Bereishis - 7th Portion

Join me as we learn hitas together for the seventh Torah reading of Bereshit. Verse 25, chapter 5. years and he gave birth to a son Lamech. Having Lamech 182 years and gave birth to other sons and daughters. years and gave birth to And all the days of Methuselah was 969 years. He was the one that lived the longest and he died. Verse 28. And Lamech lived 182 years and he gave birth to a son. Why all of a sudden does he say over here the value of Ben? So Rashi tells us Shem Ben Menu Nifna Olam because from this son Ben also doesn't only mean son, it comes from the word bana that this son will eventually build the world. By Yikra Shem verse 29 by Yikra Shem Noach and he gave his name with a prophecy to his name Noach Lemor saying Zeh Yena Hamenu this one will bring relief me Ma'asenu from our work and from the toil and anguish of our hands. And from the toil and anguish of our hands me Na'adamah or that caused by the earth by the soil as Hashem the God cursed. So what's going on over here? What is the comfort? Rashi explains to us here in verse 29. Zei Yena Hamenu, what does this mean this comfort? The word Yena Hamenu doesn't only mean consult to comfort, but also comes from the word Yena Hamenu Yoni Ach Menu. Will give us rest as Itz Van Yedeinu from the toil of our hands because from the creation of the world until Noach came along, actually until Noach came along they had no tools of plowing. For who he Lohem and he was the one that invented and prepared these types of tools. Noach came along and at the same time the soil Ba Aretz Aretz Mitzia Keitzim Udar Dorim and the ground would bring up thorns and other types of non-edible items Kisha Zeidim when they would plant wheat Mikala Losi Chalanda Merishon from the original curse that Adam got when he was told that thorns will grow because in his plantings. Uvimei Noach and in the time of Noach Nacha the world rested, stopped from that cursed. The Zei Yena Hamenu and this is what the words Yena Hamenu will stop from it. The Meleitz Yokaich Rashi continues to say, if you're not going to explain it that way and explain that it means to comfort and console Ein Tam Al Loshon Neifil Al Hashem the rationale, the reason doesn't fall properly, it doesn't fit appropriately with the name Noach and really he should be called Ba Tzarich Likro Shmo Menachem. If it's all about comforting, then you should call him Menachem. Why are you calling him Noach? Noach also means to let go from Yoniach that we now have something we didn't have which we remained and therefore Rashi wants to use that interpretation that it means to let go instead of using the word comfort. Back into the Chumash and we go to verse 30. Vayechi Lemech and Lemech lived Acharei Ledes Noach after giving birth to Noach Chamish U'shishim Shanah U'chamesh Meot Shanah years. And he had many and gave birth to other sons and daughters. And he lived all the years of Lamech was 777 years and then he died. Verse 32. And he Noah was 500 years old and he gave birth to three wonderful sons. As Shem, Shem and Japheth. Rashi explains what's going on over here and how what this means in this verse. When he was 500 years old, verse 32, Rashi says as follows. Rabbi Yudan said, Why over here when it comes to Noah he changes the way he discusses Noah and the way Noah was giving birth to all the previous ones. All the previous generations when they were 100 years old they already had children. For that. And Noah only only by 500 years old. If you look back at all the previous generations, all of them gave birth already by 100 years old they were having children. Noah he only had his children when he was 500 years old. Because God said if they if they're evil and they're not worthy to be saved from the flood. Let them be destroyed in the water. That is exactly that. And it will be and it will be bad for this righteous person. But if they are righteous and his children are appropriate to be saved together with him, I'll have to make a lot a big ark to be able to save all of them. If many multiple arks Kavod shalom and also therefore held back the kindness so to speak, the amount that Noah would have children. Therefore he only gave birth when he was 500 years old. And once he was 500 years old, there were less amount of children that he gave birth to. Now the only amount of time that he was giving birth was in that 100 years because the flood came when he was 300 years old. Kavod shalom Yefes I got to be born of ancient of the animal. This way as well Yefes was who was his oldest child should not be liable for punishment already before the flood. What is he telling us? He will still be considered young. Therefore if he should be considered punished in those days, being that people lived for an extended amount of time, you only became liable to a punishment at age 100. Being that the flood only came 600 years at the year of 600 of Noah's life, even Yefes was not yet liable to punishment cuz he wasn't 100 years old yet. The sieve, how do I know this? It says in the verse in Isaiah "Kavod shalom Yefes cuz the lad was 100 years old, he is worthy of being punished, of dying." "Kavod shalom she's worthy of punishment." The awesome future in the future, this is the way it's going to be in the future. The Kavod shalom and therefore this is the way it was before the Torah was given. Once the Torah was given, already punishment was allotted to an individual from 20 years old up. However, before the Torah was given, the number of the year of punishment that was liable for an individual to be worthy of punishment was 100 years. So what God did was extend until Noah had children in a later time. This way his youngest child or even his oldest child wouldn't be at age liable of punishment even if should they not be deserving to be on the flood on the uh on the ark and deserving to be punished with the flood. Who are his three children? As Shem, as Ham, and Yefes. Why does he mention Shem first? Hello Yafes, who I got to Yafes was older. Hello, he's telling us as Shem first he tells us Shem because Shem was a righteous one. And he also had other special uniqueness. Because Shem was born no love casual. No, he was born circumcised. And also Abraham came from him. And because he was such a special individual, the Torah mentions him first even though technically Yafes was older. The Torah now continues in verse 33. I'm sorry. Chapter six. Chapter six, the Torah says as follows. And now that humanity began to multiply in the face of the earth. And daughters were born to them as well. Verse two. And the princes and judges saw. As the nation Adam. How pretty the girls were because they were good looking. And they took for themselves wives from whoever they chose. What does this mean the nation Adam the children of God literally? So Rashi explains to us what this means. Meaning. That even the leaders, the ministers, the judges who were responsible. To make sure that there's ethical justice and morality amongst people, they too were. Inappropriate. Another explanation him a servant they were the angels who go with the errands and the messengers of God after him they too came down from heaven for you must have in them and they were multi they were mixing amongst the humans. Anytime you find the word Elohim in the verse doesn't mean necessarily it means God lotion maras but it also means a terminology of authority. That's why later on we find the word rabbinical court is used as well as we see it later on in the verse in the Exodus that God tells Moses that he will be like him that you will be to him as an authority where motion Aaron were to go together to Pharaoh he says that they will be like him that he will be like him that he will be like him that he will be like him that he will be like him that he will be like him that he will be like What does it mean that the girls [clears throat] were good looking? He told me saying that So I'm going to be with him and be with him and say the word of your does not have any vowels. Tough ask him. The word is missing any vowels so you can also read it as the word to us which means that >> [clears throat] >> which also means improving. They were improving their appearance. What does this mean? And he explains as follows. Show you my TV and they would improve they would prepare themselves and decorate themselves to get dressed to go to the wedding to be able to go in to get married. How you going to do the big one the one of the greatest authority next to buy the killer he would go first and have relations with the woman with her first. When they were getting ready and prepared to get married the bigger the most authoritative one would come and the ruler would have to have a relations with her first. The Torah now continues on verse three. I give you my and God said loyal doing rookie by Adam my spirit will not continue to deliberate over humanity loyal forever. Why? Because they are since they are just mere flesh and therefore act arrogantly. Therefore I shall say that I decree for how you Yom of may of Sham Shana that man's life will then be 120 years to repent. We'll have 120 years to repent." Rashi explained, "What does this mean?" What is God saying here? Lo Lo Yadin Ruchi ba Adam means my spirit Lo Yisra Em v'Yariv Ruchi alai my spirit will not be in the state of dispute and conflict because of the human b'shvil ha Adam because of the human. L'olam What does it mean forever? So, Lo Oi meaning Lo Orech Yamim for a long time. Well, God is like saying to himself as follows. Hinei Ruchi natun b'kirbei Until now I was the one deliberating and deciding like this or like that. Im l'hashchit Should I destroy the people because of their terrible deeds or not? Im l'rachem Or should I have mercy on them? But now that they got so bad, Lo Yihyeh madin zabruchi l'olam k'leimar I will not deliberate this any longer Lo Orech Yamim for a long amount of time. Why? B'shegam hu basar When the word b'shegam is with a segol here. But like because of saying they too k'leimar b'shvil shegam zo is bei the very fact that they are shehu basar that they're only a flesh and blood and therefore there's nothing for with them to be so arrogant about. V'af al b'keinan still eno ein enichlalah l'fanai they don't have any subservience before God. The egotism that they have and their arrogance that they have doesn't give them any justification. V'ma im yihiyeh And how much is it going to be such arrogance? If they would made esh for fire edavar kasha or something else which is not like flesh or something that doesn't last too long. K'yeitzei bei we find a similar terminology which is used by the word using the words she ashe kamti d'vora and the The that there as well when we talk about the word of the judge until she got up. Until you are talking to me. So too over here when we talk about putting the second in the beginning changes that terminology as well. What does it mean in his days will be 120 years? Meaning from now on may of 120 years I will allow a person I will hold myself back from getting angry and not punish them and see will a person repent after that amount of time. But if they do not go back from their bad ways I will bring upon them the flood. Now Rashi continues and says if you may ask where is there 120 years? We just mentioned before that they were born at a 500 years and when Yefes was born and later on it tells us that the flood happened at 600 years. So what's going on here? If you're going to ask where is the 120 years? It was that that Yefes was born before the flood before this decree was made because from when Yefes was born until the flood happened it's only 100 years as we learned before in Rashi as we wanted that Yefes should be younger so he shouldn't reach the age of punishment. So Rashi explains the Torah was not written in chronological order. And therefore even though it tells us about the birth of Yefes earlier the decree to destroy the people in the flood happened before Yefes was born. The decree of the flood already happened 20 years before Noah gave birth to any children. So too in the chronological history of the world it is brought this way as well. Rashi explains, yesh madresh out. rabim biloyadin. There are many different aggadic interpretations that explain what does this mean I will not judge? In other ways, avuzer pshutay. But this explanation that I just gave is the most perfect, beautiful way to explain the simple interpretation. Verse four. Hanefilim hoyu ba'aretz bayamim hahem. The fallen ones were on the earth in those days. Vegam achareihen, and even after they continued later as well. Asher yavo'u benei Elohim, that these princes and judges would come and consort with el benei ha'adam, with the daughters of man, of humans. Vayoldu lahem, and they gave birth to them. Who are these people that gave birth to with these children? Hemah hagiborim. These were they they they had children, they were strong, these princes that were mighty, anshei olam, anshei Hashem, that the ones of the old, and they're also later people who depraved and indicated by their names. What does this mean? And what is he referring to? Hanefilim, Rashi explains as follows. Why were they called the fallen ones? Al shem shenafelu. Vihipilu, because they fell, they sinned, and they got others to sin. Esso oilam, and they caused the world to be destroyed. Uvelashon ivrit, and in Hebrew, lashon anakim means giants. Like later on we see in the book of Numbers, hanefilim benei Anak. Bayamim hahem, in those days, who were we talking about? In the time and the generation of dor enosh uvenei Kayin, in generations that they were rebellious and sinful against God. Vegam achareihen, what does it mean afterwards? Even after these nefilim, they didn't just stop them from sinning. Ah, Al Pi Shat Above done, even though they saw already that the people of the generation of Enosh, Asher the Enosh, were destroyed. Shaul Okyanus with the Shlisha Ealam that the Atlantic came up and washed away a third of the world. Lo Nichna Dor HaMabul Mehem. The generation of the flood did not learn from them and continued in their bad ways. What Rashi is telling us here that in the earlier generation of Enosh, they were doing evil and they were washed away. There was a destruction that happened. And the next generation didn't learn from their previous event and continued to do evil in God's eyes. Why were they called Gibborim? They were called strong because they took it upon themselves, Limred BaMokem, to rebel, to have the Chutzpah and the audacity to rebel against God. Anshei Hashem, what does it mean the people of name? Oison, those people Shenikvu Beshemais, that were called with their names. For example, Irad, Mechuyael, Mesushael, that they're named about that we mentioned before. What are we hinting to? If you look at all their names, is alluding to the fact, Shenimchu V'Utoshu, that they were destroyed and killed. The word Mechuyael from like dissolved, Nitoshu, Mesushael, also that were destroyed. Another meaning means to explain Anshei Hashem means Anshei Shemomin, people that destroyed The word shame doesn't mean name, but comes from the word destruction. Sheshimu Olam that they made the world desolate because of their sins and because of them the flood came about and destroyed all of humanity. Vayar Hashem Ki Rabba Ra'as Adam, and God saw how man's wickedness was on the earth. V'chol Yetzer Machshevos Libo, and all of their impulses of their thought, of their heart, Rak Ra Kol Hayom, was only bad throughout the day, all day long. Because of this fight, verse six, by Hashem and God was comforted by the fact he also Adam that he created humanity as a earthly being for at least this way they could not incite the angels as well to rebel with them as we're soon going to see in Rashi that explains it. And as well in his heart he thought about this as well. What does this mean? And he decided to grieve decided to grieve the humanity that he created in his heart. Let's see Rashi what Rashi explains what's going on here. Verse number six, Rashi. And God was comforted by the very fact that he made humans only in the earth. It was a comforting reality to God. that he only created them down here in this world. She cuz if the humans was also from the one above that he had within him things from above as well and he would have an effect on the humans on the ones above and the angels that they too should rebel against God. What does it mean Rashi tells us the humans to the heart of God meaning to say all of the show him not to worry. God wanted to uh so to speak think about what happened with the human being and he realized that this was going to in God's heart meaning that they are that because that it entered into God's mind to grieve for man. This is the way it is explained to it. Another way of looking at it is is as follows. Another way of looking at another explanation is meaning a way of comforting, "God's way of thinking changed. His way he should be The way his attitude towards the world has changed." Meaning from a way of from a way of mercy to a way of judgment. All of the above. According to this behavior, all of the above. He had in mind at first what What is the justice of the judgment he should do with man in this world? And therefore, when you have the terminology meaning that he was comforted that he changed what was initially going to be with mercy now to justice. to severity. Anytime you weren't find the word meaning comforting comforting seemingly that means comforting really means he changed what he was going to do. We find this later on in the book of Numbers in the book of in the book of Deuteronomy that he was judging himself and had mercy on his servants that he was going to now change and treat them mercifully. So too in the book of Exodus after the sin of the golden calf God comforted on the bed that he was going to change how he was going to act towards the Jewish people as well in in the book of Samuel where he says, "I am comforted that I made him king." Meaning that I feel bad and I'm going to look at this different. I take back what I've done that I made him king. Cool them on all of these cases where we find the word means a change of heart, a change of mind. What does it mean by that he was face out save a leap by According to this explanation, we can now understand what does it mean that God deeply grieved? What does it mean he grieved? He grieved on the creation of the human. Meaning, of the fact that now the things that he created are going to be destroyed. The king is grieving on his son. The Zukus after This explanation I wrote. Meaning when it talks about grieving that not that that God really at pain about it. Because I wrote this for people who are heretics in answer to their way of learning the verse incorrectly. As it's brought in the mattress One non-Jew asked him and he told him Shaka Raya Sonalet How is it possible that you believe that God doesn't see what's going to happen? I'm really in sure we believe that God knows it's going to happen. I'm really saying told him doesn't it say in the verse that God grieved about what he did that he was upset that he saw about the creation of the humans that they were so destructive should have seen before and the people were going to be destructive and then he wouldn't have got upset. I'm really saying told him I wish you were answered to this heretic. Never the have you ever given birth to a child? I'm really saying said him yes. I'm really you must see sir and when the child gave birth what had happened at the time? I'm really saying I was saying I told him I told everybody to rejoice with me. I'm really but he told him why we so rejoicing lawyer you see a day didn't you know that man is mortal and he was going to die? I'm really saying told him what do you mean? We shall when it's time to rejoice you rejoice and we shall say when it's time to mourn you mourn. I'm really saying told him one second if you're saying you He see the future so Even though yes, he was created man. He knew what was going to happen. But even though he knew that they're going to ultimately sin, and he's going to have to destroy them. Shouldn't create them to begin with. They were righteous people that were going to be there. So, he's upset that yes, they had to die that he had to destroy them. But he shouldn't create them to begin with. They were going to be righteous people that are going to stay alive, that are going to continue the world. And because of this, as we see in verse number seven, God says, And God says, I will only dissolve majority of humanity that I created me up from the face of the earth and from man to animal and to those to the crawling creatures and to the birds in the sky. Because I see them. Cuz I've changed my mind and after I've created them. As we look at Rashi, Rashi explained to us what does this mean? Verse seven, God says, I will now destroy the human. What does it mean? Who offered? This is the earth. I'll bring on it water and I will destroy it. Just like the earth will become dissolved by the water that's on it. Therefore, he uses the terminology of of erasing because he's erasing something that was there. They all behave. Why the animals as well? Because also the animals didn't behave accordingly. Another explanation, I kill them being that everything was created because of the humans. Now that the humans were going to be destroyed, being the humans are going to be destroyed, but there's no purpose in having the animals around. Kim Kim K as we explained before the word over here means I say this I rethought of why I made them Allah system of why I created them and therefore I decided at this point that I'm going to destroy them. However, Noach Noah was different. Noach only one was Noach finishing off on a good note that Noach found favor in God in the eyes of God. This concludes the seventh Torah reading of Bereishit.