Noach 7:13 · unit 1

TT #26 · Parashas Noach · Second Aliyah · Passuk 7:13

The Complete Passuk

בְּעֶ֨צֶם הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ בָּ֣א נֹ֔חַ וְשֵׁם־וְחָם֙ וָיֶ֔פֶת בְּנֵי־נֹ֖חַ וְאֵ֣שֶׁת נֹ֑חַ וּשְׁלֹ֧שֶׁת נְשֵֽׁי־בָנָ֛יו אִתָּ֖ם אֶל־הַתֵּבָֽה׃

On that very day Noach, and Shem and Cham and Yefes, the sons of Noach, and Noach’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark.

Chabad.org — 7:13

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to the midrash on “be-etzem ha-yom” (Sifrei / parallel to Avraham’s circumcision).

Sefaria — Sifrei (related)

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה — לָמָּה בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם? לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ [בְּנֵי] דּוֹרוֹ אוֹמְרִים: אֵין אָנוּ מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ לִכָּנֵס לַתֵּבָה וְאָנוּ נוֹטְלִים כֵּשִׁילִים וְקַרְדֻּמּוֹת וּמְבַקְּעִים אֶת הַתֵּבָה. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הֲרֵי אֲנִי מַכְנִיסוֹ לַתֵּבָה בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם, וְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ כֹּחַ לִמְחוֹת יָבֹא וְיִמְחֶה.

English: “On that very day” — Why “on that very day”? Because the people of his generation were saying: “We will not let him enter the ark; we will take axes and hatchets and split the ark.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said: “I will bring him into the ark in the very essence of the day, and whoever has the power to protest, let him come and protest.”

On the daf / in context: The emphatic phrase “be-etzem ha-yom” underscores that the entry took place in broad daylight, publicly, so that no one could claim the generation was prevented from intervening.

Type of Learning

Custom (diyuk from the emphatic “be-etzem ha-yom”).

What Is Learned

Noach entered the ark in full public view so that the generation could not claim they were denied the chance to stop him.