Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 7/אבן עזרא על בראשית ז׳

אכי לימים עוד שבעה. כי ביום השביעי ימטיר עד סוף ארבעים יום, הנה זה היה בעשור לחדש השני ובסוף המ"ם יום מהתחלה ישוב האמצעי אל הנכח והוא סוד,

1FOR YET SEVEN DAYS. On the seventh day the rain will fall without letup for forty days. The Lord told this to Noah on the tenth day of the second month.¹ At the end of the forty days from the start of the flood the sun returned to its proper place vis-a-vis the moon.² The latter is a secret.³

בומלת היקום, לא מצאנוה כי אם בפרשה הזאת ושרשו מהפעלים שהפ"א שלהם איננו שלם על משקל כרוב וי"א שהוא מהפעלים נחי העין והוא הפוך "כמו ריבה ד' את יריבי" (תהלים לה א) ומלת יקום כלל לכל חי שהוא על האדמה:

2[LIVING SUBSTANCE.] The word yekum (living substance) is found in the Bible only in our chapter.⁴ It is a peh, yod and follows the paradigm of the word keruv (cherub).⁵, and like the word keruv it is vocalized with a sheva beneath the first letter and a shuruk following the second letter. Others say that yekum is an inverted ayin, vav.⁶. The vav becomes a yod and the yod is placed before the kof. Thus kof, vav, mem equals yod, kof, mem. Hence the ayin vav becomes a peh yod (Weiser). It is like the word yerivai in Strive (riv) O Lord, with them that strive with me (yerivai) (Ps. 35:1).⁷. The root of yervai appears to be yod, resh, bet. However, it is resh, vav, bet transformed into a peh yod. Living substance is a general term for every living thing that is upon the face of the earth.

אויעש נח, כאשר צוה ובא עם ביתו קרוב אל התיבה:

1AND NOAH DID. As he was commanded. He and his family came to the vicinity of the ark.

אמפני מי המבול. מפני פחד מי המבול והנה באותם השבעה ימים באו מעצמם מן הבהמה הטהורה רבות וכן מהעוף הטהור ומהאחרים וכל רמש, זכר ונקבה באו:

1BECAUSE OF THE WATERS OF THE FLOOD. Because of fear of the waters of the flood. In these seven days many of the clean animals and fowl came of their own volition to the vicinity of the ark. From the others and from everything that creeps, a pair consisting of a male and female of each kind came to the ark.

אנבקעו כל מעינות תהום רבה. מעינות סמוך "באין מעינות" (משלי ח, כד) מוכרת:

1WERE ALL THE FOUNTAINS OF THE GREAT DEEP BROKEN UP. Mayenot (fountains of) is in the construct. In When there were no fountains (mayanot) (Prov. 8:24), mayanot is in the absolute.⁸ in our verse has a sheva beneath the yod. Mayanot in Prov. 8:24 has a kamatz beneath the yod.

בתהום. לשון זכר ונקבה וכן תהום רוממתהו (יחז' לא ד), ולא הזכיר הנחלים כי מהמעינות יצאו, וכאשר נבקעו עלו המים, ונפתהו חלונות האוצרות בשמים, וירדו המים ונתבלבלה הארץ, ואין מבדיל בין יום ובין לילה והעד שאמר "יום ולילה לא ישבותו" (בראשית ח כב) וכאשר נפסקו מימי השמים אז ידע נח כי עברו ארבעים יום וארבעים לילה כי השם גילה לו זה הסוד:

2DEEP. The word tehom (deep) may be either masculine or feminine.⁹ in our verse is in the feminine (tehom rabbah). Elsewhere (Habakkuk 3:10) natan tehom kolo is in the masculine, hence I.E.’s comment. Similarly tehom in The deep (tehom) made it grow (Ezek. 31:4), is in the feminine. The Bible does not mention the streams because their waters come from the fountains. When the fountains of the deep broke up, their waters gushed upward and the windows of the heavenly storehouse of water were opened and their contents poured down upon the earth. The earth was confounded; there was no way of telling day from night. Proof of the latter is God’s promise to Noah after the flood that and day and night shall not cease (Gen. 8:22). When the rain ceased falling from the heavens, Noah knew that forty days and forty nights had passed, for God revealed to him this secret.¹⁰

גוארבות. כמו "הנה ד' עושה ארבות" (מ"ב, ז, ב) והאוצר והחלון כלשון בני אדם ומשפטם ויש אומר שהאל"ף שרש כמו כבודות וי"א שהאל"ף נוסף כמו אלף "אגורת" (ש"א ב לו) והם מפעלי הכפל, וביום י"ז שהחל המבול נכנס נח וביתו בתיבה והכניס בתוכה החיה והבהמה והרמש והעוף ומלת צפור. שם כלל לאשר יש לו כנף והפלא שבאו כולם מעצמם שנים שנים:

3AND THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN. The word arubbot (windows) has the same meaning as arubbot (window) in Behold, if the Lord should make windows (arubbot) in heaven (II Kings 7:2). The term window or storehouse (Deut. 28:12) when referring to heaven is in keeping with human language and practice.¹¹ Some say that the alef of arubbot (windows) is a root letter¹². and that arubbot is similar to kevudot (riches).¹³, in our case a chataf pattach because of the alef, and the second with a shuruk or a kubbutz. Others say that the alef of arubbot is not a root letter. It is similar to the alef in agorat (piece of) (I Sam. 2:36).¹⁴ (a piece) comes from the root gimel, resh, resh. The alef is added to the root. Similarly arubbot (windows) comes from the root resh, bet, bet. Both arubbot and agorat come from roots whose last two letters are the same.¹⁵ On the seventeenth day of the second month, the day the flood started, Noah and his family entered the ark. At that time Noah brought into the ark the animals, cattle and the creeping things and fowl. Bird is a general term for a winged creature.¹⁶), all wings (kol kanaf). I.E. notes that kol kanaf explains kol tzippor; i.e., a tzippor is a being with a kanaf (Weiser). The great miracle was that they all came two by two of their own volition.

אוהבאים זכר ונקבה, טעמו הבאים בתיבה

1AND THEY THAT WENT IN, WENT IN MALE AND FEMALE. The meaning of And they that went in is: and they that went into the ark.

בוטעם ויסגור ד' בעדו, הוא לשבח שהסגירה בעת הזאת טובה יותר מהפתיחה, ובעת אחרת לגנאי, "יסגור על איש" (איוב יב יד) "ויסך אלוה בעדו" (שם ג, כב) והעד ראש הפסוק, והנה סגר הפתח, והשם עזרו שלא נפתח בתיבה מקום, כי מיד הי' כולם מתים, וכבר נכתב ויהי הגשם על הארץ ארבעים יום וארבעים לילה, אם כן מה טעם ויהי המבול על הארץ ארבעים יום, וכן פירושו כאשר היה המבול ארבעים יום על הארץ רבו המים ונשאו התיבה וגבהה מעל הארץ וזה אות כי עד ארבעים יום לא זזה ממקומה:

2[AND THE LORD SHUT HIM IN.] The term shut him in in our verse has a positive connotation. It has to be so interpreted because being shut in at that time was preferable to not being shut in. However, elsewhere it has a negative implication. Thus we read, He shutteth up a man (Job 12:14), and And whom God hath hedged in (Job 3:23). That it has a negative connotation is obvious from the first half of the verse.¹⁷; similarly Job 12:14 opens with Behold, He breaketh down. Noah closed the door of the ark and God helped him in that no part of the ark cracked open, for had any part opened, then all would have immediately died. Why state, and the flood was forty days upon the earth (v. 17), after having said, And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights (v. 12)? The way to read the verse (v. 17) is as follows: After the flood was forty days upon the earth, the waters increased and bore up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth.¹⁸ This verse shows that for the first forty days the ark did not move.

אמאד מאד. פעמים שאין לרוב ממנו וכן אחר שאמר ויכסו כל ההרים הגבוהים, למה אמר ויכסו ההרים, וכן פירושו, כל הר גבוה כסה במים, וחמש עשרה אמה כסו ההרים הנזכרים, ואנחנו נאמין בדברי אלהינו, ונעזוב הבלי בני האדם שיאמרו על הר גבוה שהוא במלכות יון

1EXCEEDINGLY. The word me’od (exceedingly) is repeated in the text in order to stress that the waters prevailed to their maximum potential. Why state, and the mountains were covered (v. 20), after having said, and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered (v. 19)? Its meaning is: All the high mountains were covered with water (v. 19), and these mountains were covered by fifteen cubits of water (v. 20).¹⁹ There are those who maintain that there is a very tall mountain in Greece that the waters did not cover.²⁰ However, we believe the words of our God and we put aside the foolish nonsense of man.

אופי' ויגוע וכבר גוע ורבים בתורה כמוהו כמו ואתחנן (דבר' ג כג) וכן "וימטר עליהם מן" (תהלים עח כד) על פי' האמת

1[AND ALL FLESH PERISHED.] The meaning of And all flesh perished is: and all flesh had perished.²¹ There are many such instances in Scripture, such as And I besought the Lord (Deut. 3:23), and the true meaning of And He caused manna to rain upon them for food (Ps. 78:24).²² (and he caused to rain) does not appear to be a pluperfect, it is, (and he had caused to rain). Similarly va-etchannan is to be read: and I had besought it.

בומלת ויגוע מיתה ובפסוק "ויגוע וימת" (בראשית כה ה) אבאר לך זה, והנה ברור לך שמלת רמש כלל לעוף ולבהמה ולחיה ולשרץ שהוא דק ולאדם ויתכן להיות כל אשר נשמת רוח חיים באפיו שב אל האדם כי לא מצאנו נשמה הוץ מנשמת האדם ורבים אמרו שנקראת כן בעבור שהיא מן השמים, ואם הם שני שרשים ימצא כמוהו:

2[PERISHED.] Va-yigva (perished) means died. I will explain the exact meaning of this term when I comment on And Abraham expired (va-yigva), and died (Gen. 25:8). It is clear²³ is a general term. The verse then goes on to enumerate exactly what ha-romes includes. that remes (creeping thing) is a general term that includes fowl, cattle, animals, small thin swarming things and man. It is possible that all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life (v. 22) refers to every man (v. 21),²⁴, i.e., those who had a neshamat ru’ach chayyim. According to Cherez, this interpretation postulates that remes does not include man. as we do not find the expression neshamah (breath)²⁵ is the term for soul. used in reference to any creature except man. Many say that the soul is termed neshamah because it comes from the heaven (shamayim). The fact that shamayim and neshamah have differing roots does not refute the latter interpretation because there are other similar instances.²⁶ comes from the root nun, shin, mem. Shamayim comes from the root shin, mem, mem (Weiser).

אוימחו מן הארץ., נמחה שמם מן הארץ, כי אין להם זרע: וישאר. ונשאר רק נח לבדו ואשר אתו והנה זאת תשובה גמורה על חסירי דעת מאחינו שאומרים שלא היה המבול בכל הארץ:

1AND THEY WERE BLOTTED OUT. Their names were erased from the earth because they left no descendants. [AND NOAH ONLY WAS LEFT.] Only Noah and those with him were left. This verse proves how wrong are some of our ignorant brethren who maintain that the flood did not cover the entire earth.²⁷ 113b; Bereshit Rabbah 33:9. However, Weiser doubts that I.E. would express himself so strongly against the Rabbinic sages. Others say that I.E. directed his barb against those who take the Rabbinic statement literally.

אויגברו המים חמשים ומאת יום בעבור שנבקעו המעינות גם היה גשם יורד יום אחד, ופוסק יום אחד, כי פי' "אנכי ממטיר" (בראשית ז ד) תמיד בלי הפסקה והעד שאמר ויכלא הגשם (בראשית ח ב):

1AND THE WATERS PREVAILED UPON THE EARTH A HUNDRED AND FIFTY DAYS. This was so because the fountains were broken up (v. 11) and it rained for a day and stopped for a day for, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights (v. 4) means it will rain for a period of forty days and forty nights without letup. That it did in fact also rain after the first forty days were over is evident from and the rain from heaven was restrained (Gen. 8:2).²⁸