Midrasch zu Bereschit 8:15

And God spoke to Noah, saying: “Go forth from the ark” (Gen. 8:15). May our master instruct us whether one is permitted to place saliva upon an ailing eye on the Sabbath. R. Hiyya the son of Abba stated in the name of R. Levi: It is forbidden to place saliva on an ailing eye on the Sabbath, for that would be equivalent to healing on the Sabbath.¹⁴Cf. Shabbat 10b, Buber Tanhuma, Noah 13. Come and see that there is no ailment in all the world for which there is no cure. What is the cure for an act resulting from the evil inclination? Repentance.

[(Gen. 8:15:) AND GOD SPOKE UNTO NOAH, SAYING: GO FORTH FROM THE ARK.] {Our masters have taught} [Let our master instruct us]: Is it permitted < for one > to put tasteless spittle³⁸I.e., spittle of one who has not eaten. See Nid. 9:7. upon the eye on the Sabbath?³⁹Tanh., Gen. 2:8; Shab. 108b. R. Hiyya bar Abba said: It is forbidden to put tasteless spittle upon the eye on the Sabbath because he would be like one who heals on the Sabbath.⁴⁰Cf. Mark 3:1-6 & //s. Come and see that there is no affliction in the world for which there is no cure. Then what is the cure for the evil drive? Repentance. R. Judah bar Shallum said in the name of R. Eliezer: Three things nullify a harsh decree.⁴¹ySanh. 10:2 (28c); Gen. R. 44:12; Eccl. R. 5:6:1; 7:14:1. These are the following: prayer, repentance, and almsgiving. R. Huna b. R. Jose said: Also a change of name and good works. For that reason the Holy One was waiting for the generation of the flood, in case they should repent and he accept them. But since they did not repent, he blotted them out with water, as stated (in Gen. 7:23): AND HE BLOTTED OUT ALL LIVING THINGS. He left Noah and his sons as a remnant in the ark. When the waters came to rest, Noah had to go out of the ark. Noah said, however: I entered with authorization [from the Holy One], as stated (in Gen. 7:1): COME YOU < AND ALL YOUR HOUSE INTO THE ARK >. So shall I now go out without authorization? The Holy One said to him: Are you seeking permission? Here is permission for you, {as stated} [concerning which we have read on the matter] (in Gen. 8:16): GO FORTH FROM THE ARK.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 8:16): GO FORTH FROM THE ARK. This text is related (to Eccl. 8:2-3): I < SAY >: KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND, AND BECAUSE OF THE OATH OF GOD, < DO NOT BE DISMAYED >.⁴⁶Tanh., Gen. 2:10; Lev. R. 33:6. The Holy Spirit said to them: I made you swear that if a kingdom makes decrees over you, you shall not rebel against it in respect to anything which it has commanded concerning you. Rather, I < SAY >: KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND. However, if it commands you to abolish the Torah, the commandments and the Sabbath, do not obey them. I < SAY > KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND, in respect to anything which is necessary, but BECAUSE OF THE OATH OF GOD, DO NOT BE DISMAYED. LEAVE HIS PRESENCE; [DO NOT REMAIN IN SOMETHING EVIL]. Why? Because they will not separate you from the commandments, unless you deny the Holy One. Ergo: BECAUSE OF THE OATH OF GOD. And thus did Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah do when Nebuchadnezzar set up the image. They said to him: What do you think? That when you cast us into the midst of a fiery furnace, the Holy One will not save us? Whether he saves or does not save us, we will not bow down to the image. Thus it is stated (in Dan. 3:17): IF OUR GOD WHOM WE SERVE IS ABLE TO SAVE US, HE SHALL SAVE US FROM THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE AND FROM YOUR HAND. O KING. It is also written after this (in vs. 18): BUT IF NOT, BE IT KNOWN TO YOU, O KING, THAT WE SHALL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS NOR PAY HOMAGE TO THE IMAGE OF GOLD WHICH YOU HAVE SET UP. Nebuchadnezzar said to them: Are you telling the truth? It is so stated (in vs. 14): IS IT TRUE, SHADRACH, MESHACH, < AND ABEDNEGO >? They said to him: WE DO NOT {CARE} [NEED] TO ANSWER YOU IN THIS MATTER. They said to him: With respect to whatever you may decree for us, crop taxes,⁴⁷Lat.: annona. imposts, poll taxes, we shall obey you; but with regard to denying the Holy One, we will not obey you. (Eccl. 8:2f.:) BECAUSE OF THE OATH OF GOD, DO NOT BE DISMAYED. LEAVE HIS PRESENCE. When he heard that from them, he began to be angry, as stated (in Dan. 3:19): THEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS FILLED WITH RAGE. When they had heated the furnace, they threw them in bound. When they had descended into the midst of the furnace, they raised their eyes to the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and said: Sovereign of the Universe, you know that we have not trusted in our works but in your name. (Ps. 115:1:) NOT UNTO US, O LORD, NOT UNTO US, BUT UNTO YOUR NAME GIVE GLORY…. Behold now, this wicked man had assembled all the tongues, as stated (in Dan. 3:3): THEN WERE ASSEMBLED THE SATRAPS…. {(Ps. 115:2:) WHY SHOULD THE NATIONS SAY < WHERE NOW IS THEIR GOD > ?} Immediately the angels wanted to go down to free them. The Holy One said to them: Was it for your name that they descended (into the furnace)? For my name they descended, and I will descend to free them. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 146:7): [THE ONE WHO EXECUTES JUSTICE FOR THE OPPRESSED]…. THE LORD FREES THOSE WHO ARE BOUND. The Holy One freed them immediately, flooded the furnace, and raised them up.⁴⁸Cf. Sanh. 92b (bar.), according to which the furnace was raised. Then he leveled it (the furnace) to the ground, since it was deep. When the angel saw that, he said to them: Come out of there; for behold, the Holy One has freed you, performed miracles for you, and leveled the furnace to the ground. Come forth! They said to him: We are not coming forth without Nebuchadnezzar lest they say: They fled from the furnace. (Eccl. 8:2:) I < SAY >: KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND: With his permission we entered into here, and with his permission we are going forth. When Nebuchadnezzar came and saw them, he was astonished. He began crying out to them, as stated (in Dan. 3:26): HE SPOKE AND SAID: SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO, SERVANTS OF THE GREAT GOD [GET OUT AND COME]. "Get out and come up" is not written here, but GET OUT AND COME. Hence < one may conclude > that the furnace was leveled to the ground. They immediately said to the king: Now we will leave. Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.): THEN SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO CAME OUT [FROM THE MIDST OF THE FIRE]. From whom had they learned < what to do >? From Noah, who had entered the ark with the permission of the Holy One. Now it is stated (in Gen. 8:15-16): AND GOD SPOKE UNTO NOAH < … > GO FORTH FROM THE ARK. For when the earth had dried out and the ark had come to rest, as stated (in Gen. 8:4): SO THE ARK CAME TO REST, his sons said to him: Let us go out. He said to them: Heaven forbid! With the permission of the Holy One we entered, and with the permission of the Holy One we will leave. When the Holy One heard that, he immediately gave them permission, as stated (in Gen. 8:15-16): AND GOD SPOKE UNTO NOAH < … > GO FORTH FROM THE ARK.

And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur (Exod. 15:22). The wilderness of Shur is actually the wilderness of Kazab. They say that the wilderness of Kazab was eight hundred parasangs square and was filled with serpents and scorpions, as is stated: Who led thee through the great and dreadful wilderness, wherein were serpents, fiery serpents, and scorpions (Deut. 8:15). R. Yosé the son of Hanina declared: The serpents were the size of the beam of a house, and the scorpions were the width of a span.

And God spoke to Noah, saying: Go forth from the Ark, etc. (Gen 8:15). It is written, 'Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto Your name; the righteous shall crown themselves because of me; for You will deal bountifully with me' (Ps. 142:8). 'Bring my soul out of prison' this is Noah, who was imprisoned twelve months in the Ark; 'That I may give thanks to Your name' to give thanks to Your [awe-inspiring] name; 'The righteous shall crown themselves because of me': the righteous shall glory in me. 'For You will deal bountifully with me': You did deal bountifully with me and said to me: Go forth from the Ark.