see that they were “corrupt before G-d”—i.e., they transgressed the mitzvos “bein adam laMakom”—and their fate was sealed on account of robbery—i.e., they also transgressed the mitzvos “bein adam l’chaveiro.”
It should now be quite clear why Noach, who was Moshe, was not permitted to give the Torah to his generation. Since the basis of the Torah is the Aseres HaDibros inscribed on the two luchos, and they include all the mitzvos “bein adam laMakom” and “bein adam l’chaveiro,” that generation did not deserve to receive the Torah.
We can now truly appreciate and begin to comprehend the wondrous ways of Hashem. He purposely had Noach and his entire family enter the “teivah.” As the Zohar hakadosh explains, the “teivah” was an Aron HaBris—an Ark of the Covenant. So, just like the Aron housed the two luchos of the covenant containing all the mitzvos “bein adam laMakom” and “bein adam l’chaveiro,” “teivas Noach” served a similar purpose. It was designed to rectify Noach and his family, the remaining people on earth, to heed and observe both of these aspects of the Torah religiously. Hence, Noach was required to perform a tremendous chesed in the “teivah”—to take care of and feed all the animals and beasts.
We now have cause to rejoice! We have shed some light on the fascinating teaching of the divine kabbalist, the Ramak, zy”a. There have been three monumental “Teivos” in the history of the world. The first was “teivas Noach.” As explained, it served a similar purpose to the Aron HaBris; it functioned as a tikun for the mitzvos “bein adam laMakom” and “bein adam l’chaveiro.” This explains why it was coated with tar even on the inside, despite the foul odor. It was meant to punish Noach—even though he is depicted as a tzaddik—for neglecting to rebuke the people of his generation who were corrupt and remiss regarding these two categories of mitzvos.
The second was “teivas Moshe.” As explained, he was a gilgul of Noach tasked with rectifying Noach’s failure to pray on behalf of his generation and rebuke them. Therefore, he was also placed in a vessel surrounded by water. In contrast, since he was a true tzaddik, destined to rectify the flaws of Noach and his entire generation—who reincarnated into the souls of Yisrael in Mitzrayim—Moshe’s “teivah” was not coated inside with tar—so that Moshe, the tzaddik, would not be subjected to its foul odor. On the other hand, it was coated on the outside with tar. This symbolized that all of Yisrael in Mitzrayim, the gilgulim of the generation of the mabul, had become extremely corrupt and required the tikun provided by Moshe Rabeinu.
Alas, the third “teivah” was “teivas haAron.” It housed the Aseres HaDibros that encompassed the mitzvos “bein adam laMakom” and “bein adam l’chaveiro.” Moshe, the gilgul of Noach, merited delivering them to Yisrael, who were the neshamos of the generation of the mabul, who had been remiss with regards to these mitzvos. As explained, they had reincarnated into Yisrael in Mitzrayim to be rectified for these shortcomings by Moshe Rabeinu, the gilgul of Noach. Therefore, after achieving their tikun in Mitzrayim, they merited being commanded by Moshe Rabeinu: "ועשו ארון עצי שיטים"—they shall make an Aron of “shittim” wood. For this reason, this third “teivah” was coated both inside and outside with pure gold: "וצפית אותו זהב טהור מבית ומחוץ תצפנו".
