Q&A: Noah's Plow
Noah's Plow
Question
Rashi explains: "This one will bring us relief"—he will give us rest from the toil of our hands. Until Noah came, they had no plowing implements, and he prepared them for them. And the earth would bring forth thorns and thistles when they sowed wheat, because of the curse of Adam, and in Noah's days it subsided; this is the meaning of "this one will bring us relief." And if you do not explain it this way, the wording does not fit the name, and you would have to read his name as Menachem.
My questions are:
- How does Rashi know this? What did he infer it from?
- Is his interpretation necessary?
Answer
The inference is that if this is from the root meaning "to comfort," it is not connected to the name Noah. So he concludes that it comes from the root meaning "to give rest" rather than "to comfort."
As for whether it is necessary—certainly not.