252. "And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be" (Beresheet 9:2) MEANS THAT from now on, you shall take the form of human beings, FROM WHICH THE WILD BEASTS FEAR. FROM THE TIME OF ADAM'S SIN UNTIL THIS POINT, they did not take the form of human beings. Now come and behold: In the beginning it is written, THE WILD BEASTS WERE AFRAID OF MAN "for He made man in the image of Elohim " (Ibid. 6), and also, "He made him in the likeness of Elohim " (Beresheet 5:1). But as people sinned, they no longer maintained the supernal image, and they became afraid of the beasts of the field.
253. Formerly, the creatures of the world looked upon man and saw the holy supernal image and trembled with fear. But as people sinned, their image was transformed in the eyes of the beasts. This is why human beings now tremble with fear of other creatures.
254. Come and behold: All the people who do not sin before their Master and do not transgress against the precepts of the Torah, retain the divine splendor of the image OF ELOHIM. Therefore all the creatures of the world tremble with fear of them. But when the people transgress against the precepts of the Torah, their shape changes and they tremble and fear other creatures, because the supernal shape has left them. Because the beasts cannot see the supernal form in them anymore, they are ruled by the beasts of the field.
255. When THEY LEFT THE ARK AND the world was renewed, He blessed them by granting them dominion over all THE CREATURES, even over the fish in the sea. As it is written: "And upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand they are delivered" (Beresheet 9:2). Rabbi Chiya said that "into your hand they are delivered," indicates that when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He delivered everything into the hands of man. As it is written: "and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air..." (Beresheet 1:28). THAT IS TO SAY, THEY WERE SUBJUGATED TO PEOPLE ON THE DAY THAT ADAM WAS CREATED.
256. "And Elohim blessed Noah." Rabbi Chizkiyah opened his discourse on the verse, "Of David, Maskil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (Tehilim 32:1). He said that although this passage has been explained, it contains deep secrets of wisdom. We have learned that King David praised the Holy One, blessed be He, with ten levels of praises, WHICH ARE: CONDUCTING; PLAYING MELODY; MASKIL; EPIGRAMS (MICHTAM); PSALMS; SONG; BLESSING; PRAYER; THANKSGIVING, AND HALLELUYAH. THROUGH THESE PRAISES, KING DAVID ESTABLISHED THE BOOK OF TEHILIM. Maskil is the level THAT REFERS TO THE SECRET OF CHOCHMAH, and David perfected himself before attaining this level.
257. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven." THIS MEANS THAT when the Holy One, blessed be He, weighs the sins and the merits of men, transgression is forgiven when the merits overcome the sins and are pulled downward on the scale. THIS MEANS THAT HE HAS MORE MERITS THAN SINS. When this happens, his "transgression is forgiven."
258. The verse, "Whose sin is covered," means that when Judgment prevails in the world, sin should be covered so that the Angel of Destruction does not take control of it. This is what happened with Noah DURING THE FLOOD, when the Holy One, blessed be He, shielded him from Adam's sin (OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL) that he brought down upon the world. BECAUSE THE ANGEL OF DESTRUCTION DID NOT SEE NOAH, HE WAS UNABLE TO TAKE HOLD ON HIM AND PUNISH HIM. But because Adam brought sin upon the world, WE FIND THAT the other creatures were given control, the human being is afraid of them, and the world has not reached perfection. So when Noah left the ark, the Holy One, blessed be He, blessed him. As it is written: "And Elohim blessed Noah and his sons..." . AND ALSO, "THE FEAR OF YOU AND THE DREAD OF YOU SHALL BE UPON EVERY BEAST OF THE FIELD..." WHICH MEANS THAT HIS FORM BECAME LIKE THAT OF ADAM BEFORE THE SIN OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE, WHEN ALL THE CREATURES FEARED HIM.
259. "And you, be fruitful, and multiply" (Beresheet 9:7). HE RAISED THE ISSUE THAT women do not seem to be included in these blessings, as the verse mentions only Noah and his sons, but not women. Rabbi Shimon said that the term "and you" WITH AN ADDED VAV, WHICH MEANS 'AND,' indicates that the males and the females were both included. THE LETTER VAV THAT APPEARS HERE INDICATES THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE. Not only that, but in the verse, "And Elohim blessed Noah," THE UNNESSACERY WORD ET, WHICH IS THE NAME OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, IS MENTIONED HERE to include NOAH'S wife. And in the line, "And (et) his sons," THE PARTICLE ET IS USED to indicate that their wives are included.
260. Because it is written: "And as for you, be fruitful, and multiply," propagate your kind, WE KNOW THAT WOMEN WERE ALSO BLESSED. And from here onward, "bring forth abundantly in the earth" (Beresheet 9:7), in which the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them - to all of them who followed after - seven precepts of the Torah. When Yisrael stood on Mount Sinai, they were given all the precepts of the Torah together.