פירוש על בראשית 6:16

צהר A LIGHT — Some say this was a window; others say that it was a precious stone that gave light to them (Genesis Rabbah 31:11).

בצדה תשים, on the side which is wide, for that is the side called צד. The long side is referred to as צלע.

צהר, this word is derived from the word צהרים, “noon,” an instruction that Noach make a window in the ark that would let in the light after the rain would stop falling, during the long period when the water level would gradually subside. This is what is meant in 8,7 when the Torah wrote ויפתח נח את החלון, “Noach opened the window.” Some of our sages (Bereshit Rabbah 31,11 ) believe that Noach suspended a brilliant gemstone which provided light inside the ark. The words תעשה לתבה, “you shall construct for or inside the ark,” contradict such an explanation. There is no question that Noach had prepared oil for the lamps he took along into the ark. The window mentioned here in our verse is a natural source of light, affixed by Noach in the highest part of the ark.

צוהר, “a light,” according to some commentators this source of light was a gem stone which refracted whatever light was available in all directions. Others believe that the reference is to some kind of window (transparent material) Our sages question that seeing that the sun and moon did not operate during the duration of the flood, what good would a window have done? The answer provided is that it would enable the people inside the ark to calculate when 12 months would have passed. This is not a satisfactory answer either; however we know that a window had functions other than the admitting of light from the outside, namely it served as a means to dispatch the raven and the dove, as we will learn later on. [disposal of garbage could also be achieved by that means. Ed.]

What is the meaning of a door in the side: for he says, "Thou shalt make a door in the side?" (Genesis 6:16).

Others say it was a precious stone. The word צהר is similar to צהרים, denoting illumination. And some say it was a window, for it is written (8:6), “Noach opened the window of the ark.” If so, [why do the others say it was a precious stone? Because] the window was only for air. (Nachalas Yaakov)

צהר. Die צ-Form von זהר scheint fast auf eine künstliche Beleuchtung hinzuweisen. (Heißt vielleicht Öl zunächst als wichtigstes Beleuchtungsmittel יצהר, sowie als Nahrungsmittel שמן?) Sicherlich nicht ohne Grund wird die Einrichtung so ganz speziell mitgeteilt und später wiederholt hervorgehoben, dass Noa alles כֵן, ganz so gemacht habe. Gott hätte in tausendfacher Weise retten können — ob die Größe der Arche hinreichend war usw. sind Überlegungen, die wir ziemlich bei Seite lassen können. Gott erwählt einen Menschen, der soll sich, seine Familie und die Tierwelt für die Zukunft retten; er rettet sie und sich nur dann, wenn er alles so und nur so vollbringt, wie ihm befohlen. גדול המצווה ועושה ממי שאין מצווה ועושה, die gebotene Vollbringung ist bei weitem größer, als die willkürliche, ist erster jüdischer Grundsatz. Im Gegensatz zur herrschenden Ansicht hat wahren Wert nur das, was zur Erfüllung des göttlichen Willens geschieht. Was jemand nach eigener Eingebung usw. übt, hat nur zweifelhafte, untergeordnete Bedeutung. Was hätte Noa in den 120 Jahren nicht noch alles zur Rettung tun können! Hundert Archen bauen usw. usw. Es dürfte hier daher vielmehr nur gesagt sein, dass sich Noa darauf beschränkte, das, das aber ganz zu tun, was Gott befohlen hatte, und Gott das Weitere überließ.

1. צהר, tzohar, window, opening in Gematria: In the light of the stone.

ואל אמה תכלנה מלמעלה, “and finish it to within a cubit from the top;” this was meant to prevent the rains from getting into the ark and causing its planks to rot. If you were to argue that the rains then could cause the width of the ark to start rotting, we refer you to the commentary of Rabbi Joseph Kara, who understands the subject in the verse to be the window. This window should be affixed in the upper cubit near the roof, the cover of the ark.

צהר תעשה לתיבה “you are to provide means of illumination for the ark.” According to most opinions this is a reference to the window that Noach used later on to dispatch the raven and the turtle dove. During the period that this “window” was kept closed he suspended in that area a jewel which sparkled and provided interior lighting. When we understand this in this manner, our sages, some of whom spoke only of the jewel and others only of the “window,” are both correct, except that neither of them gave us the full explanation. When the Torah told Noach to provide interior lighting it was because during most of days of the deluge illumination from the sky was totally absent, neither sun, nor moon or stars being visible. Noach had to use his ingenuity to provide for interior lighting.

ואל אמה תכלנה מלמעלה AND TO A CUBIT SHALT THOU FINISH IT UPWARD — Its covering (roof) slanted upwards so that it narrowed at the top to a cubit, in order that the water should run off on both sides.

תחתיים, the lower deck in ships; as in any other ship, the customary lower deck.

ואל אמה, to the uppermost cubit of the slanting roof of the ark. It is called thus seeing that at the top there was no more than one cubit of width between the roof sloping down on one side and that sloping down on the other side. The purpose of the slanting roof was to let the rain run off the ark.

So that the water would flow. I.e., rather than seep inside. You might ask: Why not make it flat, but very strong and thick so the rainwater could not penetrate? The answer is: Rashi means it had an open space of one amoh, since a house without air is uninhabitable. But if it would be completely open the rain would fall in. Thus Noach made the open space only one amoh in length, with a tiny width of a sixth of an amoh, i.e., a tefach. [The roof sloped down in four directions from the open space,] and below, the teivah’s length was three hundred amos, while on top, only one amoh in length. This is one three-hundredth. Below, the width was fifty amos. Thus the width above was one sixth of an amoh, i.e., one tefach. For fifty amos is three hundred tefachim, and the width [above] was one three-hundredth [of the width below].

ואל אמה תכלנה מלמעלה, this phrase describes more detail about the expression צהר. It instructs Noach to affix the lighting near the top end of the ark. The “lamp” was supposed to be fuelled by oil, as hinted at by the letters in the word צהר which are the same as יצהר, “pure oil.” Both the words חלון and צהר are used in Scripture in the masculine and feminine mode. Compare Kings I 6,4. Interestingly enough, the word חלון, window is used both in the masculine and feminine mode, presumably as a reminder that windows can be used both in order to look out or in order to look in, or to allow light to come in.

בצדה תשים THOU SHALT SET [THE DOOR] IN THE SIDE THEREOF — in order that the rain might not penetrate.

ופתח התבה, the entrance/exit which was closed after everybody who was entitled to enter the ark had entered it.

שניים ושלשים, they are similar, parallel to the lower deck.

So that the rain may not seep through. Rashi is answering the question: Are not ship openings normally on the top?

ופתח התיבה בצדה תשים “and you are to position the entrance to the ark sideways.” Contrary to what we might think the entrance was not to be in the middle of the broadside of the ark, but at the corner where it would be least exposed to the elements. An alternate interpretation of the word: בצדה; on the third level (from the bottom) of the ark.

תחתים שנים ושלישים WITH LOWER, SECOND AND THIRD STORIES — Three stories one above the other: the top rooms for the human beings, the middle ones as cabins for the cattle, and the bottom was for the refuse (Sanhedrin 108b).

תחתים, a lower deck; the letter י in this word serves a dual purpose, a) to represent the plural mode of the word, as well as 2) a letter describing a relative and not an absolute position. When speaking of the third deck, שלשים, the letter י which would reflect the relative position is unnecessary (seeing it was the top, i.e. highest deck) so that we do not find the dagesh in the י in that word. The י describing the plural mode does appear, just as it does in words such as נכרים, gentiles, or in מצרים, Egyptians. In Bereshit Rabbah 31,11 we are told that the lower deck served as the container of refuse, the middle deck as the accommodation for the family of Noach and the pure animals, [the ones fit as sacrifices], whereas the upper deck served as accommodation for the impure species of animals. Some scholars believe that the lowest deck accommodated the ritually impure species of animals, the middle deck was reserved for Noach and his family as well as for the ritually pure animals, whereas the top deck was for the refuse. Noach constructed sort of a trap door through which he shoveled the refuse.

תחתיים שניים, ושלישים, the third floor (deck) was intended for the human beings inhabiting the ark, as well as for the storage of the entire food supply.