The Ramban addresses the obvious question of why an ark was necessary to rescue Noach and the animals. Why was Noach ordered to build an enormous boat, if it in any event would be unable to accommodate every species without a miracle from Hashem? In that case, Hashem could have saved them in any other way. The Ramban suggests that this project was perhaps intended as a means of drawing the people’s attention to the ark, which could potentially have had the effect of inspiring the generation to Teshuvah.

     R’ Chayim Elazary zt"l (Shvilei Chayim), offers a beautiful insight here. Ever since the second generation of mankind - Kayin and Hevel - relations among people have been characterized by envy, greed and violence. Indeed, the sentence against the generation of the flood was issued specifically on account of "חמס" - violent theft (Rashi). The ongoing prevalence of theft and violent struggle, which began early on in human history, could lead one to believe that such is the inescapable lot of mankind; that people - like animals - will forever be engaged in incessant and bitter conflict.

     To dispel this disheartening notion, Hashem saw to it that for the year of the deluge, representatives from all the earth’s creatures will live together in perfect peace and harmony. As He flooded the earth, Hashem sowed the seeds of its reconstruction by demonstrating the ability of people and even animals to live together amicably in the cramped, crowded confines of an ark. This served as a precedent to the possibility of peaceful relations among people and even between man and beast. It proved that the world is not necessarily condemned to a state of chaos; violence and conflict are not essential ingredients of the human condition. It is possible for mankind to lead a peaceful life and build and cultivate the earth with mutual respect and cooperation.