Мишлей 28:5 Мидраш: Aggadat Bereshit & Midrash Tanchuma Buber

[2] Another interpretation: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth." And scriptures say: The people of wickedness do not understand justice (Proverbs 28:5). The people of wickedness are the people of the generation of the flood, who sinned and did not heed the warning of the impending punishment. Those who seek God will understand everything (Proverbs 28:5), such as Noah and his sons, who heard that Holy One, Blessed be He, was bringing a flood to the world and became afraid. Why did Holy One, Blessed be He, tell Noah to build an ark? So that they would see him and repent. It was not that God was unable to save Noah through his faith and word or to raise him to the heavens, as he told him to make an ark of gopher wood (Genesis 6:14). Rather, Holy One, Blessed be He, said this while making an ark and cutting cedars, and they gathered around him and asked him what he was doing. He replied, "God commanded me to make an ark," and explained that he was bringing a flood to the world because they angered him. They heard this and repented, as it is said, "The people of wickedness do not understand justice."

Another interpretation: AND THE LORD SAW: This text is related (to Prov. 28:5): EVIL PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND JUDGMENT: These are the generation of the flood, who were sinning without considering that retribution was coming upon them. (Ibid., cont.:) BUT THOSE WHO SEEK THE LORD UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING. These are Noah and his children, who heard from the Holy One that he would bring the flood and stood in awe of the Holy One. Come and see why the Holy One told Noah and his children to make an ark.¹⁰⁶Cf. Sanh. 108ab. < He did so > for them to see him while he was working on it and repent. Otherwise, could not the Holy One have rescued Noah through the heavens or through other means instead of telling him (in Gen. 6:14): MAKE YOURSELF AN ARK OF GOPHER WOOD?¹⁰⁷The translation is emended slightly in agreement with Aggadat Bereshit 1:2. The Buber text translates as follows: Otherwise, could not the Holy One have rescued Noah through the heavens or through commands after he had told him: MAKE YOURSELF AN ARK OF GOPHER WOOD? (Gen. 6:16:) AND YOU ARE TO MAKE A WINDOW (for enlightenment)¹⁰⁸The Hebrew word for WINDOW here (tsohar) can also carry the connotation of enlightenment. FOR THE ARK. And why so? The Holy One said: For this reason: When I tell him to make an ark and he is busy at it, they will gather about him and say to him: Noah, what are you making? Then he will say to them: An ark, for the Holy One has told me that he is bringing a flood to the world because they are provoking him; and thereby they will repent. So the Holy One calculated, but they paid no attention to him. Ergo it says (in Prov. 28:5): EVIL PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND JUDGMENT.