ספר בראשית - פרשת נח - ח:טו-ט:ז - רביעי

Hashem spoke to Noach, saying—this is the introduction to the command that Hashem is about to give Noach after the flood, as He is about to instruct him and his family to leave the ark.

Hashem tells Noach: "Go out of the ark, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons' wives with you." The order here is significant. When Hashem originally told Noach to enter the ark, the Torah said, "you and your sons," and then "your wife and your sons' wives"—the men together, then the women. This was because, while in the ark, Hashem prohibited them from having intimate relations. Here, when Hashem tells them to leave, He says, "you and your wife, your sons and your sons' wives," pairing each man with his wife. This change in order indicates that now Hashem is permitting them to resume marital relations. The phrase "you and your wife"—"ish ve'ishto"—shows that the prohibition is now lifted, and they may be together as husband and wife.

Rashi explains that the words "ata ve'ishtecha"—"you and your wife"—mean "ish ve'ishto," a man and his wife. Here, Hashem permitted them to resume intimate relations, which had been forbidden while they were in the ark.

Hashem continues: "All the living things that are with you, of all flesh—among the birds, the animals, and all the creeping things that creep on the earth—take them out with you. Let them swarm on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." The Torah uses the word "hotzei" (take out), but it is written "hotzei" and read "haytzei"—with a difference in spelling and pronunciation. Rashi explains the difference below. The verse also says, "let them swarm on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth." This double language teaches that the animals, too, were prohibited from having intimate relations while in the ark. The Torah says "let them swarm on the earth"—not in the ark—implying that only now, upon leaving, are they permitted to reproduce. The duplication of "let them swarm" and "be fruitful and multiply" is also significant, as it emphasizes the resumption of natural order and reproduction after the flood.

Rashi explains the difference between the written and read forms of the word: it is written "hotzei" (with a vav) and read "haytzei" (with a yud). "Haytzei" means "say to them that they should go out." But if they do not want to leave on their own, "hotzei"—take them out yourself. So, the command is both to tell the animals to leave and, if necessary, to physically remove them from the ark.

Rashi comments on the phrase "v'shoretzu ba'aretz"—"and they shall swarm on the earth"—that it means "but not in the ark." This teaches us that even the animals and the birds were prohibited from having intimate relations while in the ark. The Torah's wording indicates that only after leaving the ark were they permitted to reproduce.

Noach went out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him. Here, even though Hashem had permitted them to resume marital relations, the Torah still lists Noach and his sons together, and then his wife and his sons' wives, as it did when they entered the ark. The verse does not switch the order to pair each man with his wife, as Hashem had said when commanding them to leave. Rashi does not comment on this, but it is noteworthy that the Torah returns to the earlier order. Perhaps this is simply the Torah's way of writing it, or perhaps it is to show that, although permission was given, the Torah only needed to reveal the permissibility once, and then returned to its usual style.

All the wild animals, all the creeping things, and all the birds, all that creeps on the earth, went out of the ark by their families. The verse here mentions "chaya" (wild animal), "remes" (creeping thing), and "oif" (bird), but does not mention "beheima" (domesticated animal) as it did in the previous verse. It also adds "l'mishpechoseihem"—"by their families." Rashi explains that this means they accepted upon themselves, as a condition for being saved and leaving the ark, that they would stick to their own species and not mix with other species. This is in contrast to before the flood, when, as Rashi explained earlier, even animals and birds were mixing with other species. Now, upon leaving, they committed to remain with their own kind.

Rashi explains that when the verse says, "to their families," it means that the animals accepted upon themselves, as a condition for being saved and leaving the ark, that they would only mate and remain with their own species. They would not mix with other species. This is as Rashi explained earlier, that before the flood, even animals and birds would sometimes mate with those not of their own kind, but now, after the flood, they accepted to remain only with their own species.

Noach built an altar to Hashem. He took from all of the clean animals and from all of the clean birds, and he brought them up as burnt offerings on the altar. The verse says, "from all the clean animals," and Rashi already explained earlier that when Hashem told Noach to bring in the clean animals, it was because in the future there would be a Torah for the Jews, and Noach already knew which animals were considered clean. Rashi also said earlier that the reason for bringing seven of each clean animal and bird was so that Noach could bring a korban, a sacrifice, from them when he left the ark. So here, Noach takes from those clean animals and birds and brings them as offerings to Hashem.

Rashi explains that Noach said, "Hashem did not command me to bring in seven pairs of these clean animals except for the purpose of offering a korban from them." In other words, the reason Hashem told Noach to bring extra clean animals was so that he would have animals to bring as sacrifices after the flood. This was Noach's own understanding; Hashem did not explicitly tell him this, but Noach figured it out from the command to bring extra clean animals.

Hashem smelled the pleasant aroma of the offerings, and He said to Himself, "I will no longer curse the ground because of man, for the inclination of man's heart is evil from his youth. I will not again smite all living things as I have done." The verse says that Hashem will not bring another destruction like the flood, because He recognizes that the yetzer hara, the evil inclination, is present in people from their youth. The verse repeats twice that Hashem will not curse or destroy the earth, which, as will be explained, is a form of an oath.

Rashi explains that the word "min'urov" (from his youth) is written without a vav, as "min'urav," and it means from the time a person is shaken to go out from his mother's womb. In other words, as soon as a person is born, the yetzer hara, the evil inclination, is already present within him. The word "min'urav" comes from "meninaer," to shake, meaning from the moment a person is shaken out of his mother's womb, he already has the yetzer hara.

The verse says twice that Hashem will not again curse or destroy the earth, and Rashi explains that this repetition is a form of an oath. This is what is written in Yeshayahu, "As I have sworn not to bring the waters of Noach again upon the earth." We do not find an explicit oath in the story of Noach, but the fact that Hashem repeats His words twice is itself considered an oath. The sages also expound this in tractate Shavuos (36a).

For as long as the earth exists, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease. Rashi explains that these are the six seasons of the year, and each one lasts for two months. The verse is promising that the natural order of the world will continue without interruption, unlike during the flood when the constellations and the regular cycles stopped functioning.

Rashi explains that these six times—seedtime, harvest, cold, heat, summer, and winter—each last for two months. As the sages taught: half of Tishrei, Marcheshvan, and half of Kislev is seedtime; half of Kislev, Teves, and half of Shevat is cold; and so on for the other seasons. Each period is two months, and the cycle continues throughout the year.

Rashi explains that koir (cold) is more severe than choiref (winter). In the breakdown of the seasons, koir is the coldest period, even colder than the general winter season. This is based on the division of the year into different segments, where koir is described as the harshest cold. The shiur elaborates that koir is half of Kislev and half of Shevat, and after that comes choiref, which is still cold but not as extreme as koir. So, koir is the peak of coldness, and choiref is a milder cold that follows.

Rashi explains that choiref (winter) is the time for sowing barley and legumes that ripen quickly. This period is defined as half of Shevat, all of Adar, and half of Nisan. The shiur details how the year is divided: choiref is specifically the time when these crops are planted because they mature faster in this season. So, choiref is not just a general winter, but a specific agricultural season for certain crops, spanning from the middle of Shevat through Adar and into the middle of Nisan.

Rashi explains that kotzir (harvest) is half of Nisan, all of Iyar, and half of Sivan. The shiur describes this as the time when the harvesting of crops takes place. After the sowing season of choiref, the next period is kotzir, which is when the produce is gathered from the fields. So, kotzir is the harvest season, specifically covering the latter half of Nisan, the entire month of Iyar, and the first half of Sivan.

Rashi explains that kayitz (summer) is half of Sivan, all of Tammuz, and half of Av. This is the time for gathering figs, and also when they are dried in the fields. The name kayitz comes from this process, as the verse in Shmuel II 16:2 says, “the bread and the kayitz to eat by the youths.” The shiur elaborates that kayitz refers to the season when figs are collected and dried, and that’s why it is called kayitz. It is a period of intense heat, and the term is connected to the agricultural activity of drying and collecting figs in the fields.

Rashi explains that chom (heat) is the end of the hot days of the year. It is half of Av, all of Elul, and half of Tishrei, when the world is at its hottest. The shiur brings the Gemara in Yoma 29a, which says, “the end of the summer is hotter than the summer itself.” So, chom is not just regular heat, but the peak and end of the hot season, which is even more intense than the earlier summer. This period is characterized by the greatest heat of the year, and it follows after kayitz.

Rashi explains on the words veyom velayla lo yishbosu (day and night shall not cease) that this implies that during the days of the Mabul (the flood), all these natural cycles had ceased. The constellations did not function, and it was impossible to distinguish between day and night. The shiur elaborates that during the Mabul, the regular order of the world was disrupted, and the heavenly bodies did not serve their usual roles. After the Mabul, Hashem promises that these cycles will never again stop functioning in their order.

The verse lo yishbosu means that all these cycles—seedtime, harvest, cold, heat, summer, winter, day and night—will never cease from functioning in their proper order. The shiur explains that Hashem promises that nature will continue to run as it should, and these seasons and cycles will not be interrupted again as they were during the Mabul. This is a guarantee that the world’s natural order will persist without interruption.

Hashem blessed Noach and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." This is understood as a blessing, because now humanity is starting over from Noach and his family, since everyone else was wiped out in the Mabul. They need this bracha of pru urevu—be fruitful and multiply—and fill the land. Later, in verse 7, the same phrase appears again, and Rashi will explain that the first time is a blessing, while the second is a commandment.

"And your fear and your dread will be upon all the animals of the land, and upon all the birds of the sky, and all that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hand." The word chitchem here means fear, and Rashi explains that it also means dread. The verse uses a double language: umorachem vechitchem. Rashi brings two explanations: one is that chitchem is like emoschem, fear, as in the verse in Iyov, "tiru chitas". The other is that chitchem is from the language of vitality, chayus. As long as a person is alive, even a newborn baby, you don't need to guard him from mice, but if a giant like Og Melech HaBashan dies, you need to guard him from mice. So, as long as a person is alive, his fear is upon the animals. The verse is saying that the fear and dread of humans will be upon all the animals, birds, crawling creatures, and fish—they are all given into the hands of mankind.

Rashi explains on the words vechitchem that it means emoschem, your fear, as in the verse in Iyov, "tiru chitas"—to see fear. The Midrashic explanation is that chitchem comes from the word chayus, vitality. As long as a baby is alive, even one day old, you don't need to guard him from mice, but if Og, king of Bashan, dies, you do need to guard him from mice. The verse says, "umorachem vechitchem yihyeh"—when is your fear on the animals? As long as you are alive. So, the animals fear humans only as long as the humans are alive.

"All the moving things that live shall be for you as food; like the green vegetation, I have given you everything." This means that Hashem is now permitting Noach and his descendants to eat meat. Before this, Adam HaRishon was only allowed to eat vegetation, but now Hashem says, just as I gave Adam HaRishon the green vegetation, I am now giving you everything, including living creatures, to eat. The laws of kosher animals did not yet apply for eating, only for sacrifices, so now all living things are permitted for food.

Rashi explains on the words lachem yihyeh le'ochla that Hashem did not permit Adam HaRishon to eat meat, only green vegetation. But to you, Hashem is saying, just as I permitted Adam HaRishon to eat any vegetation, now I am giving you everything, even living creatures, to eat.

"However, flesh with its soul, its blood, you shall not eat." This means that although meat is now permitted, there is an exception: you may not eat meat while it is still alive, or its blood while it is still alive. This is the prohibition of eating a limb from a living animal (ever min hachai), and also the blood from a living animal. As long as the soul is in it, you cannot eat its meat or its blood.

Rashi explains on the words basar benafsho that Hashem prohibited them from eating a limb from a living animal. As long as the soul is in it, you may not eat the meat. This is the prohibition of ever min hachai—a limb from a living animal.

Rashi further explains on the words benafsho damo that this means while its soul is in it—you may not eat it. This refers to the prohibition of eating the blood from a living animal (dam min hachai).

"Basar b'nafsho lo sochailu" means you shall not eat the flesh with its soul, which refers to the prohibition of eating a limb from a living animal—ever min hachai. The verse continues, "ve'af b'nafsho, damo lo sochailu"—and also, with its soul, you shall not eat its blood. This teaches the prohibition of eating the blood from a living animal—dam min hachai. So, both the limb and the blood from a living animal are forbidden to be eaten while the animal is still alive. The Torah is telling us that although after the Mabul, Hashem permitted mankind to eat meat, there is still a restriction: you cannot eat from a living animal, neither its flesh nor its blood while it is alive.

"Ve'ach es dimchem l'nafshoseichem edrosh"—However, your own blood, for your souls, I will demand. Even though Hashem permitted people to kill animals for food, He says that He will demand an accounting for human blood. "Mi'yad kol chaya edreshenu"—from the hand of every animal, I will demand it. This means that if an animal kills a person, Hashem will hold the animal accountable. "U'miyad ha'adam"—and from the hand of man, "miyad ish achiv edrosh es nefesh ha'adam"—from the hand of a man for his brother, I will demand the soul of man. This includes cases where a person kills another, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and even if there are no witnesses or the person does not seek atonement, Hashem will still demand an accounting for the spilled blood. The verse teaches that Hashem will require a reckoning for the loss of human life, whether it is by one's own hand (suicide), by an animal, or by another person, even in cases where human courts cannot intervene.

On the words "ve'ach es dimchem"—Rashi explains: Even though I have permitted you to take the life of an animal, I will still demand your blood from you. This means that if a person sheds his own blood (commits suicide), Hashem will require an accounting for that as well. The permission to take animal life for food does not extend to human life, and one is not permitted to take his own life.

On the word "l'nafshoseichem"—Rashi explains: This includes even one who strangles himself, even if no blood actually leaves his body. The prohibition and the accountability for taking one's own life applies even in cases where there is no visible bloodshed, such as strangulation or other forms of suicide that do not involve blood.

"Mi'yad kol chaya"—from the hand of every animal. Rashi explains that because the generation of the Flood sinned, they were given over to be food for wild animals, to be ruled over by them. As it says in Tehillim 49:13, "Nimshal k'beheimos nidmu"—they became like animals. Therefore, it was necessary for the Torah to warn the animals not to attack people. This verse teaches that after the Mabul, Hashem had to instruct the animals not to harm humans, since previously, due to the sins of that generation, people had lost their protection and were subject to being preyed upon by wild animals.

On the words "u'miyad ha'adam"—Rashi explains: This refers to a case where a person kills intentionally, but there are no witnesses. In such a case, Hashem says, "Ani edrosh"—I will demand an accounting. When there are no witnesses and the human court cannot punish the murderer, Hashem Himself will seek justice for the spilled blood.

"Mi'yad ish achiv edrosh"—from the hand of a man for his brother, I will demand. Rashi explains: This refers to a case where someone who loves another like a brother kills him unintentionally (b'shogeg). Even in such a case, Hashem will demand an accounting, unless the person goes into exile and seeks atonement for his sin, because even an accidental killer requires atonement. If there are no witnesses to obligate him to exile, and he does not humble himself and go on his own, Hashem will demand it from him. As our sages expound on the verse "vehaElokim inah leyado" (Hashem caused it to come to his hand), in Maseches Makkos (10b): Hashem arranges that the one who killed intentionally without witnesses and the one who killed unintentionally without witnesses both end up in the same inn. The one who killed intentionally sits under a ladder, the one who killed unintentionally climbs down and falls on him, killing him. In this way, the intentional murderer receives his punishment (death), and the unintentional killer is now subject to exile, since there are now witnesses to his act.

"Shofech dam ha'adam ba'adam damo yishofech"—One who spills the blood of a person, by man his blood shall be spilled. This means that when there are witnesses, the murderer is to be executed by the court. Rashi explains: If there are witnesses, you (the court) must kill him. Why? "Ki b'tzelem Elokim asah es ha'adam"—because in the image of Hashem, He made man. The previous verse, which says Hashem will demand an accounting from a person, refers to when there are no witnesses and the court cannot act, so Hashem will take care of it. But here, when there are witnesses, it is the responsibility of the court to execute justice. Rashi adds that this verse is "mikra chaseir"—the verse is missing a word, and it should also say "the one who made man," referring to Hashem. There are many verses like this in the Torah where a word is left out but understood from the context.

Rashi explains the words ba-adam damo yishofech — by man, his blood shall be spilled — as follows: if there are witnesses, then you (the court) should kill him. That is, when there are witnesses to the murder, the responsibility to carry out the death penalty falls on the people, not on Hashem. The verse says, "for in the image of Elikim, Hashem made man," and therefore, one who spills the blood of a person should have his own blood spilled by man, through Beis Din. This is in contrast to the previous verse, where it says Hashem will demand an account when there are no witnesses; but here, when there are witnesses, the court is obligated to execute the murderer.

The verse says, "for in the image of Elikim, He made man." Rashi comments that this is a mikra chaser, a verse that is missing a word. It should really say, "the one who made man in the image of Elikim," meaning Hashem. There are many places in the Torah where the verse is written in a shortened form, and this is one of them. The meaning is that Hashem, who made man in His image, is the one being referred to here, even though it is not spelled out explicitly in the verse.

The verse says, "And you, be fruitful and multiply, swarm in the land and multiply in it." This is a repetition of the command to be fruitful and multiply, which was already given earlier. The verse adds the language of "swarming" and "multiplying" in the land, emphasizing the importance of filling the earth with people after the destruction of the Mabul (Flood). The repetition is explained further in Rashi and in the next commentary.

Rashi explains on the words ve-atem pru u-revu — "and you, be fruitful and multiply" — that according to the simple meaning, the first time this command was given (earlier in the parsha) it was a blessing, and here it is a command, a mitzvah, an instruction to be fruitful and multiply. According to the Midrashic interpretation, this verse comes to equate one who does not occupy himself with being fruitful and multiplying to someone who spills blood. That is why this verse is placed next to the verse about murder, to teach how severe it is not to engage in having children — it is considered as if one is spilling blood.