In the story of Noach, the Torah makes mention of certain numbers numerous times. The constant repetition draws our attention to the numbers in question, and begs for an explanation.
The first instance of this is when Hashem tells Noach that, in regards to the pure animals, he is to bring two pairs of seven. As the commentaries explain, these extra animals were to be brought as a sacrifice after the flood. Only two of each species would remain for the purposes of the continuation of the species. It is notable that this meant that a total of twelve animals (or six times two) would be offered from each of the kosher species. What is the significance of this number of offerings?
The Torah also mentions that at a certain point, Hashem told Noach that he would be bringing the flood in 'seven days time.' The commentaries explain that this period of time was the seven day mourning period for Mesushelach. Hashem waited until he passed away before bringing the flood and deferred its arrival until after the mourning for his death had been completed. There are two questions that can be asked here. First, What is the deeper significance of the fact that Mesushelach died at this time? Second, Why was Noach specifically warned seven days before the flood?
It is significant to note that when the flood begins, the Torah tells us that it was 'in the six hundredth year.' This is reference to the fact that Noach was six hundred years old at the advent of the flood. Why does the Torah deem it necessary to share this information with us?
As his stay on the ark was coming to a close, the Torah describes how Noach sent a raven to search for dry land. When the raven returned, he waited seven days, and sent a dove. When it returned as well, he waited another seven days and sent it again. This time, it returned with an olive branch in its beak. Noach again waited seven days and sent it off. This time it did not return. What is the significance of the fact that Noach chose seven days as the interval to wait each time?
We clearly see that the number seven plays an important role in the story of Noach. What is less obvious is that the number six is also extremely significant in this story, as we will soon see.
At the beginning of the parsha, the Torah describes Noach as an אישצדיק, תמיםהיהבדורותיו - a righteous man, perfect in his generation.
What is the concept of the צדיק, the righteous man, and why is it important to talk about him relative to his generation?
To understand this, let us look for a moment at the person who our sages most identify with the concept of צדיק - Yosef hatzadik. Yosef received this title because he was placed in very difficult circumstances, and nevertheless was able to triumph and excel. He was a slave in Egypt, the place that set the world standard for moral decadence. Despite this, and despite the constant temptations of his master's wife, Yosef remained true to the moral heritage that was exemplary of the family of Yakov.
Here we see the first stage of the level of the צדיק - remaining true to one's moral standards even in the face of great moral challenges. This first stage is actually a prerequisite for the second stage of the level of the צדיק. This later stage is also exemplified by Yosef.
We find that after Yosef passed his difficult moral tests and was subsequently incarcerated, he finally was released and became the viceroy, placed in a position of power over all of Egypt. This set the stage for him to act as the guardian and leader of the people of Israel when they came to sojourn in Egypt. He did a number of things to ensure they would be able to completely dedicate themselves to their spiritual pursuits, including giving them a special place in the land of Goshen, separated from the rest of the Egyptians.
Thus we see that the second stage of the level of צדיק is where he acts to facilitate the relationship of those in his generation with Hashem. The order of the stages is essential, as the tzaddik must first purify himself, and only then can he act as a vehicle of connection between Hashem and the world.
These two stages are represented in the verse that refers to the righteous person as the צדיקיסודעולם - the righteous one, base of the world. The first stage of self-purification is represented by the concept of the righteous person being the 'base' - firmly planted in the ground. The second concept is that he needs this as a prerequisite to be the base 'of the world,' which is representative of his facilitative role for those around him.
This is also why we find that Yosef represents the Kabbalistic concept of Yesod, which is the point of connection between the male and female concepts. In order for there to be a proper union between these forces, there must be a purification of the organ of connection, which was represented by Yosef's trials and tests. Through that process, he was able to then act as a connector between the male and female forces of creation, between Hashem and the Jewish people. Here again we have the two stages mentioned.
These two stages can also be recognized in the numbers six and seven. The number six generally connotes the concept of יסוד - of the means of connection between the male and female aspect. The number seven generally connotes the female aspect itself. Thus we could say that the first stage that we have described, the process of the tzaddik's purification, could be referred to as the process of six. The second stage, which involves the facilitation of the connection between the male and female aspects could then be referred to as the process of seven.
Let us now return to Noach, and we will understand a great hidden depth in his story. Noach, as we mentioned, was a צדיק, just as Yosef was. In fact, our sages tell us that Noach was born circumcised. This represented his role as the tzaddik, whose purity and righteousness would have the potential to create a connection between Hashem and the people of the world. This is why the Torah first tells us that he was a tzaddik, and then immediately mentions that he was 'perfect in his generation.' The main relevance of his being righteous was in order to act as a liaison between his contemporaries and Hashem.
Being that his contemporaries were not worthy of that connection, however, it was decreed that they would all be destroyed. Nevertheless, it was Hashem's hope that they would repent and it was thus Noach's job to try to spur them to teshuva. He did this by spending one hundred and twenty years building the ark, hoping to encourage introspection. To the last moment the opportunity was there for them to return, but in the end they missed their chance.
It now becomes clear why the number seven recurs so many times in our parsha. The first place we found it mentioned was in the commandment of Hashem to Noach to bring seven pairs of pure animals to the ark. These animals would end up being used as a sacrifice. The sacrifice's purpose is to create a connection between man and Hashem. Thus, this was a sign for the people of the world to repent and return their focus to their relationship with Hashem.
Seven days prior to the flood, Hashem informed Noach that the flood would soon be upon the world. This day coincided with the death of Mesushelach. Mesushelach was a righteous person who dedicated his life to his relationship with Hashem, and thus his death was another chance for the people of the world to be inspired to awaken from their slumber. It was seven days before the flood, again, to remind them of the need to connect to Hashem.
The Torah then tells us that the flood began when Noach was exactly six hundred years old. Here we see the number six (multiplied by one hundred), which is representative of Noach's personal perfection, the first stage. It also represents his inability to act in the capacity of connector because of a lack in the 'process of seven' - the second stage.
As Noach nears the end of his time on the ark, he sends off the birds every seven days. This represents his vision of the future, of rebuilding the world and moving toward a mankind that indeed is connected with its Creator.
Finally, when Noach exits the ark, he recognizes the fact that Hashem has saved him in the merit of his righteousness, and brings a sacrifice of six of the seven pairs of pure animals. (One pair of each was left to propagate the species.) This represents the process of six, the self-purification of Noach that allowed him to survive.
(It is also interesting to note that the rainbow is representative of Hashem's promise to never destroy the world and to maintain a commitment to His relationship with the people of the world, whether or not they are doing His will. The rainbow has seven colors.)
From here we see a deep lesson about the proper approach to spiritual growth. It is natural for one to focus on one's own spirituality as he attempts to climb the ladder in his relationship with Hashem. While it is true that one must first purify himself, nevertheless, the purpose of one's self-purification must ultimately be to act to facilitate the spirituality of others. The greater a person is, the greater is his obligation to help others in their connection to Hashem.