God is going to destroy the world, and Noach, his family, and the animals brought into the tevah will be the only survivors. Fairly simple; pretty straightforward – enter into the big boat before it rains too hard and everything and everyone is washed away. So why does God need to command Noach twice? And even more enigmatic, these two commands are listed right after one another – the first in 6:18-22 (concluding that chapter), and the second in 7:1-5 (introducing the next chapter)! Normally, when there are repeated words, phrases, episodes or commands in TaNaKH, there is a wider separation between the repetitions (and often it is the different surrounding contexts which help define the differing messages of the seeming redundancies). We can assume in our case, however, that because of their purposeful immediate juxtaposition and similarity of content, these statements are of equal weight and significance; in other words, one, singular command to enter into the tevah , split into two different statements: two sides of one declaration.
Listing the wording of both commands:
|And God (אלוקים) said to Noach…
|And The Lord (ה’) said to Noach…
|And I will sustain my brit with you…
|I have seen you as a righteous person before me in this generation
|Go to the ark, you, your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives
|Go to the ark, you and your entire household
|And from all the animals and flesh, bring two into the ark
|From all the pure animals take for yourself seven, male and female; from the impure animals, take two, male and female.
|And from the birds in their species and the animals in their species and from all the creeping insects in their species, two of each will come to you to live
|And also from the birds in the sky take seven each in order to sustain the Land’s produce.
|And Noach did all that God (אלוקים) commanded him.
|And Noach did all that The Lord (ה’) commanded him.
Looking more closely at the details of the first command, we can mark immediately that it is specifically אלוקים who speaks and it is אלוקים who Noach ultimately heeds. Therefore, we can assume that this command possesses a strong universal tone. Continuing further, what is this “ברית” that God is going to sustain through Noach? In Yirmiyahu (33: 20) it uses this word in describing the world’s natural system: “If you will break My brit of the Day and My brit of the Night; causing day and night not to come in their time”. This reference, along with God’s pledge after the flood, that “I will no longer destroy growth and harvest, cold and hot, summer and winter and night and day” (8:22) conveys to us once again – consistent with the “אלוקים” Who is delivering this command to enter the tevah – a universal, world-focused message vs. a specifically personal, Noach-oriented one. And the wording of the command for who/what to take into the tevah: 1) Sons, wife and sons’ wives – this generation and the progenitors of the next one; 2) two of every animal – simple, unembellished; exactly what the world will need to replenish its animal kingdom; 3) a collection from every species – to perfectly recreate the world to its original state, sans nothing.
The second command assumes a totally opposite focus: it’s the personal God Who is delivering the command and Whose command Noach will heed; the salvation is for Noach and his entire household (i.e. not about specific procreative facilitators of the future but a personal salvation of he and his family); pure and impure animals (an emphasized distinction only important to Noach and his family in regards to food and sacrifices); and the birds are specifically brought to sustain the land’s produce, i.e. facilitate the land’s future food production for Noach (and the rest of the animals) to survive in the soon-to-be decimated world.
What we can therefore readily discern is that in fact there were two destructions and two salvations actualized by the flood and the tevah, respectively. One which consisted of the destruction and salvation of Noach’s personal world; and the second was that of Humankind and the land, which were to be destroyed by the flood waters and then saved by Noach, his family, and his tevah. And this second ‘destruction/salvation’ formula fits perfectly into God’s original ‘reason’ for the destruction:
“And the land was corrupted before God; and the land was filled with chaos. And God saw the land and it was corrupt; because all flesh had corrupted their way in the land. And God said to Noach – ‘the termination of all flesh has come before Me; because the land is full of terror because of them’” (6:11-13)
From within God’s report and subsequent description, we see the blatant equating of the evil and corruption of the land and of the people who dwell within it; they are interconnected and symbiotically destructive. God therefore tells Noach that he must enter the tevah in order to facilitate a salvation for both! And what does God pledge after smelling the korbanot which Noach brought after the waters had receded?
“I will not continue to curse the land because of man…and I will never again smite the living things as I have done” (8: 21)
The corruption affected both, the salvation was afforded to both, and an eternal existence was promised to both.
But does it work? Has the Divinely desired symbiotic relationship been mended? Will both humankind and the land work together, productively, having received this ultimate of ‘Restarts’? When Noach exits the tevah he first brings korbanot and then he plants a vine. There is, on the surface, nothing special about this action – new world, new start, new planting. However, the Torah adds in a description of Noach as specifically an “איש האדמה” who had planted this vine – so within this simple planting we appreciate a greater symbolic expression of man’s reconnecting with the land! Noach became a ‘man of the land’ – he joined with the land, constructively producing from it instead of corrupting it!
And did the land respond, taking advantage of this new opportunity for a positive mutual relationship? In the next verse, the Torah continues that not only did Noach drink from the vine, but there was enough wine produced from this vine for him to become drunk from it; it produced enough for “gross” intoxication – the land did in fact respond to Noach’s overtures, producing plentifully.
However, this newly realized and mutually established relationship heralds an even greater triumph than the mere reversal of the flood’s destruction. When Adam was punished, God said: “cursed is the land because of you”; Noach’s vine, therefore, represents a complete reversal of circumstance, returning the land and its relationship with humankind to the pre-cursed state! Noach’s entering into the tevah didn’t merely restart the world as he knew it, but also returned the land to its original, intended condition. Two worlds – His world and the world – were saved when Noach heeded God’s command, thus perfectly fulfilling Lemech’s prophetic hope upon naming Noach: “[Noach] will be a relief for us (ינחמנו) from our labor and the suffering our hands experience due to the land that God has cursed”.
 Hence the midrash that states that even the animals were just as corrupt and evil as the people.
 According to the experts, one needs about 1.2 kilo (@2.5 lbs) of grapes, which is about 7-8 lush bunches, to make one bottle of wine. And if we assume that to actually get drunk at least a bottle would be necessary, this vine must have been fairly plentiful.
Mungu ataharibu ulimwengu, na Noa, familia yake, na wanyama walioletwa ndani ya Teva ndio watakaosalia. Ni rahisi sana; ni rahisi sana <unk> kuingia ndani ya mashua kubwa kabla ya mvua kunyesha sana na kila kitu na kila mtu huondolewa. Kwa nini Mungu alimwagiza Noa mara mbili? Na hata zaidi ya kushangaza, amri hizi mbili zimeorodheshwa moja baada ya nyingine - ya kwanza katika 6:18-22 (kuhitimisha sura hiyo), na ya pili katika 7:1-5 (kuanzisha sura inayofuata)! Kwa kawaida, wakati kuna maneno, misemo, vipindi au amri zinazorudiwa katika TaNaKH, kuna mgawanyiko mkubwa kati ya marudio (na mara nyingi ni muktadha tofauti wa karibu ambao husaidia kufafanua ujumbe tofauti wa kuonekana kwa kurudia). "Hata hivyo, katika kesi yetu, tunaweza kudhani kwamba kwa sababu ya ""kuunganishwa kwa moja kwa moja kwa makusudi"" na ""kufanana kwa yaliyomo,"" taarifa hizi zina uzito na umuhimu sawa; kwa maneno mengine, amri moja ya pekee ya kuingia katika teva, imegawanywa katika taarifa mbili tofauti: pande mbili za taarifa moja." "Mungu alimwambia Noa, ""Nitakutegemeza wewe, kwa kuwa umekuwa mwadilifu mbele zangu katika kizazi hiki; nenda ndani ya safina, wewe na wana wako, mke wako na wake za wana wako, wewe na nyumba yako yote; na katika wanyama wote wa wanyama, na nyama, nenda ndani ya safina mbili; katika wanyama wote safi, chukua saba, wa kiume na wa kike; na katika wanyama wa uchafu, chukua mbili, wa kiume na wa kike." Na kutoka kwa ndege wa aina yake, na wanyama wa aina yake, na kutoka kwa wadudu wote wa aina yake, wawili kutoka kila mmoja watakuja kwako kuishi; na pia kutoka kwa ndege wa angani, kila mmoja achukue saba, ili kuendeleza mazao ya nchi. Na Nuhu akafanya yote aliyoamrishwa na Mwenyezi Mungu. Na Nuhu akafanya yote Bwana aliyoamuru. Kwa kuzingatia kwa karibu zaidi maelezo ya amri ya kwanza, tunaweza kuona mara moja kwamba ni hasa Alekusi ambaye anazungumza na ni Alekusi ambaye mwishowe Noa anasikiliza. Kwa hiyo, twaweza kudhani kwamba amri hii ina sauti kali ya ulimwengu wote mzima. Kuendelea zaidi, ni nini hii <unk>berית<unk> kwamba Mungu anaenda kudumisha kupitia Noa? "Yeremia 33:20 inasema: ""Ukitaka kuvunja mstari wangu wa mchana na mstari wangu wa usiku, na kufanya mchana na usiku usije kwa wakati wao.""" "Hii, pamoja na ahadi ya Mungu baada ya mafuriko, kwamba ""sitaharibu tena ukuaji na mavuno, baridi na joto, majira ya joto na majira ya baridi kali, usiku na mchana"" (8:22) inatuonyesha tena ""kuambatana na El-Kukosi, ambaye anatoa amri hii ya kuingia katika Teva"" ujumbe wa ulimwengu wote mzima dhidi ya ujumbe wa kibinafsi, wa Noa." "Hii ndiyo amri ya kuingiza ""wana, mke na wake za wana"" katika tewah: ""wana, mke na wake za wana"" katika tewah: ""wana, mke na wake za wana"" katika tewah: ""wana, mke na wake za wana"" katika tewah: ""wana, mke na wake za wana"" katika tewah: ""wana, mke na wake za wana"" katika tewah: ""wana, mke na wake za wana"" katika tewah: ""wana, wana, wana, wana"" katika tewah: ""wana, wana, wana"" katika tewah: ""wana.""" Amri ya pili inachukua lengo kinyume kabisa: ni Mungu wa kibinafsi ambaye anatoa amri na Amri ambayo Noa ataifuata; wokovu ni kwa ajili ya Noa na nyumba yake yote (yaani. "Hakuna tofauti kati ya wanyama safi na wasio safi (tofauti iliyoonyeshwa ambayo ilikuwa muhimu tu kwa Noa na familia yake kuhusiana na chakula na dhabihu) na ndege ambao waliletwa hasa ili kuendeleza mazao ya nchi, yaani, ""mwitu wa Mungu.""" Kwa hivyo, ni muhimu kuimarisha uzalishaji wa chakula cha baadaye kwa Noach (na wanyama wengine) ili waendelee kuishi katika ulimwengu ambao utaangamizwa hivi karibuni. Kwa hiyo, tunaweza kuona waziwazi kwamba kwa kweli kulikuwa na uharibifu mbili na wokovu mbili uliotimizwa na mafuriko na teva. "Mungu alimwokoa Noa na familia yake, na pia wanadamu na nchi, kwa sababu ya ""maji ya mafuriko"" ambayo yalihitajiwa kuangamizwa na kuokolewa na Noa na familia yake." Na hii formula ya pili ya 'uharibifu-wokovu' inalingana kikamilifu na'sababu' ya awali ya Mungu kwa uharibifu: <unk>Na nchi iliharibiwa mbele za Mungu; na nchi ilijaa machafuko. Mungu akaiona nchi, na tazama, ilikuwa imeharibika; kwa kuwa kila mtu alikuwa ameharibika njia yake katika nchi. "Mungu akamwambia Noa, ""Uharibifu wa kila mwili umekuja mbele zangu, kwa sababu nchi imejaa hofu kwa sababu yao."" (6:11-13) Katika ripoti ya Mungu na maelezo ya baadaye, tunaona ufananisho wa wazi wa uovu na ufisadi wa nchi na watu wanaoishi ndani yake; zinaunganishwa na ni za uharibifu wa pamoja." Kwa hiyo Mungu anamwambia Noa kwamba lazima aingie tevah ili kuwezesha wokovu kwa wote wawili! Mungu alitoa ahadi gani baada ya kunusa Korbonothi ambayo Noa alileta baada ya maji kupungua? "Sitaendelea kuilaani nchi kwa sababu ya mwanadamu...na sitapiga tena vitu vilivyo hai kama nilivyofanya"" (Mithali 8:21) Uharibifu ulihusisha wote wawili, wokovu ulipewa wote wawili, na kuwepo milele kuliahidiwa wote wawili." Lakini je, inafanya kazi? Je, uhusiano wa ushirikiano uliotamaniwa na Mungu umerekebishwa? Je, wanadamu na ardhi watafanya kazi pamoja, kwa uzalishaji, baada ya kupokea 'Kuanza upya' hii ya mwisho? Noa anapotoka kwenye Teva, kwanza huleta Korbonothi, kisha anapanda mzabibu. Kuna, juu ya uso, hakuna kitu maalum kuhusu hatua hii <unk> dunia mpya, kuanza mpya, kupanda mpya. Hata hivyo, Torati inaongeza katika maelezo ya Noa kama hasa <unk>איש האדמה<unk> ambaye alikuwa kupanda mzabibu huu <unk> hivyo ndani ya kupanda hii rahisi tunathamini usemi mkubwa wa mfano wa mtu <unk> kuunganisha tena na ardhi! Noa akawa ‘mtu wa nchi - alijiunga na nchi, akizalisha kwa njia yenye kujenga badala ya kuiharibu! Na je, nchi ilijibu, ikitumia fursa hii mpya kwa uhusiano mzuri wa pande zote? "Katika mstari uliofuata, Torati inaendelea kusema kwamba, ""Noah hakunywa tu kutoka kwenye mzabibu, bali pia kulikuwa na divai ya kutosha iliyotokezwa kutoka kwenye mzabibu huo ili aweze kulevya; ilitoa kiasi cha kutosha kwa ajili ya ulevi mkubwa; nchi ilijibu kwa kweli maombi ya Noah, ikitoa kwa wingi.""" Hata hivyo, uhusiano huu uliotambuliwa hivi karibuni na kuanzishwa kwa pande zote unatangaza ushindi mkubwa hata zaidi kuliko kugeuzwa tu kwa uharibifu wa mafuriko. "Mungu alimwambia Adamu, ""Ulaaniwe nchi kwa sababu yako."" (1 Samweli 3:8) Kwa hiyo, mzabibu wa Noa unawakilisha mabadiliko kamili ya hali, na kurudisha nchi na uhusiano wake na wanadamu katika hali iliyokuwa kabla ya laana." Noa alipoingia katika teva, hakuanzisha upya tu ulimwengu alioujua, bali pia akarudisha nchi hiyo katika hali yake ya awali. "Dunia mbili, ulimwengu wake na ulimwengu, ziliokolewa wakati Noa alipotii amri ya Mungu, hivyo akitimiza kikamilifu matumaini ya kinabii ya Lameki juu ya kumwita Noa: ""Noa atakuwa kitulizo kwetu (Yehova) kutoka kwa kazi yetu na mateso ambayo mikono yetu inapata kwa sababu ya nchi ambayo Mungu amelaani.""" Kwa hiyo midrash hiyo husema kwamba hata wanyama walikuwa waovu na waovu kama watu. Wataalamu wanasema kwamba mtu anahitaji kilo 1.2 za zabibu, ambayo ni karibu vikundi 7-8 vya zabibu, kutengeneza chupa moja ya divai. Na ikiwa tunadhani kwamba kwa kweli kunywa pombe angalau chupa ingekuwa muhimu, mzabibu huu lazima uwe ulikuwa mwingi sana.