What is the significance of the Raven and the Dove?
Before:
sin (before flood)
fear, waiting, patience, detachment from world (during flood, within the ark)
divine command to go into the ark
** Our moment
Human action
Significant birds
Dove's trust in God
After:
divine command to go out of the ark
new covenant, changed relationship between humans and animals
(בראשית ח, ז): וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת הָעֹרֵב, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים קה, כח): שָׁלַח חשֶׁךְ וַיַּחְשִׁךְ. וַיֵּצֵא יָצוֹא וָשׁוֹב, רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי סִימוֹן הִתְחִיל מְשִׁיבוֹ תְּשׁוּבוֹת, אָמַר לוֹ מִכָּל בְּהֵמָה חַיָּה וָעוֹף שֶׁיֵּשׁ כָּאן אֵין אַתָּה מְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶלָּא לִי, אָמַר לוֹ מַה צֹּרֶךְ לָעוֹלָם בָּךְ, לֹא לַאֲכִילָה וְלֹא לְקָרְבָּן. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קַבְּלוֹ, שֶׁעָתִיד הָעוֹלָם לְהִצְטָרֵךְ לוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ אֵימָתַי, אָמַר לוֹ עַד יְבשֶׁת הַמַּיִם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ, עָתִיד צַדִּיק אֶחָד לַעֲמֹד וּלְיַבֵּשׁ אֶת הָעוֹלָם, וַאֲנִי מַצְרִיכוֹ לוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (מלכים א יז, ו): וְהָעֹרְבִים מְבִאִים לוֹ לֶחֶם וּבָשָׂר בַּבֹּקֶר וְלֶחֶם וּבָשָׂר בָּעָרֶב.
“He sent the raven, and it went back and forth, until the drying of the water from upon the earth” (Genesis 8:7).
“He sent the raven” – that is what is written: “He sent darkness and made it dark” (Psalms 105:28).
“And it went back and forth [vashov]” – Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: It began presenting arguments [meshivo] to him [Noah]. He said to him, [as it were]: Of all the animals, beasts, and birds that are here, you are sending only me? He said to him: What need does the world have for you – [you are fit] neither for food nor for an offering. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: The Holy One blessed be He said to him [Noah]: Accept it [back into the ark], as the world will have a need for it in the future. He said to Him: When? He said to him: “Until the drying of the water from upon the earth” – a certain righteous man is destined to arise and dry out the world, and I will bring it about that he will have a need for it [the raven]. That is what is written: “The ravens [orevim] would bring him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening” (I Kings 17:6).
וישלח את העורב, אמר העורב אוכל בשר וימצא נבלות האדם והבהמה ואם יחסרו כל כך המים שימצא נבלות שהם מושלכים בארץ יביא בפיו שום בשר ונדע כי חסרו המים, ושלחו ולא הביא דבר בפיו, וראהו יצא יוצא ושוב, ולא הכיר ממנו דבר כי היה נכנס בקנו, ויוצא לראות אם ימצא מקום לשכנו ושב אל קנו וזה עשה עד יבשת המים. ואמרו בדרש (סנהדרין ק"ח) על דרך המליצה שלא הלך מחשד, ובראות נח כי לא למד מהעורב דבר שלח את היונה כי היונה יש בה כח הדמיון להשיב שולחה דבר אחר שמוליכין אותה באותה הדרך פעם או שתים, גם יש בה טבע תשובה, לשוב אל קנה, וכן מנהג המלכים לגדלה בביתם ולשלחה במקומות הרחוקים וקושרין כתב בכנפיה והיא שבה אל שולחה בכתב התשובה שקושר אותה בכנפיה גם מי שנשתלחה להם, ולכך פרשו הגאונים מה שנאמר בתלמוד (שבת מ"ט)
וישלח, why did Noach send out the raven? He had said to himself that the raven is a flesh eating bird and will most likely find remains of dead animals to feed on. [our author understands the word עורב as referring to what is better known as the “black raven,” a type of vulture (corvus cornix) which feeds on carcasses. Ed.] If the bird would return with such remains in its beak, Noach would know that the waters had receded somewhat. The raven returned without anything in its beak, so that Noach did not learn anything new about the state of the waters. The raven returned to its nest, leaving from time to time to see if the situation outside the ark enabled it to survive on the outside. It carried on in this fashion until the surface of the earth had dried out. In Bereshit Rabbah 33,5 the sages view the fact that the raven was chosen as the experiment by Noach in a different light. The blackness of that bird is paraphrased in Psalms 105,28 where the psalmist writes שלח חשך ויחשיך, “he sent darkness and it became dark.” [a figure of speech, meaning that if one pins one’s hopes on something black, one is likely to receive darkness in return, i.e. not achieve one’s objective. Ed.]
Seeing that this mission of the raven had proved totally unproductive, after waiting seven days, Noach sent out a pigeon. A pigeon is known to have a well developed sense of imagination and direction, finding its way back after having flown over a route only once or twice. It knows that it was dispatched for a purpose, i.e. to receive some information in return for having been dispatched [we know of carrier pigeons in our time, but if there had been such already in the days of Noach is highly speculative. Ed.] Moreover, it is in the character of pigeons to be attached to their home base, so that they can be depended on to return to their nest. When we have been told in Shabbat 49 that the wings of the pigeon protect it, the meaning is that seeing that the pigeons are being raised as carrier pigeons, transporting messages attached to its wings, the fact that their owners need them alive is their insurance against being slaughtered prematurely. Noach, in sending out the pigeon, was therefore convinced that the bird would return to the ark even if there were places on earth in the meantime where it could make its nest. ולא..ותשב אליו אל התבה, the Torah describes the return of the pigeon both as a return to Noach, i.e. אליו, and as a return to the ark, i.e. אל התבה. Why was the return of the pigeon described in such detail? It is first described as a return to Noach, seeing that the fact that it did not bring back any bit of vegetation indicated that it had been unable to find any, i.e. had not performed its mission and brought Noach information. Secondly, it did not re-enter the ark as the raven had done. It remained perched on the roof of the ark. It was unhappy at not having brought back some kind of message to Noach. This is why Noach stretched out his hand and brought it back into the ark (verse 9). The amount of time that elapsed between the dispatch of the raven, and the dispatch of the pigeon, was seven days. How did we arrive at this information? ויחל עוד שבעת ימים אחרים, the addition of the word אחרים, “others,” proves that there had already been a waiting period of seven days
“But the dove did not find rest for its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, as water was upon the surface of the entire earth; and he extended his hand and took it, and brought it to him to the ark” (Genesis 8:9).
“He sent the dove…but the dove did not find rest…” – Yehuda bar Naḥman said in the name of Rabbi Shimon: Had it found rest, it would not have returned. Similarly, “it dwells among the nations, finding no rest” (Lamentations 1:3) – had it found rest, it would never have returned [from exile]. Similarly, “and among these nations you will not be calm, and there will be no rest…” (Deuteronomy 28:65) – but had it found rest they would never have returned.
“He waited yet another seven days and again sent the dove from the ark. The dove came to him at evening time, and behold, it had a plucked olive leaf in its mouth; and Noah knew that the water had abated from upon the earth” (Genesis 8:10–11).
“He waited yet another seven days” – Rabbi Yosei said: There were three sets of seven days.
And again sent the dove from the ark…the dove came to him…plucked [taraf]…in its mouth” – what is taraf? “Killed,” just as you say: “Joseph had been mauled [tarof toraf]” (Genesis 37:33). He said to it: Had you left it, it would have become a great tree.
From where did it [the dove] bring it [the leaf]? It was from the branches in the Land of Israel that it brought it. Rabbi Levi said: It brought it from the Mount of Olives, as the Land of Israel was not inundated in the Flood. That is what the Holy One blessed be He said to Ezekiel: “It is a land that has not been purified, that was not rained upon on the day of fury” (Ezekiel 22:24). Rav Beivai said: The gates of the Garden of Eden opened up before it, and it brought it [from there]. Rabbi Abbahu said: Had it brought it from the Garden of Eden, would it not have brought an item of greater excellence, either cinnamon or balsam? It is, rather, that it was alluding to a lesson for him. It was saying to Noah: Better this bitter item, and not something sweet dependent upon your hand.
“He waited yet another seven days and sent the dove, and it did not return again to him anymore” (Genesis 8:12).
“He waited yet another seven days” – this supports what Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: There were three sets of seven days; “He…sent the dove, and it did not return again to him anymore.”