שְׁנַיִם מִכֹּל יָבֹאוּ אֵלֶיךָ לְהַחֲיוֹת הוֹדִיעוֹ כִּי מֵעַצְמָם יָבֹאוּ לְפָנָיו שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם וְלֹא יִצְטָרֵךְ הוּא לָצוּד אוֹתָם בֶּהָרִים וּבָאִיִּים, וְהוּא יְבִיאֵם בַּתֵּבָה אַחֲרֵי כֵן. וּבַמַּעֲשֶׂה פֵּרֵשׁ שֶׁבָּאוּ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה (בראשית ז':ט'), וְזֶה הָיָה בִּכְלָלָם, אַחֲרֵי כֵן צִוָּהוּ שֶׁיִּקַּח מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה, וּבְאֵלֶּה לֹא אָמַר שֶׁיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא יִקַּח אוֹתָם, כִּי הַבָּאִים לְהִנָּצֵל וּלְחַיּוֹת לָהֶם זֶרַע בָּאִים מֵאֲלֵיהֶם, אֲבָל הַבָּאִים לְהַקְרִיב עוֹלוֹת לֹא גָּזַר שֶׁיָּבֹאוּ מֵעַצְמָם לְהִשָּׁחֵט, אֲבָל לְקָחָם נֹחַ, כִּי הַצַּוָּאָה שֶׁל שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה הָיְתָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכַל נֹחַ לְהַקְרִיב מֵהֶן קָרְבָּן. וְטַעַם "הַטְּהוֹרָה", הקב"ה פֵּרֵשׁ לוֹ סִימָנֵי הַטַּהֲרָה, אֲבָל הַכָּתוּב יְקַצֵּר לוֹמַר הַטְּהוֹרָה עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה. וְרַשִׁ"י כָּתַב אֶת שֶׁעֲתִידָה לִהְיוֹת טְהוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלָּמַד נֹחַ תּוֹרָה. וְהִנֵּה מִכָּאן שֶׁלֹּא הֻכְשְׁרוּ בְּקָרְבְּנוֹת בְּנֵי נֹחַ אֶלָּא בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה וְעוֹף טָהוֹר, וְכֵן אָמַר בְּהֶבֶל (בראשית ד':ד') "מִבְּכוֹרוֹת צֹאנוֹ וּמֵחֶלְבֵיהֶן", אֲבָל כָּל הַמִּינִין הַטְּהוֹרִים כְּשֵׁרִין בָּהֶם, כְּדִכְתִיב (בראשית ח':כ') "וַיִּקַּח מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה וּמִכֹּל הָעוֹף הַטָּהֹר וַיַּעַל עֹלֹת בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ", וְהוֹסִיף לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּצְוָה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָּל קָרְבְּנוֹתָם מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן מִן הַתּוֹרִים וּמִן בְּנֵי הַיּוֹנָה. וְטַעַם "גַּם מֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם", הַטָּהוֹר, כִּי הַכָּתוּב נִמְשָׁךְ לְמַעְלָה: TWO OF EVERY SORT SHALL COME UNTO THEE, TO KEEP THEM ALIVE. G-d thus informed Noah that two of every sort would come of their own accord, and he would not find it necessary to hunt for them in the mountains and distant lands, and he would bring them into the ark after that. At the actual narration [of their coming, Scripture] explains59Genesis 7:16. that they came male and female; this is implied here. After that, He commanded him to take seven and seven of every clean beast.60Ibid., 7:2. Concerning these, G-d did not say that they would come of their own accord but that Noah should take them.61The verse states: Of every clean beast thou shalt ‘take’ to thee seven and seven. Noah brought sacrifices after the flood from the clean beasts and fowl. (See Chapter 8, Verse 20.) The reason for this is that those who came to be saved and to keep their seed alive62Chapter 7, Verse 3. did come of their own accord, but for those who were to be sacrificed as whole offerings, G-d did not decree that they come of their own accord to be slaughtered. Rather, Noah took them since the purpose of the command to take seven and seven was that Noah bring a sacrifice from them after the flood.
The meaning of the word “clean” is that the Holy One, blessed be He, explained to Noah the signs of ritual cleanliness for beast and fowl. Scripture, however, refers to it briefly by saying, “clean,” in accordance with the Torah.63See Leviticus, Chapter 11. But Rashi wrote: “Clean, meaning that which in the future will be permitted to Israel as clean; we thus learn that Noah studied the Torah.”
From here we derive that the sacrifices of the sons of Noah64See Seder Bereshith, Note 222. must also be only of the clean beast and the clean fowl. So also it is said of the sacrifice of Abel: of the first-born of his flock and of the fat thereof.65Above, 4:4. However, all clean species are permissible for them to bring as sacrifices as it is written: And he took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar.66Genesis 8:20. [Later, when the Torah was given, G-d] added a commandment to Israel that all their sacrifices be only of the beasts and of the herd,67Leviticus 1:2. of the turtledoves and of the young pigeons.68Ibid., Verse 14.
Of the fowl also of the heaven, seven and seven69Genesis 7:3. — this means the clean fowl for the verse is a continuation of the verse above: [Of every ‘clean’ beast shalt thou take to thee seven and seven].70Ibid., Verse 2.