The flood of Noah eradicated most life on Earth. The pre-flood world existed for only 1,656 years. Genesis 6:6 states, “And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” The Hebrew word for grieved, "atsab," means to be deeply pained, vexed, or cut to the heart. The text emphasizes that God’s sorrow was not an admission of a mistake in His original design but rather a profound heartbreak over how completely humanity had ruined (shachath) themselves and the earth.
The Hebrew word שָׁחַת “shachath” in Genesis signifies ruin or spoilage, reflecting the earth’s profound deviation from God’s original design. God used this word to proclaim the flood as a reaction to humanity’s corruption. “Shachath” points to widespread sexual perversion, violence, robbery, and lawlessness, which resulted in societal collapse.
According to ancient Jewish text, this corruption began when the “Sons of God” (Benei Elohim) had relations with the “daughters of men,” resulting in the birth of the Nephilim. These giants wreaked havoc on the pre-flood earth in horrifying ways. First, their immense size and insatiable hunger depleted all agriculture. Once food became scarce, they turned on humanity, resorting to cannibalism. They then “sinned against” the animal kingdom by killing wildlife, consuming their blood, and allegedly engaging in unnatural genetic mixing. As resources dwindled, the Nephilim began fighting among themselves, igniting a civil war marked by mutual destruction. The bloodshed was so extensive that the earth “cried out” to heaven.
This week, we are reading Parashah No. 2: נח "Noah"
Weekly Torah Portion: Genesis 6:9-11:32
Haftorah Portion: Isaiah 54:1-55:5
Brit Hadashah Portion: Matthew 24:36-46