It is written: “Drink water from thine own cistern, and running water from thine own well.” Why does Scripture begin by using the term “cistern” (Bor), and end with “well” (Beer)? Yet there is a difference between a cistern, which has no water of its own (since, instead of producing water, it serves only as a reservoir for it), and a well, which produces water. But Scripture wishes to teach us that the “cistern” will in the end become a “well.” At first, the souls of the righteous, like a poor man, shall possess nothing of their own; therefore Scripture calls them a “cistern,” which contains only the water poured into it. When the world is in such a state, it is designated by the letter Daleth. But the souls of the righteous shall become a “well” and shall gush forth with living water in every direction. And who is it that shall transform them into a “well”? It is the Hé, which, filled with the lights from above, shall likewise make the souls of the righteous gush forth here below, as we have already said. According to another interpretation, the words: “Drink water from thine own cistern,” designate King David, to whom Scripture made say: “Who (Mi) will give me to drink of the water of the cistern that is in Bethlehem?” The word “running water” designates Abraham. The word “from” (mithokh) designates Jacob, who forms the central figure. Finally, the words “thine own well” designate Isaac, who is called “a fountain of living water.”
In this verse is expressed the sacred and sublime mystery of the patriarchs, to whom King David is joined. The desire which the female feels for the male awakens only when the female spirit enters her; it is only then that the female pours forth her waters toward the fertilizing substance of the male above. Likewise, the Synod of Israel feels desire for the Holy One, blessed be He, only because it is entered by the spirit of the righteous; it is only then that the Synod of Israel pours forth its waters to meet the fertilizing substance of the male; then pleasure becomes equal, that is, common to male and female, so that male and female form but one bundle, one knot. This state delights all; it is designated by the words: “The Holy One, blessed be He, walks and delights in the company of the souls of the righteous.”
Observe that all these children of the Garden of Eden proceed from the Just One only when He shuts Himself up in an “Ark” with which He becomes one; then, and only then, do all the children who until then were hidden within Him proceed from Him. In like manner, Noah, the righteous man, could not repopulate the world through his offspring until after he had been shut up in the Ark; it was only on coming out of it that he could repopulate the world. If Noah and his offspring had not come out of the Ark, the world would not exist. Now, Noah was the image of Him who is above. The children of the Garden of Eden proceeded from Him who is above only when He shut Himself up in an “Ark”; and Noah, too, could not repopulate the world until after he had shut himself up in an ark. Thus the process below resembles the process above. The world can exist only insofar as it remains conformed to the world above; this is why the world became stable only from the moment when Noah was shut up in the Ark, and not before. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.”
It is written: “… And the earth was corrupt before Elohim.” Rabbi Yehouda asked: Since Scripture says, “… And the earth was corrupt,” why does it need to add, “… before Elohim”? The reason is this: Since the men of that generation committed crimes publicly and in the sight of everyone, Scripture says, “… And the earth was corrupt before Elohim,” that is to say, the crimes of those men were as well known to everyone as they were to Elohim Himself. Rabbi Yossé said: As for me, I hold the contrary view. The words, “… And the earth was corrupt before Elohim,” mean that, at first, since those men committed their crimes secretly, their misdeeds were known only to Elohim alone, and not to men; but in the end they began committing crimes publicly; and that is why Scripture adds: “… And the earth was filled with iniquity.” From what has been said, it follows that the words of Scripture, “These are the children of Noah,” have a double meaning: first, the ordinary sense; and then they indicate that Noah’s descendants were not like that generation, which committed crimes publicly.
Rabbi Abba said: From the day Adam transgressed the commandment of his Master, all men born thereafter received the name “sons of Adam.” This designation was not to their praise; rather, it meant “sons of him who transgressed the commandment of his Master.” But when Noah came into the world, men received the name “children of Noah.” This designation was to their praise; for they were the children of him who had preserved them in this world, and not the children of Adam, who had caused them to perish from this world by bringing about the death of each one.
Rabbi Yossé objected to Rabbi Abba: If this be so, why does Scripture say further on: “… And the Lord descended to see the city and the tower which the sons of Adam were building.” Scripture therefore designates men by the name “sons of Adam,” and not by that of “sons of Noah,” even at a time later than Noah! Rabbi Abba answered him: Since Adam sinned before His Master, it would have been better for him had he not been created, and had the following verse not applied to him. For, observe that Scripture says: “A wise son is the joy of his father”; seeing that
Rabbi Yossé objected to Rabbi Abba: If this be so, why does Scripture say further on: “… And the Lord descended to see the city and the tower which the sons of Adam were building.” Scripture therefore designates men by the name “sons of Adam,” and not by that of “sons of Noah,” even at a time later than Noah! Rabbi Abba answered him: Since Adam sinned before His Master, it would have been better for him had he not been created, and had the following verse not applied to him. For, observe that Scripture says: “A wise son is the joy of his father”; seeing that
that when a son is wise, all men speak well of his father; but when the son is wicked, all men recall his father in an evil sense. As Adam sinned by transgressing the commandment of his Master, all those who, following his example, have in turn transgressed the commandment of their Master are called “sons of Adam.” That is why Scripture says: “… which the sons of Adam were building,” meaning: the sons of the first man, who also rebelled against his Master by transgressing His commandment. That is why Scripture also says: “These (Eleh) are the children of Noah.” The word “Eleh” indicates that what follows has no connection with what precedes, because from the generation of Noah onward, men had become the “children of Noah” and were no longer “sons of Adam”; they were the children of him who brought them into the ark and brought them out of it, in order to repeople the world; but they were not the “sons of Adam,” who came out of the Garden of Eden alone and did not bring them out of it. Note that if Adam had brought forth the “children,” that is, the souls, from the Garden of Eden, men would have enjoyed eternal life; the light of the moon would not have been diminished, and the whole work of creation would have been imperishable. And even the superior angels could not have rivalled man, either in light, or in beauty, or in wisdom, as it is written: “He created him in the image of Elohim.” But since, as a result of his sin, he was driven out of the Garden of Eden to beget children outside that place, his children are neither imperishable nor formed as they ought to be.
Rabbi Hizqiya asked: How was it possible for Adam to beget children in the Garden of Eden, when it is certain that, had he not drawn the tempting spirit to himself through his sin, he would have remained alone in the world and would never have begotten children? Likewise, had Israel not sinned by worshipping the golden calf, thereby drawing the tempting spirit to itself, it would never have begotten children and would never have been replaced by a new generation. Rabbi Abba answered him: My words had the following meaning:
Had Adam not sinned, he would not have begotten children issuing from the side of the tempting spirit; but he would have begotten children issuing from the Holy Spirit. But since he sinned, all men are of the side of the tempting spirit; and this is why they are not imperishable, because they contain a mixture of the impure spirit. But had Adam not sinned and, consequently, had he not been driven out of the Garden of Eden, he would have begotten children of the side of the Holy Spirit, who would have been as holy as the higher angels and as everlasting as the celestial beings. But since Adam sinned and begot his sons outside the Garden of Eden, not having been granted the favor of bringing them out from there, his children could not even exist temporarily upon the earth: until the coming of Noah, who, being righteous, was able to enter the ark and come forth from it with all the future generations of the world, which, having come forth from there, spread to all four quarters of the world.
Had Adam not sinned, he would not have begotten children issuing from the side of the tempting spirit; but he would have begotten children issuing from the Holy Spirit. But since he sinned, all men are of the side of the tempting spirit; and this is why they are not imperishable, because they contain a mixture of the impure spirit. But had Adam not sinned and, consequently, had he not been driven out of the Garden of Eden, he would have begotten children of the side of the Holy Spirit, who would have been as holy as the higher angels and as everlasting as the celestial beings. But since Adam sinned and begot his sons outside the Garden of Eden, not having been granted the favor of bringing them out from there, his children could not even exist temporarily upon the earth: until the coming of Noah, who, being righteous, was able to enter the ark and come forth from it with all the future generations of the world, which, having come forth from there, spread to all four quarters of the world.
It is written: “... And Elohim saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted itself upon the earth.” These two parts of the verse complete one another. Why was the earth corrupt? Scripture answers: “... For all flesh had corrupted itself upon the earth.”
Rabbi Hiyà opened one of his discourses with the following verse: “And Elohim saw their works; for they had turned from their evil way.” Observe that when men are worthy and keep the commandments of the doctrine, the earth is perfected, so that every kind of joy is found therein. And why is this so? Because the Shekhinah dwells upon the earth; and therefore all that is above and below is filled with joy. But when men’s conduct is evil, when they keep not the commandments of the doctrine and sin before their Master, then they drive away—if it be permitted so to speak—the Shekhinah from this world; and the earth then remains corrupted, seeing that the Shekhinah has been driven from it and dwells there no more. And why is the earth corrupted when the Shekhinah no longer dwells therein? Because when the Shekhinah dwells there no more, another spirit dwells there and corrupts the world. Therefore do we say that “Israel lends strength to Elohim,” which means that it is thanks to Israel that the world endures. Elohim denotes the Shekhinah; now, since it is thanks to Israel that the Shekhinah dwells upon the earth, it follows that Israel lends, as it were, strength to Elohim.
But if—as God forbid!—Israel is found in a state of guilt, what does Scripture say thereof? Scripture then says: “Elohim rises from the earth and ascends to Heaven.” And why does Elohim leave the earth? Scripture answers: “… Because they have laid a snare for my feet, and have brought down my soul by their iniquity and by their unjust hatred.” The words: “… They have laid a snare for my feet” designate a state of corruption like that in which the generation of the Flood was found; in these men, iniquity alone is the cause of their hatred. But does all that precedes also apply to Jerusalem? That is to say, does the Shekhinah also leave Jerusalem when men are corrupt? Yet we have learned that, apart from the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself, no other spirit dwells in the land of Israel; no heavenly prince, nor any other messenger angel, rules therein, save the Holy One, blessed be He, alone. Despite this, there was a moment when the evil spirit dwelt therein and corrupted men. How do we know this? We know it from David, as it is written: “And David lifted up his eyes, and saw an angel of the Lord standing between Heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand, turned against Jerusalem.” Thus was the land able to be corrupted, even the land of Israel.
Rabbi Éléazar said: Even in that moment of danger, the angel whom David had seen was not a real angel; it was the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself. For here Scripture uses the term “angel of the Lord.” And elsewhere Scripture says: “May the Angel who has delivered me from all evils bless my children.” Whom could Jacob have meant by the word “angel,” if not God Himself? And elsewhere again Scripture says: “And the Angel of the Lord, who went before the camp of the Israelites, went behind them.” By this word “angel,” Scripture can likewise mean none other than God Himself. The Holy One, blessed be He, governs Israel Himself when it walks in the right way, just as when it walks in the wrong way. When Israel is good, the Holy One, blessed be He, governs it Himself, so that Israel may not be enslaved by any other power, and so that all the inhabitants of the earth may be ashamed at the superiority of Israel’s works over their own. And when Israel is wicked, it is still the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself who governs it, so as not to give the princes of the other peoples the joy of enslaving Israel. But, one might object, it is nevertheless written: “For she has seen foreign nations enter her sanctuary”; now it is evident that, had other celestial princes not ruled over Israel, the heathen peoples could never have entered the sanctuary and destroyed it. To this objection we reply as follows: It is written: “For Thou art He who doeth all these things.” And elsewhere it is written: “The Lord hath done what He had purposed; He hath accomplished what He had decreed of old.” We see, therefore, that it was God Himself who acted, that it was He Himself who permitted the heathen peoples to enter the sanctuary and destroy it. Observe that Scripture says: “And Elohim saw that the earth was corrupt.” It was indeed corrupt, because the Shekhinah had departed from it, as we have just said. Likewise, Scripture says: “And Elohim saw their works, for they had turned from their evil way.” For the earth ever calls to heaven and, desiring to draw near to it, adorns herself, like a female preparing to receive the male. Thus, when the earth brings forth children worthy of the King, she makes them her adornments. But the men of the generation of the Flood would not repent; therefore Scripture says: “And Elohim saw that the earth was corrupt,” which means that she resembled an unclean woman who, ashamed, hides her face from her husband. But when men at last became so corrupt as to commit crimes openly, the earth, tearing the veil from her face, resembled a shameless female who is no longer ashamed before anyone, as it is written: “The earth is defiled by the corruption of those who dwell therein, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the covenant that was to endure for ever.” Therefore Scripture says: “And Elohim saw that the earth was corrupt.” And why was it so corrupt? Scripture answers, adding: “… For all flesh had corrupted itself upon the earth.”
Rabbi Éléazar was once going to visit Rabbi Yossé, son of Rabbi Siméon, grandson of Laqounya, his father-in-law. As soon as his father-in-law caught sight of him, he spread precious carpets upon the ground for him to sit upon. His father-in-law then said to him: “Have you ever heard from your father any explanation of the verse: ‘The Lord hath done that which He had devised; He hath fulfilled that which He had determined of old’?” Rabbi Éléazar answered him: “The colleagues have already interpreted this verse in the following manner: The words ‘bitza emratho’ mean that God rent His purple robe. Scripture adds: ‘... which He had determined of old,’ since this purple robe has been cherished by God from the beginning of things; but, at the time of the destruction of the sanctuary, God rent this purple robe, which contributed to the glory and perfection of that same sanctuary.” His father-in-law then asked him: “How are we to explain the words: ‘The Lord hath done that which He had devised’? Is it customary, then, for a king to resolve to chastise his son before the latter has committed any fault?” Rabbi Éléazar answered him: “God’s manner of dealing with Israel resembles that of a king who, having had a precious vessel whose loss he constantly feared, looked upon it every day and never took his eyes off it. But one day his son angered him; the king then seized the precious vessel and broke it. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: ‘The Lord hath done that which He had devised.’ Observe that, from the day the sanctuary was built, the Holy One, blessed be He, gazed upon it continually; and, having grown fond of it, He feared that Israel might sin and bring about its destruction. As long as the Temple existed, the Holy One, blessed be He, clothed Himself in this purple robe. But when, on account of its sins, Israel angered the king, he rent His purple robe and the sanctuary was destroyed. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: ‘The Lord hath done that which He had devised; He hath rent His purple robe (bitza emratho), which He had kept of old.’ God was grieved at the punishment of the guilty only at the time of the destruction of the Temple; but on every other occasion, the Holy One, blessed be He, feels no greater joy than when the guilty of the world and those who have angered Him are exterminated, as it is written: ‘... And when the wicked are exterminated, the song is heard.’ The same is true in every generation: when the wicked are chastised, the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices.
But, one may perhaps object, we have nevertheless learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, takes little joy in chastising the guilty! To this we shall reply as follows: Observe that there are two kinds of chastisement: first, the chastisement of those who, though admonished and despite the long-suffering God shows toward them, ceased not from sinning; the chastisement of these brings joy to the Holy One, blessed be He. Then there is the chastisement of those whose crimes have not reached the height of wickedness; the chastisement of these, far from bringing joy to the Holy One, blessed be He, grieves Him instead. For there are guilty ones who are chastised before their wickedness has reached its utmost degree, as it is written: “... for the measure of the iniquities of the Amorites is not yet full at this time.”
But, one may perhaps object, why does God chastise certain guilty men before the measure of their iniquities has been filled? To this we shall answer as follows: The wicked whose evil deeds harm none but themselves are chastised only when the measure of their iniquities is filled. But the wicked who attach themselves to Israel in order to do it harm are chastised even before the measure of their iniquities has been filled. It is the chastisement of this latter class of guilty men that grieves the Holy One, blessed be He. To this class of chastisements may be reckoned the drowning of the Egyptians in the sea, as well as the destruction of Israel’s enemies in the days of Jehoshaphat; all these guilty men were exterminated from this world before the measure of their iniquities had been filled only because of Israel, whom they wished to harm. But when the measure of the guilty men’s iniquities is filled, when they have been admonished and have not repented despite God’s long-suffering toward them, the chastisement with which they are smitten causes joy to the Holy One, blessed be He, except, however, at the time of the destruction of the Sanctuary, when, although the guilty men had likewise abused God’s long-suffering and had angered Him, the Holy One, blessed be He, felt no joy. And from that time onward there was no more joy, either above or below.
It is written: “... For I will wait yet seven days; and after this time I will cause it to rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from off the earth all the creatures that I have made.” Rabbi Yehouda asked: Why did God fix the number of forty days and forty nights? The truth is that, for the punishment of the guilty, the number forty is always applied, as it is written: “The number of stripes shall be forty, and it shall not be exceeded.” This number of forty is fixed so as to correspond to the four cardinal points, counting ten for each of these points. Now, since man was created so as to correspond to the four cardinal points, he must, in case of guilt, be struck with forty blows, ten for each of the cardinal points. That is why a number of forty was also required to cause all the creatures to disappear from off the earth.
Rabbi Isaac was wont to frequent Rabbi Simeon. One day, therefore, he asked him: What do the words of the verse mean: “... And the earth was corrupt before Elohim”? If men have committed crimes, what could be reproached to the earth, that it should deserve the name of corrupt? Rabbi Simeon answered him: Scripture explains this well in what follows: “... And Elohim saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh upon the earth was corrupt.” We find a like expression in the following verse: “... And the earth became impure; and I shall punish the crimes of that land.” Here also one may ask: If men have sinned, what fault has the earth committed, that it should be punished? But by the word “earth,” Scripture designates the human race, which constitutes what is most essential upon the earth; and when men are corrupt, the earth itself is called corrupt; and this verse proves it to us: “... And Elohim saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh upon the earth was corrupt.” Observe that all the sins of man which contribute to corrupt him are erased by repentance; but the sin of Onanism, which consists in spilling seed upon the earth, corrupts both man and the earth; it is of this sin that Scripture says: “Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet shalt thou remain filthy before Me in Thine iniquity, saith the Lord God.” And elsewhere: “... For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; the evil man shall not dwell near Thee.” To erase this sin, an extraordinary repentance is required; for it is written: “... And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked before the Lord; and the Lord slew Him.” This verse has already been explained previously.
Rabbi Isaac further asked Rabbi Simeon: Why did God try that generation with water, and not with fire or some other plague? Rabbi Simeon replied to him: This conceals a mystery. The men of that generation, by making themselves guilty of self-abuse, prevented the waters above, which constitute the male principle, from uniting with those below, which constitute the female principle. Now, as their sin concerned water, they were likewise tried by water. Moreover, they were punished with boiling water, which stripped off their skin, because they had also corrupted their souls by spilling boiling water upon the ground. The punishment answered to the crime. Therefore Scripture said: “All the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” By the words “the fountains of the great deep,” Scripture denotes the waters below; and by the words “the windows of heaven were opened,” it denotes the waters above. Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Yehouda, once travelling, came near the great mountains and discovered, in the ravines of those mountains, the bones of men who had belonged to the generation of the Flood. Each bone measured three hundred paces. Amazed, Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Yehouda cried out: Now we understand the saying of the colleagues, according to which the men of that generation feared not the punishment of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “They said unto God: Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.” How could those men withstand the plague with which God afflicted them? They set the soles of their feet upon the source of the waters of the deep, and thus stopped it; but as the water was boiling, they could not withstand it, fell to the ground, and died.
It is written: “... And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Rabbi Hiyya said to Rabbi Yehuda: Come and hear the words I have heard concerning this verse. The life of Noah is like that of a man who enters a cave, from which, after some time, two—or rather three—sons come forth. Each of these three sons takes a different path and is distinguished from the others.
by his conduct and his works; the one is worthy, the other guilty, and the third mediocre. The same is true of the knot of the three kinds of spirits that travel together through the three worlds. Know that, when the soul leaves the celestial region, it enters the mountain passes on its journey down to earth. In these passes it unites with the intellectual spirit; and, having descended to earth, these two spirits unite with the spirit of life, and thus the three spirits are joined together. Rabbi Yehouda said: The spirit of life and the intellectual spirit abide together and depend upon one another; but the soul is independent of these two other spirits; it depends only upon the conduct of man. And whereas one can discover the seat of the vital spirit, as well as the seat of the intellectual spirit, no one can discover the seat of the soul, for it is hidden. When a man resolves to live in purity, Heaven comes to his aid by granting him a holy soul that purifies and sanctifies him, so that he is called “holy.” But if he is unworthy and does not wish to live in purity, he is animated only by two spirits: the spirit of life (nephesch) and the intellectual spirit (rouah); but he has not the holy soul. But more than this: he who wishes to live in impurity is not only deprived of Heaven’s aid, but is also encouraged to continue his evil conduct. Thus each is encouraged according to the conduct he follows.
It is written: “... And Elohim said unto Noah: The end (qetz) of all flesh is come before Me.” Rabbi Yehuda opened one of his discourses in the following manner: It is written: “Make me to know, O Lord, mine end (qitzi), and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.” David said unto the Holy One, blessed be He: There are two ends, one on the right and the other on the left; these are the two paths wherein men walk in this world. One end is on the right side, as it is written: “... But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest, and shalt stand in thy lot at the end of the right side.” And there is an end on the left side, as it is written: “He hath set an end (qetz) to darkness; and He searcheth out the depth of every thing, the stone of darkness, and the shadow of death.” What is the meaning of the words: “He searcheth out the depth of every thing”? Scripture means that, when rigour causes the stone of darkness and the shadow of death to hold sway in the world, the “end of darkness” makes its appearance in the world. The words “the end of darkness” designate the angel of death, the serpent. Thus, the words “the end of all flesh” have the same meaning as the words “the end of darkness.” The serpent is so called because it constitutes the dross of gold. The words of Scripture: “He searcheth out the depth of every thing” therefore apply to the angel of death, who, when rigour holds sway in the world, makes himself the accuser of men and strives to blacken the faces of creatures. As for the end on the right side, we have already said that it is indicated in the words of Scripture: “... At the end of the right side.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said unto Daniel: “... But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest.” Daniel then asked the Holy One, blessed be He: In which world shall I rest? Is it in this lower world or in the world to come? God answered him: In this lower world; for it is in this world that the word “rest” is applicable, as it is written: “He that walketh uprightly entereth into peace; they rest in their beds.” Daniel then asked the Holy One, blessed be He: Shall I be among those who rise again at the end of time, or not? God answered him: Thou shalt stand (vethaamod). Daniel replied: I know that among those who rise again there shall be worthy men who walked in the path of truth during their lifetime, and that there shall also be guilty men. Now, in the company of which of these two classes of men shall I rise again? God answered him: In thy lot (legoralekh). Finally, Daniel said: Thou hast told me: “Go thou thy way to the end (lekh leqetz).” By these words dost Thou mean “the end on the right side (qetz haiamin),” or “the end of days (qetz haiamin)”? God answered him: “... At the end of the right side (leqetz haiamin).” Likewise, David said unto the Holy One, blessed be He: Make me to know, O Lord, mine end. David had no rest until it was made known to him to which “end” he belonged, to the “end on the right side” or to “the end of days.” David’s spirit was not calmed until it was announced to him that he belonged to “the end on the right side,” as it is written: “Sit Thou at My right hand.”
Observe that the Holy One, blessed be He, also said to Noah: “The end of all flesh has come before Me.” Who is meant by this word “end”? It is he who blackens the faces of creatures; it is of him that God says: “The end of all flesh has come before Me.” From this we infer that the guilty of this world bring this “end” upon themselves and invite him to blacken their faces. As soon as he who is called “end” receives heavenly permission, he seizes the soul of a man; but he must not seize it without express permission from Heaven. That is why God said: “The end of all flesh has come before Me.” It has come to ask permission to blacken the faces of men, that is, to seize their souls. Therefore God added: “... And I will destroy them with the earth.” That is why God said to Noah: “Make thee an ark of boards of gopher wood,” so that he might thus escape the angel of death by taking refuge from his attacks. Observe that, when death rages in a city, or in the world at large, a man must not show himself in the street, because the destroying angel is then permitted to harm all whom he encounters. That is why the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Noah: Thou must hide thyself and not show thyself to the destroying angel, so that he may have no hold upon thee.
But, it may perhaps be objected, there was no destroying angel at the time of the Flood, since it was the waters that ravaged the earth and caused men to perish! To this we shall answer as follows: Observe that the world is never afflicted with any plague whatsoever without the destroying angel being concealed behind that plague. Likewise, at the time of the Flood, the destroying angel dwelt in the water. It is not the elements that constitute the plagues; it is the destroying angel who dwells within them; and he then takes the name of the element which, in appearance, constitutes the plague. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, told Noah to hide himself and not show himself in the world. But it may perhaps be objected again: What use was it for Noah to hide himself in the ark, when the ark was plainly visible in the world, so that it would have been possible for the destroying angel to enter it? To this we shall answer as follows: As long as the destroying angel does not see the figure of a man, he has no hold over him. How do we know this? We know it from the command that God gave to Israel in Egypt: “Let none of you go out of the door of his house until morning.” Why this prohibition? So that the destroying angel might not see the figure of the one who went out, which would have allowed him to harm him. Therefore Noah and all those who were with him were shut up in the ark, so that the destroying angel might have no hold over them.
Rabbi Hiyâ and Rabbi Yossé, journeying together, came near the Black Mountains, where they discovered ravines dating from the time of the Flood. Rabbi Hiyâ then said to Rabbi Yossé: These ravines date from the Flood, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause them to endure as long as the world shall last, so that the trace of the guilty may never be erased before Him. For such is the way of the Holy One, blessed be He: He wills that the good deeds of the worthy men who do His will be constantly present in His memory, and that their remembrance never be erased, neither above nor below; but He also wills that the remembrance of the guilt of the wicked who do not do His will never be erased, and that it be handed down from generation to generation. Therefore Scripture says: “Though Thou wash Thee with nitre, and take Thee much soap, yet Thine iniquity is marked before Me, saith the Lord God.”
Rabbi Yossé began one of his discourses with the following verse: “Daughter of Gallim, raise thy voice; let it be heard as far as Laïschah, poor Anathoth.” This verse has already been explained by the colleagues. But, in truth, this verse applies to the Synod of Israel. The words: “Daughter of Gallim, raise thy voice” designate the daughter of Abraham, our father, as is said elsewhere. The words “Daughter of Gallim (galim)” designate the same Synod of Israel as the words “A garden enclosed (ganaoul).” The word “galim” designates the rivers that all converge toward the Garden and fill it, as it is written: “Thy plants are as a garden of delights filled with pomegranates.” The words: “... Let it be heard as far as Laïschah” have the same meaning as the words of Scripture: “The lion (laïsch) is dead because he had no prey.” “Laïsch” designates the male, and “laïschah” designates the female. Why is he called “laïsch”? Is it on account of the words of Scripture: “... The laïsch, the mightiest of beasts, which feareth nothing of all that it meeteth”? Or on account of the words: “The laïsch is dead, because he...
“Had no prey”? But the truth is that “laïsch” is the name of the force below, which emanates from the force above. And this is the interpretation of the verse: “The laïsch is dead because he had no prey, and the lioness’s cubs have been scattered.” When all the rivers that issue from the force above ceased to enter the force below, “laïsch” took the name of “laïschah.” Scripture therefore means that, when “laïsch was dead because he had no prey” (that is to say, when the rivers that emanate from the force above ceased to enter into him), he became “laïschah,” which means that he became female, as it is written: “… And the lioness’s cubs have been scattered.” The words “aniah anathoth” mean “the Poor One of poverty.” The word “anathoth” has the same meaning as in the verse: “The prophecy of Jeremiah, the son of Helcias, of the priests who dwelt in poverty (ba-anathoth),” and also in the verse: “Dwell in poverty (anathoth), and return to the land that is yours.” What is the meaning of this latter verse? As long as King David lived, Abiathar lived in wealth and opulence. Solomon therefore said to Abiathar: From now on, you shall live in poverty; return, therefore, to the land that is yours. Why did Solomon call him “anathoth,” which would lead us to suppose that Abiathar was already poor, whereas, according to the explanation given, it was merely an order from the king to Abiathar to live in poverty? But the truth is that Solomon said to Abiathar: You saw my father when he lived in poverty; now it is your turn to do the same; go therefore and dwell in the land that is yours. Thus is explained the name “anathoth” that Scripture gives to Abiathar. For it is inadmissible to interpret the word “anathoth” as “the city of Anathoth,” seeing that Scripture says: “One of the sons of Achimelech, the son of Achitob, whose name was Abiathar, escaped from that slaughter and fled to David.” Now Achimelech, the son of Achitob, was from Nob, the city of the priests. Although some interpreters have maintained that the city of Nob is synonymous with that of Anathoth, and that it was given the surname Anathoth (poverty) because of the misery into which that city fell when Saul destroyed it and put to death its inhabitants, who were of the priestly order, this interpretation is scarcely likely. But the truth is that “Anathoth” was a village that had nothing in common with the city of Nob. If Abiathar is called “Anathoth,” although he was originally from Nob, it is because of the words of Scripture: “You shall be in all the poverty in which my father was (hithanitha becol ascher hithanah abi).” Thus Abiathar was called “Anathoth,” because during his lifetime David was in a state of poverty.