"And Noah built an altar"

225. Rabbi Chizkiyah was on his way from Cappadocia to Lod, when Rabbi Yesa ran into him. He addressed him saying: You surprise me! Why are you walking alone, since we have learned that a person should not go on a journey alone! Rabbi Chizkiyah replied: There is a young boy following and accompanying me. Rabbi Yesa said to him: This is what surprises me! Why are you accompanied by someone with whom you are not able to discuss the Torah? We have learned that whoever goes on a journey and does not delve into the matters of the Torah, endangers his life! Rabbi Chizkiyah replied: It is certainly so!

226. In the meantime, the young boy caught up with them. Rabbi Yesa asked him: My son, from where do you come? The boy answered: From the city of Lod. I heard that this learned man was heading toward there, so I offered to work for him - TO SERVE HIM AND to walk with him.

227. Rabbi Yesa then asked him: My son, are you familiar with matters of the Torah? And he answered: Yes, I am. My father used to teach me the section of the sacrifices, and I also used to listen to what he taught my elder brother. Rabbi Yesa then said to him: My son, speak to me!

228. The young boy started with the verse: "And Noah built an altar to Hashem and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar" (Beresheet 8:20). He said, "And Noah built an altar" indicates the altar on which Adam offered his sacrifice. THEN HE ASKS: Why did Noah offer a burnt offering, as a burnt offering is only offered TO ATONE for wrongful thoughts of the heart? What was Noah's sin? AND HE REPLIES: Noah thought to himself, The Holy One, blessed be He, judged the world and sentenced it to destruction. Perhaps in being spared, I used up all the merit that I have and am now left with none. So immediately, "Noah built an altar to Hashem."

229. This was the altar on which Adam offered his sacrifices. SO THE BOY ASKS: If it is so, then why does it say that he "built it?" IT WAS ADAM WHO BUILT IT. AND HE REPLIES: It says this, because the wicked of the world had caused the altar not to stand in its place, THE PLACE WHERE IT CAN TRANSFER ABUNDANCE TO HOLINESS. When Noah came TO OFFER HIS SACRIFICE ON IT, the verse states, "And Noah built it" BECAUSE HE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE PLACE WHERE ABUNDANCE IS DIRECTED TOWARD HOLINESS.

230. "And offered burnt offerings (Heb. olot)." Olot has a defective spelling, WITHOUT THE LETTER VAV, WHICH WOULD HAVE INDICATED THE PLURAL FORM, BECAUSE HE OFFERED ONLY one BURNT OFFERING. It is written: "It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire (Heb. isheh), of a sweet savor to Hashem (Vayikra 1:13). THE BOY SAID, The burnt offering is a male and not a female, as it is written: "He shall offer it a male, without blemish" (Vayikra 1:3). THEREFORE, why is the term isheh is spelled WITH THE LETTER HEI AT THE END, INDICATING THE FEMININE FORM OF THE WORD? Esh (fire), WITHOUT HEI, should have been used instead, WHICH IS THE MASCULINE FORM.

231. AND HE EXPLAINS THAT even though the burnt offering is male and is sacrificed to its place, NAMELY TO ZEIR ANPIN WHO IS THE MALE ASPECT, the Female Principle should not be separated from ZEIR ANPIN AS A RESULT OF THE OFFERING. Thus, it is offered to THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, uniting ZEIR ANPIN AND HIS FEMALE PRINCIPLE. THROUGH THE OFFERING, the Female Principle rises up to ZEIR ANPIN and unites with him. Even though we find the explanation that the fire offering is for the Ishim, THE MASCULINE PLURAL FORM AND NOT FOR THE RAKINGS, WE LEARN FROM THE ALLUSION TO THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE.

232. Noah should have sacrificed a burnt offering. For the Holy One, blessed be He, had established him in the place of the male, so that he could enter the ark, THE SECRET OF THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, and be united with it. He offered a burnt offering, AND NOT ANY OTHER KIND OF SACRIFICE, BECAUSE HE DID NOT REALLY SIN. HE ONLY THOUGHT THAT HE HAD NO MERIT LEFT. "It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire (isheh)," meaning the fire of Hei (esh Hei). This indicates that the left OF ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS CALLED 'FIRE,' joined with the Female Principle, CALLED HEI. The Female Principle comes from the left side, WHICH IS CALLED FIRE, AND when THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE and THE FIRE are joined, she is called a woman (Heb. isha). THE WORD ishah INDICATES the bond of love, as the left, WHICH IS FIRE, HOLDS HER, THE SECRET OF THE HEI. The fire raises her TO ZEIR ANPIN, binding them together as one. This is why the verse reads, "It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire," INDICATING the bond of a male and female with each other.