📜 Daily Chumash & Rashi – Parshas Noach Rishon: Noach and the Teiva

*The article below is an excerpt from the above Sefer

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from  qualifying purchases.

Rishon

1. Who is Noach?

• Noach was a Tzadik, a pure man in his generation.
• Noach had three children, Shem, Cham and Yafes.

2. The depravity of the world:

• The world became depraved before G-d, and was filled with corruption. Hashem took notice of this, as all the creations perverted their nature on the earth.
• Hashem told Noach that He has become fed up with the corruption of the world and that it will have to be destroyed.

 

3. Hashem instructs Noach to build a Teiva/Ark:

• Hashem instructs Noach to build a wooden ark that is covered in tar. These instructions include the following:
  • The Teiva is to be 300 cubits [144 meters] long, 50 cubits wide [24 meters] and 30 cubits tall [14 meters].
  • The Teiva is to have a Tzohar [window] and is to be constructed with a pitched roof.
  • It is to have three stories.
• Hashem said to Noach: The world will be flooded and all its creatures destroyed. I will make my covenant with you, and you and your wife and children and their families will survive on the Teiva. You are to enter into the Teiva a male and female creature of every species, animals, birds and insects. Gather food and store it in the Teiva.
• Noach followed the instructions of G-d in detail.

 

Q&A on Rashi

 

1. Why does the Torah begin Noach’s section with praise?
   Answer: When a righteous person is mentioned, Scripture speaks of his virtues.
2. What does “These are the generations of Noach” teach according to Rashi?
   Answer: The primary offspring of the righteous are their good deeds.
3. How is Noach described?
   Answer: As a righteous and wholehearted man.
4. How do some Sages interpret “in his generations”?
   Answer: As praise, meaning he would have been even greater among righteous people.
5. How do other Sages interpret “in his generations”?
   Answer: As criticism, meaning he was righteous only relative to his corrupt generation.
6. According to the second opinion, how would Noach have compared to Avraham?
   Answer: He would not have been considered significant.
7. What does “Noach walked with Hashem” mean?
   Answer: He required Divine support to uphold his righteousness.
8. How is Avraham described differently?
   Answer: Avraham walked before Hashem on his own strength.
9. How many sons did Noach have?
   Answer: Three.
10. Who were Noach’s sons?
    Answer: Shem, Cham, and Yefes.
11. What does “the earth was corrupted” refer to?
    Answer: Immorality and idolatry.
12. What does “the earth was filled with chamas” mean?
    Answer: Robbery and theft.
13. Before whom was the earth corrupted?
    Answer: Before Hashem.
14. What did Hashem see when He looked at the earth?
    Answer: That it had become corrupted.
15. What does “all flesh corrupted its way” include?
    Answer: Even animals, beasts, and birds.
16. How had the animals become corrupted?
    Answer: They mated with species other than their own.
17. What did Hashem tell Noach had come before Him?
    Answer: The end of all flesh.
18. What sins bring destruction upon the world according to Rashi?
    Answer: Immorality and idolatry.
19. What ultimately sealed the decree of the Flood generation?
    Answer: Robbery.
20. Why was the generation doomed?
    Answer: Because the earth was filled with robbery.
21. What does “I will destroy them with the earth” mean according to one explanation?
    Answer: Even the soil itself would be ruined.
22. How much of the ground was affected?
    Answer: The upper three handbreadths of plowed earth.
23. What did Hashem command Noach to build?
    Answer: An ark.
24. Why did Hashem have Noach build the ark instead of saving him another way?
    Answer: To give the generation time to repent.
25. How long did Noach spend building the ark?
    Answer: 120 years.
26. What would people ask Noach while he built the ark?
    Answer: Why he was building it.
27. What was Noach supposed to answer?
    Answer: That a Flood was coming.
28. What kind of wood was the ark made from?
    Answer: Gopher wood.
29. Why does Rashi connect gopher wood with sulfur?
    Answer: Because sulfur was associated with the coming destruction.
30. What were “kinim” in the ark?
    Answer: Compartments.
31. Why were compartments necessary?
    Answer: To separate the different animals.
32. What does “kofer” mean?
    Answer: Pitch.
33. What coated the inside and outside of the ark?
    Answer: Pitch.
34. Why was Moshe’s basket coated differently?
    Answer: It floated in calm water.
35. Why did Noach’s ark require extra protection?
    Answer: It endured the force of the Flood.
36. How long was the ark?
    Answer: 300 cubits.
37. How wide was the ark?
    Answer: 50 cubits.
38. How high was the ark?
    Answer: 30 cubits.
39. What is the first opinion regarding the “tzohar”?
    Answer: It was a window.
40. What is the second opinion regarding the “tzohar”?
    Answer: It was a precious stone that gave light.
41. Why was the roof sloped?
    Answer: So water could run off.
42. Where was the door of the ark located?
    Answer: In the side of the ark.
43. Why was the door located on the side?
    Answer: To prevent rain from entering directly.
44. How many levels did the ark have?
    Answer: Three.
45. What was on the upper level?
    Answer: Human living quarters.
46. What was on the middle level?
    Answer: The animals.
47. What was on the lower level?
    Answer: Waste.
48. What does the word “Mabul” imply?
    Answer: Destruction, confusion, and sweeping away everything.
49. Where were the remains of the Flood carried according to Rashi?
    Answer: Bavel.
50. Why is Bavel called Shinar?
    Answer: Because the Flood victims were shaken out there.
51. What covenant did Hashem establish with Noach?
    Answer: A covenant of protection and preservation.
52. What did the covenant guarantee regarding food?
    Answer: That it would not spoil.
53. What else did the covenant guarantee?
    Answer: That wicked people would not kill Noach.
54. Why are the men and women listed separately when entering the ark?
    Answer: Marital relations were forbidden.
55. How many of each species was Noach commanded to bring?
    Answer: Two.
56. What were the two animals required to be?
    Answer: One male and one female.
57. What surprising creatures are included in “all living things”?
    Answer: Even demons.
58. Which animals came to Noach on their own?
    Answer: Those that had remained faithful to their species.
59. How did Noach know which animals belonged in the ark?
    Answer: The ark accepted them.
60. What additional task was Noach given?
    Answer: Gathering food for all the creatures.
61. For whom was the food collected?
    Answer: For Noach and all the animals.
62. How did Noach respond to Hashem’s commands?
    Answer: He did exactly as commanded.
63. What does “Noach did so” refer to specifically?
    Answer: Building the ark.

Bonus

64. According to Rashi, what was the real purpose of the 120 years of ark construction?
    Answer: To give the generation ample opportunity to ask about the ark, hear Noach’s warning, and repent before the Flood arrived.