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Ramban on Genesis 6:12/רמב"ן על בראשית ו׳:י״ב

אכִּי הִשְׁחִית כָּל בָּשָׂר אֶת דַּרְכּוֹ אִם נְפָרֵשׁ כָּל בָּשָׂר כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, וְנֹאמַר שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה וְעוֹף הִשְׁחִיתוּ דַּרְכָּם לְהִזָּקֵק לְשֶׁאֵינָן מִינָן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ו':י"ב), נֹאמַר "כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס מִפְּנֵיהֶם", לֹא מִפְּנֵי כֻּלָּם אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי מִקְצָתָם, וְסִפֵּר עֹנֶשׁ הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ. אוֹ שֶׁנֹּאמַר שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמְרוּ גַּם בָּזֶה תּוֹלַדְתָּם, וְהָיְתָה כָּל הַבְּהֵמָה טוֹרֶפֶת וְכָל הָעוֹף דּוֹרֵס, וְהִנֵּה גַּם הֵם עוֹשִׂים חָמָס. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט "כָּל בָּשָׂר" זֶה כָּל הָאָדָם, וּלְמַטָּה יְפָרֵשׁ "כָּל בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ רוּחַ חַיִּים" (בראשית ז':ט"ו) "וּמִכָּל הַחַי מִכָּל בָּשָׂר" (בראשית ו':י"ט), כָּל חַי בְּגוּף, אֲבָל בְּכָאן "כָּל בָּשָׂר" כָּל הָאָדָם, וְכֵן "יָבוֹא כָל בָּשָׂר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לְפָנַי" (ישעיהו סו כג) וְכֵן "בָשָׂר כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעֹרוֹ" (ויקרא יג כד):

1FOR ALL FLESH HAD CORRUPTED THEIR WAY. If we were to explain all flesh in its usual sense and thus say that even cattle, beasts and fowl corrupted their way by consorting with other species, as Rashi has explained, we must then say that the expression, for the earth is filled with violence through them,²⁵ does not mean “because of all of them” but only because of some of them [since “violence” does not apply to beasts and cattle], and Scripture tells of the punishment of man alone [even though all flesh corrupted their way]. Or we may say that the cattle, beasts, and fowl also did not follow their natural instincts, and all cattle seized prey and all fowl became birds of prey; thus they too committed violence.By way of the simple meaning of Scripture, all flesh means “all men.” Further on Scripture says explicitly: all flesh wherein is the breath of life;²⁶ and of every living thing of all flesh,²⁷, 6:19. meaning all living bodies. But here it says all flesh, meaning all people. Similarly [we find the verses]: All flesh shall come to worship before Me,²⁸ [meaning “all people”]; Or when the flesh hath in the skin thereof,²⁹ [where again reference is only to people].