Beraishis 9F The Educational Value of Varied Nations and Cultures

וְאַתֶּם פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ שִׁרְצוּ בָאָרֶץ וּרְבוּ בָהּ

And you, be fruitful and multiply, diversify upon the earth and multiply upon it.

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This verse is the culmination of God’s “Plan B” for mankind, after the Mabul.

After the Mabul the continents were split apart, the climate of the world changed and man’s life span was shortened. As RSRH explained, all of this stymied the spread of evil.  See Beraishis 8:22.

Here, Hirsch explains the positive affect of this diversity of nations and cultures and how that too is part of “Plan B”.

In this verse God tells Noach and his family to spread out in the world, to bring about the diversification of man.

Under the most diverse conditions and influences they are to become “men” (אדם) in the true sense of the word (“Adam” means man who lives a Godly life on earth. A representative of God in this world.) and to develop the character traits common among men. Wherever he may live, man can be “man”, meaning he can find happiness and develop all of his human qualities.

People are born with a natural tendency to love the place where they are born and raised, even when that place has difficult conditions – מ”ר ל”ד, ט”ו  ברוך שנתן חן המקום בעיני יושביו. The Midrash tells us ברית נחלקה לאוירות, a covenant was given to the special climates. Hirsch suggests that the deeper meaning of this Midrash is that God’s covenant with man is spread out over various climates. (God’s relationship with man, living as “אדם” will take hold by means of man’s varied ways of living in the world, influenced by the varied climates in the world. GS) Every local has its vices and its virtues. (Every individual and every culture has its own experience . Each has the capacity for its unique expression of a relationship with God. GS) By the same token, no man can judge others by his own standards.

The diversity will compensate for man’s shortcomings and pave the way to progress toward the goal.

Beraishis 9:7
pages 230-231