AND NOAH WENT IN AND HIS SONS AND HIS WIFE AND HIS SONS’ WIVES WITH HIM. R. Hiya quoted in this connection the verse: Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord (Jer. 23, 24). ‘How blind and obtuse are the sons of men who regard not and know not the honour of their Master, of whom it is written, “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (Ibid.). And yet men imagine that they can hide their sins, saying, “Who seeth us? And who knoweth us?” (Is. 29, 15).
Where, indeed, can they hide themselves? There was once a king who built a palace and constructed underneath it secret subterranean chambers. One day the courtiers rose in revolt against the king, who thereupon laid siege to the palace with his army. The rebels sought safety by hiding in the subterranean passages and chambers. Said the king: “It is I who constructed these secret places, and do you think to escape from me by hiding there?” So God says to the wicked, “Can anyone hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” As much as to say, “I have created all chasms and caverns, I have made darkness and light; how, then, can you think to hide yourselves from Me?”
Observe this. When a man sins before his Master and uses all devices to conceal himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, chastises him openly. Should, however, the man purify himself of his sins, God will then shield him so that he shall not be visible in the day of the fierce wrath of the Lord. For assuredly a man should take care not to make himself visible to the destroying angel when he swoops down upon the world, and not to attract his notice, since he is authorised to destroy whosoever comes within his view.
This accords with a remark of R. Simeon, that a man possessed of an evil eye carries with him the eye of the destroying angel; hence he is called “destroyer of the world”, and people should be on their guard against him and not come near him, so that they should not be injured by him; it is actually forbidden to come near him in the open. If, therefore, it is necessary to beware of a man with an evil eye, how much more should one beware of the angel of death?
An example of a man with an evil eye was Balaam, of whom it is written, “thus saith the man whose eye is closed”1So the Rabbinical interpretation of the word sh’thum. (Num. 24, 3); this means that he was possessed of an evil eye, and on whatsoever he fixed his gaze he drew thereon the destroying spirit. Knowing this, he sought to fix his gaze on Israel, in order that he might destroy everything upon which his look should fall. Thus it is written, “And Balaam lifted up his eye” (Ibid. 2), indicating that he raised one eye and lowered the other, so that his evil eye should fall upon Israel.
Israel, however, were immune; for it is written, “and he saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe” (Ibid.), that is, he saw the Shekinah hovering over them and kept in position by the twelve tribes beneath, and his eye had no more power over them. “How,” he said, “can I prevail against them, seeing that the holy spirit from on high rests on them and shields them with her wings?” This is indicated in the words, “He couched, he lay down as a lion, who shall rouse him up?” (Ibid. 9); that is, who shall raise Him from over them so that they shall be exposed to the influence of the evil eye?
In the same manner the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to shield Noah, and to hide him from the evil eye, so that the impure spirit should have no power over him, and do him no harm.’ AND NOAH WENT IN, as has already been said, to hide himself from all eyes, BECAUSE OF THE WATERS OF THE FLOOD, which were already pressing him hard. Said R. Jose: He saw the angel of death coming, and so he went into hiding for a twelvemonth.’
Why for a twelvemonth? On this point R. Isaac and R. Judah differed. One said it was because a twelvemonth is the fixed term of punishment in Gehinnom for the guilty. The other said that it was in order that the righteous Noah might complete his twelve degrees and the other degrees which it was fitting that he should bring with him out of the ark.
R. Judah asked: ‘Seeing that for six months the wicked (in Gehinnom) are punished by water and another six months by fire, why did the waters prevail for twelve months?’ R. Jose answered: ‘The punishments of Gehinnom, water and fire, were here let loose together. Rain descended upon them from above, and at the same time scalding waters, hot as fire, gushed up from below. Their punishment was thus the same as that in Gehinnom, which consists of fire and water, and it continued until they were utterly destroyed. Meanwhile Noah was hidden in the ark, concealed from sight, so that the destroyer could not come near him, while the ark floated on the face of the waters, as we read: AND THEY BORE UP THE ARK, AND IT WAS LIFTED ABOVE THE EARTH.
For forty days they suffered punishment, as it is written, AND THE FLOOD WAS FORTY DAYS UPON THE EARTH, and for the rest of the time they were gradually being exterminated, as it is written, AND THEY WERE BLOTTED OUT FROM THE EARTH. Woe to those sinners, since they will not rise from the dead on the day of the last judgement. This is indicated by the expression “and they were blotted out”, which contains the same idea as the verse “Thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever” (Ps. 9, 6).’
וַיָּבֹא נֹחַ וּבָנָיו וְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּנְשֵׁי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ. רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח וְאָמַר (ירמיהו כ״ג:כ״ד) אִם יִסָּתֵר אִישׁ בַּמִּסְתָּרִים וַאֲנִי לא אֶרְאֶנּוּ נְאֻם יְיָ. כַּמָּה אִנּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אֲטִימִין לִבָּא סְתִימִין עַיְינִין דְּלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין וְלָא יָדְעִין בִּיקָרָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ הֲלֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא. הֵיךְ בָּעוּן בְּנִי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּתְּרָא מֵחוֹבַיְיהוּ וְאָמְרֵי מִי רוֹאֵנוּ וּמִי יוֹדְעֵנוּ. וּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו כ״ט:ט״ו) וְהָיָה בְּמַחְשָׁךְ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם. לְאָן יִתְטַמְרוּן מִקַּמֵּיהּ.
AND NOAH WENT IN AND HIS SONS AND HIS WIFE AND HIS SONS’ WIVES WITH HIM. R. Hiya quoted in this connection the verse: Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord (Jer. 23, 24). ‘How blind and obtuse are the sons of men who regard not and know not the honour of their Master, of whom it is written, “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” (Ibid.). And yet men imagine that they can hide their sins, saying, “Who seeth us? And who knoweth us?” (Is. 29, 15).
לְמַלְכָּא דְּבָנָה פַּלְטְרִין וְעֲבַד תְּחוֹת אַרְעָא טְמִירִין פְּצִירִין. לְיוֹמִין מָרָדוּ בְּנֵי פַּלְטְרִין בְּמַלְכָּא אַסְחַר (אצער) עֲלַיְיהוּ מַלְכָּא בְּגַיְיסוֹי. מָה עֲבָדוּ עָאלוּ וּטְמִירוּ גַּרְמַיְיהוּ תְּחוֹת נוּקְבֵי פְּסִירִין. אָמַר מַלְכָּא אֲנָא עַבְדִית לוֹן וּמִקַּמָּאי אַתּוּן בָּעָאן לְאִתְטַמָּרָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב אִם יִסָּתֵר אִישׁ בַּמִּסְתָּרִים וַאֲנִי לֹא אֶרְאֶנּוּ נְאֻם יְיָ. אֲנָא הוּא דַּעֲבָדִית נוּקְבֵי פְּסִירִין וְעֲבָדִית חֲשׁוֹכָא וּנְהוֹרָא וְאַתּוּן אֵיךְ יָכְלִין לְאִתְטַמָּרָא קַמָּאי.
Where, indeed, can they hide themselves? There was once a king who built a palace and constructed underneath it secret subterranean chambers. One day the courtiers rose in revolt against the king, who thereupon laid siege to the palace with his army. The rebels sought safety by hiding in the subterranean passages and chambers. Said the king: “It is I who constructed these secret places, and do you think to escape from me by hiding there?” So God says to the wicked, “Can anyone hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” As much as to say, “I have created all chasms and caverns, I have made darkness and light; how, then, can you think to hide yourselves from Me?”
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד בַּר נָשׁ חָטֵי קַמֵּי מָארֵיהּ וְאַמְשִׁיךְ גַּרְמֵיהּ לְאִתְכַּסְיָא. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד בֵּיהּ דִּינָא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא. וְכַד בַּר נָשׁ אַדְכֵּי גַרְמֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְאַסְתָּרָא לֵיהּ דְּלָא יִתְחֲזֵי בְּיוֹם אַף יְיָ. דְּוַדַּאי אִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְאֵינַשׁ דְּלָא יִתְחֲזֵי קַמֵּי מְחַבְּלָא כַּד שַׁרְיָא עַל עַלְמָא דְּלָא יִסְתַּכֵּל בֵּיהּ. דְּהָא כָּל אִנּוּן דְּיִתְחַזּוּן קַמֵּיהּ אִית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְחַבָּלָא.
Observe this. When a man sins before his Master and uses all devices to conceal himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, chastises him openly. Should, however, the man purify himself of his sins, God will then shield him so that he shall not be visible in the day of the fierce wrath of the Lord. For assuredly a man should take care not to make himself visible to the destroying angel when he swoops down upon the world, and not to attract his notice, since he is authorised to destroy whosoever comes within his view.
וְהַיְינוּ דְקָאֲמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּעֵינֵיהּ בִּישָׁא, עֵינָא דִּמְחַבְּלָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי. וְאִיהוּ מְחַבְּלָא דְעָלְמָא אִקְרֵי. וְלִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְאִינֵישׁ לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִנֵּיהּ וְלָא לְאִתְקְרָבָא בַּהֲדֵיהּ דְּלָא יִתְּזַק (קמיה). וְאָסִיר לְמִקְרַב בַּהֲדֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא. וּמִשּׁוּם הָכִי מֵאִישׁ רַע עַיִן בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא מִנִּיהּ. מִקַּמֵּי מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.
This accords with a remark of R. Simeon, that a man possessed of an evil eye carries with him the eye of the destroying angel; hence he is called “destroyer of the world”, and people should be on their guard against him and not come near him, so that they should not be injured by him; it is actually forbidden to come near him in the open. If, therefore, it is necessary to beware of a man with an evil eye, how much more should one beware of the angel of death?
(ועל דא) מַה כְּתִיב בְּבִלְעָם (במדבר כ״ד:ג׳) וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן. דְּעֵינָא בִּישָׁא הֲוָה לֵיהּ וּבְכָל אֲתַר דְּהֲוָה מִסְתַּכֵּל בֵּיהּ הֲוָה אַמְשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ מְחַבְּלָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ הֲוָה בָּעֵי לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגִין דִּישֵׁצֵי בְּכָל אֲתַר דְּעֵינֵיהּ הֲוָה מִסְתַּכֵּל. מַה כְּתִיב וַיִּשָּׂא בִּלְעָם אֶת עֵינָיו דְּזָקִיף עֵינָא חַד וּמָאִיךְ עֵינָא חַד בְּגִין לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֵינָא בִּישָׁא.
An example of a man with an evil eye was Balaam, of whom it is written, “thus saith the man whose eye is closed”1So the Rabbinical interpretation of the word sh’thum. (Num. 24, 3); this means that he was possessed of an evil eye, and on whatsoever he fixed his gaze he drew thereon the destroying spirit. Knowing this, he sought to fix his gaze on Israel, in order that he might destroy everything upon which his look should fall. Thus it is written, “And Balaam lifted up his eye” (Ibid. 2), indicating that he raised one eye and lowered the other, so that his evil eye should fall upon Israel.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב וַיַּרְא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שׁוֹכֵן לִשְׁבָטָיו. וְחָמָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא חַפְיָא עֲלַיְיהוּ וּרְבִיעָא עֲלַיְיהוּ מִתְתַּקְּנָא בִּתְרֵיסַר שִׁבְטִין תְּחוֹתָהּ וְלָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלַיְיהוּ עֵינֵיהּ. אָמַר אֵיךְ אֵיכוֹל לְהוֹן דְּהָא רוּחַ קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה רְבִיעָא עֲלַיְיהוּ וְחָפַת לוֹן בְּגַדְפָהָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כָּרַע שָׁכַב כַּאֲרִי, וּכְלָבִיא. מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ. מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ מֵעֲלַיְיהוּ בְּגִין דְּיִתְגַלְיָין וְשָׁלְטָא עֵינָא עֲלַיְיהוּ.
Israel, however, were immune; for it is written, “and he saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe” (Ibid.), that is, he saw the Shekinah hovering over them and kept in position by the twelve tribes beneath, and his eye had no more power over them. “How,” he said, “can I prevail against them, seeing that the holy spirit from on high rests on them and shields them with her wings?” This is indicated in the words, “He couched, he lay down as a lion, who shall rouse him up?” (Ibid. 9); that is, who shall raise Him from over them so that they shall be exposed to the influence of the evil eye?
וְעַל דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְחַפְיָא לְנֹחַ לְאִסְתַּתְּרָא מֵעֵינָא דְּלָא יָכִיל רוּחַ מְסָאֳבָא לְשַׁלְטָא עֲלֵיהּ בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְחַבֵּל וְהָא אִתְּמָר. וַיָּבֹא נֹחַ כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר לְאִסְתַּתְּרָא מֵעֵינָא. מִפְּנֵי מֵי הַמַּבּוּל (דהא) דְּמַיִין דָּחֲקוּ לֵיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי חָמָא מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי (ד"א ל"ג לגביה) וּבְגִין כָּךְ עָאל לְתֵיבוּתָא וְאִסְתַּמַּר בָהּ תְּרִיסַר יַרְחֵי (שתא).
In the same manner the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to shield Noah, and to hide him from the evil eye, so that the impure spirit should have no power over him, and do him no harm.’ AND NOAH WENT IN, as has already been said, to hide himself from all eyes, BECAUSE OF THE WATERS OF THE FLOOD, which were already pressing him hard. Said R. Jose: He saw the angel of death coming, and so he went into hiding for a twelvemonth.’
וְאַמַּאי תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחִין. פְּלִיגֵי בָּהּ רַבִּי יִצְחָק וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה. חַד אָמַר י"ב יַרְחִין דְּכָךְ אִיהוּ דִינָא דְּחַיָיבַיָא. וְחַד אָמַר לְאַשְׁלָמָא צַדִּיק (נ"א צריך) דַּרְגִּין תְּרֵיסַר וּשְׁאָר דַּרְגִּין דְּאִתְחַזֵּי לְאֲפָקָא מִן תֵּיבָה.
Why for a twelvemonth? On this point R. Isaac and R. Judah differed. One said it was because a twelvemonth is the fixed term of punishment in Gehinnom for the guilty. The other said that it was in order that the righteous Noah might complete his twelve degrees and the other degrees which it was fitting that he should bring with him out of the ark.
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר שִׁתָּא יַרְחֵי אִנּוּן בְּמַיָא וְשִׁיתָּא יַרְחֵי בְּאֶשָׁא. וְהָא הָכָא מַיָיא הֲווּ אַמַּאי תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי. אָמַר (ליה) רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בִּתְרֵי דִינִין דְּגֵיהִנֹּם אִתְדָנוּ בְּמַיָא וְאֶשָׁא. בְּמַיָא דְּמַיִין דְּנָחֲתוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ מִלְּעֵילָא הֲווּ צְנִינִין כְּתַלְגָא. בְּאֶשָׁא דְּמַיִין דְּנַפְקֵי מִתַּתָּא הֲווּ רְתִיחָן כְּאֶשָׁא. וְעַל דָּא בְּדִינָא דְּגֵיהִנֹּם אִתְדָּנוּ בְּאֶשָׁא וּמַיָיא (ובגין כך תריסר ירחי הוו דאמר רבי אלעזר דינא דחייביא בגיהנם תריסר ירחי הוו והא אוקמוה. ועל דא כל אנון חייבי עלמא אתדנו בתרין דינין אלין במיא ואשא) עַד דְּאִשְׁתֵּצִיאוּ מֵעָלְמָא. וְנֹחַ הֲוָה מִסְתַּתֵּר בְּתֵיבוּתָא וְאִתְכַּסֵּי מֵעֵינָא וּמְחַבְּלָא לָא קָרִיב לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְתֵיבוּתָא אִיהִי הֲוָה שַׁטְיָא עַל אַנְפֵּי מַיָא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת הַתֵּיבָה וַתָּרָם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ.
R. Judah asked: ‘Seeing that for six months the wicked (in Gehinnom) are punished by water and another six months by fire, why did the waters prevail for twelve months?’ R. Jose answered: ‘The punishments of Gehinnom, water and fire, were here let loose together. Rain descended upon them from above, and at the same time scalding waters, hot as fire, gushed up from below. Their punishment was thus the same as that in Gehinnom, which consists of fire and water, and it continued until they were utterly destroyed. Meanwhile Noah was hidden in the ark, concealed from sight, so that the destroyer could not come near him, while the ark floated on the face of the waters, as we read: AND THEY BORE UP THE ARK, AND IT WAS LIFTED ABOVE THE EARTH.
אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם לָקוּ. דִּכְתִיב וַיְהִי הַמַּבּוּל אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם עַל הָאָרֶץ וְגו'. וְכָל שְׁאָר זִמְנָא אִתְמְחוּן מֵעָלְמָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּמָּחוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ. וַוי לוֹן לְאִנּוּן חַיָיבַיָא דְּהָא לָא יְקוּמוּן לְאַחְיָיא בְּעָלְמָא לְמֵיקַם בְּדִינָא הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּמָּחוּ כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים ט׳:ו׳) שְׁמָם מָחִית לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. דְּאֲפִילּוּ לְמֵיקַם בְּדִינָא לָא יְקוּמוּן:
For forty days they suffered punishment, as it is written, AND THE FLOOD WAS FORTY DAYS UPON THE EARTH, and for the rest of the time they were gradually being exterminated, as it is written, AND THEY WERE BLOTTED OUT FROM THE EARTH. Woe to those sinners, since they will not rise from the dead on the day of the last judgement. This is indicated by the expression “and they were blotted out”, which contains the same idea as the verse “Thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever” (Ps. 9, 6).’