דור המבול ונח - מה לנו ולכל זה?

And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the LORD said: ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and creeping thing, and fowl of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them.’ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was in his generations a man righteous and wholehearted; Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. .

Rava taught: What is the meaning of that which is written: “A contemptible torch [lapid] in the thought of him that is at ease, a thing ready for them whose foot slips” (Job 12:5)? This teaches that Noah the righteous would rebuke the people of his generation, and he said to them statements that are harsh as torches [kelapidim], and they would treat him with contempt. They said to him: Old man, why are you building this ark? Noah said to them: The Holy One, Blessed be He, is bringing a flood upon you. They said to him: A flood of what? If it is a flood of fire, we have another item and it is called alita, and it is fireproof. And if it is a flood of water that He brings, if He brings the water from the earth, we have iron plates with which we can plate the earth to prevent the water from rising. And if He brings the water from the heavens, we have an item and it is called ekev, and some say it is called ikkesh, which will absorb the water.

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was in his generations a man righteous and wholehearted; Noah walked with God.

(Gen. 8:16:) GO FORTH FROM THE ARK. This text is related (to Ps. 142:8 [7]): BRING MY SOUL OUT OF PRISON.⁴²Tanh., Gen. 2:14; see Gen. R. 34:1. < The verse > is speaking about Noah when he was in the ark. Noah said to the Holy One: BRING MY SOUL OUT OF PRISON; for he had been imprisoned there. R. Levi said: The whole twelve months that Noah was in the ark, neither he nor his children tasted a bit of sleep because they were responsible for feeding the cattle and the wild animals. R. Abba bar Kahana said:⁴³Gen. R. 31:14. He brought branches for the elephants and glass for the ostriches into the ark to feed the cattle and the wild animals. Now some of them ate in the second hour of the night, and some of them ate in the third hour of the day. Hence you yourself know that Noah did not taste a bit of sleep. R. Johanan said in the name of R. Eleazar b. R. Jose the Galilean: One time, when Noah was late in feeding the lion, the lion bit him; and he went away limping. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 7:23): AND NOAH ONLY [SURVIVED]. R. Huna said in the name of R. Jose: When Noah went forth from the ark, he gave a heartfelt groan. He therefore said (according to Ps. 142:8 [7]): BRING MY SOUL OUT OF PRISON…. THROUGH ME SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS WEAR A CROWN, < i.e., > through me shall the righteous take up a crown in the world. For they said: What! If in the case of Noah, who was righteous [but not completely righteous], the Holy One so performed miracles for him—Thus it is stated (in Job 22:30): HE SHALL DELIVER THE ONE THAT IS NOT INNOCENT, AND HE SHALL BE DELIVERED [THROUGH THE PURITY OF YOUR HANDS], since he was innocent and not innocent. R. Hanina b. R. Aha said: Uncia⁴⁴Latin; cf. Gk.: ougkia. (i.e., a little) merit was in him.⁴⁵Cf. Gen. R. 29:1. < If God did miracles for Noah >, how much the more, in the case of one who { was } [is] completely righteous, would the Holy One perform miracles for him. Thus it says (in Ps. 142:8 [7]): THROUGH ME SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS WEAR A CROWN, FOR YOU SHALL REWARD ME. R. Judah bar Il'ay said: If I had been there, I should have broken the ark to get myself out of there. (Gen. 8:5:) IN THE TENTH MONTH ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH THE TOPS OF THE MOUNTAINS BECAME VISIBLE, but he did not go out from there. Instead he waited in the ark for him (i.e., for the Holy One) to give him permission. The Holy One said to him: Are you seeking permission? (Gen. 8:16:) GO FORTH FROM THE ARK.