Zevachim 231:1

זכרים ונקבות תמימין ובעלי מומין (דאמר מר תמות וזכרות בבהמה ואין תמות וזכרות בעופות

Males and females, unblemished and blemished animals': this excludes an animal lacking a limb, which might not [be sacrificed]. For R'Eleazar said: How do we know that [an animal or bird] lacking a limb was forbidden to the children of Noah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As sacrifices. 'Children of Noah' is a technical term denoting all people before the Revelation at Sinai, and all non-Israelites who did not accept the Torah after Revelation. In the present discussion even Israelites technically ranked as Children of Noah, until the laws of sacrifices as stated in Leviticus became operative.');">¹</span>

ואיתקש בהמה לעוף

Because it says, 'And of every living thing of all flesh':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. VI, 19.');">²</span> the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Noah: Bring [into the Ark] animal[s] whose chief limbs are alive.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., not missing. - Of these animals Noah subsequently sacrificed.');">³</span>

תמימין ובעלי מומין) לאפוקי מחוסר אבר דלא א"ר אלעזר מנין למחוסר אבר שנאסר לבני נח ת"ל (בראשית ו, יט) ומכל החי מכל בשר אמרה תורה הבא בהמה שחיין ראשי איברין שלה

But perhaps that was to exclude a terefah? - That is inferred from to keep seed alive.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VII, 3. A terefah, however, cannot give birth, and so cannot keep seed alive.');">⁴</span> That is correct on the view that a trefa cannot give birth; but on the view that a trefah can give birth, what can be said? - Surely Scripture said, '[to keep them alive] with thee': [this means] those that are like thee.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not trefah.');">⁵</span>

ודילמא למעוטי טריפה ההוא מלחיות זרע נפקא

But perhaps Noah himself was trefah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Perhaps he suffered from a disease or organic disturbance which in the case of an animal would render it trefah.');">⁶</span> - 'Whole' [tamim] is written of him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. VI, 9. E.V. whole-hearted.');">⁷</span>

הניחא למ"ד טריפה אינה יולדת אלא למ"ד טריפה יולדת מאי איכא למימר האמר קרא אתך בדומין לך

Perhaps that means, whole in his ways?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Modest and patient.');">⁸</span> - 'Righteous' is written of him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which includes that.');">⁹</span>

ודילמא נח גופיה טריפה הוה תמים כתיב ביה ודילמא תמים בדרכיו צדיק כתיב ביה

But perhaps [it means that he was] whole in his ways and righteous in his actions? - If you should think that Noah himself was trefah, could the Merciful One say to Noah, Take in [only] such as are like thee, [but] do not take in whole [animals]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That is obviously absurd.');">¹⁰</span> Now, since we infer it from 'with thee', what is the purpose of 'to keep seed alive'? - You might think that 'with thee' meant merely for companionship, [so they might be] even aged or castrated.

ודילמא תמים בדרכיו צדיק במעשיו אי סלקא דעתך דנח גופיה טריפה הוה מי קאמר ליה לנח דכוותך עייל שלמים לא תעייל

Therefore ['to keep seed alive'] informs us [that it is not so]. [The master said:] 'Clean, but not unclean'.

ומאחר דנפקא לן מאתך לחיות זרע למה לי מהו דתימא אתך לצותא בעלמא אפי' זקן אפילו סריס קמשמע לן:

Were there then clean and unclean [animals] at that time?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before the Torah was given.');">¹¹</span> - Said R'Samuel B'Nahmani in R'Jonathan's name: [It means] of those with which no sin had been committed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Those which had mated only with their kind.');">¹²</span>

טהורין אבל לא טמאין: ומי הוו טמאין וטהורין בההיא שעתא א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן מאותן שלא נעבדה בהן עבירה

How did he [Noah] know?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which were clean and which unclean.');">¹³</span> - As R'Hisda said.

מנא הוו ידעי כדרב חסדא דאמר רב חסדא העבירן לפני התיבה כל שהתיבה קולטתן בידוע שהוא טהור אין התיבה קולטתן בידוע שהן טמאין

For R'Hisda said: He led them past the Ark; those which the Ark accepted were certainly clean; those which the Ark rejected were certainly unclean. R'Abbahu said: Scripture saith, 'And they that went in, went in male and female':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VII, 16.');">¹⁴</span>

רבי אבהו אמר אמר קרא (בראשית ז, טז) והבאים זכר ונקבה הבאין מאיליהן

[that means,] that they went in of their own accord.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In their respective pairs, seven of the clean and two of the unclean.');">¹⁵</span> The master said: 'And all offered burnt-offerings'.

אמר מר והכל קרבו עולות עולות אין שלמים לא והא כתיב (שמות כד, ה) ויזבחו זבחים שלמים לה' פרים אלא אימא הכל קרבו עולות [ושלמים

Only burnt-offerings, but not peace-offerings? Surely it is written, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXIV, 5.');">¹⁶</span>

והתניא אבל שלמים לא כי אם עולות] עולות אין שלמים לא כמ"ד לא קרבו שלמים בני נח דאיתמר ר"א ור' יוסי בר חנינא חד אמר קרבו [שלמים בני נח] וחד אמר לא קרבו

- Say rather, all offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. But it was taught: But not peace-offerings, save only burnt-offerings? - That is in accordance with the view that the Children of Noah did not offer peace-offerings.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. n. 7, p. 571, on 'the children of Noah'. But Ex. XXIV, 5 was after Revelation.');">¹⁷</span>

מ"ט דמ"ד קרבו שלמים בני נח דכתיב (בראשית ד, ד) והבל הביא גם הוא מבכורות צאנו ומחלביהן איזהו דבר שחלבו קרב לגבי מזבח ואין כולו קרב לגבי מזבח הוי אומר זה שלמים

For it was stated, R'Eleazar and R'Jose B'Hanina [disagree]. One maintained: The Children of Noah offered peace-offerings; while the other maintained: They did not.

מ"ט דמ"ד לא קרבו דכתיב (שיר השירים ד, טז) עורי צפון ובואי תימן תתנער אומה שמעשיה בצפון ותבוא אומה שמעשיה בצפון ובדרום

What is the reason for the view that the Children of Noah did offer peace-offerings? - Because it is written, And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fa [heleb] thereof.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. IV, 4.');">¹⁸</span> What thing is it whose 'fat' [heleb] [only] is offered on the altar, but the whole of it is n offered on the altar?

ומר נמי הכתיב ומחלביהן משמניהן [דידהו]

Say, that is a peace-offering. What is the reason of the view that the Children of Noah did not offer peace-offerings? - Because it is written, Awake, O north, and come, thou south:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' S. S. IV, 16.');">¹⁹</span>

ומר נמי הכתיב עורי צפון [ההוא] בקיבוץ גליות הוא דכתיב

[this means,] Awake, O people whose rites [were performed] in the north, and come, O people, whose rites [will henceforth be performed] in the north and the south.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The burnt-offering was slaughtered on the north side of the altar; the peace-offering, on any side. He renders: Awake, O nation who hitherto, as Children of Noah, could only sacrifice on the north side of the altar (hence, burnt-offerings) and now, by accepting the Torah, come as a people who can sacrifice in the north and the south. - Cf. Gen. Rab. XXII, 5 (Sonc. ed. p. 183.)');">²⁰</span> But as to this master, surely it is written, 'of the f thereof'? - That means, of their fat ones.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the best.');">²¹</span>

והא כתיב (שמות י, כה) ויאמר משה גם אתה תתן בידינו זבחים ועולות ועשינו לה' אלהינו זבחים לאכילה ועולות להקרבה

And as to the other master, surely it is written, 'Awake, O north [etc.]'? - That refers to the ingathering of the exiles.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is a summons to the north and the south to bring in their exiles.');">²²</span> But surely it is written, And Moses said: 'Thou must also give into our hands sacrifices [zebahim] and burnt-offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. X, 25. This was said before Revelation, and since 'burnt-offerings' are specifically mentioned, 'sacrifices' must mean peace-offerings.');">²³</span>

והא כתיב (שמות יח, ב) ויקח יתרו [חותן משה] עולה וזבחים ההוא לאחר מתן תורה הוא דכתיב

- [He demanded] zebahim for food and burnt-offerings for sacrifice.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The answer renders zebahim animals for slaughtering, not sacrifices.');">²⁴</span> But surely it is written, And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offerin and sacrifices unto the Lord?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XVIII, 12.');">²⁵</span>

הניחא למ"ד [יתרו] אחר מתן תורה היה אלא למ"ד [יתרו] קודם מתן תורה היה מאי איכא למימר דאיתמר בני ר' חייא ור' יהושע בן לוי חד אמר יתרו קודם מתן תורה היה וחד אמר יתרו אחר מתן תורה היה למ"ד יתרו קודם מתן תורה היה קסבר שלמים הקריבו בני נח

- That was written after the giving of the Torah [Revelation].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although it is written before. - It is a principle of exegesis that the Torah is not necessarily in chronological order (Pes. 6b) .');">²⁶</span> That is well on the view that Jethro came after Revelation; but on the view that Jethro came before Revelation, what can be said?

כתנאי (שמות יח, א) וישמע יתרו כהן מדין מה שמועה שמע ובא ונתגייר ר' יהושע אומר מלחמת עמלק שמע שהרי כתיב בצדו (שמות יז, יג) ויחלש יהושע את עמלק ואת עמו לפי חרב

For it was stated: The sons of R'Hiyya and R'Joshua B'Levi [disagree]: one [side] maintains: Jethro came before Revelation; while the other maintains: Jethro came after Revelation! - He who maintains that Jethro came before Revelation holds that the Children of Noah sacrificed peace-offerings. This is a controversy of Tannaim: Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XVIII, 1.');">²⁷</span>

ר"א המודעי אומר מתן תורה שמע [ובא] שכשניתנה תורה לישראל היה קולו הולך מסוף העולם ועד סופו וכל [מלכי] עובדי כוכבים אחזתן רעדה בהיכליהן ואמרו שירה שנאמר (תהלים כט, ט) ובהיכלו כולו אומר כבוד

what news did he hear that he came and turned a proselyte? R'Joshua said: He heard of the battle with the Amalekites, since this is immediately preceded by,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'since it is written at the side thereof'.');">²⁸</span>

נתקבצו כולם אצל בלעם הרשע ואמרו לו מה קול ההמון אשר שמענו שמא מבול בא לעולם (אמר להם) (תהלים כט, י) ה' למבול ישב [אמר להם] וישב ה' מלך לעולם כבר נשבע הקב"ה שאינו מביא מבול לעולם

And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XVII, 13.');">²⁹</span> R'Eleazar of Modim<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The native place of the Hasmoneans, fifteen miles N. W. of Jerusalem.');">³⁰</span>

אמרו לו מבול של מים אינו מביא אבל מבול של אש מביא שנא' (ישעיהו סו, טז) כי (הנה) באש ה' נשפט אמר להן כבר נשבע שאינו משחית כל בשר

said: He heard of the giving of the Torah and came. For when the Torah was given to Israel the sound thereof travelled from one end of the earth to the other, and all the heathen kings were seized with trembling in their palaces, and they uttered song,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of reverence to God.');">³¹</span>

ומה קול ההמון הזה ששמענו אמר להם חמדה טובה יש לו בבית גנזיו שהיתה גנוזה אצלו תתקע"ד דורות קודם שנברא העולם וביקש ליתנה לבניו שנאמר (תהלים כט, יא) ה' עוז לעמו יתן [מיד] פתחו כולם ואמרו (תהלים כט, יא) ה' יברך את עמו בשלום

as it is said, And in his place all say: 'Glory'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XXIX, 9. E.V. 'and in His temple etc.');">³²</span> They all assembled by the wicked Balaam and asked him: What is this tumultuous noise that we have heard: perhaps a flood is coming upon the world, for it says, The Lord sat enthroned at the flood? - The Lord sitteth as King for ever, he replied: the Holy One, blessed be He, has already sworn that He will not bring [another] flood upon the world.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For He could only be a King (over His creatures) for ever as long as mankind existed. Hence He could not destroy them.');">³³</span>

ר"א אומר קריעת ים סוף שמע ובא שנא' (יהושע ה, א) ויהי כשמוע כל מלכי האמורי ואף רחב הזונה אמרה לשלוחי יהושע (יהושע ב, י) כי שמענו את אשר הוביש ה' את מי ים סוף

Perhaps, they ventured, He will not bring a flood of water, yet He will bring a flood of fire, as it is said, For by fire will the Lord contend?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. LXVI, 16.');">³⁴</span> He has already sworn that He will not destroy all flesh, he assured them.

מאי שנא התם דאמר (ליה) (יהושע ה, א) ולא היה בם עוד רוח ומ"ש הכא דקאמר (יהושע ב, יא) ולא קמה עוד רוח באיש

Then what is the sound of this tumult that we have heard? He has a precious treasure in His storehouse, which was hidden by Him nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Gen. Rab. I, 10 (Sonc. ed. p. 10) ; Cant. Rab. V, 11 (Sonc. ed. p. 243 and n. 3. a.l.) .');">³⁵</span> and He has desired to give it to His children, as it is said, The Lord will give strength unto His people.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. ibid. 11. - The Torah is the strength of Israel.');">³⁶</span> Forthwith they all exclaimed, The Lord will bless His people with peace.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. ibid. 11. - The Torah is the strength of Israel.');">³⁶</span> R'Eleazar said: He heard about the dividing of the Red Sea, and came, for it is said, And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites heard [. how that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the children of Israel] ;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. V, 1. As 'heard' here refers to the drying up of waters, it has a similar connotation in connection with Jethro.');">³⁷</span> and Rahab the harlot too said to Joshua's messengers [spies]: For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. II, 10.');">³⁸</span> Why is, 'neither was there spirit in them any more written in the first text, whereas in the second it says, 'neither did there remain [stand] any more spirit in any man'?