Noach – Page 6 – Peninim on the Torah

וזה אשר תעשה אתה שלש מאות אמה ארך התבה חמשים אמה רחבה ושלשים אמה קומתה

This is how you shall make it: The length of the Ark shall be 300 Amos, its width 50 Amos, and its height 30 Amos. (6:15)

We should not overlook the fact that the Torah records the details of the Ark’s measurements, nor should we fail to notice the Torah’s repeated mention of the fact that Noach follows every detail. Noach’s compliance with every instruction is noted with the words, kein asah, “so he did.” Horav S. R. Hirsch, zl, derives an important lesson from Hashem’s entire act of saving Noach with a select group of representatives of the world’s creatures. Hashem chose one man who was to save himself, his family and the animal world for the future, but that this man would be able…

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ויחל נח איש האדמה ויטע כרם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5774

Noach, the man of the earth, debased himself and planted a vineyard. (9:20)

The Midrash comments: Vayichal Noach, “He (Noach) was nischalleil, profaned. Why? Vayita kerem, ‘He planted a vine.’” He should have planted something else. Chazal are teaching us that, from the get-go, planting the vineyard was a disgraceful, baneful act. The fact that Noach later drank from the fruits of the vine and became inebriated is merely the consequence of his earlier chillul, profanation. Elsewhere, Chazal state; Vayichal Noach ish ha’adamah, “Since he (Noach) required the earth, he became profaned.” Originally, he was referred to as Noach ish tzaddik, “the righteous man.” Now that he planted a vineyard, he was transformed…

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כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו על הארץ

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5774

For all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. (6:12)

The people must have been extremely evil if Hashem saw no resolution to their sins other than destroying them all – literally putting an end to the world as it existed. How bad actually were they? We know they were immoral; bloodshed meant nothing to them; and we can throw in idol-worship for good measure. Did this warrant an end to society? Was there no one other than Noach that acted in a redeemable manner? The Torah writes, Ki hishchis kol basar, “Everyone – everything had become corrupt.” How bad was their level of corruption? Targum Yonasan ben Uziel gives…

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ואני הנני מביא את המבול מים על הארץ לשחת כל בשר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5774

And as for Me – Behold, I am about to bring the Flood-waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh. (6:17)

The Flood was the greatest destruction of all time in the sense that it destroyed almost the entire world. It came as a Heavenly punishment to a generation of human beings that had gone totally awry. Evil was rampant; immorality was a way of life; idol worship was their mode of religious belief. Hashem gave them 120 years to repent, while Noach, his righteous emissary, labored strenuously building an Ark to save those who would repent. Then He gave them a seven-day reprieve to observe the seven-day shivah, mourning period, for Mesushelach. Perhaps the passing of this righteous person would…

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נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5773

Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

Was Noach a tzadik – or not? Rashi quotes a dispute in which yeish dorshin l’shevach, some interpret the phrase b’dorosav, in his generations, in a praiseworthy manner. Noach was righteous even in his corrupt generation. Certainly, had he lived in the generation of Avraham Avinu, he would have earned even greater accolades. Others, however, are critical of Noach, ascribing to him the title of tzadik only in comparison to the morally depraved generation in which he lived. Had Noach lived in a generation whose members were morally upright, he would not have been that noticeable. It all depends from…

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כי מלאה הארץ חמס

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5773

For the earth is filled with robbery. (6:13)

Rashi quotes the Talmud Sanhedrin 108A, which teaches that the sentence meted out to the dor ha’Mabul, generation of the Flood, was sealed on account of chamas, robbery. The people committed many reprehensible sins. Promiscuity was a leading sin, but it was robbery that sealed their verdict. Clearly, thievery of any sort is repugnant behavior, but should it have been the one behavior that sealed their verdict? The Tiferes Shlomo offers a novel insight into the matter. He begins by questioning why Hashem took umbrage over the fact that the wicked people were stealing from other wicked people. Was it…

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ויאמר אלקים לנח קץ כל בשר בא לפני כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5773

G-d said to Noach, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with robbery through them.” (6:13)

Chazal focus on the word mipneihem, “through them,” written in lashon rabim, plural, implying that Hashem was weary with the actions of the gazlan, thief, and the nigzal, victim. This is enigmatic. While it is understandable that the actions of the thieves were at the point of disgust, what blame can be placed on the hapless victims? Is it my fault that someone decided to rob me? Apparently, the Torah has a dim view of the victim. Perhaps he is not as blameless as we would be led to believe. Horav Arye Leib Bakst, zl, explains that we are all…

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וירד ד' לראות את העיר ...אשר בנו בני האדם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5773

Hashem descended to look at the city…which the sons of Man built. (11:5)

Rashi questions the use of the words, bnei Adam, “sons of man.” Who else would they be? Were they the sons of donkeys? He explains that the Torah refers to their lineage ascending to Adam HaRishon, primordial man, who exhibited ingratitude when Hashem asked him why he had eaten the forbidden fruit. Adam replied, “The woman whom You gave to be with me – she gave me of the tree and I ate”(Bereishis 3:11). As he was a kafui tov, ingrate, likewise, his descendants rebelled against the One Who had spared them from the effects of the Flood. In other…

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ושם אשת נחור מלכה בת הרן אבי מלכה ואבי יסכה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5773

And the name of Nachor’s wife was Milkah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milkah and the father of Yiskah. (11:28)

Rashi teaches that Yiskah was actually Sarah Imeinu, the Matriarch. She was called Yiskah, which is a name derived from the word, sachoh, meaning to gaze, to see. Sarah was able to gaze into the future, because she was endowed with Divine Inspiration. Also, everyone gazed at her extraordinary beauty. Rashi’s second explanation, which focuses on the physical beauty of Sarah Imeinu, seems out of place. The Matriarch was a spiritual person, her life’s purpose was to serve the Almighty in every possible way. Why should her extraordinary beauty play a role in identifying her by name? If Sarah would…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Noach, 5772

“Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations.” (6:9)

Chazal offer a number of interpretations for the phrase “in his generations.” Some commentators interpret this as praise for Noach, who was able to transcend the evil even of his generation. Indeed, had he lived in a generation in which righteousness was the way of life, he would have been even greater. Others contend that he could stand out only in his own generation, in which evil was the standard. Horav Shlomo Margolis, Shlita, feels that “b’dorosov,” “in his generations,” reflects the limited effect of Noach’s righteousness – it lasted only during his generations. He was not able to inspire…

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וזה אשר תעשה אתה שלש מאות אמה ארך התבה חמשים אמה רחבה ושלשים אמה קומתה

This is how you shall make it: The length of the Ark shall be 300 Amos, its width 50 Amos, and its height 30 Amos. (6:15)

ויחל נח איש האדמה ויטע כרם

Noach, the man of the earth, debased himself and planted a vineyard. (9:20)

כי השחית כל בשר את דרכו על הארץ

For all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. (6:12)

ואני הנני מביא את המבול מים על הארץ לשחת כל בשר

And as for Me – Behold, I am about to bring the Flood-waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh. (6:17)

נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו

Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. (6:9)

כי מלאה הארץ חמס

For the earth is filled with robbery. (6:13)

ויאמר אלקים לנח קץ כל בשר בא לפני כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם

G-d said to Noach, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with robbery through them.” (6:13)

וירד ד' לראות את העיר ...אשר בנו בני האדם

Hashem descended to look at the city…which the sons of Man built. (11:5)

ושם אשת נחור מלכה בת הרן אבי מלכה ואבי יסכה

And the name of Nachor’s wife was Milkah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milkah and the father of Yiskah. (11:28)

“Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations.” (6:9)

YEARS

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