Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 7

1God said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and your entire household, for it is you that I have seen to be righteous before Me in this generation.   אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ לְנֹ֔חַ בֹּֽא־אַתָּ֥ה וְכָל־בֵּֽיתְךָ֖ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה כִּי־אֹֽתְךָ֥ רָאִ֛יתִי צַדִּ֥יק לְפָנַ֖י בַּדּ֥וֹר הַזֶּֽה:
רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק - I have seen to be righteous. It does not say here “righteous and faultless” as in 6:9. From this we may infer that one tells only part of a person’s praises in his presence as here, but in his absence one may tell all his praises.   רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק.  וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר צַדִּיק תָּמִים, מִכָּאן שֶׁאוֹמְרִים מִקְצַת שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם בְּפָנָיו וְכֻלּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בְּפָנָיו (ב"ר):
2You must take for yourself seven pairs of every kind of animal that does not impart spiritual defilement if eaten, each pair consisting of a male and its mate, but take only two of the animals that impart spiritual defilement, a male and its mate.   במִכֹּ֣ל | הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה תִּקַּח־לְךָ֛ שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה אֲ֠שֶׁ֠ר לֹ֣א טְהֹרָ֥ה הִ֛וא שְׁנַ֖יִם אִ֥ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּֽוֹ:
הַטְּהוֹרָה - Pure - i.e., those animals which in the future will be considered pure for the people of Israel to eat. We learn from the fact that he was requested to discern which were the pure animals that Noah learned Torah.   הַטְּהוֹרָה.  הָעֲתִידָה לִהְיוֹת טְהוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל; לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁלָּמַד נֹחַ תּוֹרָה (שם פ' כ"ו):
שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה - Seven pairs - so that he would be able to offer some of them as a sacrifice when he left the ark.   שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה.  כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּקְרִיב מֵהֶם קָרְבָּן בְּצֵאתוֹ:
3You must also take seven pairs of the birds of the heavens that do not impart spiritual defilement, each pair consisting of a male and its mate, in order to keep its seed alive over the entire surface of the earth.   גגַּ֣ם מֵע֧וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה זָכָ֣ר וּנְקֵבָ֑ה לְחַיּ֥וֹת זֶ֖רַע עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
גַּם מֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וגו' - Also [take seven pairs] of the birds of the heavens. The verse is speaking of pure birds, since that which is not stated explicitly may be learned from that which is stated explicitly in v. 2.   גַּם מֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וגו'.  בִּטְהוֹרִים הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, וְלָמַד סָתוּם מִן הַמְפֹרָשׁ:
4For in another seven days, I will bring rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. I will obliterate every being that I have made from the surface of the earth.”   דכִּי֩ לְיָמִ֨ים ע֜וֹד שִׁבְעָ֗ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ מַמְטִ֣יר עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה וּמָחִ֗יתִי אֶת־כָּל־הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֔יתִי מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֥י הָֽאֲדָמָֽה:
כִּי לְיָמִים עוֹד שִׁבְעָה - For in another seven days. These were the seven days of mourning for the righteous Methuselah, for the Holy One, blessed be He, respected his honor and therefore delayed the punishment. Go and calculate the years of Methuselah and you will find that they terminate in the 600th year of Noah’s life when the Flood began.   כִּי לְיָמִים עוֹד שִׁבְעָה.  אֵלּוּ ז' יְמֵי אֶבְלוֹ שֶׁל מְתוּשֶׁלַח הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁחָס הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל כְּבוֹדוֹ וְעִכֵּב אֶת הַפֻּרְעָנוּת. צֵא וַחֲשֹׁב שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל מְתוּשֶׁלַח וְתִמְצָא שֶׁהֵם כָּלִים בִּשְנַת ת"ר שָׁנָה לְחַיֵּי נֹחַ (סנה' ק"ח):
כִּי לְיָמִים עוֹד - For in another [seven] days. What is meant by עוד “another”? An additional period of time – this period of seven days – in addition to the 120 years which God had given them to repent.   כִּי לְיָמִים עוֹד.  מַהוּ עוֹד? זְמַן אַחַר זְמַן זֶה נוֹסָף עַל ק"כ שָׁנָה:
אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם - 40 days - corresponding to the period of a fetus’ formation, since they sinned by troubling their Creator to form embryos of illegitimate children.   אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם.  כְּנֶגֶד יְצִירַת הַוָּלָד, שֶׁקִּלְקְלוּ לְהַטְרִיחַ לְיוֹצְרָם לָצוּר צוּרַת מַמְזֵרִים:
5Noah did all that God had commanded him.   הוַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ כְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֖הוּ יְהֹוָֽה:
וַיַּעַשׂ נֹחַ - Noah did. This refers to his coming to the ark.   וַיַּעַשׂ נֹחַ.  זֶה בִיאָתוֹ לַתֵּבָה:
6Noah was in his 600th year when the Flood occurred and water covered the earth.   ווְנֹ֕חַ בֶּן־שֵׁ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וְהַמַּבּ֣וּל הָיָ֔ה מַ֖יִם עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
7Noah, together with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, came into the ark, fleeing from the water of the Flood.   זוַיָּבֹ֣א נֹ֔חַ וּ֠בָנָ֠יו וְאִשְׁתּ֧וֹ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנָ֛יו אִתּ֖וֹ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה מִפְּנֵ֖י מֵ֥י הַמַּבּֽוּל:
נֹחַ וּבָנָיו - Noah together with his sons. The men by themselves and the women by themselves, because they were forbidden to have marital relations since the world was in a state of distress.   נֹחַ וּבָנָיו.  הָאֲנָשִׁים לְבַד וְהַנָּשִׁים לְבַד, לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱסְרוּ בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָעוֹלָם שָׁרוּי בְּצַעַר:
מִפְּנֵי מֵי הַמַּבּֽוּל - [Fleeing] from the water of the flood. Even Noah was lacking in faith. He wavered in his belief that the Flood would come and did not enter the ark until the water forced him to do so.   מִפְּנֵי מֵי הַמַּבּֽוּל.  אַף נֹחַ מִקְּטַנֵּי אֲמָנָה הָיָה, מַאֲמִין וְאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין שֶׁיָבֹא הַמַּבּוּל, וְלֹא נִכְנַס לַתֵּבָה עַד שְׁדְּחָקוּהוּ הַמַּיִם:
8Of the animals that do not impart spiritual defilement, of the animals that impart spiritual defilement, of the birds, and of all the creatures that crawl on the ground,   חמִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ הַטְּהוֹרָ֔ה וּמִ֨ן־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵינֶ֖נָּה טְהֹרָ֑ה וּמִ֨ן־הָע֔וֹף וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־רֹמֵ֖שׂ עַל־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה:
9a minimum of two each had come, male and female, to Noah, so he could take them into the ark as God had commanded Noah.   טשְׁנַ֨יִם שְׁנַ֜יִם בָּ֧אוּ אֶל־נֹ֛חַ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֖ה זָכָ֣ר וּנְקֵבָ֑ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־נֹֽחַ:
בָּאוּ אֶל־נֹחַ - Had come to Noah. Of their own accord.   בָּאוּ אֶל־נֹחַ.  מֵאֵלֵיהֶן:
שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם - Two each. They were all equal in that they had at least this number; the minimum number was two.   שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם.  כֻּלָם הֻשְׁווּ בְּמִנְיָן זֶה – מִן הַפָּחוּת הָיוּ שְׁנַיִם:
10After the seven days passed, the water of the Flood came upon the earth.   יוַיְהִ֖י לְשִׁבְעַ֣ת הַיָּמִ֑ים וּמֵ֣י הַמַּבּ֔וּל הָי֖וּ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
11The Flood began in the 600th year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the 17th of the month. On that day, all the wellsprings of the great abyss burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.   יאבִּשְׁנַ֨ת שֵֽׁשׁ־מֵא֤וֹת שָׁנָה֙ לְחַיֵּי־נֹ֔חַ בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָֽה־עָשָׂ֥ר י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה נִבְקְעוּ֙ כָּל־מַעְיְנוֹת֙ תְּה֣וֹם רַבָּ֔ה וַֽאֲרֻבֹּ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם נִפְתָּֽחוּ:
בחודש הַשֵּׁנִי - In the second month. Rabbi Eliezer says, “This was the month of Marcheshvan.” Rabbi Yehoshua says, “This was the month of Iyar.”   בחודש הַשֵּׁנִי.  רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר זֶה מַרְחֶשְׁוָן; רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר זֶה אִיָּר (ר"ה י"א):
נִבְקְעוּ - Burst open - in order to release their water.   נִבְקְעוּ.  לְהוֹצִיא מֵימֵיהֶן:
תְּהוֹם רַבָּה - The great abyss. They were punished measure for measure: They sinned in that רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם – “man’s wickedness was great,” 1 and therefore they were punished by means of תְּהוֹם רַבָּה – the great abyss.   תְּהוֹם רַבָּה.  מִדָּה כְנֶגֶד מִדָּה, הֵם חָטְאוּ בְּרַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם וְלָקוּ בִּתְהוֹם רַבָּה:
12Rain fell upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights.   יבוַיְהִ֥י הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָֽיְלָה:
וַיְהִי הַגֶּשֶׁם עַל־הָאָרֶץ - Rain fell upon the earth. But further on 2 it says: “The Flood was upon the earth.” Scripture tells us, however, that when God made the rain fall, He first made it fall mercifully, so that if the people would repent it would be a rain of blessing, but when they did not repent, the rains became a flood.   וַיְהִי הַגֶּשֶׁם עַל־הָאָרֶץ.  וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר וַיְהִי הַמַּבּוּל? אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהוֹרִידָן הוֹרִידָן בְּרַחֲמִים, שֶׁאִם יַחְזְרוּ יִהְיוּ גִּשְׁמֵי בְרָכָה; כְּשֶׁלֹּא חָזְרוּ הָיוּ לְמַבּוּל:
אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וגו' - 40 days… The first day is not included in this number, because its night was not with it as part of the Flood, since the Flood only began by day, as it is written: “on that day, all the wellsprings…burst open.” 3 Consequently, the forty days ended on 28th Kislev according to Rabbi Eliezer, since the months are counted in their regular pattern beginning with Tishrei, one month full (30 days), and the next deficient (29 days); thus there were 12 days of Marcheshvan and 28 days of Kislev.   אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וגו'.  אֵין יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן מִן הַמִּנְיָן, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין לֵילוֹ עִמּוֹ שֶׁהֲרֵי כְתִיב בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה נִבְקְעוּ כָּל מַעְיְנֹת, נִמְצְאוּ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם כָּלִים בְּכ"ח בְּכִסְלֵו לְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֱזֶר, שֶׁהַחֳדָשִׁים נִמְנִין כְּסִדְרָן אֶחָד מָלֵא וְאֶחָד חָסֵר, הֲרֵי י"ב מִמַּרְחֶשְׁוָן וְכ"ח מִכִּסְלֵו:
13Noah entered the ark in the very midst of that day, with Noah’s sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them.   יגבְּעֶ֨צֶם הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ בָּ֣א נֹ֔חַ וְשֵֽׁם־וְחָ֥ם וָיֶ֖פֶת בְּנֵי־נֹ֑חַ וְאֵ֣שֶׁת נֹ֗חַ וּשְׁל֧שֶׁת נְשֵֽׁי־בָנָ֛יו אִתָּ֖ם אֶל־הַתֵּבָֽה:
בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה - In the very midst of that day. By emphasizing that they entered in broad daylight, Scripture teaches us that the people of his generation were saying, “If we see him enter the ark, we will smash it up and kill him.” To this the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I will have him enter the ark in full view of everyone, and then we will see whose word prevails.”   בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.  לִמֶּדְךָ הַכָּתוּב שֶׁהָיוּ בְנֵי דוֹרוֹ אוֹמְרִים אִלּוּ אָנוּ רוֹאִים אוֹתוֹ נִכְנָס לַתֵּבָה, אָנוּ שׁוֹבְרִין אוֹתָהּ וְהוֹרְגִין אוֹתוֹ, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֲנִי מַכְנִיסוֹ לְעֵינֵי כֻלָּם וְנִרְאֶה דְבַר מִי יָקוּם:
14With them, every kind of walking wildlife, every kind of domestic animal, every kind of creature that crawls on the ground, and every kind of flying creature—every bird and every winged creature.   ידהֵ֜מָּה וְכָל־הַֽחַיָּ֣ה לְמִינָ֗הּ וְכָל־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ וְכָל־הָרֶ֛מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וְכָל־הָע֣וֹף לְמִינֵ֔הוּ כֹּ֖ל צִפּ֥וֹר כָּל־כָּנָֽף:
צִפּוֹר כֹּל כָּנָֽף - Bird and every winged creature. The word צִפּוֹר “bird” here is in the construct form, i.e., “birds of every kind of wing,” thus including locusts which are not otherwise included in the category of birds. כָּנָף means “wing feathers” as in: “He must tear it open with its feathers (בִכְנָפָיו) intact,” 4 where even its feathers ascend to be sacrificed. Here, too, it means birds with any semblance of feathers.   צִפּוֹר כֹּל כָּנָֽף.  דָבוּק הוּא, צִפּוֹר שֶׁל כָּל מִין כָּנָף, לְרַבּוֹת חֲגָבִים (כָּנָף לְשׁוֹן נוֹצָה, כְּמוֹ וְשִׁסַּע אֹתוֹ בִכְנָפָיו, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ נוֹצָתָהּ עוֹלָה, אַף כָּאן צִפּוֹר כָּל מִין מַרְאִית נוֹצָה):
15Pairs of all species of flesh that breathed, i.e., that were alive, came to Noah into the ark.   טווַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־נֹ֖חַ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה שְׁנַ֤יִם שְׁנַ֨יִם֙ מִכָּל־הַבָּשָׂ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ ר֥וּחַ חַיִּֽים:
16Those who came were male and female; of all flesh they came, as God had commanded him, and God sealed the entrance behind him.   טזוְהַבָּאִ֗ים זָכָ֨ר וּנְקֵבָ֤ה מִכָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֔אוּ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּסְגֹּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה בַּֽעֲדֽוֹ:
ויסגור ה' בַּֽעֲדֽוֹ - And God sealed [the entrance] (lit.) in front of him. He protected him so that the people would not smash up the ark: He surrounded the ark with bears and lions thus enclosing it (סָגַר) and they set about killing some of the people. But the straightforward meaning of the verse is that He closed up the door before him against the water. Similarly, wherever בְּעַד occurs in Scripture it means כְּנֶגֶד “in front of”; e.g., “For God had blocked (lit.) in front of (בְּעַד) every orifice”; 5 “close the door in front of you (בַּעֲדֵךְ) and in front of (וּבְעַד) your sons”; 6 “skin (i.e., limb) in front of (בְּעַד) skin (limb)”; 7 “a shield in front of (i.e., protecting) me (בַּעֲדִי)”; 8 “Pray בְּעַד your servants,” 9 which means: “Pray in front of your servants.”   ויסגור ה' בַּֽעֲדֽוֹ.  הֵגֵן עָלָיו שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁבְּרוּהָ, הִקִּיף הַתֵּבָה דֻּבִּים וַאֲרָיוֹת וְהָיוּ הוֹרְגִים בָּהֶם; וּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא סָגַר כְּנֶגֶדוֹ מִן הַמַּיִם, וְכֵן כָּל בְּעַד שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא לְשׁוֹן כְּנֶגֶד הוּא, בְּעַד כָּל רֶחֶם (בראשית כ׳:י״ח), בַּעֲדֵךְ וּבְעַד בָּנַיִךְ (מ"ב ד'), עוֹר בְּעַד עוֹר (איוב ב'), מָגֵן בַּעֲדִי (תהלים ג'), הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד עֲבָדֶיךָ (שמואל א' י"ב) – כְּנֶגֶד עֲבָדֶיךָ: