עשרה דורות מאדם ועד נח וכי מה הוצרך לבאי עולם לכך אלא ללמדך שכל הדורות היו מכעיסין ובאין ולא הביא הקב״ה עליהם את מי המבול בשביל צדיקים וחסידים שהיו בהם. וי״א כל זמן שהיה מתושלח חי לא ירד מבול לעולם וכשמת מתושלח עוד נתלה להם שבעת ימים לאחר מיתתו שנא׳ (בראשית ז׳:י׳) ויהי לשבעת הימים מה טיבן של שבעת הימים הללו אלו ימי אבלו של צדיק שעיכב את הפורענות. לפיכך נאמר ויהי לשבעת הימים. ד"א ויהי לשבעת הימים מלמד שקבע הקב״ה להם זמן לאחר ק״כ שנה שמא יעשו תשובה ולא עשו ולכך נאמר ויהי לשבעת הימים. ד״א מלמד ששינה עליהם הקב״ה סידורו של עולם והיתה חמה יוצאת ממערב ושוקעת במזרח שמא יבינו ויתייראו ויעשו תשובה ולא עשו לכך נאמר ויהי לשבעת הימים. דבר אחר מלמד שהעריך להם הקב״ה את שולחנו והראה להם טובו מעין העולם הבא כדי שידקדקו הן בעצמן ויאמרו אוי לנו טובה זו שאבדנו וששיחתנו זרענו (מן הארץ) שנא׳ (שם ו) וירא אלהים את הארץ והנה נשחתה וגו':
There were ten generations from Adam until Noah.
And why was it necessary to bring all those people into the world? This teaches you that even as all those generations continued to anger the Holy Blessed One, He did not bring the flood upon them because of the righteous and saintly among them. And some say that as long as Methuselah was alive, the flood did not come upon the world; and even when Methuselah died, it was still held off for another seven days, as it says (Genesis 7:10), “And it was seven days, [and the waters of the flood were on the earth].” What was happening during those seven days? These were the [seven] days of mourning for that righteous man, who had prevented the punishment. That is why it says, “And it was seven days.”
Another interpretation of, “And it was seven days”: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One fixed a specific time, after 120 years, hoping that they might repent. But they did not, and so it says, “And it was seven days” [i.e., the final seven days of the countdown].
Another interpretation of, “And it was seven days”: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One changed the order of the world [which was created in seven days] for them, and had the sun rise from the west and set in the east, hoping that maybe they would understand and become afraid and repent. But they did not, and so it says, “And it was seven days.”
Another interpretation: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One set a table for them, and gave them a taste of the World to Come, so that they would gather together and say to one another, “Oy, for we have lost all this goodness, and we have caused the destruction of our descendants (from the earth), as it says (Genesis 6:12), “And God saw the earth, and it had been destroyed.”
And why was it necessary to bring all those people into the world? This teaches you that even as all those generations continued to anger the Holy Blessed One, He did not bring the flood upon them because of the righteous and saintly among them. And some say that as long as Methuselah was alive, the flood did not come upon the world; and even when Methuselah died, it was still held off for another seven days, as it says (Genesis 7:10), “And it was seven days, [and the waters of the flood were on the earth].” What was happening during those seven days? These were the [seven] days of mourning for that righteous man, who had prevented the punishment. That is why it says, “And it was seven days.”
Another interpretation of, “And it was seven days”: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One fixed a specific time, after 120 years, hoping that they might repent. But they did not, and so it says, “And it was seven days” [i.e., the final seven days of the countdown].
Another interpretation of, “And it was seven days”: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One changed the order of the world [which was created in seven days] for them, and had the sun rise from the west and set in the east, hoping that maybe they would understand and become afraid and repent. But they did not, and so it says, “And it was seven days.”
Another interpretation: This teaches that the Holy Blessed One set a table for them, and gave them a taste of the World to Come, so that they would gather together and say to one another, “Oy, for we have lost all this goodness, and we have caused the destruction of our descendants (from the earth), as it says (Genesis 6:12), “And God saw the earth, and it had been destroyed.”
וַיִּהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה׃
Sarah’s lifetime—the span of Sarah’s life—came to one hundred and twenty-seven years.