בראשית רבה ל״דBereshit Rabbah 34

Section 1א׳

וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל נֹחַ לֵאמֹר, צֵא מִן הַתֵּבָה (בראשית ח, טו טז), (תהלים קמב, ח): הוֹצִיאָה מִמַּסְגֵּר נַפְשִׁי לְהוֹדוֹת אֶת שְׁמֶךָ בִּי יַכְתִּירוּ צַדִּיקִים כִּי תִגְמֹל עָלָי. הוֹצִיאָה מִמַּסְגֵּר נַפְשִׁי, זֶה נֹחַ שֶׁהָיָה סָגוּר בַּתֵּבָה שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. לְהוֹדוֹת אֶת שְׁמֶךָ, לָתֵת הוֹדָיָה לִשְׁמֶךָ. בִּי יַכְתִּירוּ צַדִּיקִים, יִתְכַּלְלוּן בִּי צַדִּיקַיָּא. כִּי תִגְמֹל עָלָי, שֶׁגָּמַלְתָּ עָלַי וְאָמַרְתָּ לִי: צֵא מִן הַתֵּבָה.

“God spoke to Noah, saying:” (Genesis 8:15). “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you” (Genesis 8:16). “God spoke to Noah, saying: Go out of the ark” – “release me from confinement to thank Your name. The righteous, through me, will give glory when You perform kindness with me” (Psalms 142:8). “Release me from confinement [masger]” – this refers to Noah, who had been confined to the ark for twelve months. “To thank Your name” – to give thanks to Your name. “The righteous, through me, will give glory [yakhtiru]” – the righteous will crown You through me. “When You perform kindness with me” – You performed kindness with me and said to me: “Go out of the ark.”

Section 2ב׳

ה' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן וְרָשָׁע וְאֹהֵב חָמָס שָׂנְאָה נַפְשׁוֹ (תהלים יא, ה), אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן הַיּוֹצֵר הַזֶּה אֵינוֹ בּוֹדֵק קַנְקַנִּים מְרוֹעָעִים, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַקִּישׁ עֲלֵיהֶם אַחַת עַד שֶׁהִיא פּוֹקַעַת, וּמַה הוּא בּוֹדֵק קַנְקַנִים יָפִים, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הוּא מַקִּישׁ עָלָיו כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים אֵינוֹ נִשְׁבָּר, כָּךְ אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְנַסֶּה אֶלָּא אֶת הַצַּדִּיקִים. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַפִּשְׁתָּנִי הַזֶּה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַפִּשְׁתָּן שֶׁלּוֹ יָפֶה, כָּל שֶׁהוּא כּוֹתְשָׁהּ הִיא מִשְׁתַּבַּחַת, וְכָל שֶׁהוּא מַקִּישׁ עָלֶיהָ הִיא מִשְׁתַּמֶּנֶת, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁפִּשְׁתָּנוֹ רָעָה, אֵינוֹ מַסְפִּיק לְהָקִישׁ עָלֶיהָ עַד שֶׁהִיא פּוֹקַעַת, כָּךְ אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְנַסֶּה אֶלָּא אֶת הַצַּדִּיקִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ה' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אָמַר לְבַעַל הַבַּיִת שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ שְׁתֵּי פָּרוֹת, אַחַת כֹּחָהּ יָפֶה וְאַחַת כֹּחָהּ רָע, עַל מִי הוּא נוֹתֵן הָעֹל לֹא עַל אוֹתָהּ שֶׁכֹּחָהּ יָפֶה, כָּךְ אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְנַסֶּה אֶלָא הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ה' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, ה' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן, זֶה נֹחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: צֵא מִן הַתֵּבָה.

“The Lord tests the righteous, but He hates the wicked and the lover of injustice” (Psalms 11:5) – Rabbi Yonatan said: A potter does not test flimsy jugs, as he would not be able to knock on them even once without breaking them. What does he test? Sturdy jugs, as even if he knocks on them several times, they do not break. So, too, the Holy One blessed be He tests only the righteous, as it is stated: “The Lord tests the righteous." Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥanina said: A linen producer, when he knows that his flax is high quality, the more he crushes it the better it becomes; the more he beats it the more it improves. But when he knows that the flax is low quality, he would not be able to beat it even once without it breaking. So, too, the Holy One blessed be He tests only the righteous, as it is stated: “The Lord tests the righteous.” Rabbi Eliezer said: This is analogous to a proprietor [of a farm] who had two cows, one strong and one feeble. Upon which one does he place the yoke? Is it not upon the strong one? So, too, the Holy One blessed be He tests only the righteous, as it is stated: “The Lord tests the righteous.” “The Lord tests the righteous” – this refers to Noah, as it is stated: “Go out of the ark.”

Section 3ג׳

רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַיְבוּ פָּתַח (משלי יב, יג): בְּפֶשַׁע שְׂפָתַיִם מוֹקֵשׁ רָע וַיֵּצֵא מִצָּרָה צַדִּיק, מִמֶּרֶד שֶׁמָּרְדוּ דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּאת לָהֶם תַּקָּלָה. וַיֵּצֵא מִצָּרָה צַדִּיק, זֶה נֹחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ח, טז): צֵא מִן הַתֵּבָה.

Rabbi Yudan began in the name of Rabbi Aivu: “In the transgression of the lips there is an evil snare, but the righteous one emerges from trouble” (Proverbs 12:13) – because of the rebellion that the generation of the Flood rebelled against the Holy One blessed be He, catastrophe befell them. “But the righteous one emerges from trouble” – this refers to Noah, as it is stated: “Go out of the ark.”