parshaמפרשי הפרשה

רמב"ן — עשה לך תיבה

Why such precise dimensions for the teiva? Even ten arks couldn't hold every species and a year's food — so the gathering itself required a miracle ('החזיק מועט את המרובה'). If the miracle was inevitable, why not build it small?

ידוע כי החיות רבות מאד... והנה יצטרך להביא מכולם שיולידו כמותם. וכאשר תאסוף לכולם מאכל אשר יאכל לשנה תמימה, לא תכיל אותם התיבה הזאת, ולא עשר כיוצא בה. אבל הוא נס, החזיק מועט את המרובה... ועוד עשו אותה גדולה, למעט בנס, כי כן הדרך בכל הניסים שבתורה או בנביאים לעשות מה שביד אדם לעשות, והשאר יהיה בידי שמים.

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רמב"ן

רמב"ן על בראשית ו׳:י״ח

Ramban on Genesis 6:18

Noach

Q — Why such precise dimensions for the teiva? Even ten arks couldn't hold every species and a year's food — so the gathering itself required a miracle ('החזיק מועט את המרובה'). If the miracle was inevitable, why not build it small?

A — Two answers. (1) Hashem wanted it large so that the people of the dor would see it, wonder at it, ask about it, and 'אולי יעשו תשובה' — the ark was an extended invitation to repent. (2) The foundational hashkafic principle: 'כן הדרך בכל הניסים שבתורה או בנביאים לעשות מה שביד אדם לעשות, והשאר יהיה בידי שמים' — when Hashem performs a nes, He minimizes its scope, requiring human השתדלות for everything within human power. Build the ark as large as possible; the miracle picks up only what man cannot.

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