Rabbi Yossé said: Woe unto the wicked, who will not repent of their sins before the Holy One, blessed be He, while passing through this lower world; for the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives every man who regrets his sins. But those who persist in their evil ways and will not repent...
Their sins being known to the Holy One, blessed be He, they were cast, after their death, into hell, whence they shall never emerge throughout all eternity.
Their sins being known to the Holy One, blessed be He, they were cast, after their death, into hell, whence they shall never emerge throughout all eternity.
Observe that it was because Noah’s contemporaries persisted in committing sins, and, above all, because they committed their sins openly, that the Holy One, blessed be He, also chastised them openly; that is to say, their punishment was a spectacle to all. Rabbi Isaac said: Even when a man commits sins secretly, the Holy One, blessed be He, who is merciful, allows these sins to remain forever in the shadow, never to be disclosed, and He forgives them, if the man repents; but if the man does not repent, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes public the sins committed in secret. Whence do we know that this is so? We know it from the passage of Scripture concerning the woman suspected of adultery and subjected to the ordeal of water, or to the “ordeal” (Sotah). In the same manner, the wicked among Noah’s contemporaries were exterminated from off the earth openly, that is to say, in a striking manner. In what manner were these wicked ones exterminated? The waters that burst forth from the depths of the abyss were so boiling hot that they consumed the skin and flesh of the wicked, leaving nothing but their bones. Therefore Scripture says: “… And they were blotted out from off the earth.” For even the bones that withstood the boiling water were separated from one another, so that not a single skeleton remained intact; and in this manner they disappeared completely from this world. Rabbi Isaac said: The words of Scripture, “… And they were blotted out from off the earth” (mahah), have a meaning akin to that of the verse: “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.” Thus, by the word “blotted out” (mahah), Scripture indicates to us that these wicked ones were blotted out of the (heavenly) book of the living. We infer from this that these wicked ones shall never be resurrected, and shall not appear at the hour of the Last Judgment.
It is written: “I will establish My Covenant with thee.” Rabbi Éléazar said: We infer from this verse that the establishment of the Covenant above accords with the establishment of the Covenant below; therefore Scripture says: “I will establish My Covenant with thee.” Rabbi Éléazar further said: We conclude from this verse that, when men are righteous in this lower world, they establish the Covenant above as well as below. Rabbi Siméon said: A saying containing a hidden meaning has been uttered concerning this matter. This is what was said: The desire of the male for the female is awakened only after a transport of jealousy. Observe that this saying contains the following mystery: When there is a righteous man in this lower world, the Shekhinah cleaves unto him and never parts from him. Then the desire of Him Who is above is awakened in love for the Shekhinah, like the desire felt by the male for the female when he is transported by jealousy. Therefore Scripture says: “I will establish My Covenant with thee.” These words mean: I shall feel desire for the Shekhinah because of you. Such is also the meaning of the words of Scripture: “And I will establish My Covenant with Isaac.” The words: “I will establish My Covenant with thee” mean: it is thou, Noah, the Righteous One, who shalt be My Covenant here below; and only afterwards does Scripture add: “… And thou shalt enter the ark”; for without the Righteous One, entry into the ark is impossible; and none can be united with the ark save the Righteous One. Therefore, after the Covenant, the entry into the ark is spoken of, as we have just said. Rabbi Éléazar said: So long as men remain attached to this Covenant and do not break it, no people in the world can do them harm. Thus Noah, who had remained attached to this Covenant, was preserved, he and all his household, by the Holy One, blessed be He, whereas his contemporaries, who had not kept the Covenant, were destroyed from off the earth by the Holy One, blessed be He. We have already said above that the punishment of these guilty ones corresponded to the nature of the crime of which they had been guilty.
Rabbi Yehuda, who was accustomed to frequent Rabbi Simeon, was once conversing with him concerning the meaning of the words of Scripture: “He repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been destroyed.” What is the meaning of the word “va-yeraphe,” whose literal sense is “and he healed”? Observe that in the days of the prophet Elijah, all the Israelites, having forsaken the Holy One, blessed be He, had severed themselves from the eternal Covenant. When Elijah came and saw that Israel had broken the eternal Covenant and caused it to disappear, he restored the matter to its place, and all was healed. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture quoted above: “He healed (va-yeraphe) the altar of the Lord, which had been destroyed,” that is, the eternal Covenant which had been forsaken. Scripture adds: “And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the twelve tribes of the children of Jacob.” These words signify that it is by the number twelve that the altar of the Lord is raised up. Finally, Scripture adds: “Unto whom the Lord had spoken, saying: Israel shall be thy name.” Why does Scripture mention the name Israel here? But, in truth, when Israel cleaves to the Covenant, he is called Israel; but when he separates himself from it, he is called “the children of Israel.” Therefore Scripture says: “For the children of Israel have forsaken Thy Covenant,” whereupon it adds: “They have destroyed Thine altars.” Observe that so long as Israel keeps the sacred Covenant, he establishes stability above and below; but when he turns his back upon this Covenant, there is no longer stability either above or below, as it is written: “If the Covenant that I have made with the day and with the night be not steadfast, the ordinances that I have given unto heaven and earth are not stable.” Therefore Scripture says: “He healed (va-yeraphe) the altar of the Lord, which had been destroyed.” Why does Scripture use the word “healed”? Was it, then, some ordinary healing? But, in truth, Elijah wrought a healing; for he restored the stability of that place upon which Faith depends.
Note that Phinehas also, at the moment when, moved by zeal, he punished the crime of Zimri, helped to restore the Covenant, as it is written: “Wherefore say unto him, Behold, I give unto him My covenant of peace.” It is certain that Phinehas had no need for peace to be given him, seeing that there had never been any breach between him and the Covenant. But Scripture means that it was Phinehas who restored the matter to its place. By the words: “I give unto him My covenant of peace,” God means: I reserve for him this glory of restoring above the Covenant which had been broken. What does the word “peace” signify? It is the Word through which peace is wrought above and below; and it is precisely because Phinehas restored the matter to its place that Scripture adds: “And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.”
Rabbi Simeon said: There is no crime in the world for which the Holy One, blessed be He, takes vengeance more terribly than for the breach of the Covenant, as it is written: “I will bring upon thee the avenging sword, which shall avenge the breach of My Covenant.” Observe, moreover, that the guilt of the generation of the Flood became full, that is to say, reached its utmost bounds, only on account of the crime of onanism. For, notwithstanding their other iniquities, as it is written: “And the earth was filled with iniquity,” and elsewhere: “For they have filled all the earth with iniquity,” Scripture says: “And the earth was corrupt before God,” and further on: “And I will destroy them with the earth”; whence it follows that the men of the generation of the Flood were destroyed only as a consequence of the crime of onanism.
According to others, the measure of the crimes committed by the men of the generation of the Flood became full only as a consequence of the acts of robbery of which those men were guilty one toward another; thus they sinned at once against Heaven and against their fellow man. Observe how great is the number of the celestial chiefs appointed to gather the complaints of those who are wronged by other men. Therefore Scripture says: “For they have filled all the earth with robbery”; and it adds: “And I will destroy them with the earth.”
According to others, the measure of the crimes committed by the men of the generation of the Flood became full only as a consequence of the acts of robbery of which those men were guilty one toward another; thus they sinned at once against Heaven and against their fellow man. Observe how great is the number of the celestial chiefs appointed to gather the complaints of those who are wronged by other men. Therefore Scripture says: “For they have filled all the earth with robbery”; and it adds: “And I will destroy them with the earth.”
It is written: “And Jehovah said unto Noah: Enter thou into the ark, thou, and all thy household.” Rabbi Siméon asked: How is it that, throughout the whole account of the Flood, Scripture employs the term Elohim, and that exceptionally it here makes use of the name Jehovah, the attribute of heavenly mercy? But Scripture thereby teaches us a rule of propriety: just as it is not seemly for a woman to receive a guest in her house without her husband’s consent, so, when Noah wished to enter the ark and unite himself with her, it was necessary for the husband of the ark to give his consent beforehand. Therefore Scripture says: “Enter thou into the ark, thou, and all thy household”; and for this same reason Scripture designates the husband of the ark by the name Jehovah. It was only after this consent that Noah entered the ark and united himself with her. Scripture further teaches us that a guest is not permitted to accept a woman’s invitation unless he has the consent of her husband, the master of the house. Thus Noah did not enter the ark until God had invited him to do so, as it is written: “… And Noah entered into the ark, and with him his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, etc.”
Observe that Scripture adds: “… For among those who live today, I have recognized thee as a righteous man before Me.” We infer from these words that one must never receive a guest whom one suspects of some misdeed; one ought to receive only a guest upon whom no suspicion rests, and whose worthiness one is convinced of. This is why Scripture first says: “Enter into the ark, thou and all thy house”; and, to explain the reason for this invitation, Scripture adds: “… For among those who live today, I have recognized thee as a righteous man before Me.” From this passage of Scripture we conclude, moreover, that it is not fitting for a man to accept an invitation if it is addressed to him alone, to the exclusion of all his household; this is why Scripture says: “Enter into the ark, thou and all thy house.” Thus God permitted Noah’s entire family to enter the ark with him. This passage of Scripture therefore teaches us the rules of propriety.
Rabbi Yehuda began one of his discourses in the following manner: It is written: “A Psalm of David: The earth is the Lord’s, and all that it contains, the world, and all those who dwell therein.” We know by tradition that, wherever in the Psalms the word “David” precedes the word “Psalm,” the chapter in question was composed by David before he had been inspired by the Holy Spirit; and that, wherever, on the contrary, the word “Psalm” precedes the word “David,” the chapter in question was composed by the Holy Spirit, which had already inspired David before the composition of that chapter. The words: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all that it contains” designate the land of Israel, which is the holy land. The term “and all that it contains” (oumloah) designates the Shekhinah, as it is written: “… For the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God,” and elsewhere: “… And the glory of the Lord had filled the tabernacle.” Why does Scripture use the word “male” (full), instead of “mile” (filled)? The truth is that Scripture means that the Shekhinah herself is full, like the moon illuminated over its entire surface by the sun.
The Shekhinah is full of all the heavenly goods, like a treasury filled with all the goods of this world. Wherefore Scripture saith: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof (oumloah)”; which meaneth that the Shekhinah, which is full of heavenly goods so long as she dwelleth in the land of Israel, belongeth to the Lord. According to another interpretation, the words: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all that filleth it” designate the holy earth above, wherein the Holy One, blessed be He, delighteth. The word “oumloah” designateth the souls of the righteous, which are filled with the strength of the single Column upon which the world is founded. If any should ask: Is the world, then, founded upon but a single column? We would answer him as followeth: Mark the words which Scripture addeth to the preceding verse: “… For He founded it upon the seas (iamim), and established it upon the rivers.” The words “He” designate the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “It is He that hath made us,” and elsewhere: “… For it is He that beholdeth the world from one end to the other.” The words: “… Who founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers” designate the seven columns upon which the earth is founded; and when these columns fill the earth, Scripture saith that “the earth is full.” What is meant by these words? When the earth is inhabited by a great multitude of righteous men, it bringeth forth fruits and is thus full. But when it is the wicked who multiply in the world, then Scripture saith: “The waters of the sea withdraw, and the rivers, forsaking their beds, dry up.” The words: “… The waters of the sea withdraw” designate the holy earth, which is watered by the heavenly waters. The words: “… And the rivers, forsaking their beds, dry up” designate that single Column which standeth in the holy earth to enlighten it. Thus the words: “… And the rivers, forsaking their beds, dry up” have the same meaning as the words of the following verse: “The righteous perisheth.”
Rabbi Yehouda said furthermore: At the time when the wicked who were Noah’s contemporaries were exterminated from this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, looked upon the world and saw therein no one who could save the world. But, it may be objected, was there not Noah? This objection is ill-founded, since Noah had not sufficient merit to save the whole world; his merit sufficed only to save himself, so that he might repopulate the world. Therefore Scripture says: “… For among those who live today I have recognized Thee as a righteous man.” It follows from these words that Noah could be regarded as righteous only when compared with his contemporaries. Rabbi Yossé said: The words “among those who live today,” far from diminishing Noah’s merit, are, on the contrary, to his praise; for Scripture means that Noah had remained righteous even among his wicked contemporaries; all the more would he have been so in another age. Thus are the words of Scripture justified: “Noah was a righteous and perfect man among the men of his time.” This does not mean that he had been righteous only because he lived among the men of his time. He would have been so also in the time of Moses. If Noah could not save the world, it was because for this the presence in the world of ten righteous men is required, as it is written: “Lord, Abraham added, be not angry, I beseech Thee, if I speak yet once more: What if Thou findest ten righteous men in this city? The Lord answered: I will not destroy it, if there be ten righteous men.” Now, in Noah’s time, there was no righteous man save himself, his three sons, and their wives, whose total did not reach the number ten.
Rabbi Éléazar asked his father the following: We know, by tradition, that at the time when the world is full of the sins of men, that is to say, when the measure of men’s wickedness has reached its highest degree, and divine justice
… begins to wreak havoc in the world, the righteous man is to be pitied; for it is he who first atones for the sins of his guilty contemporaries. How, then, could Noah escape the catastrophe, when, according to tradition, he was to atone first for the sins of his contemporaries? Rabbi Simeon replied to him: We have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired that, upon leaving the ark, Noah should repopulate the world; therefore He preserved him for this purpose. Moreover, the rigor of justice could not reach Noah for the reason that he was shut up in the ark and thus rendered invisible to the eyes of the destroying angel. Observe that Scripture says: “Seek righteousness, seek humility, that you may find a secret place wherein to hide yourselves in the day of the Lord’s anger.” Now Noah had sought righteousness; therefore he was shut up in the ark, where he was “hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger”; and therefore the rigor of justice could not reach him, nor could the destroying angel make him his accuser. This passage of Scripture contains an allusion to the mystery known to the holy wonder-workers concerning the miraculous power of the twenty-two sacred and celestial letters, which, written in a certain manner and in reverse order, bring about the extermination of the guilty. This is why Scripture says: “… And they were blotted out (va-ïmohou) from off the earth.”
Observe what a difference there is between Moses and other men. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: “... Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation,” Moses immediately answered God: “Shall I abandon the cause of Israel for my own personal advantage? If I were to do so, everyone would say that it was I who had slain the Israelites, in order to become the head of a great nation, after the manner of Noah, who, when the Holy One, blessed be He, announced to him: ‘... And I, behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish My covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee,’ instead of interceding with God on behalf of his contemporaries, saved himself and his sons in the ark. Because he failed to intercede on behalf of his contemporaries, the waters of the Flood bear his name, that is, are attributed to him, as it is written: ‘... As I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth.’ Moses therefore said: ‘If the people of Israel are destroyed, the world will say that it was my neglect to intercede on their behalf that slew them, a neglect which will be attributed to my ambition to become the head of a great nation, as God promised me when He announced His resolve to destroy the Israelites. No, I would rather die and atone for the sins of Israel, that they may be saved.’ Therefore Scripture adds: ‘... And Moses besought the Lord his God.’ Thus did he invoke divine mercy upon the Israelites; and it was granted unto them.
Rabbi Isaac asked: How could Moses say, in the opening of the prayer he addressed to God on behalf of the Israelites: “Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people?” What! The Israelites had worshipped an idol, as God had just told him: “They have made themselves a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have said: These are Thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” And, after so great a crime committed by Israel, Moses still asks: “Why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people?” But we know that he who undertakes a reconciliation is bound to lessen the gravity of the offence in the eyes of the offended party, and to magnify it in the eyes of the offender. Thus, while Moses says to God: “Why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people?”, as though the sin committed by Israel were of little account, he says at the same time to the Israelites: “Ye have committed a very great sin.” Moses ceased not to pray to the Holy One, blessed be He, and even went so far as to offer his life for their salvation
of Israel, as it is written: “... And now, I beseech Thee, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.” It was in consequence of this prayer that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave the Israelites, as it is written: “And the Lord repented.” But Noah did not act thus; he prayed only for his own deliverance, and abandoned the cause of all the world. Thus, whenever the rigour of heavenly justice strikes the world, the Holy Spirit makes this cry resound: “Woe unto the world when there is no longer found a man like Moses to intercede in its favour!”, as it is written: “Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people. Where is He that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is He that put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them?” These words apply to Moses; for it was he who saved the Israelites from the sea, as it is written: “... And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward”; for it was through Moses’ prayer that God saved the Israelites from the sea, and it is for this reason that Scripture ascribes this deed to him, as it is written: “Where is He that brought them up out of the sea?” The following words: “Where is He that put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them?” also designate Moses, who brought the Shekhinah into the midst of Israel. Lastly, the following words: “Who led them through the depths?” also apply to Moses; for it was through his prayers that the waters of the sea stood still, as though they had been frozen, so as to allow the Israelites to pass through. It is because of Moses’ constant care for the Israelites that they are called “the people of Moses.” Rabbi Yehouda said: Although Noah was a worthy man, he did not deserve that the Holy One, blessed be He, remit the sins of all the world on account of his piety. Observe that Moses never pleaded his own merit; he always invoked that of the patriarchs; whereas Noah, who lived before the patriarchs, did not have this advantage of Moses. Rabbi Isaac said: Despite the fact that Noah lacked the advantage of pleading the merit of the patriarchs, he ought nevertheless to have prayed for his contemporaries when God said unto him: “I will establish My covenant with thee”; and as for the sacrifice he offered in thanksgiving upon leaving the Ark, he ought to have offered it before the cataclysm, to appease God’s wrath, which was kindled against the world. Rabbi Yehouda, defending Noah, said: How could Noah offer a sacrifice, when his sinful contemporaries never ceased to provoke the Holy One, blessed be He, by their sins? In truth, Noah feared for his own life; he feared that he might be included in the punishment announced for his contemporaries, whose evil deeds he saw, by which they provoked the Holy One, blessed be He, every day. Rabbi Isaac further said: Whenever the wicked prevail in this world, the righteous man who lives among them atones first, as it is written: “... And begin at My sanctuary.” Now, we know by tradition that this word should not be pronounced “mimiqdaschi” (at My sanctuary), but rather “mimqodschi” (at those who sanctify Me). But how came it to pass that Noah did not atone for the sins of so many wicked men among whom he lived? It was because he was destined to repopulate the world, because he was a perfect righteous man. He was also spared punishment for the reason that he exhorted his contemporaries every day; but they would not listen to him. It is therefore to Noah that the words of Scripture apply: “... But thou, when thou warnest the righteous man, that he sin not, and that he fall not into sin, he shall live, because thou hast warned him; and thou shalt thus deliver thine own soul.” From this verse we infer that whoever warns sinners saves his own soul, even when the sinners will not listen to him; and in that case, the sinners themselves atone for their sins. To what extent is the exhortation of the sinner incumbent upon the righteous man? Until the sinners forbid him to exhort them; this point has been determined by the colleagues.
Rabbi Yossé, who was wont to frequent Rabbi Siméon, asked him one day: For what reason did the Holy One, blessed be He, cause all the animals in the fields and all the birds beneath the heavens to perish? If man had sinned, could the animals and the birds be held responsible for it? Rabbi Siméon answered him: If God exterminated all the animals and all the birds, it was because of the words of Scripture: “… For all flesh upon the earth was corrupt.” These words also indicate the corruption of the animals; for the animals too led a dissolute life at that time, inasmuch as each animal scorned the female of its own kind and coupled with a female of another kind. Mark that the corruption of the men of that generation had been the efficient cause of the corruption of all the other animals of creation; the guilty men of that generation, by practising the crime of onanism, intended thereby to weaken the work of creation. To this insolence the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “You would weaken the work of My hands; I shall do your will and exterminate from off the earth all the creatures that I have made”; I shall transform the world into water, as it was at the beginning of creation; and, after erasing the whole work of creation, I shall begin it anew, peopling the world with other creatures better than those that exist now.
It is written: “Noah entered the ark, and with him his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, to take shelter from the waters of the Flood.” Rabbi Hiyâ began one of his discourses in the following manner: Scripture says: “Can a man hide himself in a secret place so that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.” How foolish and blind men are, not to meditate upon the glory of their Master, of Whom Scripture says: “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” And men are foolish enough to hide their evil deeds, saying: Who shall see us? Who shall know? even as it is written: “Woe unto you that withdraw into the depth of your hearts, to hide from God the secret of your counsels, and that do your works in darkness.” Where can one hide from God? The following parable may be applied to these foolish men: A king, having caused a palace to be built, ordered secret chambers to be made in its cellars. One day, when the servants of the court had rebelled against the king, he had the palace guard pursue them; then, to escape punishment, the rebels went and hid themselves in the secret chambers made in the cellars of the palace. But the king cried out: It is I myself who had these secret chambers made, and do you think you can hide yourselves there from me! Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: “Can a man hide himself in a secret place so that I shall not see him? saith the Lord.” God says to the sinners who think they can conceal their evil deeds: It is I who had the secret places made; it is I who created light and darkness: and do you think you can hide yourselves from Me! Mark that when a man, after sinning before his Master, strives to keep his misdeeds secret, God punishes him by making his crimes public; but if, after sinning, a man repents, the Holy One, blessed be He, hides him so that he may be unseen “in the day of the wrath of God.” For it is certain that a man must not be seen by the destroying angel when he ravages the world, since he is authorized to harm all those who come within his sight. That is why Rabbi Siméon said: Any man who has an evil eye, that is, who is envious, is possessed by the destroying spirit; such a man is called “the destroyer of the world”; and it is fitting to hide oneself from such a man and never to approach him, lest one be harmed; one is forbidden to expose oneself to the sight of such a man. Now, since one must hide oneself from a man who has an evil eye, all the more must one do so in the case of the angel of death. That is why Scripture said, speaking of Balaam’s ass: “Thus saith the man whose eye is closed.” Balaam had an evil eye, and he drew the destroying spirit upon all things.
upon whom he cast his gaze; this is why he strove to look upon Israel, for he knew that all things are destroyed when he casts his gaze upon them. Observe that Scripture says: “And Balaam lifted up his eyes.” Scripture does not say “enav” (his eyes), but “eno” (his eye), because Balaam had opened only one eye, while keeping the other shut, so that he might look upon Israel with his evil eye. Observe that Scripture says: “And he saw Israel dwelling in their tents, tribe by tribe.” Balaam saw the Shekhinah hovering above the twelve tribes, so as to render his gaze harmless. Balaam then said: How could I attack this people, when the Holy Spirit hovers above them and covers them with His wings! This is why Scripture says: “He coucheth as a lion and as a lioness: who shall rouse him up?” By the word “lion,” Balaam means the Shekhinah; and by the words “who shall rouse him up?” (mi yeqimenou), Balaam meant: who could remove the Shekhinah from above the Israelites, so that I might attack them with my gaze? This is why the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to cover Noah and conceal him from the sight of the impure spirit, so that it could not attach itself to him and harm him, as we have just said. The words of Scripture, “And Noah entered the ark,” therefore have the meaning we have just given them: he entered the ark to conceal himself from the sight of the destroying angel. Scripture adds: “...To shelter himself from the waters of the Flood.” These words mean that Noah was driven into the ark by the waters. Rabbi Yossé said: Noah had seen the angel of death coming; and this is why he entered the ark and hid there for twelve months. Why twelve months? Rabbi Isaac and Rabbi Yehouda disagree on this point: according to one, the term of twelve months was fixed because this is the duration of the punishment of the guilty; according to the other, Noah had to remain twelve months in order to traverse the twelve degrees that must be ascended to become a perfect righteous man. Rabbi Yehouda said: The guilty are punished for six months by water and for six other months by fire. Now, since the punishment of the Flood took place exclusively by water, why was a duration of twelve months necessary?
Rabbi Yossé said: The punishment of the guilty in Hell is by water and by fire. By the punishment of water are meant the waters that fall from above upon the guilty and are cold as ice; by the punishment of fire are meant the waters that rise from below to the guilty in Hell and are burning like fire. This is what is meant by the words of the tradition: “The guilty are punished in Hell by water and by fire,” which means: by the cold waters that come upon them from above and by the boiling water that comes to them from below. Thus, the punishment of the guilty in Hell, whose duration is twelve months, is inflicted solely by water, whether cold or boiling. Therefore Noah also had to remain hidden in the ark for twelve months, so as not to be seen by the destroying angel; thus the latter could not approach him when the ark floated above the water, as it is written: “And the waters increased, and lifted up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth.” The actual punishment lasted only forty days, as it is written: “And the Flood was upon the earth forty days,” whereas the rest of the year served to make the guilty disappear, as it is written: “And they were blotted out from off the earth.” Woe unto those guilty ones who shall never rise again to appear at the time of the Last Judgment! Therefore Scripture uses the word “va-yimahu” (and they were blotted out), just as Scripture says: “Thou hast blotted out their names for ever.” These words refer to the guilty who shall not rise again even to be judged at the time of the Last Judgment.
It is written: “And the waters increased and lifted the ark up above the earth.” Rabbi Abba began one of his discourses in the following manner: Scripture says: “O Elohim! Be Thou exalted above the heavens; and let Thy glory shine forth over all the earth.” Woe to the guilty, who sin, anger their Master every day, and drive the Shekhinah from the earth by their crimes, compelling Her to leave this lower world! The Shekhinah is called Elohim; and it is of Her that Scripture says: “O Elohim! Be Thou exalted abo-
above the heavens.” Mark the words of Scripture: “They lifted the ark up on high.” This means that the evil deeds of the guilty drove away the Shekhinah, of which the ark was the symbol. And Scripture adds: “Above the earth,” which means that the Shekhinah left the earth. And when the Shekhinah had left this world, it remained without a defender; therefore the rigour of justice prevailed in the world. But after the guilty had been destroyed and blotted out from the face of the earth, the Shekhinah returned to this lower world. Rabbi Yessa asked: If this be so, why did the Shekhinah not return to the land of Israel after the dispersion of the guilty Jews? Rabbi Abba answered him: Because no righteous men remained there. Wherever they go, the Shekhinah follows them and makes Her abode among them. If the Shekhinah does not leave them even when they dwell in a foreign land, how much more would She not have left the holy land had they remained there. Among all the sins by which the guilty drive the Shekhinah away from this world, self-abuse is the gravest, as we have already said; therefore, he who is guilty of this crime shall never behold the face of the Shekhinah, nor shall he ever enter the celestial palace; wherefore Scripture says of these guilty ones: “And they were blotted out from the face of the earth.” They were indeed utterly blotted out.
Observe that, at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, shall resurrect the dead, He shall form their bodies anew as they were during life; and He shall do this even for men buried outside Palestine, in foreign lands; for every man is endowed with an imperishable bone upon the earth; and it is by means of this bone that the body shall be formed anew at the hour of the resurrection; this bone shall be to the resurrected body what leaven is to dough; for it is by means of it that the Holy One, blessed be He, shall reconstitute the entire body. But the Holy One, blessed be He, shall give souls to the resurrected bodies only in the land of Israel, as it is written: “Prophesy therefore, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord God: O My people, I will open your graves; I will bring you up out of your sepulchres, and bring you into the land of Israel.” For, once reconstituted, the bodies shall roll beneath the earth as far as Palestine; and only there shall they receive souls, as Scripture adds: “And I will put My spirit in you, and ye shall live again.” Thus shall all men receive souls in the land of Israel, except those who have defiled themselves and defiled the earth by the sin of self-abuse, for of sinners of this kind Scripture saith: “And they were blotted out from off the earth.” By the word “earth,” Scripture would have us understand that these transgressors shall be utterly blotted out from the earth, and that the bone serving to reconstitute the body shall likewise be blotted out. Although the ancients were not in agreement on this matter, and their opinions differed as to the interpretation of the word “va-imahou” (and they were blotted out), it is certain that by this word Scripture indicates that the transgressors were blotted out of the book of life, which means that they shall never be resurrected, as it is written: “Let them be blotted out of the book of life.” Rabbi Simeon said unto Rabbi Abba: It is certain that the transgressors of the generation of the Flood shall have no share in the life to come, as it is written: “And they were blotted out from off the earth.” Now the word “earth” denotes the life to come, just as in the verse: “They shall possess the earth for ever.” Yet they shall nevertheless be resurrected to appear before the judgment of God; and it is of them that Scripture saith: “And the whole multitude of those who sleep beneath the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, others to everlasting reproach and punishment.” The difference of opinion concerns only whether the transgressors shall be resurrected to be judged, or whether they shall not be resurrected even for that instant; but in all else the colleagues agree upon what we have just said.
It is written: “And all that stood (ieqoum) upon the earth was blotted out.” Rabbi Abba said: The word “eth” includes in the catastrophe also the celestial chiefs appointed to rule the earth; it is the extermination of these chiefs that Scripture expresses in the words: “All that stood (ieqoum) upon the earth
was effaced. For when the Holy One, blessed be He, desires to chastise the world, He begins by chastising first the heavenly chiefs appointed to watch over men; and only afterwards does He chastise those who are placed beneath their wings, as it is written: “At that time, the Lord will punish the hosts of heaven above and the kings of this world upon the earth.” Thus, the heavenly chiefs are chastised first, and the people below afterwards. How can the celestial angels be destroyed? They are destroyed by the river of fire, as it is written: “… For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” God is a fire that consumes fire. Thus, the celestial angels, who are the chiefs of men, are destroyed by the heavenly fire, while those subordinate to them—that is, men—are destroyed by water. Therefore Scripture says first: “… And all that stood upon the earth was effaced.” Only afterwards does it add: “… From man unto beasts, both the creeping things and the fowls of the air, all perished from off the earth.” These latter words refer to the destruction of the beings below. Scripture adds: “Only Noah remained, and they that were with him in the ark.” The word “only” (akh) indicates a restriction. What, then, does Scripture intend to restrict here? Scripture would teach us that, throughout the whole world, there were no other beings at that time apart from Noah and those who were with him in the ark. Rabbi Yossé said: The restriction in Scripture indicates that even Noah, who escaped the cataclysm, did not emerge from it entirely unharmed; for he had become lame as a result of a lion’s bite, as has been said.