Why did G-d choose to destroy with the flood all Cattle and animals that creep upon the earth and all fowl and animals that fly but chose to leave all fish and other sea creatures unharmed? Why are the fishes spared? Or am I reading this whole parsha wrong?
Hi! Very interesting question. The answer is that the rest of creation is only destroyed because of humanity. Animals don’t have free will, but they are connected to mankind which does. This was true much more so then. Right after the Flood, the Torah explains that the rest of the world, including all animals, will no longer be held responsible for Man.
Since this is so, the closer animals are to man, the more they get pulled down with him. Fish, which live in a different medium, and don’t “need” the dry land we live on, were less affected.
Best wishes,
Michoel Reach