Noah 5780
Question: Twice in the parsha (once before and once after the מבול), we find reference to Hashem making a ברית with Noach. From other such occasions, we find that the “other side” also needs to do or commit to doing something, yet we find no such thing in either of these two cases. What does this mean?
Approach: there are two basic approaches that we can potentially take:
1. Our understanding of the word ברית is incorrect, and the word can mean a commitment, which can be either one or two sided. Interestingly אונקלוס translates the word as קים, which is the same word as used for the word שבועה, which can certainly be one-sided.
2. Noach was indeed required to do something, namely entering the Ark and procreating. It's just that these are hinted at, rather than made explicit. Fascinating is that Rashi, on both verses, explains what Noach was worried about that required הקב״ה to make a ברית.
Approach: there are two basic approaches that we can potentially take:
1. Our understanding of the word ברית is incorrect, and the word can mean a commitment, which can be either one or two sided. Interestingly אונקלוס translates the word as קים, which is the same word as used for the word שבועה, which can certainly be one-sided.
2. Noach was indeed required to do something, namely entering the Ark and procreating. It's just that these are hinted at, rather than made explicit. Fascinating is that Rashi, on both verses, explains what Noach was worried about that required הקב״ה to make a ברית.
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