זוהר, נח כ״טZohar, Noach 29

Segment 1א׳

וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלהִים אֶת נֹחַ וְאֶת כָּל הַחַיָּה וְאֶת כָּל הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ בַּתֵּבָה. רַבִּי חִיָּיא פָּתַח (משלי כ״ב:ג׳) עָרוּם רָאָה רָעָה וְנִסְתָּר. הַאי קְרָא אִתְּמָר עַל נֹחַ דְּעָאל לְתֵיבוּתָא וְאִסְתַּתַּר בָּהּ. וְעָאל לְגוֹ תֵיבוּתָא בְּזִמְנָא דְמַיָּיא דָּחֲקוּ לֵיהּ. וְהָא אִתְּמָר דְּעַד לָא עָאל לְתֵיבוּתָא חָמָא לֵיהּ לְמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת דְּאָזִיל בֵּינַיְיהוּ וְאַסְחַר לוֹן. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא לֵיהּ, עָאל לַתֵּבָה וְאִסְתַּתַּר בְּגַוָּהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עָרוּם רָאָה רָעָה וְנִסְתָּר. רָאָה רָעָה דָּא מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת וְנִסְתָּר מִקַּמֵּיהּ הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מִפְּנֵי מֵי הַמַּבּוּל.

AND GOD REMEMBERED NOAH AND EVERY LIVING THING AND ALL THE CATTLE THAT WERE WITH HIM IN THE ARK. R. Hiya quoted in this connection the verse: A prudent man seeth evil and hideth himself (Prov. 22, 3) ‘This verse,’ he said, ‘refers to Noah, who went into the ark and hid himself there, not, however, before the waters forced him in. It has already been said that before he entered the ark he caught sight of the angel of death going among the people and encircling them. As soon as he espied him, he went into the ark and hid himself there. Thus, “the prudent man saw evil and hid himself”, i.e. Noah saw the angel of death and hid himself from him, going into the ark, as the Scripture says, “because of the waters of the flood”.’

Segment 2ב׳

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר עָרוּם רָאָה רָעָה וְנִסְתָּר. (ויסתר לא כתיב), אַהֲדַר עַל מַה דְּאִתְּמָר בְּזִמְנָא דְּמוֹתָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא בַּר נָשׁ חַכִּים יִסָּתֵר וְלָא יָקוּם לְבַר וְלָא יִתְחֲזֵי קַמֵּי מְחַבְּלָא. בְּגִין דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִתְיְיהִיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ, יְחַבֵּל כָּל אִנּוּן דְּיִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן קַמֵּיהּ וְיַעַבְרוּן קַמֵּיהּ בְּאִתְגַלְיָיא. וְסוֹפָא דִקְרָא וּפְתָאִים עָבְרוּ וְנֶעֱנָשׁוּ עָבְרִין קַמֵּיהּ וְאִתְחַזְיָין קַמֵּיהּ וְנֶעֱנָשׁוּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר עָבְרוּ, עָבְרוּ פִּקּוּדָא (דא) (נ"א דמאריהון) וְנֶעֱנָשׁוּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר עָרוּם רָאָה רָעָה וְנִסְתָּר דָּא נֹחַ. וּפְתָאִים עָבְרוּ וְנֶעֱנָשׁוּ אִלֵּין בְּנֵי דָרֵיהּ.

R. Jose said that the reference of the verse is to what has been said above, viz. that when death is raging in the world the prudent man goes into hiding and does not venture abroad, so as not to be seen by the destroying angel, who, once he has obtained leave, will destroy whomsoever he meets at large, and whoever passes before him in the open, as the latter part of the verse expresses it, “but the thoughtless pass on and are punished”. According to another interpretation, the word abroo (pass on) means here “transgress”, i.e. they transgress the precept of self-preservation and are therefore punished. According to yet another interpretation, while the first half of the verse refers to Noah, the second half refers to his contemporaries.

Segment 3ג׳

(ונענשו), כֵּיוָן דְּאִסְתַּתַּר וְאִשְׁתָּהֵי תַּמָּן כָּל הַהוּא זִמְנָא. לְבָתַר וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת נֹחַ. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן (ויזכור אלהים את נח) תָּא חֲזֵי בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּדִינָא אִתְעֲבִיד לָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ זְכִירָה. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעֲבִיד (ביה) דִּינָא וְאִתְאֲבִידוּ חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא, כְּדֵין כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ זְכִירָה. דְּהָא כַּד דִּינָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא אִתְחַבְּרוּתָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח. וּמְחַבְּלָא שַׁרְיָא עַל עָלְמָא.

When he had remained a sufficient time under cover, the Scripture says that GOD REMEMBERED NOAH. Said R. Simeon: Observe that all the time that judgement was being executed there was no remembering, but only after the chastisement had been completed and the wicked had been exterminated do we find mention of remembering. For as long as judgement hangs over the worlds there is no communion of man with God, and the destroying angel is rampant.