בראשית, פרק ט׳, פסוק ח׳

Following the deep trauma of the flood, humanity needed a firm promise to calm their fears and allow them to rebuild their lives. God establishes a new and absolute covenant with the survivors. He declares a fixed, unchanging natural order, promising that such destruction will never happen again. This reassurance was essential to remove the fear that kept people from settling and building the world. It also ensured they would not use the threat of another flood as an excuse for their future actions [רש״ר הירש, רס״ג].

The divine communication serves as an official notice of who receives this promise and introduces the covenant itself [רס״ג]. A significant question arises regarding how this prophetic message was delivered to the survivors. The primary approach among commentators is that God did not speak directly to the sons. Instead, He spoke only to Noah, who was tasked with passing the message to them. This is because the sons had not reached the spiritual level required for prophecy, a shortcoming particularly true of Ham [רמב״ן, אבן עזרא, טור הארוך, תולדות יצחק, ביאור יש״ר, רד״ק, מחוקקי יהודה].

However, other perspectives suggest the communication was directed to the sons as well. One view maintains that all four men were actually prophets [אבן עזרא, תולדות יצחק, רד״ק]. Another approach explains that while the sons may not have been worthy of divine inspiration on their own merit, they were granted the ability to hear God's word simply because they stood alongside Noah [העמק דבר]. A more specific interpretation suggests that direct communication was granted only to Shem and Japheth, as Ham was not worthy of such a revelation [רבנו בחיי].

The inclusion of the sons alongside Noah emphasizes their full participation in the promise. They were brought into the covenant equally so they would have complete confidence in God's guarantee to them and to all future creations, ensuring they did not mistakenly think the message was meant for Noah alone [רבנו בחיי, רד״ק]. The delivery of the message also carries a clear expectation to pass the words onward. This aligns with the understanding that Noah had to relay the details to his sons [רד״ק, מחוקקי יהודה]. Alternatively, it functions as a direct demand from God to the survivors to fulfill the duties placed upon them [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Although the divine presence during this event is closely associated with the attribute of strict justice, the nature of the moment transforms it. In the context of forming a covenant after the flood, this justice blends and merges into the attribute of mercy, ultimately protecting the earth and guaranteeing the continued existence of the world for all generations [אלשיך].