אֵ֚לֶּה תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִֽתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ׃

This is the legacy of Noah, the story of his life in brief. Noah was a righteous, wholehearted man in his generations; in contrast to those surrounding him, Noah walked with God. Noah was connected to God, as he contemplated Him and lived with an awareness of the Divine. During this period, when mankind had not yet received God’s commandments, one’s relationship with God was not expressed in mandated actions. It is stated about Noah, as well as Hanokh before him and Abraham after him, that they walked with or before God (5:22, 17:1). This means that God was the subject of their lives, and they had a special relationship with Him.

וַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶת׃

Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Yefet.

וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃

After a brief description of Noah as a private individual, the focus returns to the history of the world and Noah’s important role in the unfolding events. The earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with villainy. The absence of law and order, described above in relation to men taking women as they chose (verse 2), was not limited to the sexual sphere. This corruption also found expression in the manner in which the powerful exerted control over the weak, as people began to steal and snatch property from one another without compunction. As a result, the very possibility of possession and ownership was eliminated.

וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ס)

God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupted, as all flesh corrupted its path upon the earth. People’s lives in the environment of the time were apparently quiet and comfortable, with abundant food and water. However, instead of being happy with their lot, the people exploited the abundance that was in easy reach by stealing from one another and refusing to recognize property laws and social conventions. Limits and boundaries did not exist for them.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֜ים לְנֹ֗חַ קֵ֤ץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

God said to Noah: The end of all flesh has come before Me. According to My reckoning, the end of all living creatures has arrived, as the earth is filled with villainy because of them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. I will destroy them together with the earth itself. However, you have been chosen to continue humanity.

עֲשֵׂ֤ה לְךָ֙ תֵּבַ֣ת עֲצֵי־גֹ֔פֶר קִנִּ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֶת־הַתֵּבָ֑ה וְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֛הּ מִבַּ֥יִת וּמִח֖וּץ בַּכֹּֽפֶר׃

Therefore, make for you an ark of the relatively light gopher wood; separate compartments shall you make the ark, and you shall coat it within and without with pitch, a kind of tar from which asphalt is produced. The tar will serve as a waterproofing substance.

וְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֹתָ֑הּ שְׁלֹ֧שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אַמָּ֗ה אֹ֚רֶךְ הַתֵּבָ֔ה חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים אַמָּה֙ רָחְבָּ֔הּ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה קוֹמָתָֽהּ׃

And this is how you shall make it: Three hundred cubits shall be the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height. This is a huge structure, of exceptional proportions even in comparison to structures built on land.

צֹ֣הַר ׀ תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַתֵּבָ֗ה וְאֶל־אַמָּה֙ תְּכַלֶ֣נָּה מִלְמַ֔עְלָה וּפֶ֥תַח הַתֵּבָ֖ה בְּצִדָּ֣הּ תָּשִׂ֑ים תַּחְתִּיִּ֛ם שְׁנִיִּ֥ם וּשְׁלִשִׁ֖ים תַּֽעֲשֶֽׂהָ׃

You shall make a window for the ark, to allow the entrance of light. And to a cubit shall you complete it at the top; the sides of the ark shall form a kind of trapezoid, with the roof of the ark one cubit long. And the entrance of the ark you shall place in its side, for entering and exiting. Lower, second, and third stories you shall make it; the ark shall have three floors.

וַאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶת־הַמַּבּ֥וּל מַ֙יִם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ חַיִּ֔ים מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֖רֶץ יִגְוָֽע׃

And behold, I am bringing the flood [ mabbul ]. The term mabbul is commonly translated as flood, based on the context. However, it is likely that the word actually means “judgment” or “sentence.” In other words, God is bringing a sentence of judgment in the form of water upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which there is the breath of life, from under the heavens. In those waters, everything that is on the earth, everything that is generally found on dry land, shall perish.

וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֔ה אַתָּ֕ה וּבָנֶ֛יךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֥ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶ֖יךָ אִתָּֽךְ׃

But at this juncture I will keep My covenant with you, which will be confirmed and fulfilled at a later point (see 9:9–11). You shall come to the ark: you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

וּמִכָּל־הָ֠חַי מִֽכָּל־בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל תָּבִ֥יא אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֖ה לְהַחֲיֹ֣ת אִתָּ֑ךְ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ׃

From every living being of all flesh, two of each you shall bring to the ark to keep alive with you; they shall be male and female. You must bring into the ark the living beings that will form the basis of the future existence of both mankind and the animal kingdom.

מֵהָע֣וֹף לְמִינֵ֗הוּ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ לְמִינָ֔הּ מִכֹּ֛ל רֶ֥מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֖ה לְמִינֵ֑הוּ שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל יָבֹ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ לְהַֽחֲיֽוֹת׃

From the birds according to their kind, and from the animals according to their kind, from every crawling creature of the ground according to its kind, two of each shall come to you. You are not commanded to hunt them; rather, I will make them come to you in pairs. The aim is to keep all of the species of the world alive from them. Although you are not required to gather the animals into the ark, there is another duty which you are obligated to perform:

וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֗ מִכָּל־מַֽאֲכָל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל וְאָסַפְתָּ֖ אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה לְךָ֛ וְלָהֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָֽה׃

You, take for you from all food that is eaten. You must collect enough appropriate food for you and all the animals that will be living in the ark. And gather it to you; and it shall be for you and for them for food.

וַיַּ֖עַשׂ נֹ֑חַ כְּ֠כֹל אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֥ה אֹת֛וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים כֵּ֥ן עָשָֽׂה׃ (ס)

Noah did according to all that God had commanded him; so he did. It should not be inferred from the brevity of the account that this was a simple process. Various midrashim describe at length Noah’s difficulties during the years of the construction of the ark. For over one hundred years Noah was occupied with building an enormous structure. The ark that he built did not have a steering wheel, mast, sail, or oar. It resembled neither a ship nor a building. It was not meant to sail in any particular direction, but merely to float. It is easy to imagine the practical and social difficulties of this effort, and the halting efforts that Noah might have made to explain the purpose of his work to others.