The Mabul & the Yom Tov of Sukkos

(כא) וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֗ מִכָּל־מַֽאֲכָל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל וְאָסַפְתָּ֖ אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה לְךָ֛ וְלָהֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָֽה׃

(21) For your part, take of everything that is eaten and store it away, to serve as food for you and for them.”

(לט) אַ֡ךְ בַּחֲמִשָּׁה֩ עָשָׂ֨ר י֜וֹם לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בְּאָסְפְּכֶם֙ אֶת־תְּבוּאַ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ תָּחֹ֥גּוּ אֶת־חַג־יְהוָ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים בַּיּ֤וֹם הָֽרִאשׁוֹן֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן וּבַיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֖י שַׁבָּתֽוֹן׃

(39) Mark, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the yield of your land, you shall observe the festival of the LORD [to last] seven days: a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day.

Parallel #1:

Noach is commanded to gather in produce before going on the ark.

Sukkos is the festival of the ingathering of produce.

(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ לְנֹ֔חַ בֹּֽא־אַתָּ֥ה וְכָל־בֵּיתְךָ֖ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה...

(1) Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark...

(טו) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־נֹ֥חַ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (טז) צֵ֖א מִן־הַתֵּבָ֑ה...

(15) God spoke to Noah, saying, (16) “Come out of the ark...

ורבא אמר מהכא (ויקרא כג, מב) בסוכות תשבו שבעת ימים אמרה תורה כל שבעת הימים צא מדירת קבע ושב בדירת עראי...

Rava said from here: “In sukkos shall you reside seven days” (Leviticus 23:42). The Torah said: For all seven days, leave your permanent residence and reside in a temporary residence...

Parallel #2:

The Ark was a temporary dwelling.

The Sukkah is a temporary dwelling.

(טו) וְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֹתָ֑הּ שְׁלֹ֧שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אַמָּ֗ה אֹ֚רֶךְ הַתֵּבָ֔ה חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים אַמָּה֙ רָחְבָּ֔הּ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים אַמָּ֖ה קוֹמָתָֽהּ׃
(15) This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
מתני׳ סוכה שהיא גבוהה למעלה מעשרים אמה פסולה ורבי יהודה מכשיר ושאינה גבוהה עשרה טפחים ושאין לה (שלשה) דפנות ושחמתה מרובה מצלתה פסולה:

MISHNA: A sukka that is more than twenty cubits high is invalid. Rabbi Yehuda deems kosher. And one that is not even ten handbreadths high, or does not have three walls, or whose sunlit area is greater than its shaded area is invalid.

Parallel #3:

The Ark has required dimensions.

The Sukkah has required dimensions.

(א) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ לְנֹ֔חַ בֹּֽא־אַתָּ֥ה וְכָל־בֵּיתְךָ֖ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה...כִּי֩ לְיָמִ֨ים ע֜וֹד שִׁבְעָ֗ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ מַמְטִ֣יר עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ...׃

(1) Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark...For in seven days’ time I will make it rain upon the earth...”

מתני׳ מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים...ר' יהושע אומר מיום טוב האחרון של חג

From when does one mention the might of the rains?...Rabbi Yehoshua says: From the last Festival day of the festival (of Sukkos, i.e. Shemini Atzeres).

Parallel #4:

Noach is commanded to go into the Ark for 7 days before it rains.

We go into the Sukkah for 7 days before we pray for rain.

(ד) וַתָּ֤נַח הַתֵּבָה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י בְּשִׁבְעָה־עָשָׂ֥ר י֖וֹם לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י אֲרָרָֽט׃

(4) so that in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

Parallel #5:

The 17th day of the 7th month (Tishrei) is the 3rd day of Sukkos. The 3rd day of creation saw the emergence of dry land.

On 17th day of the 7th month in the flood story, the Ark first came to rest on dry land.

(ב) מִכֹּ֣ל ׀ הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה תִּֽקַּח־לְךָ֛ שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה...

(2) Of every clean animal you shall take seven pairs...

(ב) שבעה שבעה. כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּקְרִיב מֵהֶם קָרְבָּן בְּצֵאתוֹ:

(2) שבעה שבעה SEVEN AND SEVEN — so that he can make an offering from among them when leaving the Ark (Genesis Rabbah 34:9).

(יג) וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֨ם עֹלָ֜ה...כְּבָשִׂ֧ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֛ה אַרְבָּעָ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר...

(13) You shall present a burnt offering...fourteen yearling lambs...

Parallel #6:

Noach was commanded to bring 7 pairs (14 total) of clean animals onto the ark for the sake of an offering.

We are commanded to bring 14 lambs on each day of Sukkos for the sake of an offering.

(יז) וַאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶת־הַמַּבּ֥וּל מַ֙יִם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ חַיִּ֔ים מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֖רֶץ יִגְוָֽע׃

(17) “For My part, I am about to bring the Flood—waters upon the earth—to destroy all flesh under the sky in which there is breath of life; everything on earth shall perish.


מתני׳ בארבעה פרקים העולם נידון...ובחג נידונין על המים:

MISHNA: At four times the world is judged...on the festival (of Sukkos) they are judged on water

Parallel #7:

In the flood story, the world is judged with water.

On Sukkos, the world is judged for water.

(יד) וְהָיָ֕ה בְּעַֽנְנִ֥י עָנָ֖ן עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְנִרְאֲתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת בֶּעָנָֽן׃ (טו) וְזָכַרְתִּ֣י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֤ר בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֛ין כָּל־נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה בְּכָל־בָּשָׂ֑ר וְלֹֽא־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה ע֤וֹד הַמַּ֙יִם֙ לְמַבּ֔וּל לְשַׁחֵ֖ת כָּל־בָּשָֽׂר׃
(14) When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, (15) I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature among all flesh, so that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

דתניא כי בסוכות הושבתי את בני ישראל ענני כבוד היו דברי ר' אליעזר

It is taught in a baraita: “I made the children of Israel to reside in sukkot”; these booths were clouds of glory, this is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer.

Parallel #8:

In the flood story, the rainbow reminds us that G-d protected us from clouds

On Sukkos, the Sukkah reminds us that G-d protected us with clouds