Based on what we have learned, we can begin to comprehend why HKB”H instructed Noach: “Make yourself a ‘teivah’ of gopher wood; make the ‘teivah’ with compartments and caulk it inside and out with tar.” Rashi commented: Regarding Moshe’s “teivah,” because the waters were tranquil, it was sufficient for it to be coated with clay on the inside and tar on the outside. Furthermore, Moshe’s “teivah” did not have tar on the inside, so that that tzaddik would not smell the foul odor of tar. But here, because of the force of the water, he tarred it inside and out. We will endeavor to explain what prompted Rashi to draw a connection between Noach’s “teivah” and Moshe’s “teivah.”
However, based on what we have discussed, it all makes perfect sense. Since Moshe was a gilgul of Noach, who needed to make amends for neglecting to pray on behalf of the people of his generation, therefore with regards to Noach, it says: "וכפרת אותה מבית ומחוץ בכופר"—coat it inside and outside with tar. (Translator’s note: The Hebrew words "וכפרת" and "כופר" as they appear in this passuk refer to tar; however, they also mean to atone.) Thus, the passuk hints to the fact that the person inside the “teivah,” namely Noach, also required tikun to atone for his personal flaws and failures. On the other hand, Moshe Rabeinu rectified this flaw by saying מחנ"י נא. Therefore, his mother only coated his “teivah” with tar on the outside but not on the inside. This symbolized the fact that he himself was not flawed, because he sacrificed himself for the sake of the people of his generation. His “teivah” was only coated with tar—“kofer”—on the outside symbolizing that it was his sacred duty to atone for Bnei Yisrael located on the outside.
We will not present a fascinating insight apropos this subject found in the sefer Kisfos HaEifod on this week’s parsha related to the passuk (Bereishis 7, 1): "ויאמר ה' לנח בא אתה וכל ביתך אל התיבה, כי אותך ראיתי צדיק לפני בדור הזה"—then Hashem said to Noach, “Come to the ‘teivah,’ you and your entire household, for it is you that I have seen to be righteous before Me in this generation.” We can suggest that HKB”H alluded here to Moshe Rabeinu who was the seventeenth generation from Noach. Let us refer to the Mishnah (Avos 5, 2): "עשרה דורות מנח ועד אברהם"—there were ten generations from Noach to Avraham. From Avraham to Moshe, there were seven more generations: Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Levi, Kehas, Amram, and Moshe. All told, there were seventeen generations from Noach to Moshe.
Now, let us interpret the passuk: “Come to the ‘teivah,’ you and your entire household”—even though you are guilty of not praying on behalf of your generation; “it is you that I have seen to be a tzaddik before Me in this generation (בדור הזה).” This alludes to the generation of Moshe, since the gematria of הז"ה is seventeen. In other words, the passuk informs us that Noach’s flaw will be rectified in the seventeenth generation through his reincarnation into Moshe, who will be willing to sacrifice his own life for the sake of Yisrael by saying מחנ"י to make amends for מ"י נ"ח. We can also add that the gematria of the phrase: "צדי"ק לפנ"י בדו"ר הז"ה" (603) equals מש"ה רבנ"ו (603).
We can use this allusion to provide a very nice interpretation of the following pesukim: "ותהר האשה ותלד בן ותרא אותו כי טוב הוא ותצפנהו שלשה ירחים, ולא יכלה עוד הצפינו ותקח לו תיבת גומא ותחמרה בחמר ובזפת ותשם בה את הילד ותשם בסוף על שפת היאור". The woman conceived and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was good, and she hid him for three months. She could not hide him any longer, so she took for him a wicker basket and smeared it with clay and pitch; she placed the child into it and placed it among the reeds at the bank of the river. These pesukim describe the birth of Moshe by Yocheved. Why did she presume that she could save his life specifically by placing him in a “teivah” on the bank of the river?
Based on what we have learned, we can suggest that the text itself provides the answer: “She saw that he was good”— טו"ב. The gematria of טו"ב is seventeen.
Yocheved saw that Moshe was the seventeenth generation from Noach; she realized that it was to him that HKB”H alluded when he said to Noach: “For it is you that I have seen to be a tzaddik before Me in this generation (בדור ׳הזה׳).” Thus, she understood that he represented the tikun of Noach; it would be incumbent upon him to pray for his generation. Therefore, via her “ruach hakodesh” and profound wisdom, she perceived that he would be saved in a “teivah.” Just as Noach was saved in a “teivah” in the waters of the mabul, so, too, his reincarnation, Moshe, would be saved in a “teivah” in the waters of the Nile. Therefore, when she could hide her son no longer: “She took for him a wicker basket and smeared it with clay and tar.”
In contrast to Noach’s “teivah,” which was covered with tar inside and out, she only covered Moshe’s “teivah” with tar on the outside. For, as explained, Noach was flawed internally—he neglected to pray on behalf of his generation—whereas Moshe was destined to rectify this flaw. Hence, Yocheved only placed tar on the outside of his “teivah,” so that this tzaddik, her son, would not be subjected to the foul odor of the tar.
