Question: Why was the generation of Noah punished by water and not by fire or any other way? What is the idea or connection between God’s selection of flood as we all know God punishes us measure for measure, so what was the sin that amounted to use water as the main cause of destruction?

Answer: I believe the following is a possible approach: It seems clear that the generation of the flood had so corrupted the world that God had no “choice” but to obliterate the world and start over. The world as it was had to be completely destroyed and Noah would be the new Adam. There are indications from the Rabbinic sources that the ark of Noah functioned as a universe in and of itself, since the “real” universe had been completely destroyed. The world was starting over. Water as we know, is the foundation of life. No life is possible without water. The world was in some sense “created” from water (as in indicating from the splitting of the water between the upper and lower waters). Therefore, since the world was created with water, it only makes sense that it be destroyed with water. The evil people of the generation of the world caused the destruction of the world, as such, it seems only right that the destruction take place with the very same agent of its creation—water.

Be Well,
Rabbi Yoel Spotts