by them was the whole earth overspread.⁷

footnotes: ¹ Ibn Ezra and R’dak. These commentators felt the difficulty in explaining toldoth ² Proverbs 27:1. ³ Genesis 10:1. ⁴ Ibid. ⁵ Verse 10. ⁶ Above, 5:32. ⁵ Verse 10. ⁷ Genesis 9:19.

HE WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN AND WHOLE-HEARTED. Scripture mentions that he was guiltless and perfect in his righteousness in order to inform us that he was worthy to be saved from the flood without any punishment whatever since he was whole-hearted in righteousness. For a tzadik (a righteous person) is one who is found guiltless in judgment as opposed to the wicked person, as Scripture says, *And they come unto judgment, and the judges judge them, by justifying the righteous, and condemning the wicked;*⁸ and also, *For Thou art just in all that has come upon us, for Thou hast dealt truly;*⁹ similarly, In righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.¹⁰ But in the case of Abraham, concerning whom it says, that he will command his children to do ‘tz’dakah’ and *‘mishpat,’*¹¹ Scripture praises him for righteousness which is synonymous with judgment, and for mercy which is synonymous with tz’dakah.¹² alone it means “guiltless in judgment,” but in the case of Abraham where in addition to tzedek (or tz’dakah) Scripture also mentions mishpat, (judgment) mishpat of necessity means “guiltless in judgment,” while tz’dakah in this case means “mercifulness.” And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said, “Righteous in deeds; whole-hearted in his heart.” However, it is written, *Thou art whole-hearted in thy ways;*¹³ [the term “whole-hearted” is thus used in connection with “ways” and not with matters of the heart]. Now after Scripture said that Noah was a righteous man, meaning that he was neither a man of violence nor one who perverted his ways as did the guilty ones of his generation, it further said that he walked with the glorious Name,¹⁴ fearing Him alone. He was not enticed by the astrologers, enchanters and soothsayers, and surely not by idolatry, and he paid no heed to them at all; to G-d alone he did always cleave, and he walked in the way G-d chose or taught him for he was a prophet. This is analogous in meaning to the verse, After the Eternal your G-d shall ye walk, and Him shall ye fear,¹⁵, 13:5. which is stated in connection with the removal of him who prophesies to encourage the worship of idols and gives a sign or wonder to verify his words, as I will explain. I will again mention this in connection with the verse, Walk before Me, and be thou whole-hearted,¹⁶ if He Who is perfect in knowledge¹⁷ will be with me. Now since Noah was a righteous man and undeserving of punishment, it was fitting that his sons and his household be saved by his merit for if his sons were to perish, it would have been a punishment upon him. Or it may be said that he was a perfectly righteous man, and his sons and household were also righteous since he taught them; this is analogous to that which is written concerning Abraham: For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household.¹¹

footnotes: ⁸ Deuteronomy 25:1. ⁹ Nehemiah 9:33. ¹⁰ Leviticus 19:15. ¹¹ Genesis 18:19. ¹² Ramban is thus saying that where Scripture uses tzedek ¹³ Ezekiel 28:15. ¹⁴ See Deuteronomy 28:58. ¹⁵ Ibid. ¹⁶ Genesis 17:1. ¹⁷ See Job 36:4. ¹¹ Genesis 18:19.

IN HIS GENERATIONS. Some of our Rabbis explained it to his credit, [i.e., he was righteous despite his generation]; it follows all the more had he lived in a generation of righteous people. Others explain it to his discredit. [In comparison with his own generation he was considered righteous, but had he lived in the generation of Abraham he would not have been considered of any consequence.] Thus the language of Rashi. The correct interpretation according to the plain meaning of Scripture appears to be that he alone was a righteous man in those generations, there being no righteous or whole-hearted men except him in those generations. In a similar sense is the verse, For thee I have seen righteous before Me in this generation,¹⁸ meaning that there is no other in the generation worthy of being saved. Scripture says, in his generations —[using the plural form]— because many generations passed since the time men had become corrupted, and there was no righteous man besides him. Let not the word of our Rabbis concerning Methuselah,¹⁹ [which said that he was a righteous man], cause you difficulty for Scripture tells only that there was no righteous man worthy of being saved from the flood in all those generations except Noah.

footnotes: ¹⁸ Genesis 7:1. ¹⁹ Bereshith Rabbah 32:10.

SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH. It appears to me that Japheth was the oldest, as it is said, the brother of Japheth the elder,²⁰ and so in counting their generations, Scripture mentions the children of Japheth first.²¹, 10:2. Ham was the youngest of all, as it is said, And [Noah] knew what his youngest son had done unto him.²², 9:24. Here, however, Scripture mentions Shem first because of his superiority and then Ham, for they were born in that order. Thus Japheth is left at the end. But Scripture did not want to say, “Shem and Japheth and Ham,” because in that case all of them would have been mentioned out of the order of their birth, and Japheth had no outstanding quality to merit that the order of birth be dispensed with on his account. Shem, however, is mentioned here first because of his superiority even though in the account of the generations he is last.²⁰ Similarly, [we find the verses]: *The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael;*²³ And I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau.²⁴

footnotes: ²⁰ Genesis 10:21. ²¹ Ibid. ²² Ibid. ²⁰ Genesis 10:21. ²³ I Chronicles 1:28. Here too Isaac is mentioned first because of his superiority although Ishmael was older. ²⁴ Joshua 24:4. This also is similar to the above case.

FOR ALL FLESH HAD CORRUPTED THEIR WAY. If we were to explain all flesh in its usual sense and thus say that even cattle, beasts and fowl corrupted their way by consorting with other species, as Rashi has explained, we must then say that the expression, for the earth is filled with violence through them,²⁵ does not mean “because of all of them” but only because of some of them [since “violence” does not apply to beasts and cattle], and Scripture tells of the punishment of man alone [even though all flesh corrupted their way]. Or we may say that the cattle, beasts, and fowl also did not follow their natural instincts, and all cattle seized prey and all fowl became birds of prey; thus they too committed violence. By way of the simple meaning of Scripture, all flesh means “all men.” Further on Scripture says explicitly: *all flesh wherein is the breath of life;*²⁶ and of every living thing of all flesh,²⁷, 6:19. meaning all living bodies. But here it says all flesh, meaning all people. Similarly [we find the verses]: All flesh shall come to worship before Me,²⁸ [meaning “all people”]; Or when the flesh hath in the skin thereof,²⁹ [where again reference is only to people].

footnotes: ²⁵ Verse 13. ²⁶ Genesis 7:15. ²⁷ Ibid. ²⁸ Isaiah 66:23. ²⁹ Leviticus 13:24.

VIOLENCE, that is, robbery and oppression. Now G-d gave Noah the explanation [that the flood was due to the fact that the “the earth is filled with] violence” and did not mention “the corruption of the way” [recorded in the preceding verse] because violence is a sin that is known and widely publicized. Our Rabbis have said³⁰ that it was on account of the sin of violence that their fate was sealed. The reason for it is that the prohibition against violence is a rational commandment,³¹ there being no need for a prophet to admonish them against it. Besides, it is evil committed against both heaven and mankind. Thus He informed Noah of the sin for which the end is come — the doom is reached.³²

footnotes: ³⁰ Sanhedrin 108a. ³¹ Likewise Ramban above 6:2. See also Yehudah Halevi’s Al Khazari, II, 48, that “the rational laws are the basis and preamble of the divine law, preceding it in character and time, and being indispensable in the administration of every human society.” (Hirschfeld’s translation.) ³² See Ezekiel 7:6-7.

AND BEHOLD, I WILL DESTROY THEM ‘ETH’ THE EARTH. This is similar to saying “from the earth.” So also: When I go forth ‘eth’ the city,³³ [meaning “from the city”]; he suffered ‘eth’ his feet,³⁴ [meaning “from his feet”]. Another interpretation is that eth ha’aretz means “with the earth” for even the land was blotted out to the depth of a furrow of three handbreadths. Thus the language of Rashi quoting Bereshith Rabbah.³⁵ And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the word mashchitham (destroy them) draws along with it a similar word, [meaning it is as if the verb “destroy” appears twice in the verse], thus stating, “And behold, I will destroy them and destroy the earth.” By way of the truth [the mystic teaching of the Cabala],³⁶ this is like the verse, eth hashamayim ve’eth ha’aretz (the heaven and the earth),³⁷ thus intimating that “the earth”³⁸ will be destroyed, and with the destruction of the earth they too will be destroyed and thus they will be blotted out from the World to Come, just as is intimated in the verse: and it grieved Him at His heart.³⁹ It is to this that the Rabbis alluded in Bereshith Rabbah:⁴⁰ “This is like a master’s son who had a wet-nurse; whenever he would commit an offense the wet-nurse would be punished.”⁴¹

footnotes: ³³ Exodus 9:29. ³⁴ I Kings 15:23. ³⁵ 31:7. ³⁶ See Bereshith, Note 63. ³⁷ Above, 1:1. ³⁸ Here referring to “the earth of immortal life.” ³⁹ Above, 6:6. See Ramban there. ⁴⁰ 31:7. ⁴¹ “So, said the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘I will destroy them and destroy the earth with them.’” (Bereshith Rabbah.)

AND, BEHOLD, I DO BRING THE FLOOD. “Now I agree with those angels who long ago said to Me [when I was about to create man], What is man that Thou art mindful of him.”⁴² Thus the words of Rashi quoting Bereshith Rabbah.⁴³ But I wonder: in what way did He “agree” with them since He left man a remnant for a great deliverance through Noah and his sons and all living things to increase their seed as the sand! Perhaps this agreement with their opinion signified [His intent which was to come to fruition] when He would show them no mercy. [However, when the Divine quality of mercy was introduced, it resulted in the deliverance of mankind through Noah.] By way of the truth [the mystic lore of the Cabala], va’ani (And I) is similar to: *And I also will chastise you;*⁴⁴ (And I) thus intimates the attribute of judgment. so also, *I am He! behold, My covenant is with thee;*⁴⁵ And as for Me, this is My covenant.⁴⁶ The verse here thus states: “I also will have My hand on them for having destroyed the earth.” This is why He said [after the flood]: This is the token of the covenant which I make.⁴⁷ — He maketh sore, and He bindeth up.⁴⁸ The learned student [in the mystic lore of the Cabala] will understand.

footnotes: ⁴² Psalms 8:5. ⁴³ 31:15. ⁴⁴ Leviticus 26:28. The word va’ani ⁴⁵ Genesis 17:4. ⁴⁶ Isaiah 59:21. ⁴⁷ Genesis 9:12. ⁴⁸ Job 5:18.

AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that this is a sign that G-d had sworn to Noah that during the flood, neither he nor his children would die even though it is not clearly written at first. This is similar to what we find in Deuteronomy: And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said: Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us.⁴⁹ Ramban cites this as another case where the first account lacks some of the details of the later account. The meaning of V’hakimothi (And I will establish) is “I will fulfill My oath.” It appears likely to me that this covenant mentioned here refers to the rainbow, [Thus G-d hinted to Noah that after the flood He will make a covenant with him if he will fulfill the commandment concerning the making of the ark.] The meaning of the word b’rith (covenant) is an agreement and accord which two have chosen, stemming from the root, ‘b’ru’ (choose) you.⁵⁰ And the word b’rith takes the same form in construct and in separateness. A similar case is [the word sh’vith, captivity]: *‘sh’vith’ (the captivity of) Jacob;*⁵¹ is in construct. And his daughters ‘bash’vith’ (in captivity).⁵² is separate. And some say that the word b’rith means the establishment of a boundary [to which each party to the covenant should adhere]. All these are Abraham ibn Ezra’s words. A more correct explanation in line with the simple meaning of Scripture is that the purport of the expression, And I will establish My covenant, is, “At the time of the coming of the flood, My covenant will be established with you so that you and your family and two of all flesh will come into the ark to remain alive, that is to say, so that you will live there and maintain yourself in order to go forth from there alive.” And b’rith (covenant) means G-d’s word when He decrees something without any condition and residuary and fulfills it. Now He mentions the b’rith and mentions that it will be fulfilled, [which, according to the present interpretation is an apparent redundancy], just as we find the verse, The Jews ordained and took upon them, and upon their seed,⁵³ meaning they accepted upon themselves a matter which was to exist. [Thus our verse is to be explained in a similar way, i.e., He established an unconditional covenant.] By way of the truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], the b’rith is everlasting, the word being derived from. In the beginning G-d ‘bara’ (created).³⁷ Thus brithi (My covenant) is similar to b’riyothi (My creation), and the word is alike in construct form because it is adjoined to the times there were before us. He thus commanded that the b’rith exist and be with the righteous one [Noah]. In a similar sense are the verses: As for *Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you;*⁵⁴ My covenant was with him.⁵⁵ The learned student [in the mystic lore of the Cabala] will understand.

footnotes: ⁴⁹ Deuteronomy 1:22. This account, narrated by Moses, is not explicitly stated in Numbers, Chapter 13, which begins with G-d saying: Send thou men… ⁵⁰ I Samuel 17:8. ⁵¹ Psalms 85:2. Here the word sh’vith ⁵² Numbers 21:29. Here the word bash’vith ⁵³ Esther 9:27. ³⁷ Above, 1:1. ⁵⁴ Genesis 9:9. ⁵⁵ Malachi 2:5.

OF ALL FLESH. It is known that there are a great many beasts, and some of them — such as elephants, rams and others — are very large; likewise, the creeping things upon the earth are very many. Of the fowl of the heaven there are also innumerably many kinds, just as our Rabbis have said:⁵⁶ “There are one hundred and twenty kinds of unclean birds in the east, and all of them belong to the species of ayah (kite).”⁵⁷ Clean fowl are innumerable. Noah was thus obligated to bring all of them into the ark in order that they may beget their like. If you would gather a full year’s supply of food for all of them, [you would find] that this ark and ten others like it could not hold it! But this was a miracle of a small space containing a great quantity. And in case you suppose that he should have made it [the ark] very small and rely on this miracle, the answer is that the Holy One, blessed be He, saw fit to make it large so that the people of his generation should see it, wonder at it, converse about it, and speak of the subject of the flood and the gathering of the cattle, beast, and fowl into it so that perhaps they would repent. Furthermore, he made it large in order to reduce the miracle for such is the way with all miracles in the Torah or in the Prophets: whatever is humanly possible is done, with the balance left to Heaven. Now be not persuaded to say as Ibn Ezra that the three hundred cubits [of the length of the ark were measured] in cubits of a man like Noah, who was unusually tall. If so, the other people were also tall, and the beasts and fowl of those generations were also tall until the world was struck by the flood! Moreover, the cubits here are the standard cubits of the Torah.⁵⁸

footnotes: ⁵⁶ Chullin 63b. However, instead of 120 kinds, the figure mentioned there is 100. ⁵⁷ See Leviticus 11:14. ⁵⁸ See Erubin 3b.

THOU SHALT BRING INTO THE ARK, TO KEEP THEM ALIVE WITH THEE. G-d thus commanded Noah that he concern himself with and help them in their entering the ark and that he strive on behalf of their existence even as he would for his own life.

TWO OF EVERY SORT SHALL COME UNTO THEE, TO KEEP THEM ALIVE. G-d thus informed Noah that two of every sort would come of their own accord, and he would not find it necessary to hunt for them in the mountains and distant lands, and he would bring them into the ark after that. At the actual narration [of their coming, Scripture] explains⁵⁹ that they came male and female; this is implied here. After that, He commanded him to take seven and seven of every clean beast.⁶⁰, 7:2. Concerning these, G-d did not say that they would come of their own accord but that Noah should take them.⁶¹. Noah brought sacrifices after the flood from the clean beasts and fowl. (See Chapter 8, Verse 20.) The reason for this is that those who came to be saved and to keep their seed alive⁶² did come of their own accord, but for those who were to be sacrificed as whole offerings, G-d did not decree that they come of their own accord to be slaughtered. Rather, Noah took them since the purpose of the command to take seven and seven was that Noah bring a sacrifice from them after the flood. The meaning of the word “clean” is that the Holy One, blessed be He, explained to Noah the signs of ritual cleanliness for beast and fowl. Scripture, however, refers to it briefly by saying, “clean,” in accordance with the Torah.⁶³ But Rashi wrote: “Clean, meaning that which in the future will be permitted to Israel as clean; we thus learn that Noah studied the Torah.” From here we derive that the sacrifices of the sons of Noah⁶⁴, Note 222. must also be only of the clean beast and the clean fowl. So also it is said of the sacrifice of Abel: of the first-born of his flock and of the fat thereof.⁶⁵ However, all clean species are permissible for them to bring as sacrifices as it is written: And he took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar.⁶⁶ [Later, when the Torah was given, G-d] added a commandment to Israel that all their sacrifices be only of the beasts and of the herd,⁶⁷ of the turtledoves and of the young pigeons.⁶⁸, Verse 14. Of the fowl also of the heaven, seven and seven⁶⁹ — this means the clean fowl for the verse is a continuation of the verse above: [Of every ‘clean’ beast shalt thou take to thee seven and seven].⁷⁰, Verse 2.

footnotes: ⁵⁹ Genesis 7:16. ⁶⁰ Ibid. ⁶¹ The verse states: Of every clean beast thou shalt ‘take’ to thee seven and seven ⁶² Chapter 7, Verse 3. ⁶³ See Leviticus, Chapter 11. ⁶⁴ See Seder Bereshith ⁶⁵ Above, 4:4. ⁶⁶ Genesis 8:20. ⁶⁷ Leviticus 1:2. ⁶⁸ Ibid. ⁶⁹ Genesis 7:3. ⁷⁰ Ibid.

AND NOAH DID THUS; ACCORDING TO ALL THAT G-D HAD COMMANDED HIM, meaning that he constructed the ark and gathered the food. Scripture’s intent in saying, And Noah did… so did he, is to explain that he did not omit a thing from all that G-d had commanded him.