Rashi on TanakhGenesis 9

Your terror. [Means:] “your terror,” as in: “You see terror.” The Aggadah, [however, explains it] as “life.” [I.e.,] as long as even a one-day old infant is alive you do not have to watch it from [being harmed by] rodents. [However, should the giant] Og, king of Bashan, die, he would need guarding against rodents. For it is stated: וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם וְחִתְּכֶם יִהְיֶה, [meaning:] when do animals fear you? [Only] as long as you are alive.

Shall be yours for food. [God said:] “I did not permit Adam horishon [to eat] meat but only vegetables. [Whereas] to you—just as the vegetables which I released for Adam horishon I have given you everything.”

Flesh with its life[blood]. He prohibited them [to eat] a limb [cut] from a living animal. [בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ] literally meaning: while the “soul” [life] is within its blood, do not eat the flesh. [We derive this by interpreting:]

Lifeblood. While its “soul” [life] is within it. [Consequently, we derive two prohibitions:]

Flesh with its lifeblood you shall not eat. This refers to limbs from a live animal. Also with its lifeblood you shall not eat refers to blood of a living animal.

However, the blood of your souls. Though I have permitted you to take the life of animals, nevertheless, I will require retribution from one who spills his own blood.

Of your souls. Also if he strangles himself, though no blood flowed from him.

From the hand of every beast. Since the generation of the Flood sinned and they were abandoned as prey for wild beasts, which gave them [the beasts] dominion over them, as it is said: “He is ruled as cattle,” it was, therefore, necessary for their sake to warn the wild beasts [against attacking man].

From the hand of man. From one who kills with premeditation without witnesses I will require [retribution].

From the hand of man’s own brother. [Meaning:] that he loves him like a brother and killed him accidentally, I will require [retribution] if he does not go into exile and pray for the forgiveness of his sin, for even an accidental [murder] requires atonement. If there are no witnesses to make him liable for exile, and he does not humble himself, God will require [retribution] from him, as our Sages expounded [the verse:] “And God caused it to come to his hand,” in Maseches Makkos God causes them to meet in the same inn, etc.

Through man shall his blood be spilled. [Meaning:] if there are witnesses then you must kill him. Why? “Because in the image of God, etc.”

He made man. This is an abbreviated verse and should read, “the Maker made man.” There are many such instances in Scripture.

And now be fruitful and multiply. According to the plain explanation, the first [mention of פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ] is a blessing and here it is a command. According to its Midrash [it is repeated here] in order to equate one who abstains from propagating to one who commits murder.

Behold, I. [Meaning:] “I agree with you.” [God said this] because Noach was concerned about fulfilling His command to have children until God made a promise to him that He would never again destroy the world. God did so eventually by saying to him: “I agree to provide a permanent and strong covenant [in support of] my promise and I will give you a sign.”

All the beasts of the earth with you. They are those who walk about with people.

All who departed from the ark. [These] include unclean birds and crawlers.

Beasts of the earth. [These] include the dangerous animals that are not included in “Every living creature that is with you.” [I.e.,] that they do not walk among people.

I will keep. [Here meaning:] “I will confirm My covenant.” What will this confirmation be? The rainbow, as it goes on to explain at the end.

For the generations of all time. [לְדֹרֹת] is written in incomplete form, because there are some generations that did not require a sign, for they were completely righteous, such as the generation of Chizkiyahu, King of Yehudah and the generation of R. Shimon b. Yochai.

When I bring clouds. [Meaning:] “When it will enter My mind to bring darkness and destruction to the world.”

Between Elohim and between every living soul. Between [the attribute of] Divine Justice and you. It should have written: “Between Me and every living thing.” But, the following is the explanation: If Divine Justice will come to accuse you in order to condemn you, I will look upon the sign and remember [the covenant].

This is the sign of the covenant. He [God] showed him the rainbow and said to him, “This is the sign of which I spoke.”

Cham was the father of Canaan. Why was it necessary to say that here? Because this chapter goes on to deal with Noach’s drunkenness in which Cham played a sinful role and because of him Canaan was cursed. And [since] Cham’s generations have not been mentioned we would not know that Canaan was his son. Therefore, it was necessary to state here “Cham was the father of Canaan.”

[He] began. [This can be taken to mean] He made himself profane. Because he should have first been occupied with some other planting.

A man of the soil. [Means] master of the earth as in “Naomi’s master.”

And he planted a vineyard. When he entered the ark he brought with him vine branches and fig shoots.

He uncovered himself. This the hispael [reflexive] form.

In his tent. It is written אהלה [with a ה' ending]. This is an allusion to the Ten Tribes who are referred to as Shomron [Samaria] which is called אָהֳלָה, [and] who were exiled for overindulging in wine as it is said [concerning the Ten Tribes]: “That drink wine in goblets.”

Cham the father of Canaan saw. Some of our Sages say that Canaan saw [Noach’s drunken state] and told his father. Therefore, he is mentioned in this matter and was [consequently] cursed.

[He] saw the nakedness of his father. Some of our Sages say, he castrated him. Others say, he sodomized him.

Sheim and Yefes took. It is not written here וַיִּקְחוּ, but וַיִּקַּח to teach that Sheim exerted himself more than Yefes for this good deed. Therefore, his [Sheim’s] descendants were privileged [to receive the mitzvah] of a fringed garment and Yefes’ merited [to receive] respectful burial for his descendants, as it is said: “I will give unto Gog a place for burial.” [Whereas, of] Cham, who degraded his father, it is said, regarding his descendants: “So shall the King of Asshur lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Kush, young and old naked and barefoot and their backsides bare, etc.”

They faced away from him. Why is this said a second time? To teach that as they approached him and needed to turn toward him to cover him, they [still] kept their faces turned away.

His youngest son. [Meaning:] The worthless and contemptible one as [in the verse]: “For I have made you the smaller among nations, most contemptible among men.”

Cursed is Canaan. [Noach said to Cham:] “You caused me to be unable to beget a fourth son to serve me. [Therefore,] may your fourth son be cursed that he serve the descendants of these older ones upon whom the burden of serving me has now fallen.” Why did Cham castrate him? He said to his brothers: “Adam horishon had two sons and one killed the other for the purpose of inheriting the world. Our father [already] has three sons and he still desires a fourth son.”

Blessed is Adonoy, God of Sheim. Who will eventually keep His promise to his seed to give to them the Land of Canaan.

May [Canaan be his slave.] [A nation] paying tribute [to them].

Elohim will enlarge Yefes. It is translated [by Onkelos] as יַפְתֵּי [which means:] May He broaden [or extend].

But He will dwell in the tents of Sheim. [Means:] may He cause His Divine Presence to dwell among [the Nation of] Israel An exposition of the Sages [explains:] Although God enlarged Yefes, whereby Cyrus, Yefes’ descendant, built the Second Temple, [yet,] the Divine Presence did not dwell in it. Where did it dwell? In the First Temple built by Shlomo, who was a descendant of Sheim.

Canaan will be their slave. Even after the descendants of Sheim will be exiled descendants of Canaan will be sold to them as slaves.