“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” It is written: “He will rescue the unclean [i-naki], and he will escape by the pureness of Your hands” (Job 22:30). Rabbi Ḥanina of Anatot said: Noah had [only] one ounce [onkia] of virtue to his credit.1The meaning of the beginning of the Job verse, then, is: “He will rescue the one with only a minuscule amount of merit.” If so, why was he spared? It was “by the pureness of Your hands.”2Noah was saved only by God’s grace (the “pureness of His hands”), not by his own merit. This is in accordance with what Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: “For I regret that I made them, and Noah…”3Interpreting ve-Noaḥ as “and Noah,” rather than “but Noah.” God regretted creating even Noah. (Genesis 6:7–8) – even Noah, who [alone] remained from them, it is not that he was worthy, but rather that he found favor in the eyes of the Lord, as it is stated: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”
Rabbi Simon began: “So said the Lord: As when wine is found in a cluster4When a single wine-producing grape is found in an inferior cluster. and one says: Do not destroy it, as a blessing is in it” (Isaiah 65:8). There was an incident involving a certain pious man, who went out to his vineyard on Shabbat and saw a lone grape and recited a blessing over it. He said: This lone grape is worthy to recite a blessing over it! So too, “So said the Lord: As when wine is found in a cluster…”5So too, Noah was like a single fine grape on a vine full of inferior ones.
Rabbi Simon said: The Holy One blessed be He found three [precious] finds: Abraham, as it is written: “You found his heart faithful before You” (Nehemiah 9:8); David, as it is written: “I found David, My servant” (Psalms 89:21); Israel, as it is written: “Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel” (Hosea 9:10).6In each case, God rejoiced, as when one finds a treasure. The students raised an objection to Rabbi Simon: But is it not written [also]: “But Noah found favor”? He said to them: He [Noah] found [favor], the Holy One blessed be He did not find [him].7God did not rejoice over “finding” Noah as with the others. It is Noah who found something precious – favor before God. But is it not written: “[Israel] found favor in the wilderness”? (Jeremiah 31:2).8And here it cannot be said that God did not "find” Israel, as Israel is among the three “finds.” It is due to the merit of the generation of the Wilderness.9Do not render it as “in the wilderness,” but “in the merit of the [generation of the] wilderness.” The people of Jeremiah’s time were not worthy, and were not considered “finds” by God; it is they who found favor before Him in the merit of their righteous ancestors. (“You found his heart faithful before You.”)10These words are not relevant here, and should be deleted (Yefe Toar).
Rabbi Huna, Rabbi Pinḥas, Rabbi Ḥanin, and Rabbi Hoshaya do not disagree.11With the previous explanations. Rabbi Yoḥanan, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, and the Rabbis do disagree. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This is analogous to one who was walking on the road and he met someone and attached himself to him. To what extent? To the extent that he entered into a friendly relationship with him.12So too, God befriended Noah, as it were. So, “favor” is stated here, and it is stated elsewhere: “Joseph found favor in his eyes” (Genesis 39:4).13Joseph found favor in the eyes of Potiphar, in the sense that Potiphar befriended him. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: This is analogous to one who was walking on the road and he met someone and attached himself to him. To what extent? To the extent that he put him in charge. So, “favor” is stated here, and it is stated elsewhere: “Esther found favor in the eyes [of all who saw her]” (Esther 2:15).14And this favor resulted in her becoming queen, a position of authority. So too, Noah was given mastery over all living things (Genesis 9:2). The Rabbis say: This is analogous to one who was walking on the road and he met someone and attached himself to him. To what extent? To the extent that he gave him his daughter [in marriage]. So, “favor” is stated here, and it is stated elsewhere: “I will pour a spirit of grace and supplication upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:10).15The verse is referring to a spirit of divine wisdom, which is often personified as one’s “daughter” (Maharzu). Noah, too, was granted this wisdom, as the Midrash goes on to explain. To what extent? To the extent that he had the knowledge to ascertain which animal is fed in the second hour of the day and which is fed at the third hour of the night.
Rabbi Simon said: We find that the Holy One blessed be He performs kindness for the descendants due to the merit of their progenitor.16This is a common theme throughout the Bible. From where is it derived that the Holy One blessed be He performs [kindness] with the progenitor due to the merit of his descendants? “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” – by what merit? It is due to the merit of his descendants.17As the next verse states, "These are the offspring of Noah.” It was in the merit of his future generations that Noah was saved.
וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה' (בראשית ו, ח), כְּתִיב (איוב כב, ל): יְמַלֵּט אִי נָקִי וְנִמְלַט בְּבֹר כַּפֶּיךָ, אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אִינוֹנִיתָא אוּנְקִיָא אַחַת הָיְתָה בְּיַד נֹחַ, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נִמְלַט, אֶלָּא בְּבֹר כַּפֶּיךָ אַתְיָא כְּהַהִיא דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא כִּי נִחַמְתִּי כִּי עֲשִׂיתִם וְנֹחַ, אֲפִלּוּ נֹחַ שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּיֵּיר מֵהֶן לֹא הָיָה כְּדַאי אֶלָּא שֶׁמָּצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה', שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה'.
“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8).
“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” It is written: “He will rescue the unclean [i-naki], and he will escape by the pureness of Your hands” (Job 22:30). Rabbi Ḥanina of Anatot said: Noah had [only] one ounce [onkia] of virtue to his credit.1The meaning of the beginning of the Job verse, then, is: “He will rescue the one with only a minuscule amount of merit.” If so, why was he spared? It was “by the pureness of Your hands.”2Noah was saved only by God’s grace (the “pureness of His hands”), not by his own merit. This is in accordance with what Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: “For I regret that I made them, and Noah…”3Interpreting ve-Noaḥ as “and Noah,” rather than “but Noah.” God regretted creating even Noah. (Genesis 6:7–8) – even Noah, who [alone] remained from them, it is not that he was worthy, but rather that he found favor in the eyes of the Lord, as it is stated: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”
רַבִּי סִימוֹן פָּתַח (ישעיה סה, ח): כֹּה אָמַר ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא הַתִּירוֹשׁ בָּאֶשְׁכּוֹל וְאָמַר אַל תַּשְׁחִיתֵהוּ כִּי בְרָכָה בּוֹ, מַעֲשֶׂה בְּחָסִיד אֶחָד שֶׁיָּצָא לְכַרְמוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת וְרָאָה עוֹלֵלָה אַחַת וּבֵרַךְ עָלֶיהָ, אָמַר כְּדַאי הִיא הָעוֹלֵלָה הַזּוֹ שֶׁנְּבָרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ, כָּךְ כֹּה אָמַר ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא הַתִּירוֹשׁ בָּאֶשְׁכּוֹל וגו'.
Rabbi Simon began: “So said the Lord: As when wine is found in a cluster4When a single wine-producing grape is found in an inferior cluster. and one says: Do not destroy it, as a blessing is in it” (Isaiah 65:8). There was an incident involving a certain pious man, who went out to his vineyard on Shabbat and saw a lone grape and recited a blessing over it. He said: This lone grape is worthy to recite a blessing over it! So too, “So said the Lord: As when wine is found in a cluster…”5So too, Noah was like a single fine grape on a vine full of inferior ones.
אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן שָׁלשׁ מְצִיאוֹת מָצָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִיב (נחמיה ט, ח): וּמָצָאתָ אֶת לְבָבוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְפָנֶיךָ. דָּוִד, דִּכְתִיב (תהלים פט, כא): מָצָאתִי דָּוִד עַבְדִּי. יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִיב (הושע ט, י): כַּעֲנָבִים בַּמִּדְבָּר מָצָאתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֲתִיבוּן חַבְרַיָא לְרַבִּי סִימוֹן, וְהָא כְתִיב וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן, אֲמַר לְהוֹן הוּא מָצָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא מָצָא. וְהָא כְתִיב (ירמיה לא, א): מָצָא חֵן בַּמִּדְבָּר, בִּזְכוּת דּוֹר הַמִּדְבָּר, וּמָצָאתָ אֶת לְבָבוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְפָנֶיךָ.
Rabbi Simon said: The Holy One blessed be He found three [precious] finds: Abraham, as it is written: “You found his heart faithful before You” (Nehemiah 9:8); David, as it is written: “I found David, My servant” (Psalms 89:21); Israel, as it is written: “Like grapes in the wilderness I found Israel” (Hosea 9:10).6In each case, God rejoiced, as when one finds a treasure. The students raised an objection to Rabbi Simon: But is it not written [also]: “But Noah found favor”? He said to them: He [Noah] found [favor], the Holy One blessed be He did not find [him].7God did not rejoice over “finding” Noah as with the others. It is Noah who found something precious – favor before God. But is it not written: “[Israel] found favor in the wilderness”? (Jeremiah 31:2).8And here it cannot be said that God did not "find” Israel, as Israel is among the three “finds.” It is due to the merit of the generation of the Wilderness.9Do not render it as “in the wilderness,” but “in the merit of the [generation of the] wilderness.” The people of Jeremiah’s time were not worthy, and were not considered “finds” by God; it is they who found favor before Him in the merit of their righteous ancestors. (“You found his heart faithful before You.”)10These words are not relevant here, and should be deleted (Yefe Toar).
רַבִּי הוּנָא וְרַבִּי פִּינְחָס וְרַבִּי חָנִין וְרַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא לָא מְפָרְשִׁין, רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ וְרַבָּנָן מְפָרְשִׁין. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְרָאָה אֶחָד וְדִבְּקוֹ, עַד הֵיכָן, עַד שֶׁקָּשַׁר עִמּוֹ אַהֲבָה. כָּךְ, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן חֵן, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (בראשית לט, ד): וַיִּמְצָא יוֹסֵף חֵן בְּעֵינָיו. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ וְרָאָה אֶחָד וְדִבְּקוֹ, עַד הֵיכָן עַד שֶׁהִשְׁלִיטוֹ. כָּךְ, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן חֵן, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (אסתר ב, טו): וַתְּהִי אֶסְתֵּר נֹשֵׂאת חֵן. רַבָּנָן אַמְרֵי לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְרָאָה אֶחָד וְדִבְּקוֹ, עַד הֵיכָן, עַד שֶׁנָּתַן לוֹ אֶת בִּתּוֹ. כָּךְ, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן חֵן, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (זכריה יב, י): וְשָׁפַכְתִּי עַל בֵּית דָּוִיד וְעַל יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלָיִם רוּחַ חֵן וְתַחֲנוּנִים, עַד הֵיכָן, עַד שֶׁהָיָה יוֹדֵעַ לְהַבְחִין אֵיזוֹ בְּהֵמָה נִיזוֹנֵת בִּשְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת בַּיּוֹם וְאֵיזוֹ נִיזוֹנֵת בְּשָׁלשׁ שָׁעוֹת בַּלַּיְלָה.
Rabbi Huna, Rabbi Pinḥas, Rabbi Ḥanin, and Rabbi Hoshaya do not disagree.11With the previous explanations. Rabbi Yoḥanan, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, and the Rabbis do disagree. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This is analogous to one who was walking on the road and he met someone and attached himself to him. To what extent? To the extent that he entered into a friendly relationship with him.12So too, God befriended Noah, as it were. So, “favor” is stated here, and it is stated elsewhere: “Joseph found favor in his eyes” (Genesis 39:4).13Joseph found favor in the eyes of Potiphar, in the sense that Potiphar befriended him.
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: This is analogous to one who was walking on the road and he met someone and attached himself to him. To what extent? To the extent that he put him in charge. So, “favor” is stated here, and it is stated elsewhere: “Esther found favor in the eyes [of all who saw her]” (Esther 2:15).14And this favor resulted in her becoming queen, a position of authority. So too, Noah was given mastery over all living things (Genesis 9:2).
The Rabbis say: This is analogous to one who was walking on the road and he met someone and attached himself to him. To what extent? To the extent that he gave him his daughter [in marriage]. So, “favor” is stated here, and it is stated elsewhere: “I will pour a spirit of grace and supplication upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:10).15The verse is referring to a spirit of divine wisdom, which is often personified as one’s “daughter” (Maharzu). Noah, too, was granted this wisdom, as the Midrash goes on to explain. To what extent? To the extent that he had the knowledge to ascertain which animal is fed in the second hour of the day and which is fed at the third hour of the night.
אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן מָצִינוּ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד עִם הָאַחֲרוֹנִים בִּזְכוּת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה עִם הָרִאשׁוֹנִים בִּזְכוּת הָאַחֲרוֹנִים, וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה', בְּאֵיזוֹ זְכוּת בִּזְכוּת תּוֹלְדוֹתָיו.
Rabbi Simon said: We find that the Holy One blessed be He performs kindness for the descendants due to the merit of their progenitor.16This is a common theme throughout the Bible. From where is it derived that the Holy One blessed be He performs [kindness] with the progenitor due to the merit of his descendants? “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” – by what merit? It is due to the merit of his descendants.17As the next verse states, "These are the offspring of Noah.” It was in the merit of his future generations that Noah was saved.