The Repetition in The Flood Narrative - An Exploration

Parshat Noach 

by Rabbi Avi Billet 

 When reading through the narrative leading into the flood, and the depiction of the flood itself, one comes away quite confused. Why all the repetition? God tells Noach and family to come into the Ark (7:1), and he does so (7:5), and yet we see he doesn’t come into the Ark until 7:7, on account of the waters of the flood. Yet the flood hasn’t really started yet, because there is rain for seven days, and then a flood (7:10). And yet, the flood truly begins in 7:11. Except the animals haven’t come yet – which they do after the people enter the Ark in 7:13. Then the animals and birds come in (7:14-16). However, it seems they already came in in 7:8-9.

 Rabbi Mordechai Breuer noticed this series of discrepancies and repetitions, and presented this section as one of many examples in the Torah that fall under the rubric of his Shitat HaBechinot. In simple terms, Rav Breuer was of the view that the questions raised by the Wellhausen school of Biblical Criticism couldn’t simply be ignored, but that there had to be a view espoused by Jews who believed the Torah was given at Sinai, and that it was all authored by One God, which took into account the concerns raised by Bible Critics. Rav Breuer had a very simple solution. The Torah sometimes presents ONE NARRATIVE as a combination of TWO WAYS in which God relates to the world and what is going on One approach utilizes the Tetragrammaton, God’s holy 4-letter name (שם הוי׳ה) which is often seen as a depiction of God’s mercy. The other approach uses the name Elokim (א-לקים), which is often seen as a depiction of God’s judgment. 

 In my limited understanding, it is not a perfect science, as even Rav Breuer admits that some verses can fall under both rubrics. His approach utilizes what we moderns might call a “cut-and-paste” method to piece together each independent presentation under either title of God’s name. Consider the following chart, which will be followed by a translation and an explanation. Notice the Pasuk numbers that (mostly) follow the order of the Torah, but there is some skipping, as each verse is utilized to paint a picture. 

 Under the title of שם הוי'ה (for ease will be translated as ‘Hashem’), we have the following narrative: 1. And Hashem said to Noach, “You and your household shall come to the Ark, for I have seen you to be righteous before Me in this generation. 2. From all ‘pure’ animals you shall take 7 and 7, the male and his wife, and from the not-pure animals you shall take 2, the male and his wife. 3. Also from the birds of the heavens 7 and 7, male and female, to have their seed live all over the land. 4. For in 7 more days I shall rain on the land for 40 days and 40 nights, and I shall wipe out all the beings I have made, from the face of the earth. 5. Noach did as Hashem commanded him. 10. After 7 days, the flood waters were on the land. 7. Noach and his sons and his wife, and his sons’ wives can with him to the Ark, on account of the flood waters. 8. The pure animals and the non-pure animals, and from the birds and all critters of the land, 9. 2 by 2 they came to Noach, to the Ark, male and female… 16. ....And Hashem closed him into [the Ark]. 12. It rained on the land for 40 days and 40 nights. 

Under the title of שם אלקים (for ease will be presented as Elokim), we have the following narrative – please note that I am adding below the last verses of Chapter 6, which do not appear in the chart above. Please also note that the references to Noach in the end of Parshat Bereshit utilize the name Hashem, whereas the presentation of Noach at the beginning of the Parsha (through the end of Chapter 6) exclusively utilizes the name of Elokim:

18 And I will set up My covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, and your wife and your sons' wives with you. 19 And of all living things of all flesh, two of each you shall bring into the ark to preserve alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 Of the fowl after its kind and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing upon the ground after its kind; two of each shall come to you to preserve alive. 21 And you, take for yourself of every food that is eaten and gather it in to you, and it shall be for you and for them to eat." 22 And Noach did; according to all that Elokim had commanded him, so he did. 

 Ch. 7. 

 6. And Noach was 600 years old, and the flood was water on the land. 7 And Noach and his sons came, and his wives and his sons’ wives came with him into the Ark, because of the waters of the flood. 8. The pure animals and the non-pure animals, and from the birds and all critters of the land, 9. 2 by 2 they came to Noach, to the Ark, male and female, as Elokim commanded Noach. 11. In the 600th year of the life of Noach, in the second month on the 17th day of the month, on this day the springs of the deep were released, and the storehouses of heaven[ly water] opened. 13. In the middle of this day came Noach, Shem, Cham, Yefes (the sons of Noach) and Noach’s wife and the three wives of his sons, with them into the Ark. 14. Them and all the Chaya (animals) to their species and all the Behemah (animals) to their species, and all critters who crawl on the ground, to their species, and all the birds to their species, all birds-of-wing. 15. They came to Noach to the Ark, 2 by 2, from all flesh (בשר) that has the spirit of life in it. 16. Those who came were malr and female, of all [types of] flesh (meat?) came, as Elokim had commanded him. 24. The water strenghthened on the land for 150 days. 

 Most of verses 8&9, in Rav Breuer’s view, apply to both narratives (we did note at the beginning that this sometimes happens, as the text is interweaving the two narratives into one). 

 To point out some differences:

 Under the rubric of Hashem’s name we have the concepts of the pure and non-pure animals (though he says verses 8&9 apply to both narratives). We also see the numbers of 7x7 for the pure animals and birds. Rains of 40 days and 40 nights are referenced. The numbers 7 and 40 are significant in the context of the use of that name of God, שם הוי׳ה. Noach has to gather the pure animals 7x7. Noach does as Hashem said. 

 Under the rubric of the name Elokim we find Noach’s age, his sons being referenced by name, the flood coming from deep and distant places (heaven), though not from rain, all animals come to him (no significant reference to his gathering the animals is made under the name Elokim). The animals are referred to as Basar (בשר) - flesh. Noach does as Elokim tells him, before and after the introduction of the name Hashem (end of chapter 6:22 and in chapter 7:9).

 The simple message is that God is relating to humanity in different ways depending on the circumstances of their behavior, with His hopes that they will heed the call of returning to Him. Sometimes He must relate in Judgment. And sometimes He finds the space to relate to them with Mercy. Our challenge is to make sense of the text given before us and to heed the lesson that God is watching. He is orchestrating the means for humanity’s salvation (Hashem) amid the difficult to swallow reality that most people are not worthy of being saved (Elokim). Does He still operate this world this way? Absolutely. Our job, therefore, is to tap into Shem Hashem more than Shem Elokim, so we are worthy of receiving His divine blessing and mercy more than we are worthy of being judged.