THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH. R. Judah discoursed on the text: The good man is gracious and lendeth, he ordereth his affairs according to justice (Ps. 112, 5). ‘“The good man” refers to the Holy One, Blessed be He, since He is called “good” (as well as “Man”), as it is written, “The Lord is good to all” (Ibid. 145, 9), as well as “The Lord is a man of war” (Exod. 15, 3). Thus God is gracious and lends to that quarter which has no possession of its own, but derives its sustenance from Him. This idea is further developed in the sentence “He ordereth his affairs according to justice”, indicating that that quarter is granted sustenance only according to justice, as it is written, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne” (Ps. 89, 15).
According to another explanation, the “good man” refers to the Righteous one (Zaddik), as it is written, “Say ye of the righteous one that he is good” (Is. 3, 10). R. Jose said that it refers to Noah, as it is written, “Noah was a righteous man.” R. Isaac said that it refers to the Sabbath, since the psalm in praise of the Sabbath commences with the words “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord” (Ps. 92, 2).’
R. Hiya said: ‘It is the Zaddik who produces offspring in the world. Who constitute this offspring? The souls of the righteous, these being the fruit of the handiwork of the Holy One, blessed be He.’
R. Simeon said: ‘When the Holy One, blessed be He, puts on his crowns, he receives them from above and from below: above, from the region of absolute remoteness; below, he is crowned by the souls of the righteous. The result is an increment of life-energy from above and below, embracing the place of the sanctuary on all sides, and causing the cisterns to become full and the sea to be replenished, and providing sufficiency for all.
אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ וְגו'. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח (תהילים קי״ב:ה׳) טוֹב אִישׁ חוֹנֵן וּמַלְוֶה יְכַלְכֵּל דְּבָרָיו בְּמִשְׁפָּט. טוֹב אִישׁ, דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּאִקְרֵי טוֹב. כְּמָה דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים קמ״ה:ט׳) טוֹב ה' לַכֹּל. וּכְתִיב, (שמות ט״ו:ג׳) ה' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה. לְהַאי כֹּל חוֹנֵן וּמַלְוֶה. לְאֲתַר דְּלֵית לֵיהּ מִדִּילֵיהּ. וְהַהוּא אֲתַר מִנֵּיהּ אִתְּזָן יְכַלְכֵּל דְּבָרָיו בְּמִשְׁפָּט, דְּהָא הַהוּא דָּבָר לָא אִתְּזָן אֶלָּא בְּמִשְׁפָּט כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר (תהילים פ״ט:ט״ו) צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט מְכוֹן כִּסְאֶךָ.
THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH. R. Judah discoursed on the text: The good man is gracious and lendeth, he ordereth his affairs according to justice (Ps. 112, 5). ‘“The good man” refers to the Holy One, Blessed be He, since He is called “good” (as well as “Man”), as it is written, “The Lord is good to all” (Ibid. 145, 9), as well as “The Lord is a man of war” (Exod. 15, 3). Thus God is gracious and lends to that quarter which has no possession of its own, but derives its sustenance from Him. This idea is further developed in the sentence “He ordereth his affairs according to justice”, indicating that that quarter is granted sustenance only according to justice, as it is written, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne” (Ps. 89, 15).
דָּבָר אַחֵר טוֹב אִישׁ, דָּא צַדִּיק דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ג׳:י׳) אִמְרוּ צַדִּיק כִּי טוֹב כִּי פְּרִי מַעַלְלֵיהֶם יֹאכֵלוּ. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר דָּא נֹחַ דִּכְתִיב נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק. רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר דָּא שְׁבָחָא דְּשַׁבָּת, דְּבֵיהּ פָּתַח טוֹב, דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים צ״ב:ב׳) טוֹב לְהוֹדוֹת לַה'.
According to another explanation, the “good man” refers to the Righteous one (Zaddik), as it is written, “Say ye of the righteous one that he is good” (Is. 3, 10). R. Jose said that it refers to Noah, as it is written, “Noah was a righteous man.” R. Isaac said that it refers to the Sabbath, since the psalm in praise of the Sabbath commences with the words “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord” (Ps. 92, 2).’
רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר כֹּלָּא חַד וְכֻלְהוּ מִלָּה חָדָא אָמְרוּ. וְדָא עָבִיד תּוֹלְדוֹת בְּעָלְמָא. תּוֹלְדוֹת דְּעָלְמָא מָאן אִנּוּן. אִלֵּין נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָא דְּאִנּוּן אִיבָּא דְּעוֹבָדוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
R. Hiya said: ‘It is the Zaddik who produces offspring in the world. Who constitute this offspring? The souls of the righteous, these being the fruit of the handiwork of the Holy One, blessed be He.’
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִתְעַטֵּר בְּעִטְרוֹי, מִתְעַטֵּר מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא. מֵעֵילָא מֵאֲתַר דְּעֲמִיקָא דְכֹלָּא. מִתְעַטֵּר מִתַּתָּא בַּמֶּה. בְּנִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָא. כְּדֵין אִתּוֹסַף חַיִּים מֵעֵילָא וּמִתַּתָּא. וְאִתְכְּלִיל אֲתַר מַקְדְּשָׁא מִכָּל סִטְרִין וּבֵירָא אִתְמַלְיָיא וְיַמָּא אִשְׁתְּלִים, וּכְדֵין יָהַב לְכֹלָּא.
R. Simeon said: ‘When the Holy One, blessed be He, puts on his crowns, he receives them from above and from below: above, from the region of absolute remoteness; below, he is crowned by the souls of the righteous. The result is an increment of life-energy from above and below, embracing the place of the sanctuary on all sides, and causing the cisterns to become full and the sea to be replenished, and providing sufficiency for all.