וַהֲקִימוֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מֵהָכָא קִיּוּמָא דִּבְרִית לְעֵילָא כְּקִיוּמָא דִּבְרִית לְתַתָּא. מַשְׁמַע דִּכְתִיב אִתָּךְ. וְאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא דְּכַד זַכָּאִין אִנּוּן בְּעָלְמָא אִתְקְיַּים עָלְמָא לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מִלָּה סָתִים אִיהוּ. כַּד אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִדְכוּרָא לְגַבֵּי נוּקְבָא כַּד אִיהוּ מְקַנֵּי לָהּ. AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH THEE, R. Eleazar said: ‘From this we learn that there is an establishment of the covenant on high co-ordinate with the establishment of the covenant here below. This we deduce from the expression “with thee”.’ R. Eleazar further said: ‘We also learn from here that when there are righteous men in this world, the universe is more firmly established both above and below.’ R. Simeon said: ‘A recondite principle is here enshrined. As the desire of the male towards the female is intensified by jealousy, so is the desire of the Most High towards the Shekinah.

תָּא חֲזֵי, רָזָא דְמִלָּה כַּד צַדִּיקָא אִיהוּ בְּעָלְמָא מִיָּד שְׁכִינְתָּא לָא אִתְעֲדִיאַת מִנֵּיהּ וְתִיאוּבְתָּא דִּילָהּ בֵּיהּ. כְּדֵין תִּיאוּבְתָּא דִלְעֵילָא לְגַבָּהּ בִּרְחִימוּ כְּתִיאוּבְתָּא דִדְכוּרָא לְנוּקְבֵיהּ כַּד אִיהוּ מְקַנִּי לָהּ. וְעַל דָּא וַהֲקִימוֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ. אִתְעַר תִּיאוּבְתָּא בְּגִינָךְ. כְּגַוְונָא דָא (בראשית י״ז:כ״א) וְאֶת בְּרִיתִי אָקִים אֶת יִצְחָק. Thus, when there is a righteous man in the world, the Shekinah attaches herself to him and never leaves him. This creates, as it were, jealousy on high, which provokes love towards her in the same way as the male is incited to love the female through jealousy; this is implied in the expression “And I will establish my covenant with thee”, as much as to say: “Desire hath awakened through you.” The same idea is contained in the words “but my covenant will I establish with Isaac” (Gen. 17, 21).

וַהֲקִימוֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ לְמֶהֱוֵי אָת בְּרִיתִי בְּעָלְמָא. וּלְבָתַר וּבָאתָ אֶל הַתֵּבָה, דְּאִלְמָלֵא לָאו אִיהוּ צַדִּיק (ברית) לָא יֵיעוּל לְתֵיבוּתָא דְּהָא לָא אִתְחַבַּר לַתֵּבָה בַּר צַדִּיק, וּבְגִינֵי כָךְ וּבָאתָ אֶל הַתֵּבָה וְהָא אִתְּמָר. AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH THEE: in other words: “Thou shalt be the embodiment of my covenant in the world. and then: AND THOU SHALT COME INTO THE ARK. For had not Noah been righteous, he could not have entered the ark, as only the Righteous one (Zaddik) can become united with the ark, as has been explained.’

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּכָל זִמְנָא דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא יִתְאַחֲדוּן בִּבְרִית דָּא, וְלָא יִשְׁבְּקוּן לֵיהּ, לֵית עַם וְלִישָׁן בְּעָלְמָא דְּיֵיכוּל לְאַבְאָשָׁא לוֹן. וְנֹחַ אַתְקִיף בִּבְרִית דָּא וְנָטַר לֵיהּ, בְּגִינֵי כָךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נָטַר לֵיהּ (וכל דיליה). וְכָל בְּנִי דָרֵיהּ לָא נָטְרוּ לֵיהּ, בְּגִין כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַעֲבַר לוֹן מֵעָלְמָא. וְהָא אִתְּמָר בְּהַהוּא חוֹבָא מַמָּשׁ דְּאִנּוּן חָאבוּ בְּהַהוּא גַוְונָא אִתְמְחוּן מֵעָלְמָא. R. Eleazar said: ‘As long as men remain attached to that ark and do not loosen their hold of it, there is no nation or language in the world that can harm them. Noah too kept fast hold of the covenant and observed it, and therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, preserved him; but all his contemporaries who did not keep the covenant were destroyed.’ As has already been stated, the manner of their destruction corresponded exactly to the character of their crimes.