Sanhedrin 216

א"כ לא נפנה דרך כרמים

'If so, [they retorted,] we will not turn aside from the way of the vineyards.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The meaning is somewhat obscure. Rashi interprets: we will insist in going through the crooked paths which cross the vineyards, instead of going on the straight high-way — a metaphor for pervasion. Maharsha explains: the vineyards are symbols of wine and licentiousness. The metaphor then is quite obvious. ');">¹</span> Raba taught: What is meant by the verse, He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a stone despised in the thought of him that is at ease?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XII, 5. ');">²</span>

דרש רבא מאי דכתיב (איוב יב, ה) לפיד בוז לעשתות שאנן נכון למועדי רגל מלמד שהיה נח הצדיק מוכיח אותם ואמר להם דברים שהם קשים כלפידים והיו (בוזים) [מבזין] אותו אמרו לו זקן תיבה זו למה אמר להם הקב"ה מביא עליכם את המבול אמרו מבול של מה אם מבול של אש יש לנו דבר אחר ועליתה שמה ואם של מים הוא מביא אם מן הארץ הוא מביא יש לנו עששיות של ברזל שאנו מחפין בהם את הארץ ואם מן השמים הוא מביא יש לנו דבר ועקב שמו ואמרי לה עקש שמו

— This teaches that when Noah rebuked them and spoke words to them that were as hard as fiery flints, they derided him. Said they to him, 'Old man, what is this ark for?' — He replied, 'The Holy One, blessed be He, will bring a flood upon you.' 'A flood of what,' they jeered? 'If a flood of fire, we have a substance called 'alitha;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [A fire-extinguishing demon, the Pyralis. V, Lewysohn, Zoologie, 351.] ');">³</span> whilst should He bring a flood of water: if He brings it up from the earth, we have iron plates with which we can cover the earth [to prevent the water from coming up]; if from heaven, we have a substance called 'akob (others say, 'akosh)<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [A legendary fungus which when donned on the head protects against rain. Lewysohn, op, cit., p. 343. identifies in with the Alcyonium cydonium.] ');">⁴</span>

אמר להם הוא מביא מבין עקבי רגליכם שנאמר (איוב יב, ה) נכון למועדי רגל תניא מימי המבול קשים כשכבת זרע שנאמר נכון למועדי רגל אמר רב חסדא ברותחין קלקלו בעבירה וברותחין נידונו כתיב הכא (בראשית ח, א) וישכו המים וכתיב התם (אסתר ז, י) וחמת המלך שככה

[which can ward it off].' — He replied. 'He will bring it from between the heels of your feet, as it is written, He is ready for the steps of your feet.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. The idea seems to be that He would bring it in such a way as to render all protectives useless, just as though the deluge were to well up from between their very feet; v. also next passage in text. ');">⁵</span> It has been taught: The waters of the flood were as severe as semen,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., thick and hot. ');">⁶</span>

(בראשית ז, י) ויהי לשבעת הימים ומי המבול היו על הארץ מה טיבם של שבעת הימים

as it is written, It is ready for the steps of the feet.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Here understood as a euphemism for sperm. ');">⁷</span> R. Hisda said: With hot passion they sinned, and by hot water they were punished. [For] here it is written, And the water cooled;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' (E.V. 'abated'.) Gen. VIII, 1. ');">⁸</span>

אמר רב אלו ימי אבילות של מתושלח ללמדך שהספדן של צדיקים מעכבין את הפורענות לבא דבר אחר לשבעת ששינה עליהם הקב"ה סדר בראשית שהיתה חמה יוצאת ממערב ושוקעת במזרח דבר אחר שקבע להם הקב"ה זמן גדול ואח"כ זמן קטן ד"א לשבעת הימים שהטעימם מעין העולם הבא כדי שידעו מה טובה מנעו מהן

whilst elsewhere it is said, Then the king's wrath cooled down.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Est. VII, 10. In both cases the root [H] is used, giving them the same meaning, and proving that the water was hot when it descended. ');">⁹</span> And it came to pass, after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. VII, 10. ');">¹⁰</span>

(בראשית ז, ב) מכל הבהמה הטהורה תקח לך שבעה שבעה איש ואשתו אישות לבהמה מי אית לה א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן מאותם שלא נעבדה בהם עבירה

What was the nature of these seven days?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That God should have postponed the flood on their account. ');">¹¹</span> — Rab said: These were the days of mourning for Methuselah, thus teaching that the lamenting for the righteous postpones retribution. Another meaning is: After the seven days during which the Holy One, blessed be He, reversed the order of nature,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'beginning'. ');">¹²</span>

מנא ידע אמר רב חסדא שהעבירן לפני התיבה כל שהתיבה קולטתו בידוע שלא נעבדה בהם עבירה וכל שאין התיבה קולטתו בידוע שנעבדה בה עבירה רבי אבהו אמר מאותן הבאין מאיליהן

the sun rising in the west and setting in the east.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the wicked might be arrested by the phenomenon and led to repentance. ');">¹³</span> Another meaning: the Holy One, blessed be He, [first] appointed a long time for them, and then a short time.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He first gave them 120 years in which to repent (this being the homiletical interpretation of Gen. VI, 3); this ended, he gave them a further seven days' grace. ');">¹⁴</span>

(בראשית ו, יד) עשה לך תיבת עצי גופר מאי גופר אמר רב אדא אמרי דבי ר' שילא זו מבליגה ואמרי לה גולמיש

Another meaning: After the seven days during which He gave a foretaste of the future world, that they might know what good they had withheld from themselves. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, man and wife.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VII, 2. This is the literal translation. ');">¹⁵</span>

צוהר תעשה לתיבה א"ר יוחנן אמר לו הקב"ה לנח קבע בה אבנים טובות ומרגליות כדי שיהיו מאירות לכם כצהרים

Have then beasts marital relationship? — R. Samuel b. Nahman said in R. Jonathan's name: It means of those with which no sin had been committed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 108a; i.e., those which had mated only with their kind. ');">¹⁶</span> Whence did he [Noah] know? — R. Hisda said: He led them past the ark; those which the ark accepted had certainly not been the object of sin; whilst those which it rejected had certainly been the object of sin. R. Abbahu said: [He took only] those which came of their own accord.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Only such coming as fulfilled the above condition. ');">¹⁷</span>

(בראשית ו, טז) ואל אמה תכלנה מלמעלה דבהכי [הוא] דקיימא

Make thee an ark of gopher wood:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VI, 14. ');">¹⁸</span> what is 'gopher'? — R. Adda said: The scholars of R. Shila said, It is mabliga;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A resinous tree, a species of cedar. (Jast.) ');">¹⁹</span>

(בראשית ו, טז) תחתיים שנים ושלישים תעשה תנא תחתיים לזבל אמצעיים לבהמה עליונים לאדם

others maintain, golamish.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Also a species of cedar, and very hard and stone-like. (Jast.) ');">²⁰</span> A window<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. zohar, [H]. ');">²¹</span>

(בראשית ח, ז) וישלח את העורב אמר ר"ל תשובה ניצחת השיבו עורב לנח אמר לו רבך שונאני ואתה שנאתני רבך שונאני מן הטהורין שבעה מן הטמאים שנים ואתה שנאתני שאתה מניח ממין שבעה ושולח ממין שנים אם פוגע בי שר חמה או שר צנה לא נמצא עולם חסר בריה אחת או שמא לאשתי אתה צריך

shalt thou make to the ark.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 16. ');">²²</span> R. Johanan said: The Holy One, blessed be He, instructed Noah, 'Set therein precious stones and jewels, so that they may give thee light, bright as the noon.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. zoharayim, [H]. ');">²³</span>

אמר לו רשע במותר לי נאסר לי בנאסר לי לא כ"ש

And in a cubit shalt thou finish it above:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">²⁴</span> for thus would it stand firm.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The sides being sloping, the rain would fall off it. ');">²⁵</span>

ומנלן דנאסרו דכתיב (בראשית ו, יח) ובאת אל התיבה אתה ובניך ואשתך ונשי בניך אתך וכתיב (בראשית ח, טז) צא מן התיבה אתה ואשתך ובניך ונשי בניך אתך וא"ר יוחנן מיכן אמרו שנאסרו בתשמיש המטה

With lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. [Some MSS, have the following addition: and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof (ibid.) in order to enable the nozila (a huge animal of the antelope species that could not be accommodated in the ark on account of its size) to put its head therein (it having been tied to the ark behind which it ran); v. Gen. R. XXXI, 13.] ');">²⁶</span> A Tanna taught: The bottom storey was for the dung; the middle for the animals; and the top for man.

ת"ר שלשה שמשו בתיבה וכולם לקו כלב ועורב וחם כלב נקשר עורב רק חם לקה בעורו

And he sent forth a raven.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VIII, 7. ');">²⁷</span> Resh Lakish said: The raven gave Noah a triumphant retort. It said to him, 'Thy Master hateth me, and thou hatest me. Thy Master hateth me — [since He commanded] seven [pairs to be taken] of the clean [creatures], but only two of the unclean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The raven is unclean (Lev. XI, 15). ');">²⁸</span>

(בראשית ח, ח) וישלח את היונה מאתו לראות הקלו המים א"ר ירמיה מכאן שדירתן של עופות טהורים עם הצדיקים

Thou hatest me — seeing that thou leavest the species of which there are seven, and sendest one of which there are only two. Should the angel of heat or of cold smite me, would not the world be short of one kind? Or perhaps thou desirest my mate!' — 'Thou evil one!' he exclaimed; 'even that which is [usually] permitted me<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., his own wife. ');">²⁹</span> has [now] been forbidden: how much more so that which is [always] forbidden me!' And whence do we know that they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wives. ');">³⁰</span>

(בראשית ח, יא) והנה עלה זית טרף בפיה א"ר אלעזר אמרה יונה לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע יהיו מזונותי מרורים כזית ומסורים בידך ואל יהיו מתוקים כדבש ומסורים ביד בשר ודם מאי משמע דהאי טרף לישנא דמזוני הוא דכתיב (משלי ל, ח) הטריפני לחם חוקי

were forbidden? — From the verse, And thou shalt enter into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and the wives of thy sons with thee;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. VI. 18. ');">³¹</span> whilst further on it is written, Go forth from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VIII, 26. ');">³²</span>

(בראשית ח, יט) למשפחותיהם יצאו מן התיבה א"ר יוחנן למשפחותם ולא הם

Whereon R. Johanan observed: From this we deduce that cohabitation had been forbidden.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is obvious that Noah's wife etc., were to leave the ark with him, the verse must be explained as granting permission for the resumption of marital ties. Hence these were interdicted in the ark. ');">³³</span> Our Rabbis taught: Three copulated in the ark, and they were all punished — the dog, the raven, and Ham. The dog was doomed to be tied, the raven expectorates [his seed into his mate's mouth]. and Ham was smitten in his skin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., from him descended Cush (the negro) who is black-skinned. ');">³⁴</span>

אמר רב חנא בר ביזנא אמר ליה אליעזר לשם רבא כתיב למשפחותיהם יצאו מן התיבה אתון היכן הויתון א"ל צער גדול היה לנו בתיבה בריה שדרכה להאכילה ביום האכלנוה ביום שדרכה להאכילה בלילה האכלנוה בלילה האי זקיתא לא הוה ידע אבא מה אכלה יומא חד הוה יתיב וקא פאלי רמונא נפל תולעתא מינה אכלה מיכן ואילך הוה גביל לה חיזרא כי מתלע אכלה

Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VIII, 8. ');">³⁵</span> R. Jeremiah said: This proves that the clean fowl dwelt with the righteous.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is deduced from 'from him', which is not mentioned in connection with the raven. ');">³⁶</span>

אריא אישתא זינתיה דאמר רב לא בציר משיתא ולא טפי מתריסר זינא אישתא אורשינה אשכחיניה אבא דגני בספנא דתיבותא א"ל לא בעית מזוני א"ל חזיתיך דהות טרידא אמינא לא אצערך א"ל יהא רעוא דלא תמות שנאמר (איוב כט, יח) ואומר עם קני אגוע וכחול ארבה ימים

And lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf taraf [as food].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (E.V. 'plucked off'.) Ibid. 11. ');">³⁷</span> R. Eleazar said: The dove prayed to the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Sovereign of the Universe! Let my sustenance be as bitter as the olive, but in Thy charge, rather than sweet as honey and in the charge of flesh and blood.' Whence do we know that taraf connotes food? — From the verse, Feed me<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] haterifeni, derived from [H]. ');">³⁸</span>

אמר רב חנה בר לואי אמר שם רבא לאליעזר כי אתו עלייכו מלכי מזרח ומערב אתון היכי עבידיתו אמר ליה אייתי הקב"ה לאברהם ואותביה מימיניה והוה שדינן עפרא והוו חרבי גילי והוי גירי שנאמר (תהלים קי, א) מזמור לדוד נאם ה' לאדוני שב לימיני עד אשית אויביך הדום לרגליך וכתיב (ישעיהו מא, ב) מי העיר ממזרח צדק יקראהו לרגלו יתן לפניו גוים ומלכים ירד יתן כעפר חרבו כקש נדף קשתו

with food convenient for me.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXX, 8. ');">³⁹</span> After their kinds they went forth from the ark.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. VIII, 19. ');">⁴⁰</span>

נחום איש גם זו הוה רגיל דכל דהוה סלקא ליה אמר גם זו לטובה יומא חד בעו [ישראל] לשדורי דורון לקיסר אמרי בהדי

R. Johanan said: After their kinds, but not they [alone].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The meaning is obscure. Maharsha explains it thus: — As stated above, whilst in the ark, copulation was forbidden. On their exit, it was permitted. That is the significance of 'after their kind', which denotes that mating was resumed, and they ceased to be a group of single entities. ');">⁴¹</span> R. Hana b. Bizna said: Eliezer [Abraham's servant] remarked to Shem [Noah's] eldest son,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Or 'great son', i.e., the most important of his sons, v. supra 69b. (Yad. Ramah.)] ');">⁴²</span> 'It is written, After their kinds they went forth from the ark. Now, how were you situated?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'After their kind' implies that they kept to the habits of their kind throughout the flood. 'How then were you able to take care of them, and give them individual attention, since animals' habits are so divergent?' ');">⁴³</span> — He replied. '[In truth], we had much trouble in the ark. The animals which are usually fed by day we fed by day; and those normally fed by night we fed by night. But my father did not know what was the food of the chameleon. One day he was sitting and cutting up a pomegranate, when a worm dropped out of it, which it [the chameleon] consumed. From then onward he mashed up bran for it, and when it became wormy, it devoured it. The lion was nourished by a fever, for Rab said, "Fever sustains for not less than six (days) nor more than thirteen."44 As for the phoenix,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Heb. [H] reading doubtful, 'urishna' or 'urshana'. V. Lewysohn Zoologie, 353, and Gudemann, M., Religionsgeschichtliche Studien, 55]. ');">⁴⁵</span> my father discovered it lying 'in the hold of the ark. "Dost thou require no food?" he asked it. "I saw that thou wast busy," it replied, "so I said to myself, I will give thee no trouble." "May it be (God's) will that thou shouldst not perish," he exclaimed; as it is written, Then I said, I shall die in the nest, but I shall multiply my days as the phoenix.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XXIX, 18: v. A.J.V., a legendary immortal bird. ');">⁴⁶</span> R. Hana b. Liwai said: Shem, [Noah's] eldest son,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 746, n. 7. ');">⁴⁷</span> said to Eliezer [Abraham's servant]. 'When the kings of the east and the west attacked you, what did you do?' — He replied. 'The Holy One, blessed be He, took Abraham and placed him at His right hand, and they [God and Abraham] threw dust which turned to swords, and chaff which turned to arrows, as it is written, A Psalm of David. The Lord said unto my master, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CX, 1: supposed to be said by Eliezer, 'my master' referring to Abraham. ');">⁴⁸</span> and it is also written, Who raised up the righteous man [Sc. Abraham] from the east, called him to his foot; gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he made his sword as the dust, and his bow as driven stubble.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XLI, 2. ');">⁴⁹</span> Nahum of Gimso<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A town in Judea. [V. II Chron. XXVIII, 18.] It is always written in two words: [H] which, taken by themselves, mean 'this too', and this connotation was attached thereto on account of his habit of saying, 'This too is for good.' ');">⁵⁰</span> was accustomed, whatever befell him, to say, 'This too is for good.' It once happened that the Jews wished to send a gift to the Emperor. Said they. 'By