| 8God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, |
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חוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־נֹ֔חַ וְאֶל־בָּנָי֥ו אִתּ֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר: |
| 9“As for Me, I hereby am establishing My covenant with you and with your offspring after you, |
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טוַאֲנִ֕י הִֽנְנִ֥י מֵקִ֛ים אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתְּכֶ֑ם וְאֶת־זַרְעֲכֶ֖ם אַֽחֲרֵיכֶֽם: |
| וַאֲנִי הִֽנְנִי - (lit.) As for Me, I am. This double expression conveys the idea: “I agree with you.” For Noah had been afraid of having children until the Holy One, blessed be He, promised him not to destroy the world again, and so He did. Afterward, He told him here, “I agree to give to My promise the permanence and strength of a covenant and I will give you a sign.” |
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וַאֲנִי הִֽנְנִי.
מַסְכִּים אֲנִי עִמְּךָ, שֶׁהָיָה נֹחַ דוֹאֵג לַעֲסֹק בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה עַד שֶׁהִבְטִיחוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁלֹּא לְשַׁחֵת הָעוֹלָם עוֹד, וְכֵן עָשָׂה וּבָאַחֲרוֹנָה אָמַר לוֹ הִנְנִי מַסְכִּים לַעֲשׂוֹת קִיּוּם וְחִזּוּק בְּרִית לְהַבְטָחָתִי וְאֶתֵּן לְךָ אוֹת:
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| 10and with every living creature that is with you—the birds, the domestic walking animals, all the harmless wild walking animals of the earth (who live peacefully with you), all the crawling creatures who left the ark, and all the harmful wild walking animals on earth. |
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יוְאֵ֨ת כָּל־נֶ֤פֶשׁ הַֽחַיָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֔ם בָּע֧וֹף בַּבְּהֵמָ֛ה וּבְכָל־חַיַּ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ אִתְּכֶ֑ם מִכֹּל֙ יֹֽצְאֵ֣י הַתֵּבָ֔ה לְכֹ֖ל חַיַּ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ: |
| חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ אִתְּכֶם - Wild animals of the earth with you - are those that walk among human beings. |
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חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ אִתְּכֶם.
הֵם הַמִּתְהַלְּכִים עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת:
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| מִכֹּל יוצאי הַתֵּבָה - All who left the ark. These words come to include winged insects and reptiles. |
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מִכֹּל יוצאי הַתֵּבָה.
לְהָבִיא שְׁקָצִים וּרְמָשִׂים:
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| חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ - All the wild animals on earth. These words come to include the harmful ones, which are not included in “the living creatures that are with you” since they do not walk among human beings. |
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חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ.
לְהָבִיא הַמַּזִּיקִין, שֶׁאֵינָן בִּכְלַל הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר אִתְּכֶם, שֶׁאֵין הִלּוּכָן עִם הַבְּרִיוֹת:
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| 11I will confirm My covenant with you by giving you a sign that I am bound by it, and thus you can rest assured that never again will any flesh be cut off by the water of a flood. Never again will there be a flood that will destroy the earth.” |
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יאוַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִ֤י אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתְּכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר ע֖וֹד מִמֵּ֣י הַמַּבּ֑וּל וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה ע֛וֹד מַבּ֖וּל לְשַׁחֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ: |
| וַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִי - I will confirm - i.e., I will give My covenant confirmation. What will this confirmation be? The rainbow, as it goes on to explain later. |
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וַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִי.
אֶעֱשֶׂה קִיּוּם לִבְרִיתִי. וּמַהוּ קִיּוּמוֹ? אוֹת הַקֶּשֶׁת כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּסַיֵּם וְהוֹלֵךְ:
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| 12God said, “This is the sign that I am providing for the covenant between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all generations: |
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יבוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים זֹ֤את אֽוֹת־הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֣י נֹתֵ֗ן בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֛ין כָּל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֑ם לְדֹרֹ֖ת עוֹלָֽם: |
| לְדֹרֹת עוֹלָֽם - For all generations. The word לְדֹרֹת is written deficiently, without two ו’s, as an indication that there are generations that would not require a sign since they would be completely righteous, such as the generation of King Chizkiyah of Judah and the generation of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. |
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לְדֹרֹת עוֹלָֽם.
נִכְתַּב חָסֵר, שֶׁיֵּשׁ דּוֹרוֹת שֶׁלֹּא הֻצְרְכוּ לְאוֹת לְפִי שֶׁצַּדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים הָיוּ, כְּמוֹ דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל חִזְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְדוֹרוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי (ב"ר):
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| 13I have placed My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the world. |
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יגאֶת־קַשְׁתִּ֕י נָתַ֖תִּי בֶּֽעָנָ֑ן וְהָֽיְתָה֙ לְא֣וֹת בְּרִ֔ית בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין הָאָֽרֶץ: |
| 14When I bring clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear among the clouds, |
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ידוְהָיָ֕ה בְּעַֽנְנִ֥י עָנָ֖ן עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְנִרְאֲתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת בֶּֽעָנָֽן: |
| בְּעַֽנְנִי עָנָן - means: “when I would consider bringing darkness and destruction to the world.” |
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בְּעַֽנְנִי עָנָן.
כְּשֶׁתַּעֲלֶה בְמַחֲשָׁבָה לְפָנַי לְהָבִיא חֹשֶׁךְ וַאֲבַדּוֹן לָעוֹלָם:
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| 15and I will recall My covenant that exists between Me and you and every living creature among all flesh, so that never again will water become a flood to destroy any flesh. |
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טווְזָֽכַרְתִּ֣י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֛ין כָּל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה בְּכָל־בָּשָׂ֑ר וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה ע֤וֹד הַמַּ֨יִם֙ לְמַבּ֔וּל לְשַׁחֵ֖ת כָּל־בָּשָֽׂר: |
| 16The rainbow will be in the clouds, and I will see it to recall the eternal covenant I am now making between God and every living creature among all flesh that is upon the earth.” |
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טזוְהָֽיְתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת בֶּֽעָנָ֑ן וּרְאִיתִ֗יהָ לִזְכֹּר֙ בְּרִ֣ית עוֹלָ֔ם בֵּ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֔ים וּבֵין֙ כָּל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה בְּכָל־בָּשָׂ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ: |
| בֵּין אֱלֹהִים וּבֵין כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה - Between God and every living creature - means between the Heavenly Attribute of Justice signified by the name אֱלֹהִים and you, for otherwise it should have written: “between Me and every living creature.” And this is its explanation: When the Attribute of Justice comes to accuse you in order to condemn you, I will look at the sign and remember the covenant. |
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בֵּין אֱלֹהִים וּבֵין כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה.
בֵּין מִדַּת הַדִּין שֶׁל מַעְלָה וּבֵינֵיכֶם, שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לִכְתֹּב בֵּינִי וּבֵין כָּל נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, אֶלָּא זֶהוּ מִדְרָשׁוֹ כְּשֶׁתָּבֹא מִדַּת הַדִּין לְקַטְרֵג עֲלֵיכֶם לְחַיֵּב אֶתְכֶם, אֲנִי רוֹאֶה אֶת הָאוֹת וְנִזְכָּר:
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| 17God said to Noah, “Behold the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” |
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יזוַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־נֹ֑חַ זֹ֤את אֽוֹת־הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֲקִמֹ֔תִי בֵּינִ֕י וּבֵ֥ין כָּל־בָּשָׂ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ: |
| זֹאת אֽוֹת־הַבְּרִית - (lit.) This is the sign of the covenant. He showed him the rainbow and said to him, “This here is the sign about which I spoke.” |
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זֹאת אֽוֹת־הַבְּרִית.
הֶרְאָהוּ הַקֶּשֶׁת וְאָמַר לוֹ הֲרֵי הָאוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי:
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