בראשית, פרק ח׳, פסוק כ׳

Taking his first steps on the drying earth, humanity’s survivor immediately seeks to bridge the ruined world he left behind with the new one stretching out before him. His first action is one of profound gratitude and a renewal of his covenant with the Creator. The primary approach among commentators is that this act is driven by a deep, spontaneous sense of thankfulness for his survival [רד״ק, ביאור יש״ר, קאסוטו]. Rather than asking for future blessings, he acts entirely on his own initiative to give thanks for the past [רס״ג]. In a devastated world where his resources are incredibly scarce, he willingly surrenders precious animals to honor God and acknowledge that everything comes from His hand [קאסוטו].

This act of building is also understood as a moment of profound realization. He deduces that God’s earlier instruction to bring seven pairs of pure animals into the ark—as opposed to only two pairs of the impure ones—was specifically intended to provide animals for an offering without driving those species to extinction [רש״י, מזרחי, מלבי״ם, שפתי חכמים]. Regarding where this takes place, some suggest it occurs on one of the mountains of Ararat [אבן עזרא]. However, a central Midrashic tradition asserts that the location is the exact future site of the great altar in Jerusalem, the very same ground where Adam, Cain, and Abel once brought their offerings [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, חומת אנך].

Constructing the altar from the earth itself symbolizes humanity's ultimate purpose: to take raw nature and elevate it, dedicating the new world as a holy mountain for serving the Creator [רש״ר הירש]. This physical act restores the Divine Presence to the world, which had departed following the sin of the first man, thereby reconnecting the heavenly and earthly realms [רקנאטי, רבנו בחיי]. The very concept of the altar is understood to represent a spiritual force that repels harsh decrees, sustains the world, and atones for sins [תורה תמימה].

Only pure animals are selected, as impure creatures are deemed as unfit for an offering as they are for consumption [רד״ק]. There is a discussion regarding the exact types of animals used. The primary approach among commentators notes that, unlike the later laws of the Torah which restrict offerings to specific livestock and doves, early humanity was permitted to offer any pure species. This included pure wild beasts and various birds [פני דוד, משכיל לדוד, תורה תמימה, צפנת פענח]. Even wild predators were considered appropriate at this moment, as the trauma of the flood had broken their spirits, stripping them of their natural pride and predatory instincts [פני דוד]. Conversely, another tradition narrows this selection, identifying the animals strictly as the four species that would later be permitted for the Israelites: the ox, sheep, goat, and dove [חומת אנך].

The offerings are completely consumed by fire, their smoke ascending upward [שד״ל]. Because the one bringing the offering receives no portion of it, this act represents absolute surrender, an awakening of the drive for action, and a constant progression toward a higher moral and spiritual destiny [רש״ר הירש, קאסוטו]. Care is taken to ensure the animals are entirely without blemish so they will be fully accepted [העמק דבר]. The entire act is dedicated to God as the source of life and the attribute of mercy—connecting directly to the First Cause of existence rather than to a deity of destruction or wrath [רש״ר הירש, רבנו בחיי].

In sharp contrast to the broad consensus praising this spiritual greatness, a unique critical perspective argues that this sacrifice is never commanded. According to this view, God's explicit instruction is to bring the animals out of the ark so they can multiply and fill the earth. By killing them on an altar, the survivor acts on his own accord and against this life-affirming command. In this light, God’s subsequent observation that the inclination of man's heart is evil from his youth does not reflect a pleased acceptance of the offering. Instead, it represents a disappointed resignation to humanity's destructive nature, recognizing that even the most righteous among men chooses to kill rather than to nurture life [קונטרס חיבה יתירה].