CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHIOS NOACH 5767 - BS"D

2) Ch. 6, v. 16: "U'fesach ha'teivoh B'TZIDOH tosim" - What does "b'tzidoh" mean?

3) Ch. 6, v. 16: "Tachtiim shniim u'shlishim taa'sehoh" - Hashem commanded Noach to build an ark that had three storeys. What did each level house?

4) Ch. 6, v. 19: "Umikol hochai mikol bossor" - Isn't every "chai" a "bossor" creature?

5) Ch. 10, v. 11: "Yotzo Ashur" - Who was Ashur?

ANSWERS:

#1

1) The roof peaks, but stops before forming a sharp peak, and there it is flat and an "amoh" wide. (Rashi)

2) The walls of the ark tilted inwards towards each other and stopped at an "amoh" before meeting. The roof peaked at a sharp point. (Moshav Z'keinim)

3) The "tzohar" mentioned just before should be placed so that its top is an "amoh" below the top of the wall. (Daas Z'keinim)

#2

1) At the end of a wall and not in the middle. (M.R. chapter 31)

2) In the uppermost third of the height of the wall. The lower 2/3rds of the ark would be submerged, and by placing the door higher, no water would enter. To enter the ark would require a ladder. (Ibn Ezra, Chizkuni)

3) On the broad wall called "TZAD," and not on the narrow wall called "TZELA." (Sforno)

4) At a location that is practical to enter any of the three levels of the ark. This is why the word TOSIM is used, connoting "placing with wisdom and forethought," as we find in Vayikroh 6:3, "V'SOMO eitzel hamizbei'ach." (N'tzi"v in Haa'meik Dovor)

#3

From the top level down:

1) People, all animals, waste. There is no specific mention of where the birds were. (gemara Sanhedrin 108b)

2) People and kosher birds, non-kosher birds and domesticated and wild animals, waste. (gemara Sanhedrin 108b, opinion of Rabbi Yirmiyoh)

3) People and kosher birds in the same quarters and non-kosher birds on the same level, domesticated and wild animals, waste. (gemara Sanhedrin 108b, second interpretation of the opinion of Rabbi Yirmiyoh)

4) People, domesticated and wild animals and birds, waste. (Old edition of Rashi)

5) All non-kosher species, people and all kosher species, waste. (Yalkut Shimoni #54)

6) Waste, people and all kosher species, all non-kosher species. (Second opinion in same Yalkut Shimoni)

7) People and all birds, domesticated and wild animals, waste. (P'sikto Zut'r'so)

8) Insects and crawling creatures and people, all birds, all domesticated and wild animals. No mention is made of the area used for waste storage. (Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer ch. 23)

#4

1) There is "chai" that is not "bossor," namely "sheidim," as mentioned in Rashi.

2) "Chai" includes even collecting creatures that are not generated through a pair of parents, such as creatures that sprout forth from rot. (Rabbeinu Nisim)

#5

1) Noach (Tosfos Hasho'leim, Tosfos Rid on Yoma 10a)

2) Avrohom (Medrash Lekach Tov at the beginning of parshas Lech L'cho)

3) Ashur the son of Sheim (Seder Hayom, also see Tonno D'vei Eliyohu chapter #20)

4) Ashur in this verse is not the name of a person. These words mean that Nimrod of verse 8 left to the place named Ashur. (Targum Yonoson ben Uziel)

A GUTTEN SHABBOS KODESH. FEEL FREE TO DISTRIBUTE BY COPY OR ELECTRONICALLY.

FEEDBACK IS APPRECIATED. TO SUBSCRIBE, KINDLY SEND REQUEST TO: SHOLOM613@AOL.COM

See also Sedrah Selections, Oroh V'Simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh on the Weekly Parsha and Chasidic Insights