CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS NOACH 5770 - BS"D

2) Ch. 7, v. 2: "Shivoh shivoh" - Why seven of the kosher species and only two of the non-kosher?

3) Ch. 8, v. 20: "Va'yikach mikole ha'b'heimoh" - Does this mean that he offered only of the kosher species that would in the future be offered on the altar, or all kosher species?

4) Ch. 9, v. 6: "Ki b'tzelem Elokim ossoh es ho'odom" - In Shmos 2:12 it says "Va'yar ki ein ish va'yach es haMitzri" - The Medrash Shmuel on Pirkei Ovos (3:18) says in the name of R' Chaim Vi'tal that the reason a person is given the death penalty for the murder of a ben Noach is not for the murder itself, but rather because there will be a descendant of the murdered person who might be a righteous person, or a convert. The Torah in our verse says a murderer should be killed, and the Targum says that this is true when there is a witness to the murder. We see the Torah gives us a blanket ruling. Surely there are times when there would have been no righteous descendant emerging from the murdered person.

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

ANSWERS:

#1

1) Derech Eretz Zuta, ch. 9, says that a generation which sins by worshipping idols but lives in harmony does not arouse strict judgment as much as a generation which lives in discord. We find a Rashi later on in our parsha which states a similar idea. Rashi in 11:9 asks, "Isn't the sin of the Dor Haflogoh, the generation of dispersion, of wanting to gain mastery over Hashem, much more severe than the sin of the Dor Hamabul, which was not guilty of this?" Rashi answers that since the Dor Hamabul was a society of thieves, there was much strife among them, and therefore Hashem saw fit to destroy them. Not so the Dor Haflogoh, where the people lived in harmony and friendship, as the verse says, 11:1, "Sofoh achas u'dvorim achodim."

2) When people sin, Hashem attempts to first punish them through loss of their possessions before inflicting corporeal punishment, (see medrash Vayikroh Rabboh 17:6 in Parshas Tazria and Rashi on Megilas Rus 1:5 "Vayomusu GAM shneihem). Here, however, since theft was rampant, the opportunity to first punish through taking away material possessions did not exist, as the possessions were not rightfully theirs.

#2

Rashi answers that Hashem was indicating to Noach that he should use some of the kosher animals as a thanksgiving sacrifice upon exiting the ark safely. The Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer chapter 23 gives another reason. It says that before the Mabul there was a great majority of non-kosher animals. Hashem wanted to have a majority of kosher ones and therefore required a much larger number of them to be brought into the ark. The gemara Chulin 63a says that it is well known that there are a majority of non-kosher animals in the world. This seems to contradict the Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer and agree with Rashi's reasoning. We might say that the intention of the gemara is that there is a majority of non-kosher species and Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer refers to the total numbers.

#3

The Meshech Chochmoh points out that even though the M.R. Vayikra 27:6 says that Hashem did not request that exotic kosher animals be captured and brought as sacrifices, so as to not stress people to hunt and capture these animals which reside in the wild, as this entails much effort and risk, here however, Noach brought sacrifices from all species of kosher animals since they were already within his control, being confined to the ark. However, Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer chapter #23 says that Noach only sacrificed from the species that would be brought as sacrifices in the future. It remains to be explained according to the Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer why Hashem commanded to bring "seven seven" of EACH kosher species if not all species would be used as sacrifices. One answer might be that Hashem wanted the world to have a majority of kosher animals, as mentioned in the medrash. A second answer can be gleaned from the words of the Kli Yokor who says that Noach was allowed to slaughter and eat meat after the great deluge, and since he would only consume that which would be kosher in the future, Hashem commanded him to bring "seven seven" of all kosher species. Although one might wonder how the Meshech Chochmoh could disagree with the words of the Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer, I found that the Moshav Z'keinim says that Noach sacrificed from ALL kosher species. Although the Moshav Z'keinim is a Rishon and Rabbi Eliezer a Tanna, nevertheless, the Moshav Z'keinim no doubt must base his words on an earlier commentator.

#4

This question was asked to Rabbi Chaim Vi'tal by the Medrash Shmuel. R' Chaim Vi'tal answered that Hashem would only allow the circumstance of a witness being present when there would have been a righteous descendant.

We can now understand the Rashi in Shmos 2:12. Rashi says "pshuto k'mashmo'o" that Moshe saw that no convert would emerge from this person's progeny (Yalkut Shimoni #167). Is this "p'shuto k'moshmo'o?" Simple pshat would be that he looked around and saw no one to witness this act. According to the above answer of R' Chaim Vi'tal we understand the words of Rashi. Since Moshe saw no witness, he realized FROM THIS that no convert would come from this Egyptian's descendants. This dvar Torah also appears in P'ninim Y'korim with the question being raised by R' Chaim Vi'tal to the Ari z"l and with some other variations.

#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)

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