Komentarz do Rodzaju 9:8

AND G-D SPOKE TO NOAH AND TO HIS SONS. The meaning thereof is that He spoke to the sons by means of their father for his sons were not prophets, and Ham did not reach the level of prophecy. Likewise, “And the Eternal spoke to Ahaz,”²⁰⁸Reference is to the verse, Once more the Eternal spoke to Ahaz. (Isaiah 7:10.) [which means that G-d spoke to him through Isaiah].²⁰⁹See R’dak there. And so also, And the Eternal spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron,²¹⁰Exodus 7:8 and others. which according to the words of our Rabbis²¹¹Torath Kohanim Vayikra, 1. means He spoke to Moses so that he would in turn speak to Aaron. And so Scripture makes explicit at the end of the present chapter: And G-d spoke to Noah.²¹²Verse 17 here.

ויאמר אל נח ואל בניו, either Noach’s sons were also prophets, or G’d spoke to Noach to tell his sons, as we had discussed already in connection with verse 1. The reason for the word אתו, with him, was to ensure that the sons would know that the blessing applied both to them and to their offspring.

ויאמר אלוקים אל נח ואל בניו אתו, “G’d said to Noach and to his sons with him.” G’d spoke to Noach’s sons, using their father as His intermediary. The sons had not attained the spiritual level which qualified them to be addressed by G’d in their own right.

ואל בניו אתו, “and to his sons with him.” Noach’s sons also heard the divine voice. In order that we should not think that only Noach himself heard this voice and that he was to tell his sons about it, the Torah adds the word אתו, “simultaneously.” This is why you find that the paragraph phrased in the plural, i.e. G-d saying אתכם, ביניכם, “with you”, (pl) among you, (pl).” G-d included Shem and Yaphet in those whom He addressed. Cham no longer qualified for being addressed by G-d directly.

Was Gott oben, Kap.8, 21, als Beschluss אל לבו ausgesprochen, das wird hier dem Menschen für sich und seine Welt als ברית, als unabänderliche, absolute Bestimmung zugesichert, und als Motiv der von nun an fortbestehenden natürlichen Ordnung der Dinge offenbart.