Мидраш к Берешит 6:13

Another interpretation (of Eccl. 9:14-15): THERE WAS A LITTLE CITY, i.e., the world;⁴Gen. R. 33:2; Eccl. R. 9:14/15:1. WITH FEW PEOPLE IN IT, i.e., the generation of the flood; AND A GREAT KING CAME AGAINST IT, i.e., the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One; AND BUILT GREAT SIEGE WORKS AGAINST IT, as stated (in Gen. 6:13): BEHOLD, I AM DESTROYING THEM WITH THE EARTH. (Eccl. 9:14-15:) NOW THERE WAS FOUND IN IT A PERSON WHO WAS POOR AND WISE, i.e., Noah; WHO MIGHT HAVE DELIVERED THE CITY BY HIS WISDOM. (Gen. 7:1:) COME YOU AND ALL YOUR HOUSE INTO THE ARK. (Eccl. 9:15, cont.:) BUT NO ONE THOUGHT (ZKR) ABOUT THAT POOR PERSON. The Holy One said: No one remembered (ZKR) him, but I am remembering (rt.: ZKR) him, as stated (in Gen. 8:1): THEN GOD REMEMBERED (rt.: ZKR) NOAH.

A question. An Israelite is forbidden to steal from a fellow human being. No punishment for the performance of any prohibited act mentioned in the Torah is harsher than that administered for theft. R. Eliezer declared: The generation of the flood was guilty of every sin mentioned in the Torah, but only when they committed theft was it decreed that their memory should be obliterated in the floodwaters, as it is said: For the earth is filled with violence through them, and behold, I will destroy them with the earth (Gen. 6:13), and elsewhere it is written: Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; not one of them shall remain (Ezek. 7:11). R. Eliezer held: This verse teaches that Violence arose and stood upright, like a rod before God, and said to Him: Master of the Universe, Nought cometh from them, nor from their tumult, nor from their turmoil, neither is there eminence among them (ibid.).⁸Even violence could not tolerate the sin of theft.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 27:33): THEN ISAAC TREMBLED EXCEEDINGLY GREATLY. R. Levi said in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina:⁸⁸See Tanh., Gen. 6:13. One does not say: EXCEEDINGLY GREATLY unless there was another < event > before it (for it to exceed). So what were the two tremblings that Isaac had? One was on Mount Moriah when his father bound him and took up the knife to slaughter him. The Holy One appeared above the angels and opened up the firmament. When Isaac raised his eyes and saw the chambers of the chariot, he trembled and shook. But here he trembled, and his trembling was greater than the first time! There he trembled when he saw the Holy One, the chambers of the chariot, and the angels. But here, because Jacob had entered and taken the blessings, his trembling was greater than that < former > trembling. But why did he tremble? Nathan the Haver said in the name of R. Aha and R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite < who said > in the name of R. Johanan: When Jacob entered, the Garden of Eden entered with him, as stated (in Gen. 27:27): THEN HE SMELLED THE ODOR OF HIS GARMENTS….⁸⁹See above, 6:16; Gen. R. 65:22; Cant. R. 4:11:2. And note that he did not put on anything but clothes of goat's hair, as stated (in vs. 16): THEN SHE CLOTHED HIS ARMS < AND THE HAIRLESS PART OF HIS NECK > WITH THE SKINS OF GOAT KIDS. And you do not have a worse odor in the < whole > world than goatskins washed smooth. But what is the meaning (of vs. 27): THEN HE SMELLED THE ODOR OF HIS GARMENTS? Some interpret it to say: The Holy One blew on the clothes of Isaac the odor of the incense which was going to be used in the Temple. When Esau the Wicked entered, however, < the result was as > R. Aha and R. Johanan have said: Gehinnom entered with him. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 18:3): WHEN A WICKED ONE COMES, THERE IS ALSO DESPISING; AND WITH DISGRACE, SHAME. When Esau arrived, Isaac perceived the house becoming hot and < so > perceived Gehinnom.⁹⁰See above, 6:1, 4. He began to scream and tremble, as stated (in Gen. 27:33): THEN ISAAC TREMBLED < EXCEEDINGLY GREATLY >.