ספר בראשית - פרשת נח - ט:ח-יז - חמישי

So Hashem says to Noach and to his sons with him, saying. The verse opens with Hashem addressing Noach and his sons, but the way it is phrased, it seems like something is missing. It starts with 'and', as if it is a continuation, but there is no clear statement before it. This leads to the question: what is the connection, and what is being continued here? The following pesukim will clarify what Hashem is about to say to Noach and his sons.

"And I, behold, I am establishing my covenant with you and with your descendants after you." The verse says, 'Va'ani hineni meikim es brisi itchem,' which means, 'And I, behold, I am setting up my covenant with you.' The question is, how does this come in all of a sudden? There is nothing before it that it is clearly continuing from. The use of 'va'ani'—'and I'—seems abrupt. The explanation is that Hashem is responding to Noach's concern. Noach was worried about being fruitful and multiplying, about having children, until Hashem promised him that He would not destroy the world again. Noach did not want to have more children until Hashem gave him this assurance. Now, Hashem is not just promising, but making a formal covenant, a bris, to strengthen and confirm His promise. This bris is not only with Noach and his children, but also with all the living creatures that are with them. The covenant is being established as a permanent, strong commitment, not just a verbal promise.

Rashi explains the words 'Va'ani hineni'—'And I, behold'—as meaning, 'I agree with you.' Noach was worried about engaging in being fruitful and multiplying until Hashem promised him that He would not destroy the world again. So Hashem did as He promised. And finally, Hashem said to him, 'I agree to make a confirmation and strengthening of the covenant for my promise, and I will give you a sign.' In other words, Hashem is not just making a promise, but is now making a formal, established bris, and giving a sign for it.

"And with every living soul that is with you, among the birds, among the animals, and among all the wild animals of the earth with you, from all that go out of the teivah, to all the wild animals of the earth." The verse here distinguishes between different types of animals. There are the wild animals that go with people—'chayes ha'aretz itchem'—and there are other wild animals. The verse separates between those that are with you and those that are not. It also mentions 'ofden' (birds), 'beheima' (domesticated animals), and 'chaya' (wild animals), each of which needs to be looked at to understand why the verse lists them separately. The verse also says 'mikol yotzei hateivah'—from all that go out of the teivah—which comes to include even the 'shekatzim' and 'remashim', the abominable and creeping creatures, all that went out of the ark. In previous pesukim, the Torah spoke specifically about who should go out of the teivah, mentioning the 'remes', the creeping things, but here it is included in the general term 'mikol yotzei hateivah'.

Rashi explains the phrase 'chayas ha'aretz itchem'—the wild animals of the land that are with you—as referring to those wild animals that go along with people. These are the animals that are accustomed to being with humans, as opposed to the truly wild animals that do not accompany people.

The phrase 'mikol yotzei hateivah'—from all that go out of the teivah—comes to include the 'shekatzim' and 'remashim', the abominable and creeping creatures. Even these are included in the covenant, not just the larger animals and birds.

'Lechol chayas ha'aretz'—to all the wild animals of the land—comes to include the 'mazikin', those that do damage, that are not included in the category of 'the wild animals that are with you', because they do not go along with people. The 'mazikin' here refers to wild animals that are dangerous and do not accompany humans. There is a question whether 'mazikin' could also mean spiritual demons, but in the plain meaning, it refers to harmful wild animals that are not part of the group that is with people.

"And I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh will not be cut off again by the waters of the flood, and there will not again be a flood to destroy the earth." The verse says, 'vahakimosi es brisi itchem'—I will establish my covenant with you. The word 'hakimosi' means to make a confirmation, a strengthening, of the covenant. Hashem is not just setting up the bris, but making it stand, giving it permanence. The confirmation of the covenant is the sign that Hashem will give—the rainbow, as the following verses will explain. The promise is that there will never again be a flood to destroy all flesh and the world.

On the words VeHakimosi – “And I will establish,” Rashi explains that this means, "I will make a confirmation for my covenant." What is this confirmation? It is the rainbow, as the verse continues to explain. So, the establishment of the covenant is not just the promise itself, but Hashem is giving a sign, a kiyum, a confirmation, to the covenant, and that is the rainbow that Hashem places in the cloud, as the following verses describe.

Verse 12: "And G-d said, this is the sign of the covenant that I am giving between Me and you and every living soul that is with you, for eternal generations." This verse is introducing the sign of the covenant, which is the rainbow that Hashem is going to place in the clouds. The covenant is not just with Noach and his descendants, but also with all living souls that are with him. The verse uses the phrase leDorot olam – for eternal generations – meaning this sign is for all generations to come. The verse is also careful in its wording, specifying that the covenant is with all living creatures, not just people, and this is reflected in the language of the verse. Rashi will comment on the word leDorot being written in a deficient form, which has significance about which generations the sign applies to.

On the words leDorot olam – "for eternal generations" – Rashi notes that the word leDorot is written without a Vav after the Reish, making it a deficient spelling. This teaches that there were generations that did not require the sign of the rainbow, because they were completely righteous. For example, the generation of Chizkiyahu, King of Yehudah, and the generation of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai. In those generations, the sign was not needed, because the people were all tzadikim gemurim – completely righteous. The rainbow was not visible in those times, as there was no need for a sign that Hashem would not destroy the world, since their merit protected them.

Verse 13: "My rainbow I have placed in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth." Here, Hashem is saying that the rainbow is the sign of the covenant. The rainbow is placed in the cloud as a reminder of the promise that Hashem will not bring another flood to destroy the world. The verse emphasizes that this is a sign between Hashem and the earth, not just with people, but with all of creation.

Verse 14: "And it will be, when I cloud the cloud over the earth, and the rainbow will be seen in the cloud." Rashi explains that be'anani anan – "when I cloud the cloud" – does not just mean a physical cloud, but also refers to a spiritual idea: when it arises in Hashem's thought to bring darkness and destruction to the world, that is called be'anani anan. At that time, the rainbow will appear in the cloud as a sign and a reminder of the covenant.

On the words be'anani anan – "when I cloud the cloud" – Rashi explains that this means, when it arises in My thought to bring darkness and destruction to the world. So, the appearance of the rainbow is not just a physical phenomenon, but a spiritual sign that comes when there is a possibility of judgment and destruction, and the rainbow serves as a reminder of the covenant not to destroy the world again by flood.

Verse 15: "And I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living soul among all flesh, and the waters will never again become a flood to destroy all flesh." This verse is saying that when the rainbow appears, Hashem will remember His covenant with all living beings, and there will not be another flood to destroy the world. The verse repeats the idea that the covenant is not just with people, but with all living creatures, and that the rainbow is a sign that Hashem will keep His promise never to bring a flood again.

Verse 16: "And the rainbow will be in the cloud, and I will see it, to remember the everlasting covenant between G-d and every living soul among all flesh that is on the earth." The verse emphasizes that the rainbow is a sign for Hashem to remember the eternal covenant. The wording is "between G-d and every living soul among all flesh that is on the earth." Rashi comments on the phrase bein Elokim uvein kol nefesh chaya – "between G-d and every living soul" – that it means between the measure of judgment above and the living souls below. The verse could have said "between Me and you," but instead it says "between G-d," as if in the third person, to indicate that when the measure of judgment comes to accuse, the sign of the rainbow will appear and Hashem will remember the covenant and withhold destruction. The verse is teaching that the rainbow is a sign not just for people, but also in the heavenly court, as a reminder to withhold judgment and remember the covenant with all living beings.

Rashi explains the phrase "bein Elokim uvein kol nefesh chaya" — "between G-d and every living soul" — as follows: The words "bein Elokim" here do not simply mean "between G-d" in the usual sense. Rather, Rashi says it means "between the measure of judgment above and between you." In other words, the Torah could have written "between Me and every living soul," but instead it says "between Elokim," which is the name associated with the attribute of judgment, and "between every living soul." This is a drasha: when the attribute of judgment comes to prosecute or to accuse you, to make you guilty, then I (Hashem) will see the sign — the rainbow — and I will remember the covenant and not bring destruction. So, the phrase is teaching that the rainbow serves as a sign to hold back the attribute of strict judgment when it comes to accuse the world.

Verse 17 reads: "And G-d said to Noach, 'This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth.'" This verse is the conclusion of the section about the rainbow as a sign of the covenant. Hashem tells Noach that the rainbow is the sign — the 'os' — of the bris, the covenant, that He has established between Himself and all living beings on the earth. This is the confirmation and the final statement that the rainbow is the sign of the promise that there will never again be a flood to destroy all flesh.

Rashi explains: "Zos os habris" — "this is the sign of the covenant" — means that Hashem showed Noach the rainbow and said to him, "Here is the sign that I spoke about." In other words, Hashem actually pointed out the rainbow to Noach and told him, this is the 'os', the sign, that I promised as a confirmation of the covenant.