AND I, BEHOLD I, DO BRING THE FLOOD OF WATERS UPON THE EARTH. R. Judah discoursed on the text: These are the waters of strife, wherein the children of Israel strove with the Lord and he was sanctified in them (Num. 20, 13). He said: ‘As this was not the only occasion when the children of Israel strove with the Lord, why is the epithet of “strife” attached to these waters in particular? The reason is that these waters gave added strength and confidence to the accusers. For there are sweet waters and bitter waters, clear waters and turbid waters, waters of peace and waters of strife. These were waters of strife, because through them Israel drew upon themselves the unwelcome visitor through whom they became defiled; this is indicated in the word vayiqadesh.‘
Said R. Hizkiah: ‘If this is so, we should have the plural vayiqadeshu (and they were defiled). The truth is that the singular refers not to the Israelites but to the moon, and the word vayiqadesh is not used here in a good sense.’
R. Jose said: ‘Woe to the wicked who will not repent of their sins before the Almighty while they are still in this world. For when a man repents of his sins and feels remorse for them, the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives them. But those who cling to their sins and refuse to repent of them will in the end descend to Gehinnom and never come up again.
Thus because the generation of Noah were stubborn of heart and flaunted their sins openly and defiantly, the Holy One, blessed be He, punished them as here described.’ Said R. Isaac: ‘When a man sins in secret, if he repents, the Holy One, blessed be He, being merciful, relents and forgives him; but if not, He then publishes his sins before the world. We learn this from the treatment of the faithless wife (Sotah).1v. Numbers 5.
Similarly here, the wicked were exterminated in sight of all. The manner of their death was as follows: scalding water spurted up from the abyss, and as it reached them it first burnt the skin from the flesh, and then the flesh from the bones; the bones then came asunder, no two remaining together, and thus they were completely blotted out.’ R. Isaac said: ‘The words “they were blotted out from the earth” is analogous to the expression “let them be blotted out of the book of the living” (Ps. 69, 29), thus indicating that they will not participate in the resurrection and will not rise in the Day of Judgement.’
וַאֲנִי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶת הַמַּבּוּל מַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח (במדבר כ׳:י״ג) הֵמָּה מֵי מְרִיבָה אֲשֶׁר רָבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת יְיָ וַיִּקָּדֵשׁ בָּם. וְכִי בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא לֹא רָבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת יְיָ. מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא דְּקָאָמַר הֵמָּה מֵי מְרִיבָה וְלָא אָחֳרָנִין. אֶלָּא הַנֵּי מֵי מְרִיבָה הֲווּ וַדַּאי דְּיָהֲבוּ חֵילָא וְתוּקְפָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא לְאִתְתַּקְפָא. בְּגִין דְּאִית מַיִין מְתוּקִין וְאִית מַיִין מְרִירָן. אִית מַיִין צְלִילָן וְאִית מַיִין עֲכִירָן. אִית מַיִין שְׁלָם וְאִית מַיִין קְטָטוּ. וְעַל דָּא הֵמָּה מֵי מְרִיבָה אֲשֶׁר רָבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת יְיָ, דְּאַמְשִׁיכוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ לְמַאן דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ וְאִסְתְּאִיבוּ בֵּיהּ הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיִּקּ1ָדִשׁ בָּם.
AND I, BEHOLD I, DO BRING THE FLOOD OF WATERS UPON THE EARTH. R. Judah discoursed on the text: These are the waters of strife, wherein the children of Israel strove with the Lord and he was sanctified in them (Num. 20, 13). He said: ‘As this was not the only occasion when the children of Israel strove with the Lord, why is the epithet of “strife” attached to these waters in particular? The reason is that these waters gave added strength and confidence to the accusers. For there are sweet waters and bitter waters, clear waters and turbid waters, waters of peace and waters of strife. These were waters of strife, because through them Israel drew upon themselves the unwelcome visitor through whom they became defiled; this is indicated in the word vayiqadesh.‘
אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי חִזְקִיָה אִי הָכִי מַאי וַיִּקָּדֵשׁ וַיִּקָּדֵשׁוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא מִלָּה אִסְתְּלִיקַת. וַיִּקָּדֵשׁ אִתְפְּגִים מַאן דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ. כִּבְיָכוֹל דְּאִתְפְּגֵימַת סִיהֲרָא. וַיִּקָּדֵּשׁ לָאו לְשִׁבְחָא אִיהוּ הָכָא. וַאֲנִי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶת הַמַּבּוּל כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא לְאַיְיתָאָה מְחַבְּלָא עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּמָה דְאִנּוּן אִסְתְּאָבוּ בֵּיהּ.
Said R. Hizkiah: ‘If this is so, we should have the plural vayiqadeshu (and they were defiled). The truth is that the singular refers not to the Israelites but to the moon, and the word vayiqadesh is not used here in a good sense.’
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וַוי לוֹן לְרַשִּׁיעַיָא דְּלָא בָּעָאן לְאֲתָבָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל חוֹבֵיהוֹן בְּעוֹד דְּאִנּוּן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. דְּכַד בַּר נָשׁ אָתִיב וְאִתְנֶחָם עַל חוֹבוֹי. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָחִיל לֵיהּ. וְכָל אִנּוּן דְּמִתְתַּקְפִין בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ וְלָא בָּעוּ לְאֲתָבָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל (חובוי) חוֹבֵיהוֹן. לְבָתַר (ינפול) יִנְפְּלוּ לְגֵּיהִנֹּם וְלָא יִסְקוּן לֵיהּ מִתַּמָּן לְעָלְמִין.
R. Jose said: ‘Woe to the wicked who will not repent of their sins before the Almighty while they are still in this world. For when a man repents of his sins and feels remorse for them, the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives them. But those who cling to their sins and refuse to repent of them will in the end descend to Gehinnom and never come up again.
תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּגִין דְּאַתְקִיפוּ לִבַּיְיהוּ כָּל אִנּוּן דָּרָא דְּנֹחַ וּבָעוּ לְאַחֲזָאָה חוֹבַיְיהוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַיְיתֵי דִינָא עֲלַיְיהוּ בְּהַהוּא גַוְונָא. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק וְאֲפִילּוּ כַּד חָטֵי בַּר נָשׁ בְאִתְכַּסְיָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רַחֲמָן. וְאִי תָּב בַּר נָשׁ לְגַבֵּיהּ חָפֵי עֲלֵיהּ וּמָחִיל לֵיהּ וְשָׁבִיק לֵיהּ. וְאִי לָא, גָּלֵי לֵיהּ לְעֵינֵי כֹלָּא. מְנָלָן מִסּוֹטָה.
Thus because the generation of Noah were stubborn of heart and flaunted their sins openly and defiantly, the Holy One, blessed be He, punished them as here described.’ Said R. Isaac: ‘When a man sins in secret, if he repents, the Holy One, blessed be He, being merciful, relents and forgives him; but if not, He then publishes his sins before the world. We learn this from the treatment of the faithless wife (Sotah).1v. Numbers 5.
וְהָכִי נָמֵי אִתְמְחוּן אִלֵּין חַיָּיבַיָא מֵאַרְעָא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא. וְהֵיךְ אִתְמְחוּן. אֶלָּא דְּהֲווּ נָפְקֵי מַיָיא וְהֲווּ רְתִיחָן מִן תְּהוֹמָא וְסָלְקֵי וְאַעֲבַר מִנַּיְיהוּ מָשְׁכָא. וְכֵיוָן דְּאַעֲבַר מִנַּיְיהוּ מָשְׁכָא הָכִי נָמֵי בִּשְׂרָא וְלָא אִשְׁתְּאָרוּ אֶלָּא בְּגַרְמַיְיהוּ לְחוֹד. לְקַיְימָא דִכְתִיב וַיִּמָּחוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ. וְכָל אִנּוּן גַּרְמֵי אִתְפָּרְדָן דָּא מִן דָּא וְלָא אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ כְּחֲדָא. וּמִכֹּלָא אִתְעֲבָרוּ מֵעָלְמָא. רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר וַיִּמָּחוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ, מַאי וַיִּמָּחוּ, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר יִמָּחוּ מִסֵּפֶר חַיִּים. מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא דְּלֵית לוֹן תְּחִיָּה לְעָלְמִין וְלָא יְקוּמוּן בְּדִינָא.
Similarly here, the wicked were exterminated in sight of all. The manner of their death was as follows: scalding water spurted up from the abyss, and as it reached them it first burnt the skin from the flesh, and then the flesh from the bones; the bones then came asunder, no two remaining together, and thus they were completely blotted out.’ R. Isaac said: ‘The words “they were blotted out from the earth” is analogous to the expression “let them be blotted out of the book of the living” (Ps. 69, 29), thus indicating that they will not participate in the resurrection and will not rise in the Day of Judgement.’