הֲֽתִקְשָׁר־רֵ֭ים בְּתֶ֣לֶם עֲבֹת֑וֹ אִם־יְשַׂדֵּ֖ד עֲמָקִ֣ים אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃
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Bereshit Rabbah
“And of every living being, of all flesh, two of each you shall bring to the ark, to keep alive with you; they shall be male and female” (Genesis 6:19).
“And of every living being, of all flesh, two…” – Rabbi Hoshaya said: Even [malevolent] disembodied spirits entered the ark with Noah, as it is stated: “…of every living being” – of those for whom souls were created, but bodies were not created for them.
Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: The re’em55A creature of incredible size. did not enter [the ark] with him,56Because it was too large. but its young did enter. Rabbi Neḥemya said: Neither it nor its offspring [could enter], but Noah tied it to the ark and it would dig furrows [in the ground]57As the ark travelled. like the one from Tiberias to Susita.58This is a reference to the Sea of Galilee. That is what is written: “Can you bind the re’em with his rope to a furrow? Will he loosen the soil of valleys after you?” (Job 39:10).
In the days of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, one of its [a re’em’s] young ascended to the Land of Israel and it did not leave a single tree that it did not uproot. They declared a fast and Rabbi Ḥiyya prayed, whereupon its mother bellowed from the wilderness, and it went back down following her voice.
“They shall be male and female” – if you see a male pursuing a female59In courtship. accept it; a female pursuing a male, do not accept it.60The fact that male is mentioned here before female teaches that it is proper that the male, not the female, should play the dominant role in courtship.
“And of every living being, of all flesh, two…” – Rabbi Hoshaya said: Even [malevolent] disembodied spirits entered the ark with Noah, as it is stated: “…of every living being” – of those for whom souls were created, but bodies were not created for them.
Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: The re’em55A creature of incredible size. did not enter [the ark] with him,56Because it was too large. but its young did enter. Rabbi Neḥemya said: Neither it nor its offspring [could enter], but Noah tied it to the ark and it would dig furrows [in the ground]57As the ark travelled. like the one from Tiberias to Susita.58This is a reference to the Sea of Galilee. That is what is written: “Can you bind the re’em with his rope to a furrow? Will he loosen the soil of valleys after you?” (Job 39:10).
In the days of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, one of its [a re’em’s] young ascended to the Land of Israel and it did not leave a single tree that it did not uproot. They declared a fast and Rabbi Ḥiyya prayed, whereupon its mother bellowed from the wilderness, and it went back down following her voice.
“They shall be male and female” – if you see a male pursuing a female59In courtship. accept it; a female pursuing a male, do not accept it.60The fact that male is mentioned here before female teaches that it is proper that the male, not the female, should play the dominant role in courtship.