בראשית ו, ט אֵּלֶה תוֹלְׁדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִ יק תָּמִים הָּיָּה בְׁדֹרֹתָּיו
Some places the word תולדות is written with two Vav’s, and in some places the word is written with only one Vav. In the latter case (of one Vav) this indicates that from one side the “generation” contains full meaning and from another side, the “generation” is without complete meaning. Here, in this verse, the word with one Vav indicates that the phrase that follows (“Tzadik”) is not complete. The same is indicated later regarding the תולדת (one Vav) of Yitzchak, which contained Yaacov and Eisav.
בראשית ו, ט אֶת -הָּאֱלֹ קִ ים הִתְׁהַלֶךְ-נֹח
What is this matter of “going” (also found by Chanoch and by the Avos)? Understand that a righteous person fulfills the verse בכל דרכיך דעהו (in all one’s ways, know Him), that in every place that a person goes, one should not remove one’s mind from HaShem. This implies that in all one’s “going” even in matters of Chol (mundane) one should contemplate and think about HaShem and His Torah.
בראשית ו, יג קֵּץ כָּל-בָּשָּר בָּא לְׁפָּנַי כִי-מָּלְׁאָּה הָּאָּרֶץ חָּמָּס
Chazal stated that the Generation of the Flood were punished since they engaged in stealing one from another. However, they did perform many sins, seemingly more damaging, why was the flood specifically on account of the sin of stealing? Thus, one needs to understand that the punishment did not come to this Generation for their harsher sins, since peaceful personal relationships protected them from judgment on those sins. But once they began stealing from each other, this led to separation and hatred. And at that point, the previously deserved punishments for the harsher sins were now judged.
בראשית ו, טז צֹהַר תַעֲשֶה לַתֵּבָּה
In the Medrash Rabbah, Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Nechemia disagree. One says Noach placed a window in the Ark, and one says Noach placed a brilliant stone which provided light as if the sun shone. A window causes a double effect: it brings light from the outside to the inside, plus allows what occurs inside to be seen to the outside. However, an internal light source shines inside, but does not allow the outside to see what occurs inside. This follows the discussion as to how to consider the righteousness of Noach in his generation (as compared to Avrohom in his generation). According to the opinion that Noach placed a window in the Ark, this reflects the concept that Noach’s complete righteousness allowed him the ability to see what was inside of the surrounding people of his time as to their true nature of wickedness; nevertheless, Noach did not allow himself to be affected by them. According to the other opinion that Noach placed an internal light source in the Ark, this reflects that Noach’s level of being not-completely righteous, which did not allow him to see the inside of others and empathize with them. Thus he only sought to save himself (and did not attempt to save others).
