ב"ה

Learning & Values Parshah (Weekly Torah) Bereishit - Genesis Noach Texts & Summaries

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First Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 6

9The following are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man; he remained faultless despite the corruptive influence of his generations. Noah walked with God.		טאֵ֚לֶּה תּֽוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ:
אֵלֶּה תּֽוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק - The following are the descendants of Noah – Noah was a righteous man - Since the verse mentions him, it relates his praise, in accordance with what it says: “The mention of a righteous person is for blessing.” 1 Another explanation why his descendants are not directly mentioned: It teaches you that the main posterity of righteous people is their good deeds.		אֵלֶּה תּֽוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק. הוֹאִיל וְהִזְכִּירוֹ סִפֵּר בְּשִׁבְחוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר זֵכֶר צַדִּיק לִבְרָכָה (משלי י'). דָּבָר אַחֵר לִמֶּדְךָ שֶׁעִקַּר תּוֹלְדוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים:
בְּדֹֽרֹתָיו - In his generations. Some of our sages explain this to his credit: He was righteous even in his generation; if he had been in a generation of righteous people he would certainly have been more righteous. But others explain this to his discredit: He was a righteous person only in comparison with his own generation, but had he been in the generation of Abraham he would not have been considered of any importance.		בְּדֹֽרֹתָיו. יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לְשֶׁבַח, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן אִלּוּ הָיָה בְדוֹר צַדִּיקִים הָיָה צַדִּיק יוֹתֵר; וְיֵשׁ שֶׁדּוֹרְשִׁים אוֹתוֹ לִגְנַאי, לְפִי דוֹרוֹ הָיָה צַדִּיק וְאִלּוּ הָיָה בְדוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם לֹא הָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לִכְלוּם (סנה' ק"ח):
אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ - Noah walked with God. But about Abraham it says: הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי lit., “Walk before Me”;2 אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי לְפָנָיו “God, before whom I have walked.” 3 The difference is: Noah required God’s support to uphold him in his righteousness, while Abraham strengthened himself morally and conducted himself righteously by his own efforts.		אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ. וּבְאַבְרָהָם הוּא אוֹמֵר אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי לְפָנָיו? (ברא' כ"ד), נֹחַ הָיָה צָרִיךְ סַעַד לְתָמְכוֹ, אֲבָל אַבְרָהָם הָיָה מִתְחַזֵּק וּמְהַלֵּךְ בְצִדְקוֹ מֵאֵלָיו:
הִתְהַלֶּךְ־ - This word is here in the past tense. And the presence of a dagesh in the letter lamed is the usage of the letter lamed when used in the כָּבֵד (“heavy”) conjugation (hitpa’el). Furthermore, both the future (imperative) tense and the past tense of this conjugation have one and the same form. For example: קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ “Rise and walk” 4 is future (imperative); הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ “Noah walked” is past; הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד עֲבָדֶיךָ “pray for your servants” is future (imperative); וּבָא וְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה “and he will come and pray toward this House” 5 is past, only the ו at the beginning of the word הִתְפַּלֵּל changes the tense to the future.		הִתְהַלֶּךְ־. לְשׁוֹן עָבָר, וְזֶהוּ שִׁמּוּשׁוֹ שֶׁל לָשׁוֹן, בְּלָשׁוֹן כָּבֵד מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת לְהַבָּא וּלְשֶׁעָבַר בְּלָשׁוֹן א', קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ (שם י"ג) לְהַבָּא, הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ לְשֶׁעָבַר; הִתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד עֲבָדֶיךָ (שמואל א' י"ב) לְהַבָּא, וּבָא וְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה (מ"א ח') לְשׁוֹן עָבָר, אֶלָּא שֶׁהַוָּי"ו שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁוֹ הֲפָכוֹ לְהַבָּא:
10Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.		יוַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶת:
11The world had become corrupt before God, and the land was filled with robbery.		יאוַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס:
וַתִּשָּׁחֵת - Had become corrupt. An expression denoting immorality and idol-worship – idol-worship as in “Lest you become corrupt (תַּשְׁחִתוּן) and make a sculpted image for yourselves…”; 6 and immorality as in v. 12: “for all flesh had perverted (הִשְׁחִית) its way.”		וַתִּשָּׁחֵת. לְשׁוֹן עֶרְוָה וַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה (סנה' נ"ז) כְּמוֹ פֶּן תַּשְׁחִתוּן (דב' ד'), כִּי הִשְׁחִית כָּל בָּשָׂר וְגוֹ':
וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָֽס - And the land was filled with (lit.) violence. This means robbery, as it says: “and from the חמס in their hands.” 7		וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָֽס. גֶּזֶל:
12God saw the world, and it was corrupt, for almost all flesh had perverted its way on the earth.		יבוַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִית כָּל־בָּשָׂר - For all flesh had perverted. Even animals, beasts, and birds consorted with species other than their own.		כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִית כָּל־בָּשָׂר. אֲפִלּוּ בְהֵמָה חַיָּה וָעוֹף נִזְקָקִין לְשֶׁאֵינָן מִינָן:
13God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all flesh; it is because the world is filled with robbery because of them that I will obliterate them from the earth.		יגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים לְנֹ֗חַ קֵ֤ץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י כִּי־מָֽלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ:
קֵץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר - An end to all flesh. Wherever you find immorality and idol-worship, and death is decreed on that account, indiscriminate punishment comes upon the world, killing good and bad alike.		קֵץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא זְנוּת וַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה אַנְדְּרוֹלוֹמוּסְיָא בָּאָה לְעוֹלָם וְהוֹרֶגֶת טוֹבִים וְרָעִים.
כִּי־מָֽלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס - Because the world is filled with robbery. Their sentence was sealed only on account of their sin of robbery.		כִּי־מָֽלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס. לֹא נֶחְתַּם גְּזַר דִּינָם אֶלָּא עַל הַגֶּזֶל (סנה' ק"ח):
אֶת־הָאָרֶץ - (lit.) With the earth. This has the same meaning as מִן הָאָרֶץ “from the earth.” Similar cases of אֶת meaning מִן: “When I go out אֶת הָעִיר,” which means מִן הָעִיר “from the city”; 8 “he suffered אֶת רַגְלָיו,” which means מִן רַגְלָיו “from his legs.” 9 Another explanation of אֶת הָאָרֶץ: עִם הָאָרֶץ “together with the earth” – for a three-handbreadths depth of earth reached by a plow was also washed away and blotted out.		אֶת־הָאָרֶץ. כְּמוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ, וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ כְּצֵאתִי אֶת הָעִיר (שמ' ט'), מִן הָעִיר; חָלָה אֶת רַגְלָיו (מ"א ט"ו), מִן רַגְלָיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֶת הָאָרֶץ – עִם הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁאַף ג' טְפָחִים שֶׁל עֹמֶק הַמַּחֲרֵשָׁה נִמֹּחוּ וְנִטַּשְׁטְשׁוּ:
14Make yourself an ark out of cypress wood. You must make the ark with compartments for each type of animal, and you must caulk it both inside and outside with pitch.		ידעֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ תֵּבַ֣ת עֲצֵי־גֹ֔פֶר קִנִּ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֶת־הַתֵּבָ֑ה וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֛הּ מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ בַּכֹּֽפֶר:
עֲשֵׂה לְךָ תֵּבַת - Make yourself an ark. There are many possibilities of relief and deliverance by which God could have saved Noah. Why, then, did He burden Noah with this construction? In order that the people of the generation of the Flood see him working on it for 120 years and ask him, “What do you need this for?” and he would tell them, “The Holy One, blessed be He, is going to bring a flood upon the world.” Maybe they would then repent.		עֲשֵׂה לְךָ תֵּבַת. הַרְבֵּה רֶוַח וְהַצָּלָה לְפָנָיו, וְלָמָּה הִטְרִיחוֹ בְּבִנְיָן זֶה? כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּרְאוּהוּ אַנְשֵׁי דוֹר הַמַּבּוּל עוֹסֵק בָּהּ ק"כ שָׁנָה, וְשׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ מַה זֹּאת לְךָ, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לָהֶם עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהָבִיא מַבּוּל לָעוֹלָם, אוּלַי יָשׁוּבוּ:
עֲצֵי־גופר - Cypress () wood. This is its name. And why was it made of this type of wood? Because its name resembles גָּפְרִית “sulfur,” by which it was decreed that they were to be wiped out.		עֲצֵי־גופר. כָּךְ שְׁמוֹ. וְלָמָּה מִמִּין זֶה? עַל שֵׁם גָּפְרִית שֶׁנִּגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם לִמָּחוֹת בּוֹ:
קִנִּים - Compartments. Separate cabins for each kind of animal and beast.		קִנִּים. מְדוֹרִים מְדוֹרִים לְכָל בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה:
בַּכֹּֽפֶר - This is the Aramaic for זֶפֶת “pitch,” and we also find in the Talmud 10 the word כּוּפְרָא meaning “pitch.” For the ark in which Moses was placed, since the water was calm, it was sufficient to coat it with clay inside and pitch outside. Furthermore, clay was used for the interior so that the righteous Moses not smell the bad odor of pitch. Here, however, because of the pressure of the water, he had to coat it with pitch both inside and out.		בַּכֹּֽפֶר. זֶפֶת בְלָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי, וּמָצִינוּ בַּתַּלְמוּד כּוּפְרָא. בְּתֵבָתוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיוּ הַמַּיִם תָּשִׁים דַּיָּהּ בְּחֹמֶר מִבִּפְנִים וְזֶפֶת מִבַּחוּץ; וְעוֹד, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָרִיחַ אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק רֵיחַ רַע שֶׁל זֶפֶת, אֲבָל כָּאן מִפְּנֵי חֹזֶק הַמַּיִם זִפְּתָהּ מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ:
15This is how you must make it: The length of the ark will be 300 cubits, its width 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits.		טווְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֹתָ֑הּ שְׁל֧שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אַמָּ֗ה אֹ֚רֶךְ הַתֵּבָ֔ה חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים אַמָּה֙ רָחְבָּ֔הּ וּשְׁלשִׁ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה קֽוֹמָתָֽהּ:
16You must make a skylight and use a luminous stone for additional light in the ark. Taper the roof so that its tip is one cubit wide. Place the entrance to the ark in its side. You must make it with a lower deck, a second deck, and a third deck.		טזצֹ֣הַר \| תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַתֵּבָ֗ה וְאֶל־אַמָּה֙ תְּכַלֶּ֣נָּה מִלְמַ֔עְלָה וּפֶ֥תַח הַתֵּבָ֖ה בְּצִדָּ֣הּ תָּשִׂ֑ים תַּחְתִּיִּ֛ם שְׁנִיִּ֥ם וּשְׁלִשִׁ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶֽׂהָ:
צֹהַר - (lit.) Light. Some sages say that this was a window, and others say that it was a precious stone that gave them light.		צֹהַר. יֵשׁ אוֹמָרִים חַלּוֹן וְיֵשׁ אוֹמָרִים אֶבֶן טוֹבָה הַמְּאִירָה לָהֶם (ב"ר שם):
וְאֶל־אַמָּה תְּכַלֶּנָּה מִלְמַעְלָה - Taper [the roof] so that its tip is one cubit wide. Its covering slanted upward until it narrowed off at the top to one cubit so that the water should run off on either side.		וְאֶל־אַמָּה תְּכַלֶּנָּה מִלְמַעְלָה. כִּסּוּיָהּ מְשֻׁפָּע וְעוֹלֶה עַד שֶׁהוּא קָצָר מִלְמַעְלָה וְעוֹמֵד עַל אַמָּה כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּזוּבוּ הַמַּיִם לְמַטָּה מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן:
בְּצִדָּהּ תָּשִׂים - Place [the entrance to the ark] in its side - and not on top so that the rains do not seep in.		בְּצִדָּהּ תָּשִׂים. שֶׁלֹּא יִפְּלוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים בָּהּ:
תַּחְתִּיִּם שְׁנִיִּם וּשְׁלִשִׁים - A lower deck, a second deck, and a third deck. Three levels one above the other: the top one for the people, the middle one as cabins for the animals, and the lowest for waste.		תַּחְתִּיִּם שְׁנִיִּם וּשְׁלִשִׁים. ג' עֲלִיוֹת זוֹ עַל גַּב זוֹ, עֶלְיוֹנִים לָאָדָם, אֶמְצָעִים לְמָדוֹֹר, תַּחְתִּיִּים לְזֶבֶל (שם):
17As for Me, I am about to bring the Flood of water upon the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh that has in it a breath of life. Everything on earth will expire.		יזוַֽאֲנִ֗י הִֽנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶת־הַמַּבּ֥וּל מַ֨יִם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ חַיִּ֔ים מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֖רֶץ יִגְוָֽע:
וַֽאֲנִי הִֽנְנִי מֵבִיא - As for Me, I am about to bring - i.e., I am prepared to agree with those angels who already urged Me at the creation of man and said to Me, “What is man worth that You consider him.” 11		וַֽאֲנִי הִֽנְנִי מֵבִיא. הִנְנִי מוּכָן לְהַסְכִּים עִם אוֹתָם שֶׁזֵּרְזוּנִי וְאָמְרוּ לְפָנַי כְּבָר מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ (תה' ח'):
מַּבּוּל - Flood. It was so called because it ruined (בִּלָּה) everything, because it put everything into confusion (בִּלְבֵּל), and because it brought everything down (הוֹבִיל) from high to low. This last-mentioned explanation is like that of Onkelos who translates מַבּוּל as טוֹפָנָא, because the Flood caused everything to float about (הֵצִיף) and brought it to Babel which is a low-lying place. It was therefore also called שִׁנְעָר, because all those who died in the Flood were shaken out (נִנְעֲרוּ) there.		מַּבּוּל. שֶׁבִּלָּה אֶת הַכֹּל, שֶׁבִּלְבֵּל אֶת הַכֹּל, שֶׁהוֹבִיל אֶת הַכֹּל מִן הַגָּבוֹהַּ לַנָּמוּךְ; וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן אֻנְקְלוֹס שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם טוֹפָנָא, שֶׁהֵצִיף אֶת הַכֹּל, וֶהֱבִיאָהּ לְבָבֶל שֶׁהִיא עֲמֻקָּה, לְכָךְ נִקְרֵאת שִׁנְעָר, שֶׁנִּנְעֲרוּ שָׁם כָּל מֵתֵי מַבּוּל:
18But I will establish My covenant with you. You and your family must enter the ark, you together with your sons, and your wife with your sons’ wives.		יחוַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַתֵּ֔בָה אַתָּ֕ה וּבָנֶי֛ךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֥ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶי֖ךָ אִתָּֽךְ:
וַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי - I will establish My covenant. A covenant was necessary for the fruit so that they would not rot and putrefy, and also so that the wicked people of that generation would not kill him.		וַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי. בְּרִית הָיָה צָרִיךְ עַל הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יִרְקְבוּ וִיעַפְּשׁוּ וְשֶׁלֹּא יַהַרְגוּהוּ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁבַּדּוֹר (ב"ר):
אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ - You together with your sons, and your wife. The men by themselves and the women by themselves. From this we may infer that they were forbidden to have marital relations while in the ark.		אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ. הָאֲנָשִׁים לְבַד וְהַנָּשִׁים לְבַד; מִכָּאן שֶׁנֶּאֱסְרוּ בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה: (שם):
19Of all incorporeal living beings and of all flesh, you must bring a minimum of two of each species into the ark, for that is the minimum you need to preserve its species with you; they must be male and female.		יטוּמִכָּל־הָ֠חַ֠י מִכָּל־בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל תָּבִ֥יא אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֖ה לְהַֽחֲיֹ֣ת אִתָּ֑ךְ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ:
וּמִכָּל־הָחַי - Of all living beings - even demons.		וּמִכָּל־הָחַי. אֲפִלּוּ שֵׁדִים (ב"ר):
שְׁנַיִם מִכָּל־ - Two of each species - Even of the least numerous among those that entered the ark there was not less than two – one male and one female.		שְׁנַיִם מִכָּל־. מִן הַפָּחוּת שֶׁבָּהֶם לֹא פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁנַיִם, אֶחָד זָכָר וְאֶחָד נְקֵבָה:
20From the birds that kept to their species, from the walking animals that kept to their species, and from the creatures that crawl on the ground that kept to their species, two of each kind will come to you on their own to be kept alive.		כמֵֽהָע֣וֹף לְמִינֵ֗הוּ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ מִכֹּ֛ל רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל יָבֹ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ לְהַֽחֲיֽוֹת:
מֵֽהָעוֹף לְמִינֵהוּ - From the birds that kept to their species - i.e., those that kept to their own species and did not pervert their nature. These all came by themselves, and those which the ark accepted he admitted.		מֵֽהָעוֹף לְמִינֵהוּ. אוֹתָן שֶׁדָּבְקוּ בְמִינֵיהֶם וְלֹא הִשְׁחִיתוּ דַרְכָּם, וּמֵאֵלֵיהֶם בָּאוּ, וְכֹל שֶׁהַתֵּבָה קוֹלַטְתּוֹ הִכְנִיס (ב"ר):
21As for you, take for yourself some of every kind of edible food and gather it in for yourself, so that you and they have food to eat.”		כאוְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֗ מִכָּל־מַֽאֲכָל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֖ אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה לְךָ֛ וְלָהֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָֽה:
22Noah did everything that God commanded him to do exactly.		כבוַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ כְּ֠כֹ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים כֵּ֥ן עָשָֽׂה:
וַיַּעַשׂ נֹחַ - Noah did. This refers to the building of the ark.		וַיַּעַשׂ נֹחַ. זֶה בִּנְיַן הַתֵּבָה:

Footnotes

1 Kings 8:42.

1 Kings 15:23.

Shabbat 67a.

Second Portion

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:

Footnotes

2 Kings 4:4.

Third Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 7

17The Flood was upon the earth for 40 full days. The water increased and lifted the ark, and it rose above the ground.		יזוַיְהִ֧י הַמַּבּ֛וּל אַרְבָּעִ֥ים י֖וֹם עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּרְבּ֣וּ הַמַּ֗יִם וַיִּשְׂאוּ֙ אֶת־הַתֵּבָ֔ה וַתָּ֖רָם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ:
וַתָּרָם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ - It rose above the ground. It was submerged 11 cubits deep in the water, like a laden ship partially submerged in water. Subsequent verses prove that this was the depth in which the ark was submerged in the water.		וַתָּרָם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ. מְשֻׁקַּעַת הָיְתָה בַּמַּיִם י"א אַמָּה כִסְפִינָה טְעוּנָה הַמְשֻׁקַּעַת מִקְצָתָהּ בַּמַּיִם; וּמִקְרָאוֹת שֶׁלְּפָנֵינוּ יוֹכִיחוּ:
18After the rain ceased, the water surged on its own, and thus increased greatly over the earth. The ark drifted on the surface of the water.		יחוַיִּגְבְּר֥וּ הַמַּ֛יִם וַיִּרְבּ֥וּ מְאֹ֖ד עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַתֵּ֥לֶךְ הַתֵּבָ֖ה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם:
וַיִּגְבְּרוּ - [The water] surged - of their own accord, since the rains had ceased.		וַיִּגְבְּרוּ. מֵאֵלֵיהֶן:
19The water surged exceedingly high over the earth, and all the high mountains under the whole sky were covered.		יטוְהַמַּ֗יִם גָּֽבְר֛וּ מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹ֖ד עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיְכֻסּ֗וּ כָּל־הֶֽהָרִים֙ הַגְּבֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם:
20The mountains were covered, for the water surged 15 cubits above them.		כחֲמֵ֨שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה אַמָּה֙ מִלְמַ֔עְלָה גָּֽבְר֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם וַיְכֻסּ֖וּ הֶֽהָרִֽים:
חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה מִלְמַעְלָה - 15 cubits (lit.) higher - i.e., higher than the peaks of all the mountains, after the water had reached the level of all the mountain peaks.		חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה מִלְמַעְלָה. לְמַעְלָה שֶׁל גֹּבַהּ כָּל הֶהָרִים, לְאַחַר שֶׁהֻשְׁווּ הַמַּיִם לְרָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים:
21All flesh that moved upon the earth expired, including the birds, the domestic animals, the walking wildlife, and every low-lying creature that swarms on the earth, as well as all humanity.		כאוַיִּגְוַ֞ע כָּל־בָּשָׂ֣ר \| הָֽרֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ בָּע֤וֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבַ֣חַיָּ֔ה וּבְכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְכֹ֖ל הָֽאָדָֽם:
22Of every being that was on dry land, every being that breathed the breath of life died.		כבכֹּ֡ל אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁמַת־ר֨וּחַ חַיִּ֜ים בְּאַפָּ֗יו מִכֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֶּחָֽרָבָ֖ה מֵֽתוּ:
נִשְׁמַת־רוּחַ חַיִּים - This means: the breath of the spirit of life.		נִשְׁמַת־רוּחַ חַיִּים. נְשָׁמָה שֶׁל רוּחַ חַיִּים:
אֲשֶׁר בֶּחָֽרָבָה - On dry land - but not the fish in the sea.		אֲשֶׁר בֶּחָֽרָבָה. וְלֹא דָגִים שֶׁבַּיָּם (סנה' ק"ח):
23God obliterated every being that had been on the face of the earth—including humans, walking animals, crawling creatures, and the birds that fly in the sky. They were obliterated from the earth; only Noah and those who were with him in the ark survived.		כגוַיִּ֜מַח אֶת־כָּל־הַיְק֣וּם \| אֲשֶׁ֣ר \| עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה מֵֽאָדָ֤ם עַד־בְּהֵמָה֙ עַד־רֶ֨מֶשׂ֙ וְעַד־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּמָּח֖וּ מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּשָּׁ֧אֶר אַךְ־נֹ֛חַ וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בַּתֵּבָֽה:
וַיִּמַח - [God] obliterated. The word וַיִּמַח is a kal (simple active) form and not a nif’al (passive) form, and it is of the same grammatical form as וַיִּפֶן 1 and וַיִּבֶן. 2 Every verb whose last root letter is ה, such as קָנָה, מָחָה, בָּנָה, when וי are prefixed to it, is punctuated with a chirik under the י.		וַיִּמַח. לְשׁוֹן וַיִּפְעַל הוּא וְאֵינוֹ לָשׁוֹן וַיִפָּעֵל, וְהוּא מִגִּזְרַת וַיִּפֶן וַיִּבֶן כָּל תֵּבָה שֶׁסּוֹפָהּ הֵ"א, כְּגוֹן בָּנָה, מָחָה, קָנָה, כְּשֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן וָי"ו יוֹ"ד בְּרֹאשָׁהּ, נָקוּד בְּחִירִק תַּחַת הַיּוֹ"ד:
אַךְ־נֹחַ - means “only Noah”; this is its straightforward meaning. But according to an aggadic explanation, he was groaning and spitting blood from the effort of taking care of the animals and the beasts. Some sages say that he once delayed bringing food for the lion and it bit him. About him it says: “Even a righteous man is paid on earth for his sins.” 3		אַךְ־נֹחַ. לְבַד נֹחַ, זֶהוּ פְּשׁוּטוֹ; וּמִדְרָש אַגָדָה גוֹנֵחַ וְכוֹהֶה דָם מִטֹּרַח הַבְּהֵמוֹת וְהַחַיּוֹת. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמָרִים שֶׁאִחֵר מְזוֹנוֹת לָאֲרִי וְהִכִּישׁוֹ, וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר הֵן צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ יְשֻׁלָּם (משלי יא):
24The water surged over the earth for an additional 150 days after the rainfall stopped.		כדוַיִּגְבְּר֥וּ הַמַּ֖יִם עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת יֽוֹם:

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 8

1God remembered Noah and all the wildlife and domestic animals who were with him in the ark. God caused His spirit of consolation and rest to apply to what was happening on earth, and the water began to subside.		אוַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־נֹ֔חַ וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הַֽחַיָּה֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בַּתֵּבָ֑ה וַיַּֽעֲבֵ֨ר אֱלֹהִ֥ים ר֨וּחַ֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיָּשֹׁ֖כּוּ הַמָּֽיִם:
ויזכור אֱלֹהִים - God remembered. This Divine Name (אֱלֹהִים) represents the Attribute of Justice, but it was transformed into the Attribute of Mercy through the prayers of the righteous. Conversely, the evil deeds of the wicked transform the Attribute of Mercy to the Attribute of Justice, as it says: “God (יהוה) saw how great was man’s wickedness…God (יהוה) said, ‘I will dissolve…’,” 4 even though יהוה is the Divine Name that represents the Attribute of Mercy.		ויזכור אֱלֹהִים. זֶה הַשֵּׁם מִדַּת הַדִּין הוּא, וְנֶהֶפְכָה לְמִדַּת רַחֲמִים עַל יְדֵי תְפִלַּת הַצַּדִּיקִים; וְרִשְׁעָתָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים הוֹפֶכֶת מִדַּת רַחֲמִים לְמִדַּת הַדִּין, שֶׁנֶאֱמַר וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם, וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶמְחֶה, (ברא' ו') וְהוּא שֵׁם מִדַּת רַחֲמִים:
ויזכור אֱלֹהִים אֶת־נֹחַ וגו' - God remembered Noah… What did He recall for the animals? The merit that they did not pervert their nature before the Flood, and that they did not mate in the ark.		ויזכור אֱלֹהִים אֶת־נֹחַ וגו'. מַה זָּכַר לָהֶם לַבְּהֵמוֹת? זְכוּת, שֶׁלֹּא הִשְׁחִיתוּ דַרְכָּם קֹדֶם לָכֵן וְשֶׁלֹּא שִׁמְּשׁוּ בַּתֵּבָה:
וַיַּֽעֲבֵר אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ - God caused [His] spirit…to apply. i.e., a spirit of comfort and relief emanated from before Him.		וַיַּֽעֲבֵר אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ. רוּחַ תַּנְחוּמִין וַהֲנָחָה עָבְרָה לְפָנָיו:
עַל־הָאָרֶץ - (lit.) On earth - i.e., concerning the affairs of the earth.		עַל־הָאָרֶץ. עַל עִסְקֵי הָאָרֶץ:
וַיָּשֹׁכּוּ - And [the water] began to subside - as we find: “when the king’s anger had abated (כְּשֹׁךְ),” 5 denoting the calming of fury.		וַיָּשֹׁכּוּ. כְּמוֹ כְּשֹׁךְ חֲמַת הַמֶּלֶךְ (אסתר ב') לְשׁוֹן הַנָּחַת חֵמָה:
2The wellsprings of the abyss and the floodgates of heaven were sealed. Thus the rain from the heavens was held back.		בוַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ֙ מַעְיְנֹ֣ת תְּה֔וֹם וַֽאֲרֻבֹּ֖ת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם:
וַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ מעינות - 2. The wellsprings…were sealed. When they opened it is written: “all the wellsprings,” 6 but here the word “all” is not written, because those wellsprings for which the world had use remained open, e.g., the hot springs of Tiberias and other hot springs.		וַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ מעינות. כְּשֶׁנִּפְתְּחוּ כְּתִיב כָּל מַעְיְנֹת; וְכָאן אֵין כְּתִיב כָּל, לְפִי שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּיְּרוּ מֵהֶם אוֹתָן שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם צֹרֶךְ לָעוֹלָם, כְּגוֹן חַמֵּי טְבֵרְיָא וְכַיוֹצֵא בָהֶן:
וַיִּכָּלֵא - means: “was held back,” as in לֹא תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ “do not withhold Your mercies” 7 and: לֹא יִכְלֶה מִמְּךָ “No one will deny you.” 8		וַיִּכָּלֵא. וַיִמָּנַע כְּמוֹ לֹא תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ (תהלים מ'), לֹא יִכְלֶה מִמְּךָ (ברא' כג):
3At the end of 150 days, the water started steadily receding from upon the earth. The water diminished, so that		גוַיָּשֻׁ֧בוּ הַמַּ֛יִם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָ֖רֶץ הָל֣וֹךְ וָשׁ֑וֹב וַיַּחְסְר֣וּ הַמַּ֔יִם מִקְצֵ֕ה חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת יֽוֹם:
מִקְצֵה חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יֽוֹם - At the end of 150 days - the water began to decrease, and this was on 1 Sivan. How is this calculated? The rains ceased on 27 Kislev, leaving three days of Kislev and 29 days of Tevet – together 32 days; Shevat, Adar, Nisan, and Iyar were together 118 days – totaling 150 days.		מִקְצֵה חֲמִשִּׁים וּמְאַת יֽוֹם. הִתְחִילוּ לַחֲסֹר וְהוּא אֶחָד בְּסִיוָן. כֵּיצַד? בְּכ"ז בְּכִסְלֵו פָּסְקוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים, הֲרֵי ג' מִכִּסְלֵו וְכ"ט מִטֵּבֵת הֲרֵי ל"ב, וּשְׁבָט וַאֲדָר וְנִיסָן וְאִיָּר קי"ח, הֲרֵי ק"נ:
4in the seventh month, on the 17th day of the month, the ark came to rest on the Mountains of Ararat.		דוַתָּ֤נַח הַתֵּבָה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָֽה־עָשָׂ֥ר י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י אֲרָרָֽט:
בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי - In the seventh month. This was Sivan, which was the seventh month counting from Kislev, the month in which the rains ceased.		בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי. סִיוָן, וְהוּא שְׁבִיעִי לְכִסְלֵו שֶׁבּוֹ פָּסְקוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים:
בְּשִׁבְעָֽה־עָשָׂר יוֹם - On the 17th day. From here you can deduce that the ark was submerged in the water to a depth of 11 cubits: For it is written: “in the 10th month, on the first of the month, the mountain peaks became visible,” 9 and this was Av, which is the 10th month counting from Marcheshvan, the beginning of the rainfall. The water had been 15 cubits higher than the mountains, and decreased 15 cubits in 60 days, from 1 Sivan until 1 Av, being one cubit every four days. Thus, by 16 Sivan the water had only decreased four cubits, and on the following day the ark rested on the Mountains of Ararat. You can therefore deduce that the ark was submerged 11 cubits in the water above the mountain peaks.		בְּשִׁבְעָֽה־עָשָׂר יוֹם. מִכָּאן אַתָּה לָמֵד שֶׁהָיְתָה הַתֵּבָה מְשֻׁקַּעַת בַּמַּיִם י"א אַמָּה, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְתִיב בָּעֲשִׂירִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ נִרְאוּ רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים, זֶה אָב, שֶׁהִיא עֲשִׂירִי לְמַרְחֶשְׁוָן לִירִידַת גְּשָׁמִים, וְהֵם הָיוּ גְבוֹהִים עַל הֶהָרִים חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה, וְחָסְרוּ מִיּוֹם אֶחָד בְּסִיוָן עַד אֶחָד בְּאָב חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה לְשִּׁשִּׁים יוֹם, הֲרֵי אַמָּה לְד' יָמִים, נִמְצָא, שֶׁבְּי"ו בְּסִיוָן לֹא חָסְרוּ אֶלָּא ד' אַמּוֹת וְנָחָה הַתֵּבָה לְיוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת; לָמַדְתָּ, שֶׁהָיְתָה מְשֻׁקַּעַת י"א אַמָּה בַמַּיִם שֶׁעַל רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים:
5The water continued to diminish until the 10th month. In the 10th month, on the first of the month, the highest mountain peaks became visible.		הוְהַמַּ֗יִם הָיוּ֙ הָל֣וֹךְ וְחָס֔וֹר עַ֖ד הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽעֲשִׂירִ֑י בָּֽעֲשִׂירִי֙ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ נִרְא֖וּ רָאשֵׁ֥י הֶֽהָרִֽים:
בָּֽעֲשִׂירִי נִרְאוּ רָאשֵׁי הֶֽהָרִֽים - In the 10th month…the [highest] mountain peaks became visible. This was Av, which is the 10th month from Marcheshvan, when the rain began. Should you, however, wish to say that this was in fact Elul, the 10th month from Kislev when the rain stopped – just as you said that “in the seventh month” means Sivan, which was the seventh month after the rain stopped – my reply is that it is impossible to say this. For you must admit that “the seventh month” can only be counted from the time the rain stopped, since the 40 days of rainfall and the subsequent 150 days during which the water swelled did not terminate until 1 Sivan, and if you say that it means the seventh month after the beginning of the rainfall, this would not be Sivan but Iyar, a month earlier. “The 10th month,” however, can only be reckoned from the beginning of the rainfall, for if you say that it is reckoned from the time the rain stopped, which would mean that it was Elul, you would not find that “on the first day of the first month, the water had drained off the earth”; 10 because 40 days after the mountain peaks became visible Noah released the raven, and he waited altogether another 21 days in the process of sending out the dove, making altogether 60 days from the time the mountain peaks became visible until the surface of the ground began to dry; and if you say they became visible in Elul, it would work out that it dried in Marcheshvan, 60 days after Elul, which cannot be, for the verse calls it “the first month,” which can only be Tishrei, which is the first month reckoning from the creation of the world – or, according to Rabbi Yehoshua, Nisan.		בָּֽעֲשִׂירִי נִרְאוּ רָאשֵׁי הֶֽהָרִֽים. זֶה אָב, שֶׁהוּא עֲשִׂירִי לְמַרְחֶשְׁוָן שֶׁהִתְחִיל הַגֶּשֶׁם. וְאִם תֹּאמַר הוּא אֱלוּל, וַעֲשִׂירִי לְכִסְלֵו שֶׁפָּסַק הַגֶּשֶׁם, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאַתָּה אוֹמֵר בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי סִיוָן, וְהוּא שְׁבִיעִי לַהַפְסָקָה – אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר כֵּן, עַל כָּרְחֲךָ שְׁבִיעִי אִי אַתָּה מוֹנֶה אֶלָּא לַהַפְסָקָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא כָלוּ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם שֶׁל יְרִידַת גְּשָׁמִים, וּמֵאָה וַחֲמִשִּׁים שֶׁל תִּגְבֹּרֶת הַמַּיִם עַד אֶחָד בְּסִיוָן; וְאִם אַתָּה אוֹמֵר שְׁבִיעִי לַיְרִידָה, אֵין זֶה סִיוָן, וְהָעֲשִׂירִי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִמְנוֹת אֶלָּא לַיְרִידָה, שֶׁאִם אַתָּה אוֹמֵר לַהַפְסָקָה וְהוּא אֱלוּל, אִי אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בָּרִאשׁוֹן בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ חָרְבוּ הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ; שֶׁהֲרֵי מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם מִשֶׁנִּרְאוּ רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים שִׁלַּח אֶת הָעוֹרֵב וְכ"א יוֹם הוֹחִיל בִּשְׁלִיחוּת הַיּוֹנָה, הֲרֵי שִׁשִּׁים יוֹם מִשֶּׁנִּרְאוּ רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים עַד שֶׁחָרְבוּ פְנֵי הָאֲדָמָה. וְאִם תֹּאמַר בֶּאֱלוּל נִרְאוּ, נִמְצָא שֶׁחָרְבוּ בְּמַרְחֶשְׁוָן וְהוּא קוֹרֵא אוֹתוֹ רִאשׁוֹן, וְאֵין זֶה אֶלָּא תִּשְׁרֵי, שֶׁהוּא רִאשׁוֹן לִבְרִיאַת עוֹלָם, וְלְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הוּא נִיסָן:
6Forty days after this, Noah opened the window he had made in the ark.		ווַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֑וֹם וַיִּפְתַּ֣ח נֹ֔חַ אֶת־חַלּ֥וֹן הַתֵּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה:
מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם - Forty days after - i.e., from when the mountain peaks became visible.		מִקֵּץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם. מִשֶּׁנִּרְאוּ רָאשֵׁי הֶהָרִים:
אֶת־חַלּוֹן הַתֵּבָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָֽׂה - The window he had made in the ark - to provide additional light. This was not the entrance to the ark that was made for entry and exit.		אֶת־חַלּוֹן הַתֵּבָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָֽׂה. לְצֹהַר, וְלֹא זֶה פֶּתַח הַתֵּבָה הֶעָשׂוּי לְבִיאָה וִיצִיאָה:
7He sent out the raven. It went out, but only circled to and fro around the ark until the water dried up from the surface of the earth.		זוַיְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָֽעֹרֵ֑ב וַיֵּצֵ֤א יָצוֹא֙ וָשׁ֔וֹב עַד־יְב֥שֶׁת הַמַּ֖יִם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ:
יָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב - To and fro. It flew in circles around the ark and did not go on its errand, because it suspected Noah concerning its mate, as we have learned in the aggadah of the chapter Chelek. 11		יָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב. הוֹלֵךְ וּמַקִּיף סְבִיבוֹת הַתֵּבָה, וְלֹא הָלַךְ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה חוֹשְׁדוֹ עַל בַּת זוּגוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ בְּאַגָּדַת חֵלֶק (סנה' ק"ח):
עַד־יְבשֶׁת הַמַּיִם - Until the water dried up. The straightforward meaning of this phrase is what it plainly implies – i.e., until the water of the Flood dried up. The aggadic explanation, however, is: The raven was kept in readiness for another errand at a time when rain was being withheld in the days of Elijah, as it says: “And the ravens brought him bread and meat.” 12		עַד־יְבשֶׁת הַמַּיִם. פְּשׁוּטוֹ כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ. אֲבָל מִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה מוּכָן הָיָה הָעוֹרֵב לִשְׁלִיחוּת אַחֶרֶת בַּעֲצִירַת גְּשָׁמִים בִּימֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָעֹרְבִים מְבִאִים לוֹ לֶחֶם וּבָשָׂר (מ"א י"ז):
8Noah sent out the dove to see if the water had subsided from the surface of the earth.		חוַיְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הַיּוֹנָ֖ה מֵֽאִתּ֑וֹ לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲקַ֣לּוּ הַמַּ֔יִם מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֥י הָֽאֲדָמָֽה:
וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת־הַיּוֹנָה - He sent out the dove. He did this seven days later, for it is written: “He waited another seven days,” 13 from which you can infer that prior to the first time he released the dove he also waited seven days.		וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת־הַיּוֹנָה. לְסוֹף ז' יָמִים שֶׁהֲרֵי כְתִיב וַיָּחֶל עוֹד ז' יָמִים אֲחֵרִים, מִכְּלַל זֶה אַתָּה לָמֵד שֶׁאַף בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הוֹחִיל ז' יָמִים:
וַיְשַׁלַּח - This word does not mean “sending on an errand” but means “releasing.” He sent it off on its way, and thus would see “if the water had subsided,” for if it would find a resting place it would not return to him.		וַיְשַׁלַּח. אֵין זֶה לְשׁוֹן שְׁלִיחוּת אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן שִׁלּוּח, שִׁלְּחָהּ לָלֶכֶת לְדַרְכָּה, וּבְזוֹ יִרְאֶה אִם קַלּוּ הַמַּיִם, שֶׁאִם תִּמְצָא מָנוֹחַ לֹא תָשׁוּב אֵלָיו:
9But the dove could not find any place to rest its feet, and it returned to him, to the ark, for there was still water over the entire surface of the earth. He stretched out his hand and took it, and brought it back to himself into the ark.		טוְלֹא־מָֽצְאָה֩ הַיּוֹנָ֨ה מָנ֜וֹחַ לְכַף־רַגְלָ֗הּ וַתָּ֤שָׁב אֵלָיו֙ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֔ה כִּי־מַ֖יִם עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתָ֛הּ אֵלָ֖יו אֶל־הַתֵּבָֽה:
10He waited another seven days, and once again sent out the dove from the ark.		יוַיָּ֣חֶל ע֔וֹד שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וַיֹּ֛סֶף שַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הַיּוֹנָ֖ה מִן־הַתֵּבָֽה:
וַיָּחֶל - An expression of waiting, as we find: “They listened to me and waited (וְיִחֵלּוּ).” 14 It occurs many times in different forms in Scripture.		וַיָּחֶל. לְשׁוֹן הַמְתָּנָה, וְכֵן לִי שָׁמְעוּ וְיִחֵלּוּ (איוב כ"ט), וְהַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בַּמִּקְרָא:
11The dove came back to him toward nightfall, and behold, it had plucked an olive leaf with its beak. Noah then knew that the water had subsided from the earth.		יאוַתָּבֹ֨א אֵלָ֤יו הַיּוֹנָה֙ לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב וְהִנֵּ֥ה עֲלֵה־זַ֖יִת טָרָ֣ף בְּפִ֑יהָ וַיֵּ֣דַע נֹ֔חַ כִּי־קַ֥לּוּ הַמַּ֖יִם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ:
טָרָף בְּפִיהָ - It had plucked…with its beak. I am of the opinion that it was a male bird, and therefore the verse sometimes refers to it in the masculine (טָרָף) and sometimes in the feminine (בְּפִיהָ); because wherever the dove as a species is mentioned in Scripture it is referred to in the feminine, as in: “His eyes are like those of doves on pools of water, bathed (רֹחֲצוֹת – fem.) in milk”; 15 “like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning (הוֹמוֹת – fem.)”; 16 and as in: “like a foolish (פוֹתָה – fem.) dove.” 17		טָרָף בְּפִיהָ. אוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁזָּכָר הָיָה, לְכֵן קוֹרְאוֹ פְעָמִים לְשׁוֹן זָכָר וּפְעָמִים לְשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה, לְפִי שֶׁכָּל יוֹנָה שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא לְשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה, כְּמוֹ כְּיוֹנִים עַל אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם רֹחֲצוֹת (שיר ה'), כְּיוֹנֵי הַגֵּאָיוֹת כֻּלָּם הֹמוֹת (יחז' ז') וּכְמוֹ כְּיוֹנָה פוֹתָה (הושע ז'):
טָרָף - means “it had plucked.” But the aggadic explanation is that it means “food,” and accordingly the sages interpreted בְּפִיהָ as “in its mouth,” an expression of speech: It said, “Let my food be bitter like the olive but from the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, rather than sweet as honey from the hands of human beings.”		טָרָף. חָטַף. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה (עיר' י"ח) לְשׁוֹן מָזוֹן; וְדָרְשׁוּ בְּפִיהָ לְשׁוֹן מַאֲמָר, אָמְרָה יִהְיוּ מְזוֹנוֹתַי מְרוֹרִין כְּזַיִת בְּיָדוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְלֹא מְתוּקִין כִּדְבַשׁ בִּידֵי בָשָׂר וָדָם:
12He waited yet another seven days and once again sent out the dove, and this time it never again returned to him.		יבוַיִּיָּ֣חֶל ע֔וֹד שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וַיְשַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הַיּוֹנָ֔ה וְלֹא־יָֽסְפָ֥ה שֽׁוּב־אֵלָ֖יו עֽוֹד:
וַיִּיָּחֶל - He waited. This is the same verb as וַיָּחֶל, 18 only above it is a kal (simple active) verb and here it is a hitpa’el (reflexive) verb. וַיָּחֶל means “he waited”; וַיִּיָּחֶל means “he had himself wait.”		וַיִּיָּחֶל. הוּא לְשׁוֹן וַיָּחֶל, אֶלָּא שֶׁזֶּה לְשׁוֹן וַיִּפְעַל וְזֶה לְשׁוֹן וַיִּתְפַּעֵל, וַיָּחֶל – וַיַּמְתֵּן; וַיִּיָּחֶל – וַיִּתְמַתֵּן:
13In the 601st year of Noah’s life, on the first day of the first month, the water had drained off the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and saw that the earth’s surface was drying.		יגוַיְהִ֠י בְּאַחַ֨ת וְשֵֽׁשׁ־מֵא֜וֹת שָׁנָ֗ה בָּֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ חָֽרְב֥וּ הַמַּ֖יִם מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּ֤סַר נֹ֨חַ֙ אֶת־מִכְסֵ֣ה הַתֵּבָ֔ה וַיַּ֕רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה חָֽרְב֖וּ פְּנֵ֥י הָֽאֲדָמָֽה:
בָּֽרִאשׁוֹן - The first month. According to Rabbi Eliezer this refers to Tishrei, and according to Rabbi Yehoshua this refers to Nisan.		בָּֽרִאשׁוֹן. לְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר הוּא תִּשְׁרֵי וּלְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הוּא נִיסָן (ר"ה י"א):
חָֽרְבוּ - Had drained. The earth had become like a kind of clay because its upper surface had hardened.		חָֽרְבוּ. נַעֲשָׂה כְמִין טִיט, שֶׁקָּרְמוּ פָנֶיהָ שֶׁל מַעְלָה:
14By the 27th day of the second month, the earth was completely dry.		ידוּבַחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ יָֽבְשָׁ֖ה הָאָֽרֶץ:
בְּשִׁבְעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים - By the 27th. The rain had begun to fall on the 17th of the second month, and since the sentence of the generation of the Flood was for a full solar year, these additional days are the eleven days by which the solar year (365 days) exceeds the lunar year (354 days).		בְּשִׁבְעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים. יְרִידָתָן בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בְי"ז בַּחֹדֶשׁ, אֵלּוּ י"א יָמִים שֶׁהַחַמָּה יְתֵרָה עַל הַלְּבָנָה, שֶׁמִּשְׁפַּט דוֹר הַמַּבּוּל שָׁנָה תְמִימָה הָיָה:
יָֽבְשָׁה - Was completely dry - means it hardened to its normal condition.		יָֽבְשָׁה. נַעֲשָׂה גָּרִיד כְּהִלְכָתָהּ:

Footnotes

Genesis 6:5, 7.

Sanhedrin 108b.

1 Kings 17:6.

Fourth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 8

15God spoke to Noah, saying,		טווַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־נֹ֥חַ לֵאמֹֽר:
16“Leave the ark, you with your wife, and your sons with your sons’ wives.		טזצֵ֖א מִן־הַתֵּבָ֑ה אַתָּ֕ה וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֛ וּבָנֶ֥יךָ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶ֖יךָ אִתָּֽךְ:
אַתָּה וְאִשְׁתְּךָ וגו' - You with your wife… Husband and wife are mentioned together. He now permitted them to have marital relations.		אַתָּה וְאִשְׁתְּךָ וגו'. אִישׁ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ, כָּאן הִתִּיר לָהֶם תַּשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה:
17All living creatures with you in the ark, from all flesh—birds, walking animals, and all the creatures that crawl upon the ground—have them leave with you, that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.”		יזכָּל־הַֽחַיָּ֨ה אֲשֶׁר־אִתְּךָ֜ מִכָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר בָּע֧וֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָ֛ה וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֛מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ הַיְצֵ֣א (כתיב הוצא) אִתָּ֑ךְ וְשָֽׁרְצ֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָר֥וּ וְרָב֖וּ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
הוצא - Have them leave. This word is written הוֹצֵא and read הַיְצֵא. הַיְצֵא means “tell them to leave”; הוֹצֵא means “if they do not want to leave, take them out yourself.”		הוצא. הוֹצֵא כְּתִיב, הַיְצֵא קְרִי, הַיְצֵא – אֱמֹר לָהֶם שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ; הוֹצֵא – אִם אֵינָם רוֹצִים לָצֵאת הוֹצִיאֵם אַתָּה:
וְשָֽׁרְצוּ בָאָרֶץ - That they may swarm on the earth - but not in the ark. This tells us that animals and birds were also forbidden to have relations there.		וְשָֽׁרְצוּ בָאָרֶץ. וְלֹא בַּתֵּבָה, מַגִּיד שֶׁאַף הַבְּהֵמָה וְהָעוֹף נֶאֱסְרוּ בְתַשְׁמִישׁ:
18Noah went out with his sons, and his wife with his sons’ wives.		יחוַיֵּ֖צֵא־נֹ֑חַ וּבָנָי֛ו וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנָ֖יו אִתּֽוֹ:
19All the walking animals, all the crawling creatures, and all the birds—all the creatures that crawl upon the ground—came out of the ark by families.		יטכָּל־הַֽחַיָּ֗ה כָּל־הָרֶ֨מֶשׂ֙ וְכָל־הָע֔וֹף כֹּ֖ל רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם יָֽצְא֖וּ מִן־הַתֵּבָֽה:
לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיהֶם - By families. This indicates that they took upon themselves to keep to their own species.		לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיהֶם. קִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עַל מְנָת לִדָּבֵק בְּמִינָן:
20Noah built an altar to God. He took some of every species of domestic animal that does not impart spiritual defilement and of every species of bird that does not impart spiritual defilement, and offered them up as ascent-offerings on the altar.		כוַיִּ֥בֶן נֹ֛חַ מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֞ח מִכֹּ֣ל \| הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהֹרָ֗ה וּמִכֹּל֙ הָע֣וֹף הַטָּה֔וֹר וַיַּ֥עַל עֹלֹ֖ת בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ:
מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הטהורה - Some of every species of pure animal. He said: “The only reason the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded me to take in seven pairs of these in contrast to only two of the impure animals was in order to offer some of them as sacrifices.”		מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הטהורה. אָמַר לֹא צִוָּה לִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַכְנִיס מֵאֵלּוּ ז' ז' אֶלָּא כְּדֵי לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּן מֵהֶם:
21God figuratively smelled the appeasing fragrance (i.e., He acknowledged Noah’s appreciation), and in response, God said to Himself, “I hereby swear that I will never again curse the soil because of humanity, for the inclination of a person’s heart is challenged by his evil inclination from his earliest youth. Never again will I strike down all life as I have done.		כאוַיָּ֣רַח יְהֹוָה֘ אֶת־רֵ֣יחַ הַנִּיחֹ֒חַ֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א אֹ֠סִ֠ף לְקַלֵּ֨ל ע֤וֹד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּֽעֲב֣וּר הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֠י יֵ֣צֶר לֵ֧ב הָֽאָדָ֛ם רַ֖ע מִנְּעֻרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־אֹסִ֥ף ע֛וֹד לְהַכּ֥וֹת אֶת־כָּל־חַ֖י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִֽׂיתִי:
מִנְּעֻרָיו - From his youth. This word is written מנעריו without a ו after the ע, implying a connection to the verb נִעֵר “to stir.” From this we learn that from the time a child stirs to leave his mother’s womb he is instilled with an evil inclination.		מִנְּעֻרָיו. מנעריו כְּתִיב, מִשֶּׁנִּנְעַר לָצֵאת מִמְּעֵי אִמּוֹ נִתַּן בּוֹ יֵצֶר הָרָע:
לֹא אֹסִף וְלֹֽא־אֹסִף - I will never again…never again will I. He repeated the expression to act as an oath. Referring to this it is written: “Just as I swore that the water of Noah would never again submerge the earth,” 1 for we do not find any oath except this where God repeats His words, and this is considered an oath. The sages also explained it this way in Tractate Shevuot. 2		לֹא אֹסִף וְלֹֽא־אֹסִף. כָּפַל הַדָּבָר לִשְׁבוּעָה; הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי מֵעֲבֹר מֵי נֹחַ, וְלֹא מָצִינוּ בָהּ שְׁבוּעָה, אֶלָּא זוֹ שֶׁכָּפַל דְּבָרָיו וְהִיא שְׁבוּעָה וְכֵן דָּרְשׁוּ חֲכָמִים בְּמס' שְׁבוּעוֹת:
22As long as the earth lasts, none of the seasons—seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter—nor day and night, will ever cease.”		כבעֹ֖ד כָּל־יְמֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ זֶ֡רַע וְ֠קָצִ֠יר וְקֹ֨ר וָחֹ֜ם וְקַ֧יִץ וָחֹ֛רֶף וְי֥וֹם וָלַ֖יְלָה לֹ֥א יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ:
עוד כָּל־יְמֵי הָאָרֶץ וגו' לֹא יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ - As long as the earth lasts, none…will ever cease. These six seasons are each two months long, as we have learned: “Half of Tishrei, Marcheshvan, and half of Kislev is ‘seedtime’; half of Kislev, Tevet, and half of Shevat is ‘cold.’.” Bava Metzia. 3		עוד כָּל־יְמֵי הָאָרֶץ וגו' לֹא יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ. ו' עִתִּים הַלָּלוּ שְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ חֲצִי תִשְׁרֵי וּמַרְחֶשְׁוָן וַחֲצִי כִסְלֵו זֶרַע, חֲצִי כִסְלֵו וְטֵבֵת וַחֲצִי שְׁבָט קֹר (חֹרֶף) (ב"מ ק"ו):
קֹר - Cold - this season is more severe than winter.		קֹר. קָשֶׁה מֵחֹרֶף:
חֹרֶף - Winter. The season for sowing barley and pulse vegetables, which are quick (חָרִיף) to ripen, which is half of Shevat, Adar, and half of Nisan.		חֹרֶף. עֵת זֶרַע שְׂעוֹרִים וְקִטְנִית הַחֲרִיפִין לְהִתְבַּשֵּׁל מַהֵר, וְהוּא חֲצִי שְׁבָט וַאֲדָר וַחֲצִי נִיסָן:
קָצִיר - Harvest. Half of Nisan, Iyar, and half of Sivan.		קָצִיר. חֲצִי נִיסָן וְאִיָּר וַחֲצִי סִיוָן:
קַיִץ - Summer. Half of Sivan, Tamuz, and half of Av. It is the time of fig-picking and the time when they are laid out to dry in the fields; and they are called קַיִץ as in: “The bread and the dried figs (הַקַּיִץ) for the young men to eat.” 4		קַיִץ. חֲצִי סִיוָן תַּמּוּז וַחֲצִי אָב, הוּא זְמַן לְקִיטַת תְּאֵנִים וּזְמַן שֶׁמְּיַבְּשִׁים אוֹתָן בַּשָּׂדוֹת, וּשְׁמוֹ קַיִץ, כְּמוֹ הַלֶּחֶם וְהַקַּיִץ לֶאֱכוֹל הַנְּעָרִים (ש"ב ט"ז):
חֹם - Heat. This is the end of the summer – half of Av, Elul, and half of Tishrei – when the world is particularly hot, as we have learned in Tractate Yoma: 5 “The end of the summer is more severe than the summer itself.”		חום. הוּא סוֹף יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, חֲצִי אָב וֶאֱלוּל וַחֲצִי תִשְׁרֵי, שֶׁהָעוֹלָם חַם בְּיוֹתֵר; כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ בְּמַסֶּכֶת יוֹמָא שִׁלְהֵי קַיְיטָא קָשֵׁי מִקַּיְיטָא:
וְיוֹם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ - Nor day and night will ever cease - from which we can deduce that they ceased during the entire period of the Flood, for the constellations did not function and therefore there was no distinction between day and night.		וְיוֹם וָלַיְלָה לֹא יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ. מִכְּלָל שֶׁשָּׁבְתוּ כָּל יְמוֹת הַמַּבּוּל, שֶׁלֹּא שִׁמְּשׁוּ הַמַּזָּלוֹת, וְלֹא נִכַּר בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לַיְלָה (ב"ר פכ"ה ופ' ל"ד):
לֹא יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ - means that none of these will cease to follow their natural course.		לֹא יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ. לֹא יִפְסְקוּ כָּל אֵלֶה מִלְּהִתְנַהֵג כְּסִדְרָן:

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 9

1God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.		אוַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־נֹ֖חַ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֧אמֶר לָהֶ֛ם פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֖וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ:
2There will be a fear and dread of you upon all the beasts of the earth and upon all the birds of the sky, in all that will crawl on the land and in all the fish of the sea. They have been placed in your hand:		בוּמוֹרַֽאֲכֶ֤ם וְחִתְּכֶם֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עַ֚ל כָּל־חַיַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעַ֖ל כָּל־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה וּבְכָל־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ:
וְחִתְּכֶם - means “and dread of you” as we find similarly: “when you see the dreadful suffering (חֲתַת).” 6 And in the aggadah it is explained as an expression of חַיּוּת “life”: As long as a baby, even one day old, is alive there is no need to guard it from being harmed by mice; but even a giant like King Og of Bashan when dead needs to be guarded from being harmed by mice, as it says: וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם וְחִתְּכֶם יִהְיֶה, which according to this explanation means: When will the fear of you (מוֹרַאֲכֶם) be upon the beasts? As long as you are alive (חִתְּכֶם).		וְחִתְּכֶם. וְאֵימַתְכֶם, כְּמוֹ תִּרְאוּ חֲתַת (איוב ו') וְאַגָּדָה לְשׁוֹן חַיּוּת שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁתִּינוֹק בֶּן יוֹמוֹ חַי אֵין אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לְשָׁמְרוֹ מִן הָעַכְבָּרִים; עוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן מֵת, צָרִיךְ לְשָׁמְרוֹ מִן הָעַכְבָּרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם וְחִתְּכֶם יִהְיֶה, אֵימָתַי יִהְיֶה מוֹרַאֲכֶם עַל הַחַיּוֹת? כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם חַיִּים (שבת קנ"א):
3Every moving creature that lives will be yours to eat; like plant vegetation, I have now given you everything.		גכָּל־רֶ֨מֶשׂ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוּא־חַ֔י לָכֶ֥ם יִֽהְיֶ֖ה לְאָכְלָ֑ה כְּיֶ֣רֶק עֵ֔שֶׂב נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־כֹּֽל:
לָכֶם יִֽהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה - Will be yours to eat - for I did not permit Adam, the first man, to eat meat, but only plant vegetation. To you, however, in the same way that I gave full use of plant vegetation to Adam the first man, so have I given you everything.		לָכֶם יִֽהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה. שֶׁלֹּא הִרְשֵׁיתִי לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן בָּשָׂר אֶלָּא יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב; וְלָכֶם – כְּיֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב שֶׁהִפְקַרְתִּי לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כֹּל (סנה' נ"ט):
4But nevertheless, you may not eat the flesh of a still-living creature, nor its blood.		דאַךְ־בָּשָׂ֕ר בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ דָמ֖וֹ לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ:
בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ - The flesh of a still-living creature. Here He prohibited them from eating a limb separated from a live animal, these words conveying the meaning: “as long as it has life in it, you may not eat its flesh.”		בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ. אָסַר לָהֶם אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי, כְּלוֹמַר כָּל זְמַן שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ, לֹא תֹאכְלוּ הַבָּשָׂר:
בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ - means as long as its life is in its blood. Thus there are two prohibitions:		בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ. בְעוֹד נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ
בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵֽלוּ - You may not eat the flesh of a still-living creature – tells us that a limb separated from a live animal is forbidden; and furthermore, “You must not eat…of a still-living creature nor its blood”- tells us that blood of a live animal is also forbidden.		בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵֽלוּ. הֲרֵי אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי, וְאַף בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ, הֲרֵי דָם מִן הַחַי:
5Also nevertheless, I will settle the account of the blood you shed if you take your own lives by committing suicide. Furthermore, I will settle the account from the hand of every wild beast that kills one of you. I will settle the account for human life Myself whenever the courts cannot, both from someone who commits an intentional but unwitnessed murder and from someone who commits unintentional manslaughter—i.e., who is on as good terms with his victim as he is with his own brother but kills him accidentally.		הוְאַ֨ךְ אֶת־דִּמְכֶ֤ם לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ אֶדְר֔שׁ מִיַּ֥ד כָּל־חַיָּ֖ה אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ וּמִיַּ֣ד הָֽאָדָ֗ם מִיַּד֙ אִ֣ישׁ אָחִ֔יו אֶדְר֖שׁ אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ הָֽאָדָֽם:
וְאַךְ אֶת־דִּמְכֶם - Nevertheless…the blood you shed. Although I have permitted you to take the life of animals, nevertheless “I will settle the account of the blood you shed,” i.e., of one who sheds his own blood.		וְאַךְ אֶת־דִּמְכֶם. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִתַּרְתִּי לָכֶם נְטִילַת נְשָׁמָה בַּבְּהֵמָה, אֶת דִּמְכֶם אֶדְרֹשׁ מֵהַשּׁוֹפֵךְ דַּם עַצְמוֹ:
לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם - Your own life. This comes to include someone who strangles himself, even though no blood flowed from him.		לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם. אַף הַחוֹנֵק עַצְמוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא יָצָא מִמֶּנּוּ דָם:
מִיַּד כָּל־חַיָּה - From the hand of every wild beast. Because the generation of the Flood had sinned, and were consequently given over freely as food for wild beasts by their having power over them, as it says: “Man is ruled over by beasts of prey like animals that perish,” 7 it was therefore necessary to warn the beasts about attacking humanity.		מִיַּד כָּל־חַיָּה. לְפִי שֶׁחָטְאוּ דוֹר הַמַּבּוּל וְהֻפְקְרוּ לְמַאֲכַל חַיּוֹת רָעוֹת לִשְׁלֹט בָּהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר נִמְשַׁל כַּבְּהֵמוֹת נִדְמוּ (תהלים מ"ט), לְפִיכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ לְהַזְהִיר עֲלֵיהֶן אֶת הַחַיּוֹת:
וּמִיַּד הָֽאָדָם - From someone - i.e., from the hand of one who kills intentionally but no witnesses are present I will claim retribution.		וּמִיַּד הָֽאָדָם. מִיַּד הַהוֹרֵג בְּמֵזִיד וְאֵין עֵדִים, אֲנִי אֶדְרֹשׁ:
מִיַּד אִישׁ אָחִיו - (lit.) From the hand of a man who is his brother - i.e., from someone who loves the victim like a brother but killed him accidentally I will claim retribution – if he does not go into exile and request forgiveness for his sin; for even one who kills accidentally requires atonement. And if there are no witnesses to make him liable to go into exile and he does not humble himself to pray for forgiveness, the Holy One, blessed be He, will exact retribution from him, as our sages in Tractate Makot 8 expounded the verse “but God caused it to happen to him”: 9 The Holy One, blessed be He, causes one who killed intentionally but no witnesses were present to condemn him, and one who killed by accident without witnesses to make him liable for exile to meet at one inn…		מִיַּד אִישׁ אָחִיו. שֶׁהוּא אוֹהֵב לוֹ כְאָח וְהָרַג שׁוֹגֵג, אֲנִי אֶדְרֹשׁ אִם לֹא יִגְלֶה וִיבַקֵּשׁ עַל עֲוֹנוֹ לִמָּחֵל, שֶׁאַף הַשּׁוֹגֵג צָרִיךְ כַּפָּרָה, וְאִם אֵין עֵדִים לְחַיְּבוֹ גָלוּת וְהוּא אֵינוֹ נִכְנָע, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דוֹרֵש מִמֶּנוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ "וְהָאֱלֹהִים אִנָּה לְיָדוֹ" – בְּמַסֶּכֶת מַכּוֹת – הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְזַמְּנָן לְפֻנְדָּק אֶחָד וְכוּ':
6In contrast, the blood of whoever intentionally sheds human blood, having been warned not to do so and witnessed doing so, must be shed by the human court, for God made man in the image of God.		ושֹׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָ֖ם דָּמ֣וֹ יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱלֹהִ֔ים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָֽם:
בָּֽאָדָם דָּמוֹ יִשָּׁפֵךְ - The blood of…must be shed by the human [court]. If there are witnesses to the murder you must put him to death. Why? “For God made man in the image of God” and this man has thus destroyed an image of the Divine form.		בָּֽאָדָם דָּמוֹ יִשָּׁפֵךְ. אִם יֵשׁ עֵדִים הֲמִיתוּהוּ אַתֶּם, לָמָּה? כִּי בְצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים וגו':
עָשָׂה אֶת־הָֽאָדָם - (lit.) He made man. This is an abbreviated verse and should be read as: “the Maker made man.” There are many such forms of abbreviated language in Scripture.		עָשָׂה אֶת־הָֽאָדָם. זֶה מִקְרָא חָסֵר, וְצָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת עָשָׂה הָעוֹשֶׂה אֶת הָאָדָם וְכֵן הַרְבֵּה בַּמִּקְרָא:
7As for you, be fruitful and multiply, proliferate upon the earth, and make it populous.”		זוְאַתֶּ֖ם פְּר֣וּ וּרְב֑וּ שִׁרְצ֥וּ בָאָ֖רֶץ וּרְבוּ־בָֽהּ:
וְאַתֶּם פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ - As for you, be fruitful and multiply. According to the straightforward explanation, the first time “Be fruitful and multiply” is mentioned, 10 it was said as a blessing, and here it is a command. But according to its Midrashic explanation, this command follows the prohibition of murder in order to compare one who abstains from having children to one who sheds blood.		וְאַתֶּם פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ. לְפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לִבְרָכָה וְכָאן לְצִוּוּי. וּלְפִי מִדְרָשׁוֹ לְהַקִּישׁ מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה לְשׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים (יבמות ס"ג):

Footnotes

Isaiah 54:9.

Shevuot 36a.

Bava Metzia 106b.

2 Samuel 16:2.

Yoma 29aa.

Makot 10b.

Fifth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 9

8God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,		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,		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. 1 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.”		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:
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.		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.		חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ אִתְּכֶם. הֵם הַמִּתְהַלְּכִים עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת:
מִכֹּל יוצאי הַתֵּבָה - All who left the ark. These words come to include winged insects and reptiles.		מִכֹּל יוצאי הַתֵּבָה. לְהָבִיא שְׁקָצִים וּרְמָשִׂים:
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.		חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ. לְהָבִיא הַמַּזִּיקִין, שֶׁאֵינָן בִּכְלַל הַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר אִתְּכֶם, שֶׁאֵין הִלּוּכָן עִם הַבְּרִיוֹת:
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.”		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.		וַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִי. אֶעֱשֶׂה קִיּוּם לִבְרִיתִי. וּמַהוּ קִיּוּמוֹ? אוֹת הַקֶּשֶׁת כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּסַיֵּם וְהוֹלֵךְ:
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:		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.		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):
13I have placed My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the world.		יגאֶת־קַשְׁתִּ֕י נָתַ֖תִּי בֶּֽעָנָ֑ן וְהָֽיְתָה֙ לְא֣וֹת בְּרִ֔ית בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין הָאָֽרֶץ:
14When I bring clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear among the clouds,		ידוְהָיָ֕ה בְּעַֽנְנִ֥י עָנָ֖ן עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְנִרְאֲתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת בֶּֽעָנָֽן:
בְּעַֽנְנִי עָנָן - means: “when I would consider bringing darkness and destruction to the world.”		בְּעַֽנְנִי עָנָן. כְּשֶׁתַּעֲלֶה בְמַחֲשָׁבָה לְפָנַי לְהָבִיא חֹשֶׁךְ וַאֲבַדּוֹן לָעוֹלָם:
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.		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.”		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.		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:
17God said to Noah, “Behold the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth.”		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.”		זֹאת אֽוֹת־הַבְּרִית. הֶרְאָהוּ הַקֶּשֶׁת וְאָמַר לוֹ הֲרֵי הָאוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי:

Footnotes

Genesis 8:21.

Sixth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 9

18The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.		יחוַיִּֽהְי֣וּ בְנֵי־נֹ֗חַ הַיֹּֽצְאִים֙ מִן־הַתֵּבָ֔ה שֵׁ֖ם וְחָ֣ם וָיָ֑פֶת וְחָ֕ם ה֖וּא אֲבִ֥י כְנָֽעַן:
וְחָם הוּא אֲבִי כְנָֽעַן - Ham was the father of Canaan. Why was it necessary to mention this here? Because this section goes on to deal with Noah’s drunkenness, through which Ham sinned and thus Canaan was cursed. Since the Torah had not yet written the descendants of Ham and we do not know that Canaan was his son, it was therefore necessary to mention here: “and Ham was the father of Canaan.”		וְחָם הוּא אֲבִי כְנָֽעַן. לָמָּה הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר כָּאן? לְפִי שֶׁהַפָּרָשָׁה עֲסוּקָה וּבָאָה בְּשִׁכְרוּתוֹ שֶׁל נֹחַ שֶׁקִּלְקֵל בָּה חָם וְעַל יָדוֹ נִתְקַלֵּל כְּנַעַן, וַעֲדַיִן לֹא כָתַב תּוֹלְדוֹת חָם, וְלֹא יָדַעְנוּ שֶׁכְּנַעַן בְּנוֹ – לְפִיכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ לוֹמַר כָּאן וְחָם הוּא אֲבִי כְנָעַן:
19These three were the sons of Noah, and from them the whole world branched out.		יטשְׁלשָׁ֥ה אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵי־נֹ֑חַ וּמֵאֵ֖לֶּה נָֽפְצָ֥ה כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
20Noah was the master of the soil. He degraded himself by planting a vineyard.		כוַיָּ֥חֶל נֹ֖חַ אִ֣ישׁ הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וַיִּטַּ֖ע כָּֽרֶם:
וַיָּחֶל - means “He degraded himself,” for he should have first occupied himself with planting something else.		וַיָּחֶל. עָשָׂה עַצְמוֹ חֻלִּין, שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לַעֲסֹק תְּחִלָּה בִּנְטִיעָה אַחֶרֶת (ב"ר):
אִישׁ הָֽאֲדָמָה - means “the master of the soil,” similar to: אִישׁ נָעֳמִי “Naomi’s husband.” 1		אִישׁ הָֽאֲדָמָה. אֲדוֹנֵי הָאֲדָמָה כְּמוֹ אִישׁ נָעֳמִי (רות א'):
וַיִּטַּע כָּֽרֶם - And planted a vineyard. When he entered the ark he brought in with him vine branches and shoots of fig trees.		וַיִּטַּע כָּֽרֶם. כְּשֶׁנִּכְנַס לַתֵּבָה הִכְנִיס עִמּוֹ זְמוֹרוֹת וְיִחוּרֵי תְאֵנִים (ב"ר):
21He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.		כאוַיֵּ֥שְׁתְּ מִן־הַיַּ֖יִן וַיִּשְׁכָּ֑ר וַיִּתְגַּ֖ל בְּת֥וֹךְ אָֽהֳלֹֽה:
וַיִּתְגַּל - His tent. This word is written אָהֳלֹה, with a ה at the end instead of a ו, alluding to the ten tribes who were known collectively as Samaria, which is also called אָהֳלָה – Oholah, 2 and who were exiled for their indulgence in wine, as it says: “who drink wine in large vessels.” 3		וַיִּתְגַּל. לְשׁוֹן וַיִּתְפַּעֵל:
אָֽהֳלֹֽה - He uncovered himself. This is the hitpa’el (reflexive) form.		אָֽהֳלֹֽה. אהלה כְּתִיב, רֶמֶז לְי' שְׁבָטִים שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ עַל שֵׁם שׁוֹמְרוֹן, שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת אָהֳלָה שֶׁגָּלוּ עַל עִסְקֵי הַיַּיִן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הַשֹּׁתִים בְּמִזְרְקֵי יַיִן (עמוס ו'):
22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness. He told his two brothers outside that his father was naked.		כבוַיַּ֗רְא חָ֚ם אֲבִ֣י כְנַ֔עַן אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יו וַיַּגֵּ֥ד לִשְׁנֵֽי־אֶחָ֖יו בַּחֽוּץ:
וַיַּרְא חָם אֲבִי כְנַעַן - Ham, the father of Canaan, saw. Some of our rabbis say: It was Canaan who “saw” Noah’s nakedness and he told his father. Therefore he was mentioned in connection with this matter and cursed.		וַיַּרְא חָם אֲבִי כְנַעַן. יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אוֹמְרִים כְּנַעַן רָאָה וְהִגִּיד לְאָבִיו, לְכָךְ הֻזְכַּר עַל הַדָּבָר וְנִתְקַלֵּל (ב"ר):
וַיַּרְא אֵת עֶרְוַת אָבִיו - He saw his father’s nakedness. Some sages say that he castrated him, and others say that he committed sodomy with him.		וַיַּרְא אֵת עֶרְוַת אָבִיו. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים סֵרְסוֹ וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים רְבָעוֹ (סנה' ע'):
23Shem, enlisting Japheth’s help, took a garment and placed it on the shoulders of them both. They then walked backwards and covered their father’s nakedness. When they approached him and had to turn their bodies around, they did so while facing away from him, so that they did not ever see their father’s nakedness.		כגוַיִּקַּח֩ שֵׁ֨ם וָיֶ֜פֶת אֶת־הַשִּׂמְלָ֗ה וַיָּשִׂ֨ימוּ֙ עַל־שְׁכֶ֣ם שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית וַיְכַסּ֕וּ אֵ֖ת עֶרְוַ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֑ם וּפְנֵיהֶם֙ אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית וְעֶרְוַ֥ת אֲבִיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ:
וַיִּקַּח שֵׁם וָיֶפֶת - Shem, with Japheth, took. It is not written וַיִּקְחוּ “they took,” but וַיִּקַּח “he took,” which teaches us that Shem exerted himself for this good deed more than Japheth. His descendants therefore merited receiving the commandment of wearing a garment with tzitzit, whereas Japheth merited only that his descendants receive a proper burial, as it says: “I will give Gog a place there for a graveyard.” 4 But of Ham, who humiliated his father, it says about his descendants: “So will the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Kush, young and old, naked and barefoot, with fundaments exposed….” 5		וַיִּקַּח שֵׁם וָיֶפֶת. אֵין כְּתִיב וַיִּקְחוּ, אֶלָּא וַיִּקַּח – לִמֵּד עַל שֵׁם שֶׁנִּתְאַמֵּץ בַּמִּצְוָה יוֹתֵר מִיֶּפֶת, לְכָךְ זָכוּ בָנָיו לְטַלִּית שֶׁל צִיצִית, וְיֶפֶת זָכָה לִקְבוּרָה לְבָנָיו, שֶׁנֶאֱמַר אֶתֵּן לְגוֹג מְקוֹם שָׁם קֶבֶר (יחזקאל ל"ט), וְחָם שֶׁבִּזָּה אֶת אָבִיו נֶאֱמַר בְּזַרְעוֹ כֵּן יִנְהַג מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אֶת שְׁבִי מִצְרַיִם וְאֶת גָּלוּת כּוּשׁ נְעָרִים וּזְקֵנִים עָרוֹם וְיָחֵף וַחֲשׂוּפַי שֵׁת וְגוֹ' (ישעיהו כ'):
וּפְנֵיהֶם אחורנית - While facing away. Why does it say a second time אֲחֹרַנִּית – that they turned themselves backward? It teaches us that when they came near to him and had to turn around to cover him, they kept their faces turned away.		וּפְנֵיהֶם אחורנית. לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר פַּעַם שְׁנִיָּה? מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכְּשֶׁקָּרְבוּ אֶצְלוֹ וְהֻצְרְכוּ לַהֲפֹךְ עַצְמָם לְכַסּוֹתוֹ הָפְכוּ פְנֵיהֶם אֲחוֹרַנִּית:
24Noah awoke from his wine and realized what his youngest son had done to him.		כדוַיִּ֥יקֶץ נֹ֖חַ מִיֵּינ֑וֹ וַיֵּ֕דַע אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָ֥שָׂה ל֖וֹ בְּנ֥וֹ הַקָּטָֽן:
בְּנוֹ הַקָּטָֽן - His youngest son - means the unworthy and despicable one, as in: “I have made you insignificant (קָטֹן) among the nations and despised among men.” 6		בְּנוֹ הַקָּטָֽן. הַפָּסוּל וְהַבָּזוּי, כְּמוֹ הִנֵּה קָטֹן נְתַתִּיךָ בַּגּוֹיִם בָּזוּי בָּאָדָם (ירמיה מ"ט):
25He said, “Cursed be Canaan! He will be a servant to servants—a servant to his father’s brothers, Shem and Japheth!”		כהוַיֹּ֖אמֶר אָר֣וּר כְּנָ֑עַן עֶ֥בֶד עֲבָדִ֖ים יִֽהְיֶ֥ה לְאֶחָֽיו:
- 25.אָרוּר כְּנָעַןCursed be Canaan. Noah said to Ham: “You caused me not to have another, fourth son to serve me. May your fourth son, Canaan, be cursed to serve the descendants of these older ones, who are from now on solely encumbered with the trouble of serving me.” And what brought Ham to castrate him? He said to his brothers: “Adam, the first man, had two sons, and one killed the other in order to inherit the whole world. Our father already has three sons and yet he still wishes to have a fourth!”		אָרוּר כְּנָעַן. אַתָּה גָרַמְתָּ לִי שֶׁלֹּא אוֹלִיד בֵּן רְבִיעִי אַחֵר לְשַׁמְּשֵׁנִי, אָרוּר בִּנְךָ רְבִיעִי לִהְיוֹת מְשַׁמֵּשׁ אֶת זַרְעָם שֶׁל אֵלּוּ הַגְּדוֹלִים, שֶׁהוּטַל עֲלֵיהֶם טֹרַח עֲבוֹדָתִי מֵעַתָּה. וּמָה רָאָה חָם שֶׁסֵּרְסוֹ? אָמַר לָהֶם לְאֶחָיו אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שְׁנֵי בָנִים הָיוּ לוֹ, וְהָרַג זֶה אֶת זֶה בִּשְׁבִיל יְרֻשַּׁת הָעוֹלָם, וְאָבִינוּ יֵשׁ לוֹ ג' בָּנִים וְעוֹדֶנּוּ מְבַקֵּשׁ בֵּן רְבִיעִי:
26He then said, “Blessed be God, the God who will favor Shem! Canaan’s descendants will be their slaves!		כווַיֹּ֕אמֶר בָּר֥וּךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹ֣הֵי שֵׁ֑ם וִיהִ֥י כְנַ֖עַן עֶ֥בֶד לָֽמוֹ:
בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱלֹהֵי שֵׁם - Blessed be God, the God of Shem - for in the future He will fulfill His promise to Shem’s descendants and give them the land of Canaan.		בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱלֹהֵי שֵׁם. שֶׁעָתִיד לִשְׁמֹר הַבְטָחָתוֹ לְזַרְעוֹ, לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן:
וִיהִי - Canaan will be [their slave] - they will pay to them a tax of physical servitude.		וִיהִי. לָהֶם כְּנַעַן לְמַס עוֹבֵד:
27May God expand Japheth, but may He dwell in the tents of the descendants of Shem. Canaan’s descendants will be slaves to the descendants of Shem!”		כזיַ֤פְתְּ אֱלֹהִים֙ לְיֶ֔פֶת וְיִשְׁכֹּ֖ן בְּאָֽהֳלֵי־שֵׁ֑ם וִיהִ֥י כְנַ֖עַן עֶ֥בֶד לָֽמוֹ:
יַפְתְּ אֱלֹהִים לְיֶפֶת - The word יַפְתְּ is translated by Onkelos as יַפְתֵּי, which means “may He expand.”		יַפְתְּ אֱלֹהִים לְיֶפֶת. מְתֻרְגָּם יַפְתֵּי, יַרְחִיב:
וְיִשְׁכֹּן בְּאָֽהֳלֵי־שֵׁם - May He dwell in the tents of Shem - i.e., “may He set His Divine Presence among the people of Israel.” But according to the explanation of the sages this verse means: Although God “expanded” Japheth in that Cyrus, a descendant of Japheth, built the second Temple, which was bigger and higher than the first Temple, the Divine Presence did not dwell there. Where, then, did it dwell? In the first Temple, which was built by Solomon, who was a descendant of Shem.		וְיִשְׁכֹּן בְּאָֽהֳלֵי־שֵׁם. יַשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתוֹ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וּמִדְרַשׁ חֲכָמִים אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיַּפְתְּ אֱלֹהִים לְיֶפֶת – שֶׁבָּנָה כֹּרֶשׁ, שֶׁהָיָה מִבְּנֵי יֶפֶת, בַּיִת שֵׁנִי – לֹא שָׁרְתָה בּוֹ שְׁכִינָה; וְהֵיכָן שָׁרְתָה? בְּמִקְדָשׁ רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁבָּנָה שְׁלֹמֹה שֶׁהָיָה מִבְּנֵי שֵׁם:
וִיהִי כְנַעַן עֶבֶד לָֽמוֹ - (lit.) Canaan will be [their] slave. Even after the descendants of Shem will be exiled, slaves from the descendants of Canaan will be sold to them.		וִיהִי כְנַעַן עֶבֶד לָֽמוֹ. אַף מִשֶּׁיִּגְלוּ בְנֵי שֵׁם יִמָּכְרוּ לָהֶם עֲבָדִים מִבְּנֵי כְּנַעַן:
28Noah lived 350 years after the Flood.		כחוַֽיְחִי־נֹ֖חַ אַחַ֣ר הַמַּבּ֑וּל שְׁל֤שׁ מֵאוֹת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וַֽחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים שָׁנָֽה:
29All the days of Noah came to 950 years, and he died.		כטוַֽיְהִי֙ כָּל־יְמֵי־נֹ֔חַ תְּשַׁ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וַֽחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיָּמֹֽת:

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 10

1The following are the descendants of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who fathered children after the Flood.		אוְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ תּֽוֹלְדֹ֣ת בְּנֵי־נֹ֔חַ שֵׁ֖ם חָ֣ם וָיָ֑פֶת וַיִּוָּֽלְד֥וּ לָהֶ֛ם בָּנִ֖ים אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל:
2The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Yavan, Tuval, Meshech, and Tiras.		בבְּנֵ֣י יֶ֔פֶת גֹּ֣מֶר וּמָג֔וֹג וּמָדַ֖י וְיָוָ֣ן וְתֻבָ֑ל וּמֶ֖שֶׁךְ וְתִירָֽס:
וְתִירָֽס - And Tiras. This is Persia.		וְתִירָֽס. זוֹ פָּרַס (ב"ר):
3The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Rifat, and Togarmah.		גוּבְנֵ֖י גֹּ֑מֶר אַשְׁכְּנַ֥ז וְרִיפַ֖ת וְתֹֽגַרְמָֽה:
4The sons of Yavan were Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Dodanites.		דוּבְנֵ֥י יָוָ֖ן אֱלִישָׁ֣ה וְתַרְשִׁ֑ישׁ כִּתִּ֖ים וְדֹֽדָנִֽים:
5From these, the island-nations, their clans, and their nations branched out—each with its own language—into their lands.		המֵאֵ֠לֶּה נִפְרְד֞וּ אִיֵּ֤י הַגּוֹיִם֙ בְּאַרְצֹתָ֔ם אִ֖ישׁ לִלְשֹׁנ֑וֹ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם בְּגֽוֹיֵהֶֽם:
6The sons of Ham were Kush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.		ווּבְנֵ֖י חָ֑ם כּ֥וּשׁ וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וּפ֥וּט וּכְנָֽעַן:
7The sons of Kush were Seva, Chavilah, Savtah, Ra’mah, and Savtecha. The sons of Ra’mah were Sheva and Dedan.		זוּבְנֵ֣י כ֔וּשׁ סְבָא֙ וַֽחֲוִילָ֔ה וְסַבְתָּ֥ה וְרַעְמָ֖ה וְסַבְתְּכָ֑א וּבְנֵ֥י רַעְמָ֖ה שְׁבָ֥א וּדְדָֽן:
8Kush was the father of Nimrod, the first man in the world powerful enough to rally the masses to rebel against God.		חוְכ֖וּשׁ יָלַ֣ד אֶת־נִמְרֹ֑ד ה֣וּא הֵחֵ֔ל לִֽהְי֥וֹת גִּבֹּ֖ר בָּאָֽרֶץ:
לִֽהְיוֹת גבור - Powerful - i.e., by causing the whole world to rebel against the Holy One, blessed be He, through the scheme he devised for the generation of dispersion.		לִֽהְיוֹת גבור. לְהַמְרִיד כָּל הָעוֹלָם עַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַּעֲצַת דוֹר הַפַּלָּגָה:
9He was a mighty hunter, “trapping” people into joining his rebellion against God, and he flaunted his rebellious intentions before God Himself. Hence, the saying, “He is like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before God” is applied to anyone who intentionally seeks to provoke God’s anger.		טהֽוּא־הָיָ֥ה גִּבֹּֽר־צַ֖יִד לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה עַל־כֵּן֙ יֵֽאָמַ֔ר כְּנִמְרֹ֛ד גִּבּ֥וֹר צַ֖יִד לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:
גִּבֹּֽר־צַיִד - A mighty hunter. He ensnared (צָד) the minds of people with his words, misleading them to rebel against the Omnipresent.		גִּבֹּֽר־צַיִד. צָד דַּעְתָּן שֶׁל בְּרִיוֹת בְּפִיו, וּמַטְעָן לִמְרֹד בַּמָּקוֹם:
לִפְנֵי ה' - Before God. He intended to provoke Him to His Face.		לִפְנֵי ה'. מִתְכַּוֵן לְהַקְנִיטוֹ עַל פָּנָיו:
עַל־כֵּן יֵֽאָמַר - (lit.) Hence, it is said - i.e., about any person who brazenly acts wickedly – who knows his Creator, yet intentionally rebels against Him – it is said: “This one is like Nimrod, a mighty hunter.”		עַל־כֵּן יֵֽאָמַר. עַל כָּל אָדָם מַרְשִׁיעַ בְּעַזּוּת פָּנִים, יוֹדֵע רִבּוֹנוֹ וּמִתְכַּוֵּן לִמְרֹד בּוֹ, יֵאָמֵר זֶה כְּנִמְרֹד גִּבּוֹר צַיִד:
10His kingdom began with Babylon, and with Erech, Akad, and Kalneh, in the land of Shin’ar.		יוַתְּהִ֨י רֵאשִׁ֤ית מַמְלַכְתּוֹ֙ בָּבֶ֔ל וְאֶ֖רֶךְ וְאַכַּ֣ד וְכַלְנֵ֑ה בְּאֶ֖רֶץ שִׁנְעָֽר:
11Assyria and his family left that land and built Nineveh, Rechovot-Ir, and Kalach,		יאמִן־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַהִ֖וא יָצָ֣א אַשּׁ֑וּר וַיִּ֨בֶן֙ אֶת־נִ֣ינְוֵ֔ה וְאֶת־רְחֹבֹ֥ת עִ֖יר וְאֶת־כָּֽלַח:
מִן־הָאָרֶץ וגו' - From that land. Since Assyria saw that his children were listening to Nimrod and rebelling against the Omnipresent by building the tower of Babel, he left their midst.		מִן־הָאָרֶץ וגו'. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה אַשּׁוּר אֶת בָּנָיו שׁוֹמְעִין לְנִמְרוֹד וּמוֹרְדִין בַּמָקוֹם לִבְנוֹת הַמִּגְדָּל יָצָא מִתּוֹכָם:
12as well as Resen, between Nineveh and Kalach; Nineveh is the great city, the capital of Assyria.		יבוְאֶת־רֶ֕סֶן בֵּ֥ין נִֽינְוֵ֖ה וּבֵ֣ין כָּ֑לַח הִ֖וא הָעִ֥יר הַגְּדֹלָֽה:
הָעִיר הַגְּדֹלָֽה - The great city. This refers to Nineveh, as it says: “Nineveh was an exceedingly large (גְּדוֹלָה) city.” 7		הָעִיר הַגְּדֹלָֽה. הִיא נִינְוֵה שֶׁנֶּ' וְנִינְוֵה הָיְתָה עִיר גְּדוֹלָה לֵאלֹהִים (יונה ג'):
13Egypt fathered the Ludites, the Anamites, the Lehavites, the Naftuchites,		יגוּמִצְרַ֡יִם יָלַ֞ד אֶת־לוּדִ֧ים וְאֶת־עֲנָמִ֛ים וְאֶת־לְהָבִ֖ים וְאֶת־נַפְתֻּחִֽים:
לְהָבִים - Lehavites. They were so called because their faces were fiery like a flame (לַהַב).		לְהָבִים. שֶׁפְּנֵיהֶם דּוֹמִים לְלַהַב:
14the Patrusites and the Kasluchites—who engaged in wife-swapping, producing the Philistines, who thus descended from them both—and the Kaftorites.		ידוְאֶת־פַּתְרֻסִ֞ים וְאֶת־כַּסְלֻחִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָֽצְא֥וּ מִשָּׁ֛ם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים וְאֶת־כַּפְתֹּרִֽים:
פַּתְרֻסִים וְאֶת־כַּסְלֻחִים אֲשֶׁר יָֽצְאוּ מִשָּׁם פְּלִשְׁתִּים - Patrusites and Kasluchites, from whom descended the Philistines. They came from both of them, because the Patrusites and Kasluchites would swap wives and the Philistines came from such forbidden relationships.		פַּתְרֻסִים וְאֶת־כַּסְלֻחִים אֲשֶׁר יָֽצְאוּ מִשָּׁם פְּלִשְׁתִּים. מִשְּׁנֵיהֶם יָצְאוּ, שֶׁהָיוּ פַּתְרוּסִים וְכַסְלוּחִים מַחֲלִיפִין מִשְׁכַּב נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶם אֵלּוּ לָאֵלּוּ וְיָצְאוּ מֵהֶם פְּלִשְׁתִּים:
15Canaan was the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Het,		טווּכְנַ֗עַן יָלַ֛ד אֶת־צִידֹ֥ן בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־חֵֽת:
16as well as the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,		טזוְאֶת־הַיְבוּסִי֙ וְאֶת־הָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י וְאֵ֖ת הַגִּרְגָּשִֽׁי:
17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,		יזוְאֶת־הַֽחִוִּ֥י וְאֶת־הָֽעַרְקִ֖י וְאֶת־הַסִּינִֽי:
18the Arvadites, the Tzemarites, and the Chamatites. From these, the additional families of the Canaanites later spread out further.		יחוְאֶת־הָֽאַרְוָדִ֥י וְאֶת־הַצְּמָרִ֖י וְאֶת־הַֽחֲמָתִ֑י וְאַחַ֣ר נָפֹ֔צוּ מִשְׁפְּח֖וֹת הַכְּנַֽעֲנִֽי:
וְאַחַר נפוצו - Later they spread out - i.e., from these families spread many families.		וְאַחַר נפוצו. מֵאֵלֶּה נָפוֹצוּ מִשְׁפָּחוֹת הַרְבֵּה:
19The Canaanites extended the border of their territory into the Land of Israel, from Sidon toward Gerar until Gaza, and toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Tzevoyim, until Lasha.		יטוַיְהִ֞י גְּב֤וּל הַכְּנַֽעֲנִי֙ מִצִּידֹ֔ן בֹּֽאֲכָ֥ה גְרָ֖רָה עַד־עַזָּ֑ה בֹּֽאֲכָ֞ה סְדֹ֧מָה וַֽעֲמֹרָ֛ה וְאַדְמָ֥ה וּצְבוֹיִ֖ם (כתיב וּצְבֹיִ֖ם) עַד־לָֽשַׁע:
גְּבוּל הַכְּנַֽעֲנִי - The border of the Canaanites - means the end of his land. Wherever the word גְּבוּל occurs in Scripture, it signifies “end” or “extremity.”		גְּבוּל הַכְּנַֽעֲנִי. סוֹף אַרְצוֹ. כָּל גְּבוּל לְשׁוֹן סוֹף וְקָצֶה:
בֹּֽאֲכָה - (lit.) In the direction of. Onkelos takes this word as an adjective. I am of the opinion, though, that it is a verb, used as a colloquial expression, as when someone says to another: “This border extends until you come (תָּבֹא) to such and such a place.”		בֹּֽאֲכָה. שֵׁם דָּבָר. וְלִי נִרְאֶה כְּאָדָם הָאוֹמֵר לַחֲבֵרוֹ, גְּבוּל זֶה מַגִּיעַ עַד אֲשֶׁר תָּבֹא לִגְבוּל פְּלוֹנִי:
20These are the descendants of Ham, according to their clans and languages, by their lands and nations.		כאֵ֣לֶּה בְנֵי־חָ֔ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לִלְשֹֽׁנֹתָ֑ם בְּאַרְצֹתָ֖ם בְּגֽוֹיֵהֶֽם:
לִלְשֹֽׁנֹתָם בְּאַרְצֹתָם - According to their languages, by their lands. Although they were separated into different languages and lands, they are all descendants of Ham.		לִלְשֹֽׁנֹתָם בְּאַרְצֹתָם. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ לִלְשׁוֹנוֹת וַאֲרָצוֹת, כֻּלָּם בְּנֵי חָם הֵם:
21Children were also born to Shem. He was the ancestor of all those who lived on the other, eastern side of the Euphrates, and the brother of Japheth, the eldest son of Noah.		כאוּלְשֵׁ֥ם יֻלַּ֖ד גַּם־ה֑וּא אֲבִי֙ כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵ֔בֶר אֲחִ֖י יֶ֥פֶת הַגָּדֽוֹל:
אֲבִי כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵבֶר - means: The ancestor of all those who lived on the other side of the Euphrates River – was Shem.		אֲבִי כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֵבֶר. הַנָּהָר הָיָה שֵׁם:
אֲחִי יֶפֶת הַגָּדֽוֹל - The brother of Japheth, the eldest. I cannot determine from the language of the verse here whether Japheth was the eldest or Shem. However, since it says: “Shem was 100 years old…two years after the Flood,” 8 it can be deduced that Japheth was the oldest; for Noah was 500 years old when he first had children and the Flood took place in the 600th year of his life, which means that his eldest son was then in his 100th year, and Shem only reached the age of 100 two years after the Flood.		אֲחִי יֶפֶת הַגָּדֽוֹל. אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם יֶפֶת הַגָּדוֹל אִם שֵׁם, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר שֵׁם בֶּן מְאַת שָׁנָה וְגוֹ' שְׁנָתַיִם אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל, הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר יֶפֶת הַגָּדוֹל, שֶׁהֲרֵי בֶּן ת"ק שָׁנָה הָיָה נֹחַ כְּשֶׁהִתְחִיל לְהוֹלִיד, וְהַמַּבּוּל הָיָה בִּשְׁנַת שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה, נִמְצָא שֶׁהַגָּדוֹל בְּבָנָיו הָיָה בֶן מֵאָה שָׁנָה, וְשֵׁם לֹא הִגִּיע לְמֵאָה עַד שְׁנָתַיִם אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל:
אֲחִי יֶפֶת - The brother of Japheth - and not “the brother of Ham,” because these two honored their father, whereas Ham disgraced him.		אֲחִי יֶפֶת. וְלֹא אֲחִי חָם? שֶׁאֵלּוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם כִּבְּדוּ אֶת אֲבִיהֶם, וְזֶה בִּזָּהוּ:
22The sons of Shem were Eilam, Assyria, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.		כבבְּנֵ֥י שֵׁ֖ם עֵילָ֣ם וְאַשּׁ֑וּר וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֖ד וְל֥וּד וַֽאֲרָֽם:
23The sons of Aram were Utz, Chul, Geter, and Mash.		כגוּבְנֵ֖י אֲרָ֑ם ע֥וּץ וְח֖וּל וְגֶ֥תֶר וָמַֽשׁ:
24Arpachshad was the father of Shelach, and Shelach was the father of Ever.		כדוְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֖ד יָלַ֣ד אֶת־שָׁ֑לַח וְשֶׁ֖לַח יָלַ֥ד אֶת־עֵֽבֶר:
25Two sons were born to Ever. The name of the first was Peleg, because his father prophesied that in the final days of his life, the world would be divided [niflegah]. The name of his brother was Yoktan.		כהוּלְעֵ֥בֶר יֻלַּ֖ד שְׁנֵ֣י בָנִ֑ים שֵׁ֣ם הָֽאֶחָ֞ד פֶּ֗לֶג כִּ֤י בְיָמָיו֙ נִפְלְגָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ וְשֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו יָקְטָֽן:
נִפְלְגָה - Divided. The languages were mixed up, and thus the people were scattered from the plain and dispersed throughout the world. From here we learn that Ever was a prophet, since he named his son for what was to happen in the future, for we have learned in Seder Olam 9 that the Dispersion took place at the end of Peleg’s life. Should you claim that in fact it took place at the beginning of his life and he was named for the prevailing situation and not by prophecy, I reply that Yoktan was his younger brother and he had fathered several families beforehand, as it says: “Yoktan was the father of…,” 10 and only afterward: “The whole world was…” 11 – the account of the Dispersion. And if you claim that the Dispersion occurred in the middle of his life, my reply is that Scripture does not come to leave matters ambiguous but to be specific, and therefore you can deduce that they were dispersed in the year of Peleg’s death.		נִפְלְגָה. נִתְבַּלְבְּלוּ הַלְּשׁוֹנוֹת וְנָפוֹצוּ מִן הַבִּקְעָה וְנִתְפַּלְּגוּ בְכָל הָעוֹלָם. לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה עֵבֶר נָבִיא, שֶׁקָּרָא שֵׁם בְּנוֹ עַל שֵׁם הֶעָתִיד; וְשָׁנִינוּ בְסֵדֶר עוֹלָם שֶׁבְּסוֹף יָמָיו נִתְפַּלְּגוּ, שֶׁאִם תֹּאמַר בִּתְחִלַּת יָמָיו, הֲרֵי יָקְטָן אָחִיו צָעִיר מִמֶּנּוּ וְהוֹלִיד כַּמָּה מִשְׁפָּחוֹת קֹדֶם לָכֵן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְיָקְטָן יָלַד וְגוֹ' וְאַחַר כָּךְ וַיְהִי כָל הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ'; וְאִם תֹּאמַר בְּאֶמְצַע יָמָיו, לֹא בָא הַכָּתוּב לִסְתֹּם אֶלָּא לְפָרֵשׁ, הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבִּשְׁנַת מוֹת פֶּלֶג נִתְפַּלְּגוּ:
יָקְטָֽן - Yoktan. (lit. “the small one”). He was so called for he was humble and self-effacing. He was therefore privileged to establish all these families.		יָקְטָֽן. שֶׁהָיָה עָנָו וּמַקְטִין עַצְמוֹ, לְכָךְ זָכָה לְהַעֲמִיד כָּל הַמִּשְׁפָּחוֹת הַלָּלוּ:
26Yoktan was the father of Almodad, Shelef, Chatzarmavet, Yerach,		כווְיָקְטָ֣ן יָלַ֔ד אֶת־אַלְמוֹדָ֖ד וְאֶת־שָׁ֑לֶף וְאֶת־חֲצַרְמָ֖וֶת וְאֶת־יָֽרַח:
חֲצַרְמָוֶת - Chatzarmavet. He was named after his city. These are words of aggadah.		חֲצַרְמָוֶת. עַל שֵׁם מְקוֹמוֹ, דִּבְרֵי אַגָּדָה (ב"ר):
27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,		כזוְאֶת־הֲדוֹרָ֥ם וְאֶת־אוּזָ֖ל וְאֶת־דִּקְלָֽה:
28Oval, Avima’el, Sheva,		כחוְאֶת־עוֹבָ֥ל וְאֶת־אֲבִֽימָאֵ֖ל וְאֶת־שְׁבָֽא:
29Ophir, Chavilah, and Yovav; all these were the sons of Yoktan.		כטוְאֶת־אוֹפִ֥ר וְאֶת־חֲוִילָ֖ה וְאֶת־יוֹבָ֑ב כָּל־אֵ֖לֶּה בְּנֵ֥י יָקְטָֽן:
30Their dwelling place extended from Mesha towards Sephar, the eastern mountain.		לוַיְהִ֥י מֽוֹשָׁבָ֖ם מִמֵּשָׁ֑א בֹּֽאֲכָ֥ה סְפָ֖רָה הַ֥ר הַקֶּֽדֶם:
31These are the descendants of Shem, according to their clans and languages, by their lands and their nations.		לאאֵ֣לֶּה בְנֵי־שֵׁ֔ם לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם לִלְשֹֽׁנֹתָ֑ם בְּאַרְצֹתָ֖ם לְגֽוֹיֵהֶֽם:
32These were the families of Noah’s sons, in their order of birth, by their nations, and from them the nations dispersed over the earth after the Flood.		לבאֵ֣לֶּה מִשְׁפְּחֹ֧ת בְּנֵי־נֹ֛חַ לְתֽוֹלְדֹתָ֖ם בְּגֽוֹיֵהֶ֑ם וּמֵאֵ֜לֶּה נִפְרְד֧וּ הַגּוֹיִ֛ם בָּאָ֖רֶץ אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל:

Footnotes

Seder Olam Ch. 1.

Seventh Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 11

1The whole population of the world was united, speaking one language, but they were also united in a common, ill-advised cause.		אוַיְהִ֥י כָל־הָאָ֖רֶץ שָׂפָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת וּדְבָרִ֖ים אֲחָדִֽים:
שָׂפָה אֶחָת - One language - i.e., the holy language (Hebrew).		שָׂפָה אֶחָת. לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶש:
וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִֽים - And united in a common cause. They decided on one plan and said, “He has no right to select the heavens exclusively for Himself. Let us ascend to the sky and wage war with Him.” Another explanation of וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים, taken to mean “words about One”: about the Unique One of the World. Another explanation of וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים – they used sharp words (דְּבָרִים חַדִּים). They said, “Once every 1656 years (the period between the Creation and the Flood) the skies collapse, as they did during the Flood. Let us make supports for them” (Bereshit Rabbah). 1		וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִֽים. בָּאוּ בְעֵצָה אַחַת וְאָמְרוּ לֹא כָּל הֵימֶנּוּ שֶׁיָּבֹר לוֹ אֶת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, נַעֲלֶה לָרָקִיעַ וְנַעֲשֶׂה עִמּוֹ מִלְחָמָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר עַל יְחִידוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים – אָמְרוּ אַחַת לְאֶלֶף ותרנ"ו שָׁנִים הָרָקִיעַ מִתְמוֹטֵט כְּשֵׁם שֶׁעָשָׂה בִּימֵי הַמַּבּוּל, בֹּאוּ וְנַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ סְמִיכוֹת (ב"ר):
2When they migrated from the mountains in the east, they found a valley in the land of Shin’ar large enough for their purposes and they settled there.		בוַיְהִ֖י בְּנָסְעָ֣ם מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַיִּמְצְא֥וּ בִקְעָ֛ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שִׁנְעָ֖ר וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם:
בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם - When they migrated from the east. That was where they were then living, as it is written above: “Their dwelling place extended…toward the eastern mountain.” 2 They traveled from there in search of a place that could accommodate all of them, and they only found Shin’ar.		בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם. שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִים שָׁם, כְּדִכְתִיב לְמַעְלָה וַיְהִי מוֹשָׁבָם וְגו' הַר הַקֶּדֶם וְנָסְעוּ מִשָּׁם לָתוּר לָהֶם מָקוֹם לְהַחֲזִיק אֶת כֻּלָּם וְלֹא מָצְאוּ אֶלָּא שִׁנְעָר:
3There were no stones in this valley with which to build, so they said to one another, “Come, let us mold bricks and fire them.” The bricks they made were as hard as stone, and the clay served them for mortar with which to plaster the walls.		גוַיֹּֽאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֗הוּ הָ֚בָה נִלְבְּנָ֣ה לְבֵנִ֔ים וְנִשְׂרְפָ֖ה לִשְׂרֵפָ֑ה וַתְּהִ֨י לָהֶ֤ם הַלְּבֵנָה֙ לְאָ֔בֶן וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ר הָיָ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם לַחֹֽמֶר:
אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ - To one another - i.e., one nation to the other: Egypt to Kush, Kush to Put, Put to Canaan.		אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ. אֻמָּה לְאֻמָּה, מִצְרַיִם לְכוּשׁ, וְכוּשׁ לְפוּט וּפוּט לִכְנַעַן:
הָבָה - means: “prepare yourselves.” הָבָה is always an expression of preparation, directing people to prepare themselves and join together for some work, for a plan, or for an undertaking. “Come, get ready”; “aparicler” in Old French.		הָבָה. הַזְמִינוּ עַצְמְכֶם. כָּל הָבָה לְשׁוֹן הַזְמָנָה הוּא, שֶׁמְּכִינִים עַצְמָן וּמִתְחַבְּרִים לִמְלָאכָה אוֹ לְעֵצָה אוֹ לְמַשָּׂא. הָבָה הַזְמִינוּ, אפר"לייר בלע"ז:
לְבֵנִים - Bricks - for there are no stones in Babel, since it is a plain.		לְבֵנִים. שֶׁאֵין אֲבָנִים בְּבָבֶל, שֶׁהִיא בִּקְעָה:
וְנִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה - And fire them. This is the way bricks, which are called in Old French “tivles,” are made – they are fired in a furnace.		וְנִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה. כָּךְ עוֹשִׂין הַלְּבֵנִים שֶׁקּוֹרִין טוויל"ש בל', שׂוֹרְפִים אוֹתָן בְּכִבְשָׁן:
לַחֹֽמֶר - For mortar - to plaster the walls.		לַחֹֽמֶר. לָטוּחַ הַקִּיר:
4They said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into the sky. Let us make ourselves a name, so that we will not be scattered by God all over the face of the earth.”		דוַיֹּֽאמְר֞וּ הָ֣בָה \| נִבְנֶה־לָּ֣נוּ עִ֗יר וּמִגְדָּל֙ וְרֹאשׁ֣וֹ בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן־נָפ֖וּץ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
פֶּן־נָפוּץ - So that we will not be scattered - i.e., so that He not be able to bring any form of plague upon us to disperse us from here.		פֶּן־נָפוּץ. שֶׁלֹּא יָבִיא עָלֵינוּ שׁוּם מַכָּה לַהֲפִיצֵנוּ מִכָּאן:
5God descended, so to speak, to see the city and the tower that the descendants of Adam, the first man, had built.		הוַיֵּ֣רֶד יְהֹוָ֔ה לִרְאֹ֥ת אֶת־הָעִ֖יר וְאֶת־הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנ֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י הָֽאָדָֽם:
וַיֵּרֶד ה' לראות - God descended to see. He had no need to do this, but He thereby wished to teach judges that they should not convict a defendant until they see the case and properly understand it. This is from the Midrash of Rabbi Tanchuma. 3		וַיֵּרֶד ה' לראות. לֹא הֻצְרַךְ לְכָךְ, אֶלָּא בָא לְלַמֵּד לְדַיָּנִים שֶׁלֹּא יַרְשִׁיעוּ הַנִּדּוֹן עַד שֶׁיִּרְאוּ וְיָבִינוּ, מִדְרַשׁ רַבִּי תַנְחוּמָא:
בְּנֵי הָֽאָדָֽם - The descendants of man - Who else’s descendants, then, could be meant? Perhaps the descendants of donkeys or camels?! It refers, however, to the descendants of Adam, the first man, who was ungrateful and said: “The woman whom You gave to be with me….” 4 These people, too, were ungrateful by rebelling against the One who had showered goodness upon them and had saved them from the Flood.		בְּנֵי הָֽאָדָֽם. אֶלָּא בְנֵי מִי? שֶׁמָּא בְנֵי חֲמוֹרִים וּגְמַלִּים? אֶלָּא בְנֵי אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁכָּפָה אֶת הַטּוֹבָה וְאָמַר הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּ עִמָּדִי, אַף אֵלּוּ כָפוּ בַּטּוֹבָה לִמְרֹד בְּמִי שֶׁהִשְׁפִּיעָם טוֹבָה, וּמִלְּטָם מִן הַמַּבּוּל:
6God said to the heavenly court, “They possess all the advantages and conveniences of being a single people, all having one language—and this is what they have begun to do?! So now, should they not be prevented from doing all that they planned to do?		ווַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֗ה הֵ֣ן עַ֤ם אֶחָד֙ וְשָׂפָ֤ה אַחַת֙ לְכֻלָּ֔ם וְזֶ֖ה הַֽחִלָּ֣ם לַֽעֲשׂ֑וֹת וְעַתָּה֙ לֹֽא־יִבָּצֵ֣ר מֵהֶ֔ם כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽזְמ֖וּ לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת:
הֵן עַם אֶחָד - They are a single people - i.e., they have all this good, in that they are one people and all have the same language, yet this is what they have begun to do!		הֵן עַם אֶחָד. כָּל טוֹבָה זוֹ יֵשׁ עִמָּהֶן, שֶׁעַם אֶחָד הֵם, וְשָׂפָה אַחַת לְכֻלָּן וְדָבָר זֶה הֵחֵלּוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת:
הַֽחִלָּם - This word has the same grammatical construction as אָמְרָם “their saying”; עֲשׂוֹתָם “their doing.” Thus it means literally: they are beginning to do.		הַֽחִלָּם. כְּמוֹ אָמְרָם, עֲשׂוֹתָם – לְהַתְחִיל הֵם לַעֲשׂוֹת:
לֹֽא־יִבָּצֵר מֵהֶם וגו' לַֽעֲשׂוֹת - This is a question. יִבָּצֵר is an expression of prevention, as Onkelos translates it. A similar form is: “He restrains (יִבְצֹר) the haughty spirit of nobles.” 5		לֹֽא־יִבָּצֵר מֵהֶם וגו' לַֽעֲשׂוֹת. בִּתְמִיהָ. יִבָּצֵר לְשׁוֹן מְנִיעָה, כְתַרְגּוּמוֹ; וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ יִבְצֹר רוּחַ נְגִידִים (תה' ע"ו):
7Come, let us descend and confuse their speech there, so that one person will not understand another’s speech.”		זהָ֚בָה נֵֽרְדָ֔ה וְנָֽבְלָ֥ה שָׁ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפַ֥ת רֵעֵֽהוּ:
הָבָה נֵֽרְדָה - Come, let us descend. He consulted with His judicial court out of His extreme humility.		הָבָה נֵֽרְדָה. בְּבֵית דִּינוֹ נִמְלַךְ מֵעַנְוְתָנוּתוֹ יְתֵרָה:
הָבָה - Come. Measure for measure: They said, “Come, let us build”; 6 God meted out justice to them correspondingly, saying, “Come, let us descend.”		הָבָה. מִדָּה כְנֶגֶד מִדָּה – הֵם אָמְרוּ הָבָה נִבְנֶה, וְהוּא כְנֶגֶדָּם מָדַד וְאָמַר הָבָה נֵרְדָה:
וְנָֽבְלָה - means: “and let us mix up.” The נ indicates the first person plural form and not the passive, and the ה at the end is additional to the word form (not a feminine form), like the ה of נֵרְדָה.		וְנָֽבְלָה. וּנְבַלְבֵּל; נוּ"ן מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן רַבִּים, וְהֵ"א אַחֲרוֹנָה יְתֵרָה, כְהֵ"א שֶׁל נֵרְדָה:
לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ - Will not understand. One asks for a brick and the other brings mud, whereupon the former attacks him and smashes his brains.		לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ. זֶה שׁוֹאֵל לְבֵנָה וְזֶה מֵבִיא טִיט, וְזֶה עוֹמֵד עָלָיו וּפוֹצֵעַ אֶת מֹחוֹ:
8God scattered them from that place all over the face of the earth, and they stopped building the city.		חוַיָּ֨פֶץ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם מִשָּׁ֖ם עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיַּחְדְּל֖וּ לִבְנֹ֥ת הָעִֽיר:
וַיָּפֶץ ה' אֹתָם מִשָּׁם - God scattered them from that place - in this world. What they had said, “so that we will not be scattered,” 7 actually happened to them, and of this Solomon said: “What the wicked person fears will come upon him.” 8		וַיָּפֶץ ה' אֹתָם מִשָּׁם. בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה; מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ פֶּן נָפוּץ, נִתְקַיֵּם עֲלֵיהֶם, הוּא שֶׁאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה מְגוֹרַת רָשָׁע הִיא תְבוֹאֶנּוּ (משלי י'):
9It was therefore named Babel, because this was the place where God confused (balal) the whole world’s language. From there God dispersed them over all the face of the earth.		טעַל־כֵּ֞ן קָרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ בָּבֶ֔ל כִּי־שָׁ֛ם בָּלַ֥ל יְהֹוָ֖ה שְׂפַ֣ת כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וּמִשָּׁם֙ הֱפִיצָ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה עַל־פְּנֵ֖י כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
וּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם - From there He dispersed them. This apparent repetition teaches us that they have no portion in the World to Come. Which sin was greater: that of the generation of the Flood or that of the generation of the Dispersion? The former did not raise their hands against God, but the latter did raise their hands against God to wage war against Him; yet the former were drowned, but the latter were not exterminated from this world. The reason is: The generation of the Flood were thieves and there was strife among them, and therefore they were destroyed, whereas the generation of the Dispersion behaved with mutual love and friendship, as it says: “speaking one language, and united in a common cause.” 9 From this you learn how hated by God is strife and how great is peace.		וּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם. לִמֵּד שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא; וְכִי אֵיזוֹ קָשָׁה, שֶׁל דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל אוֹ שֶׁל דּוֹר הַפַּלָּגָה? אֵלּוּ לֹא פָשְׁטוּ יָד בָּעִקָּר וְאֵלּוּ פָשְׁטוּ יָד בָּעִקָּר לְהִלָּחֵם בּוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ נִשְׁטְפוּ וְאֵלּוּ לֹא נֶאֱבְדוּ מִן הָעוֹלָם? אֶלָּא שֶׁדּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל הָיוּ גַּזְלָנִים וְהָיְתָה מְרִיבָה בֵינֵיהֶם, לְכָךְ נֶאֱבְדוּ; וְאֵלּוּ הָיוּ נוֹהֲגִים אַהֲבָה וְרֵעוּת בֵּינֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּ' שָׂפָה אֶחָת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים, לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁשָּׂנְאוּי הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת וְגָדוֹל הַשָּׁלֹום:
10The following are the descendants of Shem: Shem was 100 years old when he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the Flood began.		יאֵ֚לֶּה תּֽוֹלְדֹ֣ת שֵׁ֔ם שֵׁ֚ם בֶּן־מְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֔ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־אַרְפַּכְשָׁ֑ד שְׁנָתַ֖יִם אַחַ֥ר הַמַּבּֽוּל:
שֵׁם בֶּן־מְאַת שָׁנָה - Shem was 100 years old - when “he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the Flood.”		שֵׁם בֶּן־מְאַת שָׁנָה. כְּשֶׁהוֹלִיד אֶת אַרְפַּכְשָׁד שְׁנָתַיִם אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל:
11Shem lived 500 years after he fathered Arpachshad, and he fathered other sons and daughters.		יאוַֽיְחִי־שֵׁ֗ם אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֽוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת־אַרְפַּכְשָׁ֔ד חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת:
12Arpachshad was 35 years old when he fathered a son, Shelach.		יבוְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֣ד חַ֔י חָמֵ֥שׁ וּשְׁלשִׁ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־שָֽׁלַח:
13Arpachshad lived 403 years after Shelach was born, and he fathered other sons and daughters.		יגוַיְחִ֣י אַרְפַּכְשַׁ֗ד אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֽוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת־שֶׁ֔לַח שָׁל֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת:
14Shelach was 30 years old when he fathered a son, Ever.		ידוְשֶׁ֥לַח חַ֖י שְׁלשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־עֵֽבֶר:
15Shelach lived 403 years after he fathered Ever, and he fathered other sons and daughters.		טווַֽיְחִי־שֶׁ֗לַח אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֽוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת־עֵ֔בֶר שָׁל֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת:
16Ever was 34 years old when he fathered a son, Peleg.		טזוַֽיְחִי־עֵ֕בֶר אַרְבַּ֥ע וּשְׁלשִׁ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־פָּֽלֶג:
17Ever lived 430 years after he fathered Peleg, and he fathered other sons and daughters.		יזוַֽיְחִי־עֵ֗בֶר אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֽוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת־פֶּ֔לֶג שְׁלשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת:
18Peleg was 30 years old when he fathered a son, Re’u.		יחוַֽיְחִי־פֶ֖לֶג שְׁלשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־רְעֽוּ:
19Peleg lived 209 years after he fathered Re’u, and he fathered other sons and daughters.		יטוַֽיְחִי־פֶ֗לֶג אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֽוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת־רְע֔וּ תֵּ֥שַׁע שָׁנִ֖ים וּמָאתַ֣יִם שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת:
20Re’u was 32 years old when he had a son, Serug.		כוַיְחִ֣י רְע֔וּ שְׁתַּ֥יִם וּשְׁלשִׁ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־שְׂרֽוּג:
21Re’u lived 207 years after he fathered Serug, and he fathered other sons and daughters.		כאוַיְחִ֣י רְע֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֽוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת־שְׂר֔וּג שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים וּמָאתַ֣יִם שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת:
22Serug was 30 years old when he fathered a son, Nachor.		כבוַיְחִ֥י שְׂר֖וּג שְׁלשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־נָחֽוֹר:
23Serug lived 200 years after he fathered Nachor, and he fathered other sons and daughters.		כגוַיְחִ֣י שְׂר֗וּג אַֽחֲרֵ֛י הֽוֹלִיד֥וֹ אֶת־נָח֖וֹר מָאתַ֣יִם שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת:
24Nachor was 29 years old when he fathered a son, Terach.		כדוַיְחִ֣י נָח֔וֹר תֵּ֥שַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־תָּֽרַח:
25Nachor lived 119 years after he fathered Terach, and he fathered other sons and daughters.		כהוַיְחִ֣י נָח֗וֹר אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הֽוֹלִיד֣וֹ אֶת־תֶּ֔רַח תְּשַׁע־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה וּמְאַ֣ת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֥וֹלֶד בָּנִ֖ים וּבָנֽוֹת:
26Terach was 70 years old when he fathered a son, Abram. Terach’s next son was Nachor, and his third son was Haran.		כווַֽיְחִי־תֶ֖רַח שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֨וֹלֶד֙ אֶת־אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת־נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת־הָרָֽן:
27The following are the descendants of Terach: Terach was the father of Abram, Nachor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot.		כזוְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ תּֽוֹלְדֹ֣ת תֶּ֔רַח תֶּ֚רַח הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת־נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת־הָרָ֑ן וְהָרָ֖ן הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־לֽוֹט:
28Haran died during the lifetime of his father, Terach, in the land of his birth, Ur of the Chaldeans.		כחוַיָּ֣מָת הָרָ֔ן עַל־פְּנֵ֖י תֶּ֣רַח אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מֽוֹלַדְתּ֖וֹ בְּא֥וּר כַּשְׂדִּֽים:
עַל־פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו - (lit.) In the presence of his father, Terach - means: in his father’s lifetime. An aggadic explanation: Some say the meaning is that his father caused his death; for Terach complained about his son Abram to Nimrod for having shattered his idols, and Nimrod thereupon threw him into a fiery furnace. Haran sat waiting and said to himself, “If Abram proves victorious, I will be on his side, and if Nimrod proves victorious, I will be on his side.” When Abram was saved, they asked Haran, “On whose side are you?” Haran replied, “I am on Abram’s side.” They thereupon threw him into the fiery furnace and he was burned to death. It is to this that the place-name אוּר כַּשְׂדִים “Ur (lit., ‘fire’) of Chaldeans” alludes. But Menachem ben Saruk explains אוּר as meaning “valley,” and similarly we find: “Those in the valleys (בָּאֻרִים) glorify God”; 10 and similarly: “the den (מְאוּרַת) of a viper.” 11 Every hole or deep valley may be called אוּר.		עַל־פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו. בְּחַיֵי אָבִיו. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה אוֹמֵר שֶׁעַל יְדֵי אָבִיו מֵת; שֶׁקָּבַל תֶּרַח עַל אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ לִפְנֵי נִמְרוֹד עַל שֶׁכִּתֵּת אֶת צְלָמָיו, וְהִשְׁלִיכוֹ לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ, וְהָרָן יוֹשֵׁב וְאוֹמֵר בְּלִבּוֹ אִם אַבְרָם נוֹצֵחַ אֲנִי מִשֶּׁלּוֹ, וְאִם נִמְרוֹד נוֹצֵחַ אֲנִי מִשֶּׁלּוֹ; וּכְשֶׁנִּצַּל אַבְרָם, אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְהָרָן מִשֶּׁל מִי אַתָּה? אָמַר לָהֶם הָרָן מִשֶּׁל אַבְרָם אֲנִי, הִשְׁלִיכוּהוּ לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ וְנִשְׂרַף, וְזֶהוּ אוּר כַּשְׂדִים (ב"ר). וּמְנַחֵם פֵּרֵשׁ אוּר – בִּקְעָה; וְכֵן בָּאֻרִים כַּבְּדוּ ה' (ישעיה כ"ד), וְכֵן מְאוּרַת צִפְעוֹנִי (שם י"א) כָּל חֹר וּבֶקַע עָמֹק קָרוּי אוּר:
29Abram and Nachor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nachor’s wife was Milkah, the daughter of Haran, who was the father of Milkah and Yiskah.		כטוַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָ֧ם וְנָח֛וֹר לָהֶ֖ם נָשִׁ֑ים שֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָם֙ שָׂרָ֔י וְשֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־נָחוֹר֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה בַּת־הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי־מִלְכָּ֖ה וַֽאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה:
יִסְכָּֽה - Yiskah. This was Sarah, but she was also called Yiskah because she could see (סוֹכָה) the future through holy inspiration, and because everyone looked (סוֹכִין) at her beauty. Furthermore, יִסְכָּה is an expression of נְסִיכוּת “princeliness,” just as שָׂרָה is an expression of שְׂרָרָה “rulership.”		יִסְכָּֽה. זוֹ שָׂרָה, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁסּוֹכָה בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְשֶׁהַכֹּל סוֹכִין בְיָפְיָהּ; וְעוֹד יִסְכָּה לְשׁוֹן נְסִיכוּת, כְּמוֹ שָׂרָה לְשׁוֹן שְׂרָרָה:
30Sarai was barren; she had no child.		לוַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד:
31Terach took his son Abram; his grandson Lot son of Haran; and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram; and they left Ur of the Chaldeans with them, heading toward Canaan. They came as far as the city of Charan in Aram, and settled there.		לאוַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת־אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת־ל֤וֹט בֶּן־הָרָן֙ בֶּן־בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּֽצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֨כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד־חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם:
וַיֵּֽצְאוּ אִתָּם - They left with them - i.e., Terach and Abram left with Lot and Sarai.		וַיֵּֽצְאוּ אִתָּם. וַיֵּצְאוּ תֶּרַח וְאַבְרָם עִם לוֹט וְשָׂרַי:
32All of Terach’s days came to 205 years, and Terach died in Charan.		לבוַיִּֽהְי֣וּ יְמֵי־תֶ֔רַח חָמֵ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים וּמָאתַ֣יִם שָׁנָ֑ה וַיָּ֥מָת תֶּ֖רַח בְּחָרָֽן:
וַיָּמָת תֶרַח בְּחָרָֽן - And Terach died in Charan. This happened after Abram had left Charan and had come to Canaan and been there for over 60 years; for it is written: “Abram was in his 75th year when he left Charan,” 12 and Terach was 70 years old when Abram was born, making Terach 145 years old when Abram left Charan, so that many years of his life still remained at this point in time. Why, then, did the Torah mention Terach’s death before Abram’s departure? In order that this matter of him leaving home during his father’s lifetime not be widely known, and then people would say that Abram did not fulfill his obligation in honoring his father, since he left him in his old age and went away. Therefore the Torah calls Terach dead – for indeed the wicked are called dead even when they are alive; and the righteous are called living even when they are dead, as it says: “And Benayah son of Yehoyada was a man of eternal life (בֶּן אִישׁ חַי).” 13		וַיָּמָת תֶרַח בְּחָרָֽן. לְאַחַר שֶׁיָּצָא אַבְרָם מֵחָרָן וּבָא לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְהָיָה שָׁם יוֹתֵר מִשִּׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה; שֶׁהֲרֵי כָתוּב וְאַבְרָם בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן וְתֶרַח בֶּן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה כְּשֶׁנּוֹלַד אַבְרָם, הֲרֵי קמ"ה לְתֶרַח; כְּשֶׁיָּצָא אַבְרָם מֵחָרָן עֲדַיִן נִשְׁאֲרוּ מִשְּׁנוֹתָיו הַרְבֵּה, וְלָמָּה הִקְדִּים הַכָּתוּב מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל תֶּרַח לִיצִיאָתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָם? שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא הַדָּבָר מְפֻרְסָם לַכֹּל וְיֹאמְרוּ לֹא קִיֵּם אַבְרָם אֶת כְּבוֹד אָבִיו, שֶׁהִנִּיחוֹ זָקֵן וְהָלַךְ לוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ קְרָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב מֵת, שֶׁהָרְשָׁעִים אַף בְּחַיֵּיהֶם קְרוּיִים מֵתִים, וְהַצַּדִּיקִים אַף בְּמִיתָתָן קְרוּיִים חַיִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶן יְהוֹיָדָע בֶּן אִישׁ חי (שְׁמוּאֵל ב' כ"ג):
בְּחָרָֽן - In Charan. The ן in this word is inverted, to tell you that until Abram’s time the anger (חֲרוֹן אַף) of the Omnipresent was kindled against the world.		בְּחָרָֽן. הַנּוּ"ן הֲפוּכָה לוֹמַר לְךָ, עַד אַבְרָם חֲרוֹן אַף שֶׁל מָקוֹם):

Footnotes

Bereshit Rabbah 38:6.

Midrash Tanchuma 18.

Maftir Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 11

29Abram and Nachor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nachor’s wife was Milkah, the daughter of Haran, who was the father of Milkah and Yiskah.		כטוַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָ֧ם וְנָח֛וֹר לָהֶ֖ם נָשִׁ֑ים שֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָם֙ שָׂרָ֔י וְשֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־נָחוֹר֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה בַּת־הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי־מִלְכָּ֖ה וַֽאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה:
יִסְכָּֽה - Yiskah. This was Sarah, but she was also called Yiskah because she could see (סוֹכָה) the future through holy inspiration, and because everyone looked (סוֹכִין) at her beauty. Furthermore, יִסְכָּה is an expression of נְסִיכוּת “princeliness,” just as שָׂרָה is an expression of שְׂרָרָה “rulership.”		יִסְכָּֽה. זוֹ שָׂרָה, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁסּוֹכָה בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְשֶׁהַכֹּל סוֹכִין בְיָפְיָהּ; וְעוֹד יִסְכָּה לְשׁוֹן נְסִיכוּת, כְּמוֹ שָׂרָה לְשׁוֹן שְׂרָרָה:
30Sarai was barren; she had no child.		לוַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד:
31Terach took his son Abram; his grandson Lot son of Haran; and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram; and they left Ur of the Chaldeans with them, heading toward Canaan. They came as far as the city of Charan in Aram, and settled there.		לאוַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת־אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת־ל֤וֹט בֶּן־הָרָן֙ בֶּן־בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּֽצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֨כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד־חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם:
וַיֵּֽצְאוּ אִתָּם - They left with them - i.e., Terach and Abram left with Lot and Sarai.		וַיֵּֽצְאוּ אִתָּם. וַיֵּצְאוּ תֶּרַח וְאַבְרָם עִם לוֹט וְשָׂרַי:
32All of Terach’s days came to 205 years, and Terach died in Charan.		לבוַיִּֽהְי֣וּ יְמֵי־תֶ֔רַח חָמֵ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים וּמָאתַ֣יִם שָׁנָ֑ה וַיָּ֥מָת תֶּ֖רַח בְּחָרָֽן:
וַיָּמָת תֶרַח בְּחָרָֽן - And Terach died in Charan. This happened after Abram had left Charan and had come to Canaan and been there for over 60 years; for it is written: “Abram was in his 75th year when he left Charan,” 1 and Terach was 70 years old when Abram was born, making Terach 145 years old when Abram left Charan, so that many years of his life still remained at this point in time. Why, then, did the Torah mention Terach’s death before Abram’s departure? In order that this matter of him leaving home during his father’s lifetime not be widely known, and then people would say that Abram did not fulfill his obligation in honoring his father, since he left him in his old age and went away. Therefore the Torah calls Terach dead – for indeed the wicked are called dead even when they are alive; and the righteous are called living even when they are dead, as it says: “And Benayah son of Yehoyada was a man of eternal life (בֶּן אִישׁ חַי).” 2		וַיָּמָת תֶרַח בְּחָרָֽן. לְאַחַר שֶׁיָּצָא אַבְרָם מֵחָרָן וּבָא לְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְהָיָה שָׁם יוֹתֵר מִשִּׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה; שֶׁהֲרֵי כָתוּב וְאַבְרָם בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן וְתֶרַח בֶּן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה כְּשֶׁנּוֹלַד אַבְרָם, הֲרֵי קמ"ה לְתֶרַח; כְּשֶׁיָּצָא אַבְרָם מֵחָרָן עֲדַיִן נִשְׁאֲרוּ מִשְּׁנוֹתָיו הַרְבֵּה, וְלָמָּה הִקְדִּים הַכָּתוּב מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל תֶּרַח לִיצִיאָתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָם? שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא הַדָּבָר מְפֻרְסָם לַכֹּל וְיֹאמְרוּ לֹא קִיֵּם אַבְרָם אֶת כְּבוֹד אָבִיו, שֶׁהִנִּיחוֹ זָקֵן וְהָלַךְ לוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ קְרָאוֹ הַכָּתוּב מֵת, שֶׁהָרְשָׁעִים אַף בְּחַיֵּיהֶם קְרוּיִים מֵתִים, וְהַצַּדִּיקִים אַף בְּמִיתָתָן קְרוּיִים חַיִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶן יְהוֹיָדָע בֶּן אִישׁ חי (שְׁמוּאֵל ב' כ"ג):
בְּחָרָֽן - In Charan. The ן in this word is inverted, to tell you that until Abram’s time the anger (חֲרוֹן אַף) of the Omnipresent was kindled against the world.		בְּחָרָֽן. הַנּוּ"ן הֲפוּכָה לוֹמַר לְךָ, עַד אַבְרָם חֲרוֹן אַף שֶׁל מָקוֹם):

Footnotes

Genesis 12:4.

2 Samuel 23:20.

Haftarah

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) Chapter 54

1"Sing you barren woman who has not borne; burst out into song and jubilate, you who have not experienced birth pangs, for the children of the desolate one are more than the children of the married woman," says the Lord.		ארָנִּ֥י עֲקָרָ֖ה לֹ֣א יָלָ֑דָה פִּצְחִ֨י רִנָּ֚ה וְצַֽהֲלִי֙ לֹא־חָ֔לָה כִּֽי־רַבִּ֧ים בְּֽנֵי־שֽׁוֹמֵמָ֛ה מִבְּנֵ֥י בְעוּלָ֖ה אָמַ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה:
Sing, you barren woman. Jerusalem, who was as though she had not borne.		רני עקרה. ירושלים אשר היתה כלא ילדה:
you who have not experienced birth pangs. Heb. חָלָה, an expression of childbirth, for the woman in confinement gives birth with pains and writhing.		לא חלה. ל' לידה הוא שהיולדת על ידי חיל וחבלי' יולדת:
for the children of the desolate one. The daughter of Edom.		מבני בעולה. בת אדום:
2Widen the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations, do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.		בהַרְחִ֣יבִי \| מְק֣וֹם אָהֳלֵ֗ךְ וִֽירִיע֧וֹת מִשְׁכְּנוֹתַ֛יִךְ יַטּ֖וּ אַל־תַּחְשׂ֑כִי הַֽאֲרִ֙יכִי֙ מֵֽיתָרַ֔יִךְ וִיתֵֽדֹתַ֖יִךְ חַזֵּֽקִי:
and let them stretch forth. far off.		יטו. למרחוק:
lengthen your cords. These are thin ropes that hang at the bottom of tents, and that are tied to stakes called ‘chevills’ in French, which are thrust into the ground.		מיתריך. הם חבלים דקים התלוים בשולי אהלים וקושרי' ביתדות שקורין קביל"ס בלע"ז ותוקעין בארץ:
3For right and left shall you prevail, and your seed shall inherit nations and repeople desolate cities.		גכִּי־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֖אול תִּפְרֹ֑צִי וְזַרְעֵךְ֙ גּוֹיִ֣ם יִירָ֔שׁ וְעָרִ֥ים נְשַׁמּ֖וֹת יוֹשִֽׁיבוּ:
shall you prevail. Heb. תִּפְרֹצִי, shall you prevail.		תפרוצי. תגברו:
4Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed, and be not embarrassed for you shall not be put to shame, for the shame of your youth you shall forget, and the disgrace of your widowhood you shall no longer remember.		דאַל־תִּֽירְאִי֙ כִּי־לֹ֣א תֵב֔וֹשִׁי וְאַל־תִּכָּֽלְמִ֖י כִּי־לֹ֣א תַחְפִּ֑ירִי כִּ֣י בֹ֚שֶׁת עֲלוּמַ֙יִךְ֙ תִּשְׁכָּ֔חִי וְחֶרְפַּ֥ת אַלְמְנוּתַ֖יִךְ לֹ֥א תִזְכְּרִי־עֽוֹד:
your youth. Heb. עֲלוּמַיִךְ, your youth.		עלומיך. נעוריך:
5For your Master is your Maker, the Lord of Hosts is His name, and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, shall be called the God of all the earth.		הכִּ֚י בֹֽעֲלַ֙יִךְ֙ עֹשַׂ֔יִךְ יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁמ֑וֹ וְגֹֽאֲלֵךְ֙ קְד֣וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֱלֹהֵ֥י כָל־הָאָ֖רֶץ יִקָּרֵֽא:
6For, like a wife who is deserted and distressed in spirit has the Lord called you, and a wife of one's youth who was rejected, said your God.		וכִּֽי־כְאִשָּׁ֧ה עֲזוּבָ֛ה וַֽעֲצ֥וּבַת ר֖וּחַ קְרָאָ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֑ה וְאֵ֧שֶׁת נְעוּרִ֛ים כִּ֥י תִמָּאֵ֖ס אָמַ֥ר אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ:
who was rejected. When she is rejected at times that her husband is a little wroth with her.		כי תמאס. כשתמאס פעמים שכועס עליה מעט:
7"For a small moment have I forsaken you, and with great mercy will I gather you.		זבְּרֶ֥גַע קָטֹ֖ן עֲזַבְתִּ֑יךְ וּבְרַֽחֲמִ֥ים גְּדֹלִ֖ים אֲקַבְּצֵֽךְ:
8With a little wrath did I hide My countenance for a moment from you, and with everlasting kindness will I have compassion on you," said your Redeemer, the Lord.		חבְּשֶׁ֣צֶף קֶ֗צֶף הִסְתַּ֨רְתִּי פָנַ֥י רֶ֙גַע֙ מִמֵּ֔ךְ וּבְחֶ֥סֶד עוֹלָ֖ם רִֽחַמְתִּ֑יךְ אָמַ֥ר גֹּֽאֲלֵ֖ךְ יְהֹוָֽה:
With a little wrath. Heb. שֶׁצֶף. Menahem (Machbereth p. 179) interprets this as, “with kindling of wrath,” and Dunash (Teshuvoth p. 20) states, “with a little wrath,” paralleling “For a small moment have I forsaken you,” and so did Jonathan render.		בשצף קצף. מנחם פתר חרי אף ודונש אמר במעט קצף כמו ברגע קטן עזבתיך וכן ת"י:
and with everlasting kindness. that will exist forever.		ובחסד עולם. שיתקיים עד עולם:
9"For this is to Me [as] the waters of Noah, as I swore that the waters of Noah shall never again pass over the earth, so have I sworn neither to be wroth with you nor to rebuke you.		טכִּי־מֵ֥י נֹ֙חַ֙ זֹ֣את לִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁבַּ֗עְתִּי מֵֽעֲבֹ֥ר מֵי־נֹ֛חַ ע֖וֹד עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ כֵּ֥ן נִשְׁבַּ֛עְתִּי מִקְּצֹ֥ף עָלַ֖יִךְ וּמִגְּעָר־בָּֽךְ:
For this is to Me [as] the waters of Noah. [i.e.,] it is an oath in My hand, and He proceeds to explain His words, “as I swore that the waters of Noah shall never again pass over the earth, etc.”		כי מי נח זאת לי. שבועה בידי והולך ומפרש דברו כאשר נשבעתי מעבור מי נח וגו':
10For the mountains shall depart and the hills totter, but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace totter," says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.		יכִּ֚י הֶֽהָרִים֙ יָמ֔וּשׁוּ וְהַגְּבָע֖וֹת תְּמוּטֶ֑ינָה וְחַסְדִּ֞י מֵאִתֵּ֣ךְ לֹֽא־יָמ֗וּשׁ וּבְרִ֚ית שְׁלוֹמִי֙ לֹ֣א תָמ֔וּט אָמַ֥ר מְרַֽחֲמֵ֖ךְ יְהֹוָֽה:
For the mountains shall depart. Even if the merit of the Patriarchs and the Matriarchs is depleted, My kindness shall not depart from you.		כי ההרים ימושו. אף אם תכלה זכות אבות ואמהות חסדי מאתך לא ימוש:

Translation of Chumash and Rashi courtesy Chabad House Publications’ forthcoming English Chumash with an annotated translation of Rashi based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, published by Kehot Publications Society. Translated and adapted by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky, Editor-in-Chief. Rabbi Chaim N. Cunin, Director and General Editor.

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