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. |
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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.” Another explanation why his descendants are not directly mentioned: It teaches you that the main posterity of righteous people is their good deeds. |
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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:
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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. |
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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):
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אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ - Noah walked with God. But about Abraham it says: הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי lit., “Walk before Me”; אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלַּכְתִּי לְפָנָיו “God, before whom I have walked.” 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. |
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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:
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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” 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” is past, only the ו at the beginning of the word הִתְפַּלֵּל changes the tense to the future. |
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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:
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10Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. |
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יוַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶת: |
11The world had become corrupt before God, and the land was filled with robbery. |
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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…”; and immorality as in v. 12: “for all flesh had perverted (הִשְׁחִית) its way.” |
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וַתִּשָּׁחֵת.
לְשׁוֹן עֶרְוָה וַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה (סנה' נ"ז) כְּמוֹ פֶּן תַּשְׁחִתוּן (דב' ד'), כִּי הִשְׁחִית כָּל בָּשָׂר וְגוֹ':
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וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָֽס - And the land was filled with (lit.) violence. This means robbery, as it says: “and from the חמס in their hands.” |
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וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָֽס.
גֶּזֶל:
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12God saw the world, and it was corrupt, for almost all flesh had perverted its way on the earth. |
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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. |
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כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִית כָּל־בָּשָׂר.
אֲפִלּוּ בְהֵמָה חַיָּה וָעוֹף נִזְקָקִין לְשֶׁאֵינָן מִינָן:
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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. |
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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. |
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קֵץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר.
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא זְנוּת וַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה אַנְדְּרוֹלוֹמוּסְיָא בָּאָה לְעוֹלָם וְהוֹרֶגֶת טוֹבִים וְרָעִים.
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כִּי־מָֽלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס - Because the world is filled with robbery. Their sentence was sealed only on account of their sin of robbery. |
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כִּי־מָֽלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס.
לֹא נֶחְתַּם גְּזַר דִּינָם אֶלָּא עַל הַגֶּזֶל (סנה' ק"ח):
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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”; “he suffered אֶת רַגְלָיו,” which means מִן רַגְלָיו “from his legs.” 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. |
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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:
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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. |
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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. |
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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:
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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. |
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עֲצֵי־גופר.
כָּךְ שְׁמוֹ. וְלָמָּה מִמִּין זֶה? עַל שֵׁם גָּפְרִית שֶׁנִּגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם לִמָּחוֹת בּוֹ:
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קִנִּים - Compartments. Separate cabins for each kind of animal and beast. |
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קִנִּים.
מְדוֹרִים מְדוֹרִים לְכָל בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה:
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בַּכֹּֽפֶר - This is the Aramaic for זֶפֶת “pitch,” and we also find in the Talmud 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. |
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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:
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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צֹהַר.
יֵשׁ אוֹמָרִים חַלּוֹן וְיֵשׁ אוֹמָרִים אֶבֶן טוֹבָה הַמְּאִירָה לָהֶם (ב"ר שם):
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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. |
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וְאֶל־אַמָּה תְּכַלֶּנָּה מִלְמַעְלָה.
כִּסּוּיָהּ מְשֻׁפָּע וְעוֹלֶה עַד שֶׁהוּא קָצָר מִלְמַעְלָה וְעוֹמֵד עַל אַמָּה כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּזוּבוּ הַמַּיִם לְמַטָּה מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן:
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בְּצִדָּהּ תָּשִׂים - Place [the entrance to the ark] in its side - and not on top so that the rains do not seep in. |
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בְּצִדָּהּ תָּשִׂים.
שֶׁלֹּא יִפְּלוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים בָּהּ:
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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. |
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תַּחְתִּיִּם שְׁנִיִּם וּשְׁלִשִׁים.
ג' עֲלִיוֹת זוֹ עַל גַּב זוֹ, עֶלְיוֹנִים לָאָדָם, אֶמְצָעִים לְמָדוֹֹר, תַּחְתִּיִּים לְזֶבֶל (שם):
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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. |
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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.” |
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וַֽאֲנִי הִֽנְנִי מֵבִיא.
הִנְנִי מוּכָן לְהַסְכִּים עִם אוֹתָם שֶׁזֵּרְזוּנִי וְאָמְרוּ לְפָנַי כְּבָר מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ (תה' ח'):
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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. |
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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:
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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. |
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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. |
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וַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי.
בְּרִית הָיָה צָרִיךְ עַל הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יִרְקְבוּ וִיעַפְּשׁוּ וְשֶׁלֹּא יַהַרְגוּהוּ רְשָׁעִים שֶׁבַּדּוֹר (ב"ר):
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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. |
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אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ.
הָאֲנָשִׁים לְבַד וְהַנָּשִׁים לְבַד; מִכָּאן שֶׁנֶּאֱסְרוּ בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה: (שם):
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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. |
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יטוּמִכָּל־הָ֠חַ֠י מִכָּל־בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל תָּבִ֥יא אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֖ה לְהַֽחֲיֹ֣ת אִתָּ֑ךְ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ: |
וּמִכָּל־הָחַי - Of all living beings - even demons. |
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וּמִכָּל־הָחַי.
אֲפִלּוּ שֵׁדִים (ב"ר):
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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. |
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שְׁנַיִם מִכָּל־.
מִן הַפָּחוּת שֶׁבָּהֶם לֹא פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁנַיִם, אֶחָד זָכָר וְאֶחָד נְקֵבָה:
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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. |
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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. |
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מֵֽהָעוֹף לְמִינֵהוּ.
אוֹתָן שֶׁדָּבְקוּ בְמִינֵיהֶם וְלֹא הִשְׁחִיתוּ דַרְכָּם, וּמֵאֵלֵיהֶם בָּאוּ, וְכֹל שֶׁהַתֵּבָה קוֹלַטְתּוֹ הִכְנִיס (ב"ר):
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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.” |
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כאוְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֗ מִכָּל־מַֽאֲכָל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל וְאָֽסַפְתָּ֖ אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה לְךָ֛ וְלָהֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָֽה: |
22Noah did everything that God commanded him to do exactly. |
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כבוַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ כְּ֠כֹ֠ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים כֵּ֥ן עָשָֽׂה: |
וַיַּעַשׂ נֹחַ - Noah did. This refers to the building of the ark. |
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וַיַּעַשׂ נֹחַ.
זֶה בִּנְיַן הַתֵּבָה:
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