R. Hizkiah was going from Cappadocia to Lud, when R. Yesa met him. Said the latter to him, ‘I am surprised at your walking all alone, seeing that we have been taught that no man should proceed on a journey unaccompanied.’ R. Hizkiah replied, ‘There is a youth accompanying me, and he is following on.’ Said R. Yesa, ‘I am still more surprised to find that you have for a companion one with whom you could not discuss points of the Torah, since we have been taught that he who makes a journey unaccompanied by discussions on; the Torah exposes himself to danger.’ R. Hizkiah replied, ‘It is certainly so.’
Meanwhile the youth came up with them. Said R. Yesa to him, ‘My son, where do you come from?’ The lad answered, ‘From the town of Lud, and when I heard that this learned man was proceeding thither, I offered him my service and company.’ ‘My son,’ said R. Yesa, ‘do you know any Torah-exposition?’
I do,’ was the reply, ‘as my father used to teach me the section of the sacrifices, and I also used to listen attentively to the expositions he gave to my elder brother.’ At the invitation of R. Yesa, he then commenced to discourse as follows.
AND NOAH BUILDED AN ALTAR UNTO THE LORD; AND TOOK OF EVERY CLEAN BEAST, AND OF EVERY CLEAN FOWL, AND OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS ON THE ALTAR. The altar that Noah made was the very same on which Adam, the first man, offered up sacrifice. Why did Noah bring burnt offerings, seeing that a burnt offering is brought only to counteract wrongful thoughts? Was, then, Noah guilty of such? In truth, Noah did harbour wrongful thoughts, since he said to himself, “Behold, the Holy One, blessed be He, has decreed the destruction of the world, and who knows but that through my being saved I have used up all the merit which I had accumulated?” He therefore hastened to build an altar unto the Lord.
The altar was the very same on which Adam, the first man, offered up sacrifice, but as the wicked had wrenched it from its place, Noah had to rebuild it.
AND OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS. It is written olath (burnt offering) defectively, which would indicate only one. This is explained by reference to the verse, “it is a burnt offering, a fire offering for sweet savour to the Lord” (Lev. 1, 17). A burnt offering has to be male, not female, as it says: “he shall offer it a male, without blemish” (Lev. 1, 3). The word “fire offering” (isheh) seems to be superfluous, as we know there was fire on the altar.
We should therefore read ishah (lit. woman), and we learn from this that the female element must not be parted from the male, which is offered through it, so that the two are united.
It was right for Noah to bring a burnt offering, since God had set him in the place of a male in relation to the ark. “The burnt offering is isheh”, to wit, esh he (fire of he), indicating that the Left is joined with the Female (since the female is from the left and the male from the right) through the clinging of one to the other. Hence the female is called isheh, indicating the bond of love in which the Left is joined to her, so as to mount with her on high and be united with her there. Hence the words “a burnt offering, a fire offering”, indicate the bond of the male and female.
רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה הֲוָה אָזִיל מִקַּפּוֹטְקִיָּא לְלוּד. פָּגַע בֵּיהּ רַבִּי יֵיסָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ תְּוַוהְנָא עֲלָךְ דְּאַתְּ בִּלְחוֹדָךְ. דְּהָא תָּנִינָן דְּלָא יִפּוּק בַּר נָשׁ יְחִידָאי בְּאָרְחָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבְיָא חַד אָזִיל בַּהֲדָאי וְאִיהוּ אָתֵי אֲבַתְרָאי. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְעַל דָּא תְּוַוהְנָא אֵיךְ אָזִיל בַּהֲדָךְ מַאן דְּלָא תִשְׁתָּעֵי בֵּיהּ מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא. דְּהָא תָּנִינָן כָּל מַאן דְּאָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא וְלָאו עִמֵּיהּ מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא אִסְתַּכַּן בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי.
R. Hizkiah was going from Cappadocia to Lud, when R. Yesa met him. Said the latter to him, ‘I am surprised at your walking all alone, seeing that we have been taught that no man should proceed on a journey unaccompanied.’ R. Hizkiah replied, ‘There is a youth accompanying me, and he is following on.’ Said R. Yesa, ‘I am still more surprised to find that you have for a companion one with whom you could not discuss points of the Torah, since we have been taught that he who makes a journey unaccompanied by discussions on; the Torah exposes himself to danger.’ R. Hizkiah replied, ‘It is certainly so.’
אַדְהָכִי מָטָא הַהוּא רַבְיָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יֵיסָא בְּרִי מֵאָן אֲתַר אַנְתְּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ מִקַּרְתָּא דְלוּד וְשָׁמַעְנָא דְּהַאי בַּר נָשׁ חַכִּים אָזִיל תַּמָּן וְזַמִּינָא גַרְמָאי לְפוּלְחָנִיהּ וּלְמֵיהַךְ בַּהֲדֵיהּ.
Meanwhile the youth came up with them. Said R. Yesa to him, ‘My son, where do you come from?’ The lad answered, ‘From the town of Lud, and when I heard that this learned man was proceeding thither, I offered him my service and company.’ ‘My son,’ said R. Yesa, ‘do you know any Torah-exposition?’
אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּרִי יְדַעְתְּ מִלֵּי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ יְדַעְנָא דְּהָא אַבָּא הֲוָה אוֹלִיף לִי בְּפָרָשַׁת קָרְבָּנוֹת וְאַרְכִינָא אוּדְנָאי לְמַאי דְּהֲוָה אָמַר עִם אָחִי דְּאִיהוּ קְשִׁישָׁא מִנָּאי. אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יֵיסָא בְּרִי אֵימָא לִי.
I do,’ was the reply, ‘as my father used to teach me the section of the sacrifices, and I also used to listen attentively to the expositions he gave to my elder brother.’ At the invitation of R. Yesa, he then commenced to discourse as follows.
פָּתַח וְאָמַר וַיִּבֶן נֹחַ מִזְבֵּחַ לַיְיָ וַיִּקַּח מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה וּמִכָּל הָעוֹף הַטָּהוֹר וַיַּעַל עוֹלוֹת בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ. וַיִּבֶן נֹחַ מִזְבֵּחַ, דָּא אִיהוּ מִזְבֵּחַ דְּאַקְרִיב בֵּיהּ אָדָם קַדְמָאָה. נֹחַ אַמַּאי קָרִיב עוֹלָה. דְּהָא עוֹלָה לָא סַלְקָא אֶלָּא בְּגִין הִרְהוּרָא דְלִבָּא (דרעותא) וְנֹחַ בְּמָּה חָב. אֶלָּא נֹחַ הִרְהֵר וְאָמַר הָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּזַר דִּינָא עַל עָלְמָא דְּיִתְחָרַב, דִּילְמָא בְּגִין דְּשֵׁזִיב לִי כָּל זְכוּתָא פָּקַע לִי וְלָא יִשְׁתָּאַר לִי זְכוּ בְּעָלְמָא. מִיָּד וַיִּבֶן נֹחַ מִזְבֵּחַ לַיְיָ.
AND NOAH BUILDED AN ALTAR UNTO THE LORD; AND TOOK OF EVERY CLEAN BEAST, AND OF EVERY CLEAN FOWL, AND OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS ON THE ALTAR. The altar that Noah made was the very same on which Adam, the first man, offered up sacrifice. Why did Noah bring burnt offerings, seeing that a burnt offering is brought only to counteract wrongful thoughts? Was, then, Noah guilty of such? In truth, Noah did harbour wrongful thoughts, since he said to himself, “Behold, the Holy One, blessed be He, has decreed the destruction of the world, and who knows but that through my being saved I have used up all the merit which I had accumulated?” He therefore hastened to build an altar unto the Lord.
הַהוּא מִזְבֵּחַ דְּאַקְרִיב בֵּיהּ אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן הֲוָה. אִי הָכִי אַמַּאי וַיִּבֶן. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּחַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא גָּרְמוּ דְּלָא קָיְימָא בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא נֹחַ כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ וַיִּבֶן.
The altar was the very same on which Adam, the first man, offered up sacrifice, but as the wicked had wrenched it from its place, Noah had to rebuild it.
וַיַּעַל עוֹלוֹת עֹלַת כְּתִיב חָדָא (הוא). כְּתִיב, (ויקרא א׳:י״ג) עוֹלָה הִוא אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיְיָ (לעולם עולה סלקא דכר. אי) עוֹלָה סַלְקָא דְּכַר וְלָא סַלְקָא נוּקְבָא דִּכְתִיב זָכָר תָּמִים יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ. אַמַּאי כְּתִיב אִשֶּׁה דְּהָא אֵשׁ בָּעֵי לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא תַּמָּן.
AND OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS. It is written olath (burnt offering) defectively, which would indicate only one. This is explained by reference to the verse, “it is a burnt offering, a fire offering for sweet savour to the Lord” (Lev. 1, 17). A burnt offering has to be male, not female, as it says: “he shall offer it a male, without blemish” (Lev. 1, 3). The word “fire offering” (isheh) seems to be superfluous, as we know there was fire on the altar.
אֶלָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּעוֹלָה אִתְקְרִיב דָּכָר. וּלְאַתְרֵיהּ אִתְקְרִיב. נוּקְבָא לָא בָּעְיָא לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ, אֶלָּא בָּהּ אִתְקְרִיב בְּגִין לְחַבְּרָא דָּא בְּדָא. דְּסָלְקָא נוּקְבָא לְגַבֵּי דְכוּרָא לְאִתְחַבְּרָא כְּחֲדָא. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִשֶּׁה לְשׁוּם אִישִׁים.
We should therefore read ishah (lit. woman), and we learn from this that the female element must not be parted from the male, which is offered through it, so that the two are united.
נֹחַ אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמִקְרַב עוֹלָה. דְּאִיהוּ בְּאֲתַר דִּדְכוּרָא. עֲבַד לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְחַבְּרָא וּלְאַעֲלָאָה בַּתֵּיבָה. וְעַל דָּא אַקְרִיב עוֹלָה. עוֹלָה הוּא אִשֶּׁה. אֵשׁ ה' דְּאִתְחַבַּר (בה) שְׂמָאלָא בְּנוּקְבָא. דְּהָא (כל) נוּקְבָא מִסִּטְרָא דִשְׂמָאלָא קָא אַתְיָא וּדְכוּרָא מִסִטְרָא דִימִינָא בְּאִתְדַּבְּקוּתָא דָּא בְּדָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי נוּקְבָא אִשֶּׁה. אִשֶּׁה קְטִירוּ דִּרְחִימוּ דְּאָחִיד בָּהּ שְׂמָאלָא לְסַלְקָא לָהּ לְעֵילָא וּלְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא כְּחֲדָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ (ד"א כתיב) עוֹלָה הִוא אִשֵּׁה. קְשִׁירוּ דִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָא דָּא בְּדָא:
It was right for Noah to bring a burnt offering, since God had set him in the place of a male in relation to the ark. “The burnt offering is isheh”, to wit, esh he (fire of he), indicating that the Left is joined with the Female (since the female is from the left and the male from the right) through the clinging of one to the other. Hence the female is called isheh, indicating the bond of love in which the Left is joined to her, so as to mount with her on high and be united with her there. Hence the words “a burnt offering, a fire offering”, indicate the bond of the male and female.