ד"א ויזכר אלהים את נח. אם לנח נזכר למה לחיה ולבהמה, אלא יתברך שמו של הקב"ה שאינו מקפח שכר כל בריה, אפילו עכבר היה משמר משפחתו, ולא נתערב במין אחר, כדי ליטול שכר, וכל אנשי דור המבול ערבבו משפחותיהם, שנאמר וירא אלהים את הארץ והנה נשחתה (בראשית ו יב), לפיכך כשם שפרע מן האדם שחטאו, כך פרע מן הבהמה והחיה והעוף, ומנין שנפרע מהם, שנאמר ויאמר ה' אמחה וגו' (שם ו ז), וכל כך למה, ללמדך שאף הם ערבו משפחותיהם, והיו הולכין על מין שאינו שלהן, כל מין ומין על מין שאינו שלו, וקרא הקב"ה לנח ויאמר לו בחר לך בהמה וחיה ועוף [מאותן] שלא ערבבו את משפחותיהן, שנאמר מכל הבהמה הטהורה (שם ז ב), טהורה כשם שנבראת, וכיון שיצאו מן התבה העיד עליהן הקב"ה שלא ערבבו משפחותם, שנא' למשפחותיהם יצאו (שם ח יט), לפיכך נזכר להם הקב"ה עם נח, שנא' ויזכר אלהים את נח.
Another interpretation (of Gen. 8:1): THEN GOD REMEMBERED NOAH, < ALL THE BEASTS, AND ALL THE CATTLE >. If he remembered Noah, why < also > the beasts and the cattle? May the name of the Holy One be blessed, who never deprives any creature of its reward. If even a mouse has preserved its family37As in English, the Hebrew word for “family” can also mean “species.” and not intermingled with another species, it deserves to receive a reward. But all the people from the generation of the flood did mingle their families, as stated (in Gen. 6:12): THEN GOD SAW THE WORLD; AND BEHOLD, IT WAS CORRUPT. Thus, just as he had exacted retribution from the humans who had sinned, so he exacted retribution from the cattle, the beasts, and the fowl. And where is it shown that retribution was exacted from them? Where it is stated (in Gen. 6:7): AND THE LORD SAID: I WILL BLOT OUT < THE HUMANITY WHICH I CREATED FROM UPON THE FACE OF THE GROUND, HUMANITY TOGETHER WITH CATTLE, CREEPING THINGS, AND THE FOWL OF THE HEAVENS >…. And why all those? In order to teach you that they also had mingled their families and were having intercourse with species that were not their own, each and every species with a species that was not its own. Then the Holy One called Noah and said to him: Choose for yourself cattle, beasts, and fowl [from those] who have not mingled their families, as stated (in Gen. 7:2): FROM EVERY CLEAN BEAST, < those > just as clean as when they were created. Then, when they went out from the ark, the Holy One testified concerning them that they had not mingled their families. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 8:19): THEY WENT OUT BY THEIR FAMILIES. The Holy One, therefore, remembered them along with Noah, as stated (in Gen. 8:1): THEN GOD REMEMBERED NOAH, < ALL THE BEASTS, AND ALL THE CATTLE >.
ד"א ויזכר אלהים את נח. אם לנח נזכר למה לחיה ולבהמה, אלא יתברך שמו של הקב"ה שאינו מקפח שכר כל בריה, אפילו עכבר היה משמר משפחתו, ולא נתערב במין אחר, כדי ליטול שכר, וכל אנשי דור המבול ערבבו משפחותיהם, שנאמר וירא אלהים את הארץ והנה נשחתה (בראשית ו יב), לפיכך כשם שפרע מן האדם שחטאו, כך פרע מן הבהמה והחיה והעוף, ומנין שנפרע מהם, שנאמר ויאמר ה' אמחה וגו' (שם ו ז), וכל כך למה, ללמדך שאף הם ערבו משפחותיהם, והיו הולכין על מין שאינו שלהן, כל מין ומין על מין שאינו שלו, וקרא הקב"ה לנח ויאמר לו בחר לך בהמה וחיה ועוף [מאותן] שלא ערבבו את משפחותיהן, שנאמר מכל הבהמה הטהורה (שם ז ב), טהורה כשם שנבראת, וכיון שיצאו מן התבה העיד עליהן הקב"ה שלא ערבבו משפחותם, שנא' למשפחותיהם יצאו (שם ח יט), לפיכך נזכר להם הקב"ה עם נח, שנא' ויזכר אלהים את נח.
Another interpretation (of Gen. 8:1): THEN GOD REMEMBERED NOAH, < ALL THE BEASTS, AND ALL THE CATTLE >. If he remembered Noah, why < also > the beasts and the cattle? May the name of the Holy One be blessed, who never deprives any creature of its reward. If even a mouse has preserved its family37As in English, the Hebrew word for “family” can also mean “species.” and not intermingled with another species, it deserves to receive a reward. But all the people from the generation of the flood did mingle their families, as stated (in Gen. 6:12): THEN GOD SAW THE WORLD; AND BEHOLD, IT WAS CORRUPT. Thus, just as he had exacted retribution from the humans who had sinned, so he exacted retribution from the cattle, the beasts, and the fowl. And where is it shown that retribution was exacted from them? Where it is stated (in Gen. 6:7): AND THE LORD SAID: I WILL BLOT OUT < THE HUMANITY WHICH I CREATED FROM UPON THE FACE OF THE GROUND, HUMANITY TOGETHER WITH CATTLE, CREEPING THINGS, AND THE FOWL OF THE HEAVENS >…. And why all those? In order to teach you that they also had mingled their families and were having intercourse with species that were not their own, each and every species with a species that was not its own. Then the Holy One called Noah and said to him: Choose for yourself cattle, beasts, and fowl [from those] who have not mingled their families, as stated (in Gen. 7:2): FROM EVERY CLEAN BEAST, < those > just as clean as when they were created. Then, when they went out from the ark, the Holy One testified concerning them that they had not mingled their families. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 8:19): THEY WENT OUT BY THEIR FAMILIES. The Holy One, therefore, remembered them along with Noah, as stated (in Gen. 8:1): THEN GOD REMEMBERED NOAH, < ALL THE BEASTS, AND ALL THE CATTLE >.