English: It was taught: R’ Yose says: The generation of the Flood became arrogant only because of the eyeball, which resembles water, as it is stated “And the sons of the nobles saw the daughters of man that they were fair…” Therefore He judged them with water that resembles the eyeball, as it is stated “All the fountains of the great deep were split open and the windows of heaven were opened.”
On the daf / in context: The midda-keneged-midda is drawn from the verb “saw” (the eye). Because the sin began with the eye, the punishment came through water, which the eye resembles.
Type of Learning
Custom (midda-keneged-midda from the eye that saw).
What Is Learned
The generation of the Flood was punished measure-for-measure: the sin began with the eye (seeing the daughters of man), therefore the judgment came by water, which resembles the eyeball.