Commentary for Sanhedrin 215:23

לא יפנה דרך כרמים מלמד שהיו מפנים דרך כרמים אמר לו ומי מעכב אמר להם פרידה אחת יש לי להוציא מכם

R. Oshaia said: As an illustration of Resh Lakish's view, to what may this be compared? To a phial of spikenard oil lying amidst refuse: [if] it is fragrant where it is, how much more so amidst spices!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus, if Noah was righteous even when his entire surroundings were evil, how much more so had he lived amongst righteous men! ');">⁴⁵</span> And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, [both man and cattle].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VII, 23. ');">⁴⁶</span> If man sinned, how did the beasts sin? — A Tanna taught on the authority of R. Joshua b. Karha: This may be compared to a man who set up a bridal canopy for his son, and prepared a banquet with every variety [of food]. Subsequently his son died, whereupon he arose and broke up the feast,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'broke up the canopy. ');">⁴⁷</span> saying, 'Have I prepared all this for any but my son? Now that he is dead, what need have I of the banquet?' Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said too, 'Did I create the animals and beasts for aught but man: now that man has sinned, what need have I of the animals and beasts?' All that was in the dry land died;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. VII, 22. ');">⁴⁸</span> but not the fish in the sea. R. Jose of Caesarea taught: What is meant by the verse, He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: [he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XXIV, 18. ');">⁴⁹</span> This teaches that the righteous Noah rebuked them, urging, 'Repent; for if not, the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring a deluge upon you.and cause your bodies to float upon the water like gourds, as it is written, He is light [i.e., floats] upon the waters. Moreover, ye shall be taken as a curse for all future generations,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'all that come into the world.' ');">⁵⁰</span> as it is written, their portion is cursed' in the earth. He beholdeth not the way of the vineyards:' this teaches that they looked by the way of the vineyards.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 743, n. 5. The passage is out of place here and the Wilna Gaon deletes it. ');">⁵¹</span> They said to him, 'Who then prevents him?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If He has such power, what prevents him from using it? ');">⁵²</span> — He replied.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The speaker now is God. ');">⁵³</span> 'I have one dear one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'pigeon'. [A better reading: 'He (God) has one dear one, (the speaker being Noah).] ');">⁵⁴</span> to draw out from you.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One righteous man who must first die, so that he may not suffer your punishment, viz., Methuselah. ');">⁵⁵</span>

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