וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וּבָאתָ֙ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֔ה אַתָּ֕ה וּבָנֶ֛יךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֥ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶ֖יךָ אִתָּֽךְ׃
But I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall enter the ark, with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives.
עוד יכוון לומר שקיים עמו ברית שלא ישכחהו בתיבה והרי הוא אבוד מעצמו. והיא שעמדה לו שנאמר (לקמן ח' א') ויזכור אלהים את נח וגו' ויעבר וגו' רוח על הארץ וגו' ואחרי כן צוה לו ליכנם לתיבה בקיום ברית זה והגם שלא הוזכר שם ברית, סמך על מה שהוזכר כאן. ואפשר שרמז באומרו ויזכור אלהים כי שם זה יקרא על המשפט ובדין זכר את הברית. ורז"ל דרשו (ב"ר פל"ג) כי הפך הדין לרחמים לצד צדקתו וזה דרך דרש:
G'd may also have wanted to reassure Noach prior to his entering the ark that He would not abandon him during the time it took to sit out the deluge in the ark. Noach should not worry that the ark itself would prove a death trap. This assurance helped Noach as we know from 8,1 where the Torah mentions that G'd remembered Noach during all that time. After this G'd commanded Noach to enter the ark under the protection of this covenant. Although the covenant is not mentioned again in connection with 7,1, G'd relied on His previous assurance to Noach in this regard. The covenant is alluded to again in 8,1 where G'd is reported as "remembering" all those in the ark. Even though Rashi understands G'd as "remembering" Noach's good deeds and the animals refraining from mating while in the ark, this is homiletics and not the plain meaning of the verse.
עוד יכוון לומר שקיים עמו ברית שלא ישכחהו בתיבה והרי הוא אבוד מעצמו. והיא שעמדה לו שנאמר (לקמן ח' א') ויזכור אלהים את נח וגו' ויעבר וגו' רוח על הארץ וגו' ואחרי כן צוה לו ליכנם לתיבה בקיום ברית זה והגם שלא הוזכר שם ברית, סמך על מה שהוזכר כאן. ואפשר שרמז באומרו ויזכור אלהים כי שם זה יקרא על המשפט ובדין זכר את הברית. ורז"ל דרשו (ב"ר פל"ג) כי הפך הדין לרחמים לצד צדקתו וזה דרך דרש:
G'd may also have wanted to reassure Noach prior to his entering the ark that He would not abandon him during the time it took to sit out the deluge in the ark. Noach should not worry that the ark itself would prove a death trap. This assurance helped Noach as we know from 8,1 where the Torah mentions that G'd remembered Noach during all that time. After this G'd commanded Noach to enter the ark under the protection of this covenant. Although the covenant is not mentioned again in connection with 7,1, G'd relied on His previous assurance to Noach in this regard. The covenant is alluded to again in 8,1 where G'd is reported as "remembering" all those in the ark. Even though Rashi understands G'd as "remembering" Noach's good deeds and the animals refraining from mating while in the ark, this is homiletics and not the plain meaning of the verse.
והקמתי את בריתי אמר רבי אברהם (אבן עזרא על בראשית ו׳:י״ח) לאות כי השם נשבע לו שלא ימות במבול הוא ובניו ואם לא נכתב תחילה מפורש כאשר מצאנו במשנה תורה (דברים א כב) נשלחה אנשים לפנינו ומלת והקימותי שאקיים שבועתי והקרוב אלי שזאת הברית רמז לקשת וטעם ברית הסכמה ודבר שבחרו שנים מגזרת ברו לכם (שמואל א יז ח) והמלה בסמוך ובמוכרת וכן שבית יעקב (תהלים פה ב) ובנותיו בשבית (במדבר כא כט) ויש אומרים כי ברית גבול כרות כל אלו דבריו ויותר נכון בדרך הפשט כי ענין "והקימותי את בריתי" לאמר בעת שיבא המבול תהיה ברית קיימת אתך שתבא אל התיבה אתה וביתך ושנים מכל הבשר להחיות כלומר שתחיו שם ותתקיימו לצאת משם לחיים והברית הוא דבר השם כשיגזור אומר בלא תנאי ושיור ויקיים והזכיר הברית והזכיר שיהיה קיים והוא כלשון קיימו וקבלו היהודים עליהם ועל זרעם (אסתר ט כז) שקבלו עליהם דבר להיותו קיים ועל דרך האמת הברית מעולם היא והמלה נגזרת מן בראשית ברא אלהים והנה בריתי כמו ברייתי והמלה כמו סמוכה כי היא סמוכה לעולמים שהיו לפנינו יצוה שתקום ותהיה עם הצדיק וכן ואני הנני מקים את בריתי אתכם (בראשית ט׳:ט׳) בריתי היתה אתו (מלאכי ב ה) והמשכיל יבין:
AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that this is a sign that G-d had sworn to Noah that during the flood, neither he nor his children would die even though it is not clearly written at first. This is similar to what we find in Deuteronomy: And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said: Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us.
The meaning of V’hakimothi (And I will establish) is “I will fulfill My oath.” It appears likely to me that this covenant mentioned here refers to the rainbow, [Thus G-d hinted to Noah that after the flood He will make a covenant with him if he will fulfill the commandment concerning the making of the ark.] The meaning of the word b’rith (covenant) is an agreement and accord which two have chosen, stemming from the root, ‘b’ru’ (choose) you. And the word b’rith takes the same form in construct and in separateness. A similar case is [the word sh’vith, captivity]: ‘sh’vith’ (the captivity of) Jacob; And his daughters ‘bash’vith’ (in captivity). And some say that the word b’rith means the establishment of a boundary [to which each party to the covenant should adhere]. All these are Abraham ibn Ezra’s words.
A more correct explanation in line with the simple meaning of Scripture is that the purport of the expression, And I will establish My covenant, is, “At the time of the coming of the flood, My covenant will be established with you so that you and your family and two of all flesh will come into the ark to remain alive, that is to say, so that you will live there and maintain yourself in order to go forth from there alive.” And b’rith (covenant) means G-d’s word when He decrees something without any condition and residuary and fulfills it. Now He mentions the b’rith and mentions that it will be fulfilled, [which, according to the present interpretation is an apparent redundancy], just as we find the verse, The Jews ordained and took upon them, and upon their seed, meaning they accepted upon themselves a matter which was to exist. [Thus our verse is to be explained in a similar way, i.e., He established an unconditional covenant.]
By way of the truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], the b’rith is everlasting, the word being derived from. In the beginning G-d ‘bara’ (created). Thus brithi (My covenant) is similar to b’riyothi (My creation), and the word is alike in construct form because it is adjoined to the times there were before us. He thus commanded that the b’rith exist and be with the righteous one [Noah]. In a similar sense are the verses: As for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you; My covenant was with him. The learned student [in the mystic lore of the Cabala] will understand.
The meaning of V’hakimothi (And I will establish) is “I will fulfill My oath.” It appears likely to me that this covenant mentioned here refers to the rainbow, [Thus G-d hinted to Noah that after the flood He will make a covenant with him if he will fulfill the commandment concerning the making of the ark.] The meaning of the word b’rith (covenant) is an agreement and accord which two have chosen, stemming from the root, ‘b’ru’ (choose) you. And the word b’rith takes the same form in construct and in separateness. A similar case is [the word sh’vith, captivity]: ‘sh’vith’ (the captivity of) Jacob; And his daughters ‘bash’vith’ (in captivity). And some say that the word b’rith means the establishment of a boundary [to which each party to the covenant should adhere]. All these are Abraham ibn Ezra’s words.
A more correct explanation in line with the simple meaning of Scripture is that the purport of the expression, And I will establish My covenant, is, “At the time of the coming of the flood, My covenant will be established with you so that you and your family and two of all flesh will come into the ark to remain alive, that is to say, so that you will live there and maintain yourself in order to go forth from there alive.” And b’rith (covenant) means G-d’s word when He decrees something without any condition and residuary and fulfills it. Now He mentions the b’rith and mentions that it will be fulfilled, [which, according to the present interpretation is an apparent redundancy], just as we find the verse, The Jews ordained and took upon them, and upon their seed, meaning they accepted upon themselves a matter which was to exist. [Thus our verse is to be explained in a similar way, i.e., He established an unconditional covenant.]
By way of the truth, [the mystic lore of the Cabala], the b’rith is everlasting, the word being derived from. In the beginning G-d ‘bara’ (created). Thus brithi (My covenant) is similar to b’riyothi (My creation), and the word is alike in construct form because it is adjoined to the times there were before us. He thus commanded that the b’rith exist and be with the righteous one [Noah]. In a similar sense are the verses: As for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you; My covenant was with him. The learned student [in the mystic lore of the Cabala] will understand.
והקמתי את בריתי. את הברית שכרתי על קיום העולם. והיא הברכה שברך ה׳ את אדם וחוה ואמר אלהים זאת בריתי אקים אתך במה שתשאר אתה ובניך. ועיין בס׳ ויקרא כ״ו ט׳ מקרא כזה. ומ״ש שם:
I will establish My covenant. This refers to the blessing that Hashem gave Adam and Chavah. Its consequence here was that Noach and his family would remain alive.
Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol V, Chapter III Mizvot in the Polar Regions and in Earth Orbit 49
Pirkei de-Rabbi Eli'ezer obviously maintains that the additional twenty-four hours of daylight were not "extra-calendrical." Nevertheless, although that twenty-four hour period corresponded to the Shabbat day, Sabbath restrictions were not incumbent upon Jews during that period. When the sun did set, it was at the "conclusion of the Sabbath." It must therefore be concluded that during the twenty-four hour period during which the sun remained in the sky, time was not suspended but was "transcended." Since all of Earth was affected, time was transcended by the entire planet. Moreover, when the sun did set, Earth returned to normal patterns of time and did so as if there had been no interruption in the flow of time.
Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol V, Chapter III Mizvot in the Polar Regions and in Earth Orbit 50
In addition, a number of sources, including the Palestinian Talmud, Berakhot 8:6; Bereishit Rabbah 11:2, 12:6 and 82:17; Midrash Tehillim 92:4; and Pesikta Rabbati 23:6, record that there was no period of darkness during the very first Sabbath which came after the six days of creation; rather, there was a period of thirty-six hours of daylight followed by nightfall marking the conclusion of the Sabbath day. Yet that thirty-six hour period included a "day" deemed to be the Sabbath and was followed by a day deemed to be the first day of the following week. Again, it may be postulated that terrestrial time was temporarily transcended rather than suspended and that, when normal time patterns based upon alternating periods of light and darkness marked by sunrise and sunset resumed, time continued as if it had not been interrupted.
Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol V, Chapter III Mizvot in the Polar Regions and in Earth Orbit 51
It must then be presumed that whenever alternating periods of day-light and darkness of approximately twenty-four hours in length do not occur "time" does not exist, but when such alternating periods are reestablished the reckoning of temporal sequence must take into account the "time" that would have elapsed under normal conditions.
Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol V, Chapter III Mizvot in the Polar Regions and in Earth Orbit 64
R. Moshe Feinstein, Iggerot Mosheh, Oraḥ Hayyim, III, no. 96, and Be-Ẓel ha-Hokhmah, I, no. 31, sec. 8, similarly rule that a person traveling by plane from west to east on Tish'ah be-Av may break his fast as soon as he experiences nightfall even though he has not fasted a full twenty-four hour period. The same principle would apply to determining the onset of the eighth day for purposes of circumcision of an infant, for determining the proper time for a woman's immersion in a mikveh and for various other halakhic matters. In each of those cases there is no reason why a person may not embark upon a trip in which such a phenomenon will occur. That would also appear to be the case with regard to crossing the dateline in circumstances in which the duration of the traveler's observance of Shabbat or of his fast will be diminished.
עשרה דורות מאדם ועד נח וכי מה הוצרך לבאי עולם לכך אלא ללמדך שכל הדורות היו מכעיסין ובאין ולא הביא הקב״ה עליהם את מי המבול בשביל צדיקים וחסידים שהיו בהם. וי״א כל זמן שהיה מתושלח חי לא ירד מבול לעולם וכשמת מתושלח עוד נתלה להם שבעת ימים לאחר מיתתו שנא׳ (בראשית ז׳:י׳) ויהי לשבעת הימים מה טיבן של שבעת הימים הללו אלו ימי אבלו של צדיק שעיכב את הפורענות. לפיכך נאמר ויהי לשבעת הימים. ד"א ויהי לשבעת הימים מלמד שקבע הקב״ה להם זמן לאחר ק״כ שנה שמא יעשו תשובה ולא עשו ולכך נאמר ויהי לשבעת הימים. ד״א מלמד ששינה עליהם הקב״ה סידורו של עולם והיתה חמה יוצאת ממערב ושוקעת במזרח שמא יבינו ויתייראו ויעשו תשובה ולא עשו לכך נאמר ויהי לשבעת הימים. דבר אחר מלמד שהעריך להם הקב״ה את שולחנו והראה להם טובו מעין העולם הבא כדי שידקדקו הן בעצמן ויאמרו אוי לנו טובה זו שאבדנו וששיחתנו זרענו (מן הארץ) שנא׳ (שם ו) וירא אלהים את הארץ והנה נשחתה וגו':
There were ten generations from Adam until Noah.
And why was it necessary to bring all those people into the world? This teaches you that even as all those generations continued to anger the Holy Blessed One, He did not bring the flood upon them because of the righteous and saintly among them. And some say that as long as Methuselah was alive, the flood did not come upon the world; and even when Methuselah died, it was still held off for another seven days, as it says (Genesis 7:10), “And it was seven days, [and the waters of the flood were on the earth].” What was happening during those seven days? These were the [seven] days of mourning for that righteous man, who had prevented the punishment. That is why it says, “And it was seven days.”
Another interpretation of, “And it was seven days”: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One fixed a specific time, after 120 years, hoping that they might repent. But they did not, and so it says, “And it was seven days” [i.e., the final seven days of the countdown].
Another interpretation of, “And it was seven days”: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One changed the order of the world [which was created in seven days] for them, and had the sun rise from the west and set in the east, hoping that maybe they would understand and become afraid and repent. But they did not, and so it says, “And it was seven days.”
Another interpretation: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One set a table for them, and gave them a taste of the World to Come, so that they would gather together and say to one another, “Oy, for we have lost all this goodness, and we have caused the destruction of our descendants (from the earth), as it says (Genesis 6:12), “And God saw the earth, and it had been destroyed.”
And why was it necessary to bring all those people into the world? This teaches you that even as all those generations continued to anger the Holy Blessed One, He did not bring the flood upon them because of the righteous and saintly among them. And some say that as long as Methuselah was alive, the flood did not come upon the world; and even when Methuselah died, it was still held off for another seven days, as it says (Genesis 7:10), “And it was seven days, [and the waters of the flood were on the earth].” What was happening during those seven days? These were the [seven] days of mourning for that righteous man, who had prevented the punishment. That is why it says, “And it was seven days.”
Another interpretation of, “And it was seven days”: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One fixed a specific time, after 120 years, hoping that they might repent. But they did not, and so it says, “And it was seven days” [i.e., the final seven days of the countdown].
Another interpretation of, “And it was seven days”: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One changed the order of the world [which was created in seven days] for them, and had the sun rise from the west and set in the east, hoping that maybe they would understand and become afraid and repent. But they did not, and so it says, “And it was seven days.”
Another interpretation: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One set a table for them, and gave them a taste of the World to Come, so that they would gather together and say to one another, “Oy, for we have lost all this goodness, and we have caused the destruction of our descendants (from the earth), as it says (Genesis 6:12), “And God saw the earth, and it had been destroyed.”