Study Avodah Zarah folio 6A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אלא למאן דאמר: טריפה יולדת, מאי איכא למימר? אמר קרא: ״אתך״ — בדומין לך. ודלמא נח גופיה טריפה הוה? ״תמים״ כתיב ביה.
But according to the one who says that a tereifa can give birth, what can be said? According to this opinion, a tereifa cannot be excluded by the phrase: “To keep seed alive.” The Talmud answers: The verse states with regard to the animals that were brought by Noah into the ark: “You should bring into the ark, to keep them alive with you” (Genesis 6:19). The term “with you” indicates that the verse is stated with regard to animals that are similar to you, but not a tereifa. The Talmud asks: But perhaps Noah himself was a tereifa. If so, one cannot exclude a tereifa from the comparison of animals to Noah. The Talmud answers: It is written about Noah that he was “complete” (Genesis 6:9).
ודלמא ״תמים בדרכיו״ היה? ״צדיק״ כתיב ביה!
The Talmud challenges: But perhaps the verse means that his ways were complete, but it is not referring to Noah’s physical attributes. The Talmud explains: It is already written about him that he was “righteous” (Genesis 6:9), which means that his actions were perfect. Consequently, when the verse says that he was also complete, it must be referring to his body.
דלמא ״תמים״ בדרכיו, ״צדיק״ במעשיו הוה? לא סלקא דעתך דנח גופיה טריפה הואי, דאי סלקא דעתך דנח טריפה הוה, אמר ליה רחמנא: כוותך עייל, שלמין לא תעייל?
The Talmud challenges: But perhaps the verse means that Noah was complete in his manner, and he was righteous in his good deeds. Accordingly, the verse would not exclude the possibility that Noah himself was a tereifa. The Talmud explains: It cannot enter your mind that Noah himself was a tereifa, as, if it enters your mind that Noah was a tereifa, would God have said to him: Bring in tereifot like you to the ark, but do not bring in whole and perfect animals?