Although mankind no longer lived in Gan Eden, their life-style before the mabul (flood) still resembled Gan Eden. (Midrash Hagadol)
Life was good. In fact, it was too good. It was a life of uninterrupted serenity and enjoyment. For example, children were conceived and born on the same day. A newborn child was immediately able to stand and walk, and also had the ability to speak. Furthermore, no child would ever die during his parents' lifetime. In fact, all parents would live to see not only their children but also their grandchildren. (Bereishit Rabbah)
- The generation before the mabul possessed enormous physical strength, as the verse says, "There were giants on earth in those days" (Bereishit 6:14) They were able to uproot whole cedar trees and considered lions and panthers as harmless as fleas. Their strength did not diminish in old age, but, on the contrary, it grew with age. This strength only disappeared after the mabul.
- They lived a very long life, hundreds of years. Only when they sinned did Hashem say, "and his days shall be a hundred and twenty years."
- They knew no suffering of any kind.
- They sowed only one every forty years and the earth produced a sufficient amount for the following forty years.
- They did not have to endure excessive heat or cold since there were no changing seasons, but the weather was a continuous, enjoyable and mild spring climate. It was only after the mabul that Hashem said, "Seed time and harvest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease."
As a result of these benefits, however, they cast off Hashem's authority, saying, "For what purpose do we still need Him? We do not even require His help to obtain water, since we need no rain. We get an abundant supply of water from difference sources; we have the streams and wells of the earth" Answered Hashem, "Is it with the very goodness that I bestowed upon you that you rebel against Me? I shall punish you with the same substance, rain water, and therefore, 'And behold I will bring the flood of water.'" (Sanhedrin 108)
What were the crimes of those generations? They were guilty of idol worship, bloodshed, and immorality. (Bereishit Rabbah)
Idol Worship
"They said to G-d, 'Depart from us, we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty that we should serve Him? Why should we pray to Him?'" (Iyov 21:14-15). They strengthened their independence from Hashem by acquiring expertise in witchcraft. They forsook their Maker and served idols.
Bloodshed
They were murderers. Their depravity was similar to that later found in the wicked city of Sedom. (Yerushalmi)
Immorality
These generations ignored the commandment give to Adam (1:28), "Be fruitful and multiply." (Bereishit Rabbah) Since their goal in life was to gratify their instincts, they attempted to minimize the number of children that they had. (Midrash Hagadol) This explains the atrocities prevalent at that time.
What were the crimes of those generations? They were guilty of idol worship, bloodshed, and immorality. (Bereishit Rabbah)
Idol Worship
"They said to G-d, 'Depart from us, we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty that we should serve Him? Why should we pray to Him?'" (Iyov 21:14-15). They strengthened their independence from Hashem by acquiring expertise in witchcraft. They forsook their Maker and served idols.
Bloodshed
They were murderers. Their depravity was similar to that later found in the wicked city of Sedom. (Yerushalmi)
Immorality
These generations ignored the commandment give to Adam (1:28), "Be fruitful and multiply." (Bereishit Rabbah) Since their goal in life was to gratify their instincts, they attempted to minimize the number of children that they had. (Midrash Hagadol) This explains the atrocities prevalent at that time.
- A man would take two wives, one for the purpose of childbearing, and the other for his pleasure.
- They exchanged wives.
- They arranged "marriage contracts" between men and beast, thus legalizing forbidden relationships.
- The judges themselves were corrupt.*
Even the animals imitated their corrupt ways; the dog associated with the wolf and the rooster with the duck.
However, Hashem would have spared even these wicked generations, had they sinned unknowingly. But they had been taught the six mitzvot commanded to Adam which included the prohibition against idolatry, murder, and adultery. They were punished because they chose to ignore Hashem's commandments. Nevertheless Hashem would have continued to exercise patience and restraint if not for the additional crime of robbery.
*The source of corruption in all generations to this day is the court of law itself. Legislation that is lenient and judges who are "liberal-minded" are responsible for the destruction of the country.
Robbery
Hashem said, "The end of all flesh has come before Me" (6:13). "The accusation of their thievery has come before Me, and therefore I can no longer delay their punishment!" (Sanhedrin 108)
What were the habits of the Generation of the Flood? If a man brought out a basket full of peas, he would soon be surrounded by a mob snatching them away. Each one cleverly took a small amount worth less than a pruta (small coin). The man's basket was soon empty. Yet the victim was unable to present the matter to a judge because each culprit could claim that he had stolen an amount so minute that he was not liable to punishment by law. (Bereishit Rabbah)
It was among the practices of that generation to move their neighbors' landmarks in order to extend their property. They also commonly stole sheep from each other. If someone saw an ox or donkey in the hands of a helpless orphan or widow, he took it away. People, afraid that the clothes they wore would be stolen from their bodies decided that was safer to walk around naked.
Why was their guilty verdict finalized for the sin of theft more than for the crimes of idol worship, bloodshed or immorality? The answer is that robbery undermines the basis of all civilization. it is common sense that another person's property may not be stolen. (Ramban) Whenever Hashem sits in judgment over a person guilty of several crimes, there is one crime that accuses him above all others - the sin of robbery. (Vayikra Rabbah)
Chronology of the Mabul
Day of Flood / Hebrew Date / Civil Date
0 / 17 Cheshvan / October 27 - Flood begins
40 / 29 Kislev / December 8 - Forty-day rains ends; torrents begin
190 / 29 Iyar / May 6 - 150 day period of torrents ends
191 / 1 Sivan May 7 - Water begins to recede
207 / 17 Sivan / May 23 - Tevah (Ark) rests on Mt. Ararat
250 / 1 Av / July 5 - Mountaintops are visible
290 / 10 Elul / August 13 Raven sent out
296 / 16 Elul / August 19 - Dove sent out
303 / 23 Elul / August 26 - Dove brings olive leaf
310 / 1 Tishrei / September 2 - Dove does not return. Water is gone and earth begins to dry.
365 / 27 Cheshvan / October 27 - Earth completely dry
The Flood was a reversion to the initial state of creation, in which the earth was physically submerged under water and spiritually submerged in Divine awareness.
At the very beginning of creation, all was water because dry land did not yet exist. On the spiritual level, this means that the world was filled with Divine awareness because dry land, which represents the facade of a self-sustained world independent of G‑d, did not yet exist.
G‑d's ultimate desire, however, is that Divine awareness permeate even a world with "dry land," i.e., self-awareness. Indeed, this will be the state of the world in the messianic age, when "the world will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d like water covers the seabed" (Yeshayahu 11:9). At that time, even though the world will not be covered by water and we will still be in a state of self-awareness, we will nevertheless enjoy the Divine awareness normally associated with submersion under water, i.e., self-nullification.
However, for the earth to reach this stage, it first had to have been immersed in the waters of the Flood, which "destroyed the earth," i.e., which nullified the earth's sense of self. This one-time experience conditioned the earth to be able to later attain Divine awareness — even after the waters receded and the earth reverted to dry land. The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 7:4) therefore compares the messianic age to the days of Noach, since the Flood initiated the process of conditioning the world for its ultimate state — Divine awareness despite the presence of self — which it will attain in the messianic age.
Once this conditioning occurred, G‑d promised never to Flood the earth again, in keeping with His original intention for the world to exist in its "natural" state and still be a vessel for Divine awareness.
In fulfilling our own Divine mission on earth, we also experience a period of immersion in the waters of Divine awareness: the High Holy Days of the month of Tishrei. Our challenge is to successfully experience Divine awareness even after Tishrei, when the "waters have receded" and our "dry" self has emerged.
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Source: Midrash Says; Me'am Lo'ez; Chabad
