16
votes
Accepted
Rainbows prior to the Mabul
According to Rav Saadya Gaon (commentary to Genesis 9:13) the rainbow was not a new phenomenon. Rather it was imbued with new meaning as the sign of the covenant.
Similarly, Ramban, writes (commentary ...
- 35.4k
7
votes
Accepted
What happened to the Teva after the flood?
The Yalkut Shimoni to Ester (1056) states the God preserved the ark (or at least part of it) as a remembrance of the deluge for future generations, and Haman's son sent him a 50 cubit beam from it ...
- 35.4k
7
votes
What percentage of the humanity must sin to cause G-d to wipe them all?
10 righteous people (or 9, rounding up) were required to prevent the destruction of humanity. Noach and crew were only 8, therefore they could not save the world. Clearly, by the standard that G-d was ...
- 6,753
7
votes
Why did animals need to eat/be fed for a year in the Ark?
R Ari Wasserman explains the ark was a "chesed school" and that feeding animals became the mechanism to teach Noah and his family a value which would be fundamental to the new world being created.
...
- 48k
7
votes
Why were Mabul rains for 40 days?
Rashi to Genesis 7:4 explains that it's because of their sin of adultery:
ארבעים יום. כְּנֶגֶד יְצִירַת הַוָּלָד, שֶׁקִּלְקְלוּ לְהַטְרִיחַ לְיוֹצְרָם לָצוּר צוּרַת מַמְזֵרִים
"Forty days" – ...
- 34.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Who was the first to worship an idol?
Rambam discusses the beginnings of idolatry in Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 1:1-2
בימי אנוש טעו בני האדם טעות גדול ונבערה עצת חכמי אותו הדור ואנוש עצמו
מן הטועים היה וזו היתה טעותם אמרו הואיל והאלהים ...
- 49.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Haman's gallows originating from Noach's ark
As you note, Parshandatha was the governor over קרדוניא which Jastrow's dictionary (p. 1412) translates as:
Kardunia, Coryene, a district lying to the east of the river Tigris, south of Armenia.
...
- 6,482
5
votes
Accepted
Rashi and the death of Tzadikim
Ravina himself asks this question to R. Hama Bar Buzi who suggested this, as recorded in Bava Batra (16b). Rav Hama bar Buzi answered that we only say this when the term gevia and asifa are both used. ...
- 35.4k
5
votes
What was the pillar of stone of Seth's children mentioned by Josephus?
There are a couple of questions here to respond to:
Regarding the fate of the tablets, as you cited from Josephus, it "remains in the land of Siriad to this day." To my limited knowledge we don't ...
- 11.9k
5
votes
Why the mention of Mabul water level in relation to mountains, who could testify it?
Who could testify to these situations?
Your question deals with one of the "ikkarim" of our faith. One of the principles of the Jewish faith. What is it? Well, the Rambam (Maimonides) says ...
- 8,822
4
votes
Why does the Torah give us exact dates for the flood?
Ralbag in his commentary to the Flood Narrative writes as follows:
והנה השלים זה הסיפור והפליג להאריך בו לרוב התועלת המגיע ממנו ולזה דקדק
במספר הימים אשר ירד הגשם בלי הפסק ובשאר הפרטים לישב יותר ...
- 49.1k
4
votes
Did Noah have grandchildren before the flood?
According to the Haamek Davar (9:9), Noach had grandchildren who survived the flood: 7:1's "and your whole household" includes those grandchildren (and servants and personal animals).
- 73.6k
4
votes
Fishes in the Ark?
Fish were not harmed:
the Gemara notes that marine life was not harmed by the Mabul.
(Sanhedrin 108a, quoted by Rashi on Bereshis 7:22)
that were on the dry land: But not the fish, which were in the ...
- 42.9k
4
votes
Noah - Feeding the Animals
Ibn Ezra to Bereishis 6:20 says that if someone would suggest that some animals needed to be fed with meat in the teiva this would be dismissed as a valid question because even one who cannot find ...
- 6,864
4
votes
Was the whole earth covered during The Flood?
Rabbi Meiselman's book "Torah, Chazal and Science" addresses the concept of a local flood (p.556 heading 'A local deluge'):
In the early 20th century the observant community of Germany was an
...
- 10.1k
4
votes
Did the garbage in the teiva (ark) stink?
The Radak on bereshis 6:16 (10 lines from the bottom) brings the midrash rabbah which mentions a kind of trapdoor through which Noach shoveled the garbage out. According to this, it seems that the ...
- 6,864
4
votes
Accepted
Nephilim after the Flood
In Pirkei Derabbi Eliezer 23 it says that Og was the only survivor of the flood other than Noach and his family (and animals) as he hanged on to a ladder:
וימח את כל היקום אשר על פני האדמה חוץ מנח ...
- 11.4k
4
votes
Accepted
When did Noah enter the ark?
The Radak writes an answer distinguishing between Noah's entering and then exiting, and entering permanently:
בעצם היום הזה, on this very date, the 17th day of the second month, after Noach had ...
- 37.8k
4
votes
Why did animals deserve to perish in the mabul?
The simple answer is because even the animals had descended into a state of absolute depravity and immorality and therefore also warranted destruction.
The Torah tells us in Bereishis 6:12:
וַיַּ֧רְא ...
- 30.2k
4
votes
Did people run to Noah’s ark when they saw the flood began?
Oznayim la-Torah (Rav Sorotzkin) to Gen 7:16 explains that the reason God sealed up the ark – rather than Noah shutting the door himself – was to make sure that any repentant people turning up even at ...
- 2,361
3
votes
Fish in Aquarium During Flood
Clearly the word "yam" here denotes any body of water, be it an ocean, sea, lake, etc. Jastrow concurs with me that the word has other meanings aside from "sea":
A good thing to ...
- 18.5k
3
votes
70 languages before the mabul
Miy'mini Michoel (Rabbi Michoel Reach) explains that although there were 70 languages prior to the Dor Haflaga they were all able to speak Lashon Hakodesh also at that point. At the Dor Haflaga Hashem ...
- 139k
3
votes
Noah - Feeding the Animals
The animals before and after the flood were also all vegetarian. They only started to eat meat after the flood. Also, since the food supply in the ark was miraculous, Noach probably had a miraculous ...
- 42.9k
3
votes
How did the fish live through the flood?
Chiddushei Agadot on Zevachim 113b suggests that the boiling waters only occurred where it was covering previously dry land. To wit, waters that predated the Flood (i.e. the various bodies of water) - ...
- 1,348
3
votes
How did plants survive the Mabul?
Ralbag explains that Noah brought seeds with him on the ark to replant the world afterwards, and he provides three reasons why the Torah doesn't mention this:
וראוי שתדע שמיני הצמחים אשר יתכן הפסדם ...
- 49.1k
3
votes
Why wasn't Metushelach saved?
One of the reasons for not having the flood in that time is part of what we see from Avraham and his asking for S'dom to be saved if there were ten righteous people. Once the count got to ten, Avraham ...
- 42.9k
3
votes
Why did the animals need to be destroyed in the mabul if they do not have bechira?
Rashi (to Bereishis 6:7 DH “mei’adam v’ad beheimah”) seems to be bothered by your question, and he answers (2nd answer) that since everything was created for the sake of mankind, what is the point of ...
- 34.1k
3
votes
What happened to Noah's slaves?
Og was Noachs slave Pirkei derav Eliezer 23:
וישאר אך נח ואשר אתו בתבה וחוץ מעוג מלך הבשן שישב לו עץ אחד מן הסולמות של התיבה ונשבע לנח ולבניו שיהיה להם עבד עולם
The only other other survivors of ...
- 11.4k
3
votes
Had Noah a wicked wife, son?
No. The Torah is very clear that Noah's wife joined him in the Ark. Not much else is known about her. The Torah lists three sons of Noah -Shem, Cham, and Yefes- and makes clear that all three entered ...
- 8,045
3
votes
Had Noah a wicked wife, son?
The Torah says that Noach, his wife, his three sons, and their wives entered the ark: Genesis 7:13
“In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, ...
- 31
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