Monday, September 25, 2017

parshanut torah comment - Was the whole earth covered during The Flood?


Are there commentaries that suggest that the flood during the time of Noach was localised to one geographic area, as opposed to the whole Earth. In Bereishit 8:9 when the dove was sent out it says:




וְלֹֽא־מָצְאָה֩ הַיּוֹנָ֨ה מָנ֜וֹחַ לְכַף־רַגְלָ֗הּ וַתָּ֤שָׁב אֵלָיו֙ אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֔ה כִּי־מַ֖יִם עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ וַיִּקָּחֶ֔הָ וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתָ֛הּ אֵלָ֖יו אֶל־הַתֵּבָֽה׃



Furthermore, the following passuk says that everything 'under all of shamayim' was covered (7:19):



וְהַמַּ֗יִם גָּ֥בְר֛וּ מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹ֖ד עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיְכֻסּ֗וּ כָּל־הֶֽהָרִים֙ הַגְּבֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃



However, throughout the flood story this is the only time the phrase "אֲשֶׁר-תַּחַת, כָּל-הַשָּׁמָיִם" is used. The only instance that the more all encompassing term of "עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ" is used is when the the dove is sent out, otherwise its not used.


It seems, from the pesukim, that its not clear as to whether the whole earth was indeed covered. Since the plain meaning of the pesukim does not make it abundantly clear that the whole earth was covered do any commentaries address this issue by saying that only specific localities were affected by the flood?




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