AND l, BEHOLD I DO BRING THE FLOOD OF WATERS. Note the repetition of the term “behold I” after “I”. The explanation is as follows: Wherever the term ani (I) is used of the Deity, it signifies, as it were, the relation of a body to a soul which inspires it. For this reason it is figuratively called “the sign of the covenant” in the passage “I (ani) behold (am) my covenant with thee” (Gen. 17, 4), i.e. “I” who am manifest and in course of becoming known; “I” the throne to the Essence on high; “I” who exact vengeance from generation to generation. The word va’ani (and I) embodies male and female in conjunction; afterwards the male is noted separately, as being held in readiness to execute judgement, in the word “behold I” (hineni).
I DO BRING THE FLOOD OF WATERS. If “flood’, why also waters? The truth is that the term “flood” here indicates the angel of death, who was the chief agent of destruction, although he used the waters as his instrument.
With reference to the word ani, our teachers have explained that the expression “I am (ani) the Lord” is equivalent to “I am faithful to recompense the righteous and to punish the wicked”; hence Scripture always uses the term ani (I) in recording God’s promise to the righteous to reward them and His threat to the wicked to punish them in the world to come.
TO DESTROY ALL FLESH: to wit, through the world’s destroying angel, as already explained; the same that is referred to in the verse “And he will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you” (Ex. 12, 23). Hence “to destroy all flesh” means, from the side of “the end of all flesh”. For as soon as the time of grace expired which God granted them till Noah should reach the age of six hundred years, then the moment arrived to “destroy all flesh”.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּכָל אֲתַר אֲנִי אִתְעֲבִיד גּוּפָא לְנִשְׁמְתָא וַדַּאי דִּמְקַבְּלָא מִמַּה דִּלְעֵילָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִתְרְמִיז בְּאָת קַיָּימָא דִּכְתִיב אֲנִי הִנֵּה בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ. אֲנִי דְּקָיְימָא בְּאִתְגַּלְּיָא מְזוּמֶנֶת לְמִנְדַע. אֲנִי כָּרְסְיָא לְמַה דִּלְעֵילָא. אֲנִי דְּעֲבִידְנָא נוּקְמִין לְדָרֵי דָרִין. וַאֲנִי כָּלִיל דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּחֲדָא. לְבָתַר אִתְרְשִׁים בִּלְחוֹדוֹי דְּאִזְדַּמַּן לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא. הִנְנִי. מֵבִיא אֶת הַמַּבּוּל מַיִם.
AND l, BEHOLD I DO BRING THE FLOOD OF WATERS. Note the repetition of the term “behold I” after “I”. The explanation is as follows: Wherever the term ani (I) is used of the Deity, it signifies, as it were, the relation of a body to a soul which inspires it. For this reason it is figuratively called “the sign of the covenant” in the passage “I (ani) behold (am) my covenant with thee” (Gen. 17, 4), i.e. “I” who am manifest and in course of becoming known; “I” the throne to the Essence on high; “I” who exact vengeance from generation to generation. The word va’ani (and I) embodies male and female in conjunction; afterwards the male is noted separately, as being held in readiness to execute judgement, in the word “behold I” (hineni).
כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר מֵבִיא אֶת הַמַּבּוּל לָא יְדַעְנָא דְּאִיהוּ מַיִם. אֶלָא אֶת הַמַּבּוּל לְאַסְגָאָה מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּמַיָא הֲווּ. מְחַבְּלָא (לחבלא בהון מחבלא) (ד"א הוה) אָזִיל בְּעָלְמָא לְשֵׁיצָאָה בְּאִנּוּן מַיִין.
I DO BRING THE FLOOD OF WATERS. If “flood’, why also waters? The truth is that the term “flood” here indicates the angel of death, who was the chief agent of destruction, although he used the waters as his instrument.
אֲנִי יְיָ, הָכִי תָּנִינָן נְאֱמָן אֲנָא לְשַׁלְּמָא אֲגַר טַב לְצַדִּיקַיָּא וּלְאִתְפָּרַע מֵרַשִׁיעַיָּא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַבְטַח לוֹן קְרָא לְצַדִּיקַיָּא בְּאֲנִי לְשַׁלְּמָא אֲגַר טַב דִּלְהוֹן לְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי. וְאַגְזִים לְרַשִׁיעַיָּא לְאִתְפְּרַע מִנַּיְיהוּ לְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי בְּאֲנִי.
With reference to the word ani, our teachers have explained that the expression “I am (ani) the Lord” is equivalent to “I am faithful to recompense the righteous and to punish the wicked”; hence Scripture always uses the term ani (I) in recording God’s promise to the righteous to reward them and His threat to the wicked to punish them in the world to come.
לְשַׁחֵת כָּל בָּשָׂר. כְּמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא דְּדָא הוּא מְחַבְּלָא דְעָלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (שמות י״ב:כ״ג) וְלֹא יִתֵּן הַמַּשְׁחִית לָבֹא אֶל בָּתֵּיכֶם לִנְגוֹף. וְדָא הוּא לְשַׁחֵת כָּל בָּשָׂר מִסִּטְרָא דְּקֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי. דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּמָטָא זִמְנָא דְּאוֹרִיךְ לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא (ד"א ל"ג ואוריך לון) עַד דְּאַשְׁלִים נֹחַ לְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה כְּדֵין לְשַׁחֵת כָּל בָּשָׂר. אָמַר הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא מִשְׁמֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יִצְחָק (ס"א ברבי יוסי מחוזאי) דְּאָמַר לָן (נ"א האי דאמרי לכון).
TO DESTROY ALL FLESH: to wit, through the world’s destroying angel, as already explained; the same that is referred to in the verse “And he will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you” (Ex. 12, 23). Hence “to destroy all flesh” means, from the side of “the end of all flesh”. For as soon as the time of grace expired which God granted them till Noah should reach the age of six hundred years, then the moment arrived to “destroy all flesh”.