GEN613  For our admonition to be successful, we must find ways to arouse the listener’s interest.  … From here we learn a practical lesson about admonition.  It is not always sufficient merely to tell someone that his conduct is improper.  Noah engaged in an action that was bound to arouse the curiosity of those who saw it. So, too, must we find ways and means to arouse the interest of people whom we want to motivate to observe Torah and mitzvot.  (Rabbi Mordechai Gifter in Pirke Torah, vol. 2, p. 143). PLYN 37-8

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GEN614 The Rabbis taught: “The generation of the flood became haughty only because of all the good bestowed upon them by the Holy One Blessed be He.  They said: ‘Is there anything we need Him for except a drop of rain?  We have plenty of rivers and wells to supply us.’  At this, the Holy One Blessed be He said: ‘They are angering me through the good that I have bestowed upon them, and it is through that same element that I will punish them,’ as it is written: ‘And I, behold, I will bring a flood of water’”  Sanhedrin 108a TEMIMAH-GEN 37

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GEN615 Observe now, said R. Simeon, that the way of the Holy One is not like the way of the mortal.  If a mortal king goes to battle he goes accompanied by armies and legions, but when he goes on a peaceful mission he goes alone.  That is not the way of the Holy One.  When He goes on a mission of peace He goes forth with armies and with legions.  As Scripture says, “He makes peace in His high Heavens,” after that it is written, “can His armies be numbered?” Job 25:3 … You find that when the Holy One inflicted punishment upon the evil Generation of the Flood, He did so entirely alone.  As Scripture says, “I, even I, do bring the flood of waters” GOODSOC 227-8

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GEN617 See [[GEN574]] Genesis 6:9 “blameless” ETHRESP 108

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GEN616 One should not praise a person excessively, since this may be misinterpreted as empty flattery.  (This verse) does not say “righteous and wholehearted” as it does at the beginning of the Torah portion (such was not said directly to Noah); hence we may infer that only a part of a man’s good qualities should be enumerated in his presence, but that in his absence the whole of his good qualities may be told.   Rashi, Eruvin 18b.  WAGS 206

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GEN618 The Sages pointed out that in several places the Torah speaks in a long-winded fashion in order to each us to use refined speech. In telling the story of the flood, the Torah speaks of certain animals as being “not clean” rather than tamei [this verse] to each us never to unnecessarily speak in a slighting manner – even of an unclean animal. JOURNEY 152

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GEN620 See [[EXOD1062]] Exodus 35:13 showbread GATES 443

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GEN619 R. Yehoshua b. Levi said: “Let a man never permit offensive speech to issue from his mouth, for the Torah resorted to an eight-letter circumlocution in order to avoid an offensive statement [“unclean beast”] Pesachim 3a  TEMIMAH-GEN 38-9

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GEN621 What was the nature of those “seven days”?  Rav said: “These were the days of mourning for Methuselah – to teach us that the mourning period for the righteous holds off the oncoming calamity.” Sanhedrin 109b  TEMIMAH-GEN 39

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GEN622 Here we have “windows,” and elsewhere [in relation to the manna] Psalms 78:23: “And He commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven” – to teach us that the measure for good is more ample than the measure for evil.  Yoma 67a TEMIMAH-GEN 39-40

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