AND HE BLOTTED OUT EVERY (eth-kol) LIVING SUBSTANCE WHICH WAS UPON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Said R. Abba: ‘The particle eth signifies the inclusion of all those higher chieftains who control and superintend the earth: these are “the substance which was upon the face of the earth”. For whenever the Holy One, blessed he He, executes judgement on the earth, those higher chieftains are brought to justice first, and only in the next place those who abide beneath the shelter of their wings. This is illustrated in the passage, “the Lord will punish the host of the high heavens on high”, and then “and the kings of the earth upon the earth” (Is. 24, 21).
The punishment of these chieftains is, to be driven through burning fire, as it is written, “for the Lord thy God is a devouring fire, a jealous God” (Deut. 4, 24); that is, fire consuming fire. The “living substance” of the upper regions were thus passed through fire, and those under their control through water; and so, first, HE BLOTTED OUT EVERY LIVING SUBSTANCE WHICH WAS UPON THE FACE OF THE GROUND, and then, BOTH MAN AND CATTLE AND FOWL OF THE HEAVEN, AND THEY WERE BLOTTED OUT FROM THE EARTH-to wit, all those beneath. AND NOAH ONLY WAS LEFT; the particle ach (only) shows that absolutely nothing was left save what was in the ark’. R. Jose said: ‘It indicates that even Noah was not left intact, as he was injured by a blow from a lion, as elsewhere explained.’
וַיִּמַּח אֶת כָּל הַיְקוּם אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה. רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר (את כל) לְאַכְלָלָא כָּל אִנּוּן שַׁלִּיטִין דְּשָׁלְטִין מְמַנָּן עַל אַרְעָא. וְדָא הוּא הַיְקוּם אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה. דְּכַד עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דִּינָא בִּבְנֵי עָלְמָא אַעֲבַר לְאִנּוּן שַׁלִּיטִין דִּמְמַנָּן עֲלַיְיהוּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא וּלְבָתַר לְאִנּוּן דְּיַתְבֵי תְּחוֹת גַּדְפַיְיהוּ דִּכְתִיב (ישעיהו כ״ד:כ״א) יִפְקוֹד יְיָ עַל צְבָא הַמָּרוֹם בַּמָּרוֹם וּלְבָתַר עַל מַלְכֵי הָאֲדָמָה עַל הָאֲדָמָה.
AND HE BLOTTED OUT EVERY (eth-kol) LIVING SUBSTANCE WHICH WAS UPON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Said R. Abba: ‘The particle eth signifies the inclusion of all those higher chieftains who control and superintend the earth: these are “the substance which was upon the face of the earth”. For whenever the Holy One, blessed he He, executes judgement on the earth, those higher chieftains are brought to justice first, and only in the next place those who abide beneath the shelter of their wings. This is illustrated in the passage, “the Lord will punish the host of the high heavens on high”, and then “and the kings of the earth upon the earth” (Is. 24, 21).
וְהֵיךָ מִתְעַבְרָן קַמֵּיהּ. אֶלָּא אַעֲבַר לוֹן בְּנוּרָא דְּדָלִיק הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (דברים ד׳:כ״ד) כִּי ה' אֱלהֶיךָ אֵשׁ אוֹכְלָה הוּא אֵל קַנָּא. אֶשָׁא (הוא) דְּאָכִיל אֶשָׁא. הַהוּא יָקוּם דְּעֲלַיְיהוּ (נ"א מעבר) בְּאֶשָׁא. וְאִנּוּן דְּיַתְבֵי תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ בְּמַיָא. וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ וַיִּמַּח אֶת כָּל הַיְקוּם אֲשֶׁר עַל פְּנִי הָאֲדָמָה. וּלְבָתַר מֵאָדָם וְעַד בְּהֵמָה עַד רֶמֶשׂ וְעַד עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיִּמָּחוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ. כָּל אִלֵּין דִּלְתַתָּא. וַיִּשָּׁאֶר אַךְ נֹחַ. אַךְ לִמְעוּטֵי. דְּלָא אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ בְּעָלְמָא בַּר נֹחַ וּדְעִמֵּיהּ בְּתֵיבוּתָא. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר חֲגִיר הֲוָה דְּאָכִישׁ לֵיהּ אַרְיָא וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ:
The punishment of these chieftains is, to be driven through burning fire, as it is written, “for the Lord thy God is a devouring fire, a jealous God” (Deut. 4, 24); that is, fire consuming fire. The “living substance” of the upper regions were thus passed through fire, and those under their control through water; and so, first, HE BLOTTED OUT EVERY LIVING SUBSTANCE WHICH WAS UPON THE FACE OF THE GROUND, and then, BOTH MAN AND CATTLE AND FOWL OF THE HEAVEN, AND THEY WERE BLOTTED OUT FROM THE EARTH-to wit, all those beneath. AND NOAH ONLY WAS LEFT; the particle ach (only) shows that absolutely nothing was left save what was in the ark’. R. Jose said: ‘It indicates that even Noah was not left intact, as he was injured by a blow from a lion, as elsewhere explained.’