"Vayinachem Hashem al ha'Ra'ah". What happened to the prediction of the star Ra'ah?
Why did Hashem retract only at this point?
Rashi (in Seifer ha?Pardes): Moshe Davened three Tefilos, and Hashem answered him when he mentioned the three Avos. 1
Rashi, Ibid.: Which is the reason that we say ?Ve'zocher Chasdei Avos? in the Amidah. Shabbos, 30a: And this is what Shelomoh ha?Melech was referring to in Koheles, 4:2 ?Ve'shavach Ani es ha?Meisim she?Kevar Meisu min ha?Chayim ? ?.
What are the implications of "Vayinachem Hashem al ha'Ra'ah ... "?
Oznayim la'Torah: Moshe Davened for two things: 1. That Hashem should not destroy Yisrael; 2. That He should keep His promise to give them the promised land. At this point Hashem answered only his first Tefilah; The second one He will answer after the second set of forty days. 1
Later in the Parshah. See 34:11.
How will we reconcile the current Pasuk "va'Yinachem Hashem", with the Pasuk in Balak Bamidbar (23:19) it says "Lo Ish Keil Viyechazev u'Ven Adam Veyisnecham"?
Bechor Shor (Bereishis 6:7): There are three kinds of retraction. 1. Sometimes a person promises and is able to fulfill, but does not want to - "Ish Viyechazev ". 2. Sometimes he thinks that he can fulfill but he erred and is unable to - "u'Ven Adam Veyisnecham". 3. Hashem does retract when he decrees evil - like He did by Ninveh, and they repent, or if He decreed good, and later man sins. 1 That retraction is due to man's change.
Rosh (Bereishis 6:6): This is because He judges man according to his merits at the time, as the Navi writes in Yirmiyah 18:7-10 (Da'as Zekenim Bamidbar 23:19, citing Bechor Shor).
