TORAH TEMIMAH

ONE THAT DOES NOT KEEP THEIR WORD

בראשית ו, יג קֵּץ כָּל-בָּשָּר בָּא לְׁפָּנַי כִי-מָּלְׁאָּה הָּאָּרֶץ חָּמָּס

ירושלמי בבא מציעא דף טו/א פרק ד הלכה ב ומה היה חמסן הוה בר נש נפיק טעין קופה מלאה תורמוסין והיו מתכוונין ונוטלין פחות משוה פרוטה דבר שאינו יוצא בדיינין.

This explains well why Bais Din declares a “Mi sh’para” that “one who does not keep their word should be punished like the generation of the Flood” מי שפרע אנשי דור המבול הוא יפרע ממי שאינו עומד בדבורו. The Gemara (B.M. 48a) explains that one is obligated to keep their word. However, Bais Din is unable to enforce a promise. Thus, Bais Din pronounces a “Mi sh’para”, implying that this person should be punished just like G-d punished the generation of the Flood, who also attempted to deceive others in a manner that does not become applicable to court actions.

A NON-JEW THAT KEEPS SHABBOS INCURS THE DEATH PENALTY

בראשית ח, כב וְׁיֹום וָּלַיְׁלָּה לֹא יִׁשְׁבֹתּו:

מסכת סנהדרין דף נח/ב אר"ל עובד כוכבים ששבת חייב מיתה שנא' ויום ולילה לא ישבותו ואמר מר אזהרה שלהן זו היא מיתתן

Rashi says that to become liable, a non-Jew must refrain from halachic work for a full day.

T.T. The understanding of this verse is that the action of “not refraining” refers to a person, and not to the six types of times previously mentioned in the verse, since these time periods and constellations did not cease to function during the Flood. And the general rule is that a human was created to do work, and needs to do work to live and not die. Great is the work that a person does, since it will “enliven” one. Thus, G-d commanded that humans must work or they would “as if” incur a death penalty.

T.T. Thus, one must think this would also apply to a Jew if one were to refrain from work for a complete day. However, a Jew is able to do a positive alternative by engaging in Torah study and spiritual avodah when refraining from work (which is not an option for non-Jews).

ONE LANGUAGE

בראשית יא, א שפה אחת

ירושלמי מסכת מגילה דף י/א פרק א הלכה ט ר' לעזר ור' יוחנן חד אמר שהיו מדברים בשבעים לשון וחד אמר שהיו מדברין בלשון יחידו של עולם בלשון הקודש

T.T. This is difficult since how did they immediately speak different languages? Further, the preceding chapters said the children of Noach to their families and to their languages לשונם.

Thus, it appears that at this time the Holy language (Hebrew) was a general, common language known by all, yet each group of people also had their own particular language. And at the time of the Dispersion, HaShem caused all (except people of Shem) to forget the Holy language, and thus, they lost the common language in which to communicate with each other,

Therefore, in the Gemara cited above, the Rabbis did not argue. One Rabbi explained that they all used to speak the one common Holy language, and the other Rabbi explains that each nation also spoke their own language (the number 70 being the standard expression at the time of Chazal).