Noach: Chapter 5

"And the earth was corrupt"

Synopsis

The spiritual lesson revealed through these verses concerns the residue of negativity created by our immoral actions. The forces of negativity, aroused when we sin, remain with us and within the world indefinitely until true repentance is achieved by the wrong doer. This lingering negativity that hovers in our spiritual atmosphere can also influence others if their spiritual intentions are balanced on the narrow edge between good and evil. Should the remnants of a person's negative actions tip another person to the evil side, the original wrong doer must assume a measure of responsibility for the second sinner's actions.

Earth Eyes Sin

28. "And the earth was corrupt before Elohim" (Beresheet 6:11). Rabbi Yehuda asked: If it says "And the earth was corrupt," why "before Elohim"? IS IT NOT OBVIOUS? AND HE REPLIED: It is because they performed their sins openly, in front of everyone's eyes. And that is why the verse states, "before Elohim."

28. וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים, אֲמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיב וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ, אַמַּאי לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים, אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן דַּעֲבָדוּ חוֹבֵיהוֹן בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכֹלָּא, כְּדֵין לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים כְּתִיב.

Earth Sin

29. Rabbi Yosi said: I believe the opposite. "And the earth was corrupt before Elohim" means that they did not sin openly. They sinned only before Elohim and not before man. But eventually, they also sinned openly. As it is written: "And the earth was filled with violence" (Ibid.), which indicates that there was not a place on earth that did not witness their sins. Therefore, the verse declares that they sinned in two ways, THAT IS, IN HIDING AND IN THE OPEN.

29. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אֲמַר, אֲנָא אִפְכָא אֲמָרִית, וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים, דְּלָא הֲווֹ עָבְדֵי בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָיא, לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹקִים עֲבָדוּ, וְלָא לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי נְשָׁא, וּלְבַסוֹף עֲבָדוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, הה"ד וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָס, דְּלָא הֲוָה אֲתַר בְּכָל אַרְעָא, דְּלָא הֲוָה בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, בִּתְרֵי גַּוְונֵי אֲמַר קְרָא.

Adam Noah Praise

30. "These are the generations of Noah." Rabbi Aba said, From the day that Adam transgressed his Master's command, all succeeding generations were called "sons of Adam." But it was not said to praise him, as much as to say, 'These are the sons of the man who transgressed his Master's command.'

30. אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ, רַבִּי אַבָּא אֲמַר, מִיּוֹמָא דַּעֲבַר אָדָם עַל פְּקוּדָא דְּמָרֵיהּ, כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא דְּאִתְיַלִּידוּ לְבָתַר, אִקְרוּן בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, וְלָא לְשִׁבְחָא אִקְרוּן הָכֵי, אֶלָּא כְּמַאן דַּאֲמַר, בְּנוֹי דְּהַהוּא דַּעֲבַר עַל פְּקוּדָא דְמָרֵיהּ.

Adam Death Death and the Afterlife Noah

31. But after Noah had appeared, all the descendants of mankind are named after him, "the generations of Noah." And this describes Noah's descendents in an honorable sense, because he secured for us permanent existence in the world, in contrast with "the generations of Adam," which describes us in a dishonorable sense, as he caused us to be driven out of this world by bringing death to all.

31. כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא נֹחַ, אִקְרוּן בְּנֵי עָלְמָא עַל שְׁמֵיהּ דְּנֹחַ, תּוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ, לְשִׁבְחָא. דְּקָאֵים לוֹן בְּעָלְמָא, וְלָא תּוֹלְדוֹת דְּאָדָם, דְּאַעֲבַר לוֹן מֵעָלְמָא, וְגָרִים מוֹתָא לְכָלְהוֹ.

Adam Creation Noah Torah Tower

32. Rabbi Yosi said to him: If it is really so, we nevertheless see that in a later passage it is written: "Hashem came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men had built" (Beresheet 11:5). The verse clearly states "the children of Adam" and not "the children of Noah," EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE DESCENDED FROM NOAH. Rabbi Aba replied that because Adam sinned before his Master, THE VERSE INVOKES HIS NAME. And it would have been better for him had he not been created than to be mentioned in the Torah in such a manner.

32. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִי הָכֵי, הָא כְתִיב לְבָתַר וַיֵּרֶד ה' לִרְאוֹת אֶת הָעִיר וְאֶת הַמִּגְדָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, בְּנֵי הָאָדָם כְּתִיב, וְלָא כְתִיב בְּנֵי נֹחַ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּאָדָם חָטָא קַמֵּי מָרֵיהּ, טַב לֵיהּ דְּלָא אִבְרֵי, וְלָא יִכְתּוֹב עֲלֵיהּ הַאי קְרָא.

Adam Praise Tower

33. Come and behold: it is written, "A wise son makes a glad father" (Mishlei 10:1). When a son is good, then all the people will mention his father's name with praise. But if a son is bad, they will mention his father with reproach. Now because Adam sinned and transgressed his Master's command, when THE TOWER BUILDERS came and rebelled against their Master, what was written about them? "That the children of Adam had built!" These are the children of Adam, the first man who had rebelled against his Master and transgressed His command.

33. אֶלָּא תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב בֵּן חָכָם יְשַׂמַּח אָב, כַּד בְּרָא טַב, כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא דָּכְרִין לֵיהּ לַאֲבוֹי לְטַב, וְכַד אִיהוּ בִּישׁ, כֹּלָּא דָּכְרִין לֵיהּ לַאֲבוֹי לְבִישׁ. אָדָם בְּגִין דְּחָטָא וְעָבַר עַל פְּקוּדָא דְּמָרֵיהּ, כַּד אָתוּ אִינוּן דְּמָרְדוּ בְּמָרֵיהוֹן, מַה כְּתִיב, אֲשֶׁר בְּנוּ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, בְּנוֹי דְּאָדָם קַדְמָאָה, דְּמָרַד בְּמָרֵיהּ, וַעֲבַר עַל פְּקוּדֵיהּ.

Adam Ark Garden of Eden Noah

34. That is why the verse states that "These are the generations of Noah." These GENERATIONS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE DESCENDANTS and not the former ones. Those who came out of the ark and emerged from it ARE THE GENERATIONS. They are not the generations of Adam, who came out of the Garden of Eden and did not beget there, AND ARE THEREFORE NOT DESTINED TO EXIST.

34. וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ, אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ, אֵלֶּה וְלָא קַדְמָאֵי, אֵלֶּה דְּנָפְקוּ וְעָאלוּ גּוֹ תֵּיבָה וְאַפִּיקוּ תּוֹלְדִין לְעָלְמִין, וְלָא תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם דִּנְפַק מִגִּנְתָּא דְעֵדֶן, וְלָא אַפִּיק לוֹן מִתַּמָּן.

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