Ask The Rabbi

Ask The Rabbi

category:  Chassidut

Destroying the world

The Rav Name: Rabbi Yitzchak Arad

The Torah seems to be very specific about the promise never to destroy the Earth again by a flood. The Torah is very specific on that, it seems to be that way for a reason, and the same with being vague in other places. However, in this case, it is not vague.

In class, the teacher, paraphrased, thus, Hashem promised never to destroy the Earth again. Someone asked, but that is not what it says, it says only by flood, and that leaves other options open such as fire . .. not just flood. The instructor responded, well that’s what everyone assumes, there will not be another destruction by Hashem.
I was curious about that, and checked around, and was unable to find anything on that particular question, only the assumption. I was wondering if you knew any references or commentaries dealing with this question?

Shalom and thank you for your question! I am actually somewhat confused by it, since in the Torah portion of Noah Genesis 8:21, it says “G-d smelled the pleasant aroma (of the sacrifices that Noah had brought upon having finally been able to leave the ark,) and G-d said to Himself,  I will no longer curse the earth for man, because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his (first) stirrings (in the womb). I WILL NEVER AGAIN KILL ALL LIVING THINGS as I have done.” This is quite explicit!


Later on in verse 9:11 it says “I will confirm my covenant with you that never again will all flesh be wiped out by the flood waters, and there shall not be a flood to destroy the earth.” Here G-d is speaking to Noah, and PERHAPS because Noah just survived the trauma of the flood and was presumably quite shaken by the experience, G-d speaks to him specifically about floods, while G-d’s decision above is not to wipe out mankind. Period.


The fact that what G-d says to Himself is recorded for posterity in the Torah means that it is of significance for us, for the word Torah is Hebrew for teaching or instruction. We are meant to learn something from what G-d says – even to himself! We can thus learn that G-d does not intend to wipe out the entire population of the world, since He said so!


Rabbi Meir Leibush (son of Yehiel Michel) Wisser was a well known Torah scholar and commentator, known by the acronym Malbim. He gives a fascinating insight on the first verse quoted here, 8:21; “I will no longer curse the earth for man…” sometimes it is translated from the Hebrew as “BECAUSE of man”, but the Malbim explains that the Hebrew word used connotes ‘FOR’ and not ‘because’. (This holds true for modern colloquial Hebrew as well.) What is the difference? The Malbim explains that before the flood edible products grew in a form which required no peeling. Everything was truly ready to eat off the tree or the field. Mankind grew accustomed to it and grew strong from this special food and there were giants, but they abused the system and became corrupt – therefore G-d cursed  the earth that it should produce food which would require processing before it could be consumed- and this was FOR the good of mankind – so that they would be kept too busy to sin. In other words,  G-d cursed the EARTH – FOR the good of mankind.


Regarding the business of man being described in verse 8:21 as having stirrings of evil from youth, classic commentators such as Nachmanides and Abarbanel explain that man is equipped with an evil inclination right from birth, when he does not yet have the tools of wisdom or maturity to deal with it. Only as a person grows does he/she develop a desire for self improvement. G-d takes this into account and decides not to wipe out the totality of mankind. Verse 9:22 tells us that the natural cycle of seasons will not cease either, which implies that it had temporarily ceased during the flood. This is another reassurance that G-d will continue to watch over us.


As you rightly pointed out, if the Torah is specific about something, it is for a reason!


From nohach whole story, we should learn how much a person should not be busy with himself, not to be busy only with the things that are important to him and he is interested in them, but he should also be busy with others. take care of the people around him. Like Noahch , he did everything to save all of humanity..



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