Genesis Noach

Noach
Genesis 6:9−11:32

I. Summary

A. Noach (Noah) = one of only six Torah portions named after a person.

B. Noah recognized to be righteous and above reproach in his generation. God “saw how corrupted the earth was” and decides to cause a flood that will destroy the world. God tells Noah to build an ark, gives him building specs and acknowledges intent to establish (first) covenant with Noah. God instructs Noah to bring his family onto ark along with 1) two each of every living creature, 2) food for all, 3) seven pairs of every pure beast, 4) two pairs of every impure beast and 5) seven pairs of birds. Inherent inconsistency due to separate (J and P) traditions.(6:1 - 7:5)

C. Flood comes and covers earth in seven days. Rain falls for forty days (v. 150days per 7:24 suggesting difference between J and P authors). After 150 days, God causes winds to sweep earth making floodwaters subside. Ark comes to rest atop Mt. Ararat. (7:6-8:5)

D. Noah sends out 1) a raven which just flew around ark, 2) then a dove which came back after not finding a resting place, 3) another dove which came back with olive branch and 4) another dove which did not come back. (8:6 - 8:12)

E. After water recedes completely, God tell Noah to leave ark with family and all animals. Noah does so. Noah builds an altar and offers a sacrifice to God. God responds by thinking never again to destroy all living things. God blesses Noah (“be fruitful and multiply” though becoming a command to have children rather than a blessing as originally stated) and establishes covenant with Noah, his descendants and with all living beings. Life starts over again after the Flood. God uses a rainbow to make a symbol of this first covenant. (8:13 - 9:17)

F. Noah plants vineyard, gets drunk and “exposed himself under his tent”. Noah’s youngest son, Ham (father of Canaan) “sees” (interpreted to be a sexual perversion) his father drunk and naked. Ham tells his brothers of Noah’s nakedness. Shem and Japheth enter Noah’s tent and cover him without actually seeing Noah’s naked body. Noah awakens from his drunken stupor and, discovering what has happened, curses Ham’s son Canaan and blesses Shem and Japheth. Noah dies at the age of 950. (9:18 - 9:28)

G. The lines of Noah’s three sons are set out tracing through brothers Peleg and Joktan but continuing on only with Joktan. (10:1 - 10:32)

H. People start to build a city and the Tower of Babel. Seeing the project (and concluding “now no scheme of theirs will be beyond their reach”), God scatters the people and gives them different languages to speak. (11:1 - 9)

I. The line of Noah’s son Shem, is repeated through Peleg then breaks off to trace lineage to from Peleg to Abram (v. prior genealogy traces generational branch off of Peleg’s brother, Joktan … rationale for distinction = first genealogy is prehistory (antediluvian) whereas second genealogy is (postdeluvian) history brings us to first patriarch, Abram and sets stage for rest of Torah). (11:10 - 11:32)

II. Commentary (Plaut, various websites and prior Hevreh discussions)

A. Reason for the Flood - Reason not specified (beyond violence and corruption). Midrash speculates that the reason was unbounded affluence causing social depravity. Other tradition suggests that chief sin of generation of Flood was their refusal to have children.

B. Reason for raven v. dove - Raven was an undomesticated bird and, as such, would prefer its freedom even if the land were still muddy and in any way habitable. The dove, however, was a domesticated bird, and would only stay away if he found a fully dry patch of land. Note contrast of white dove as eternal symbol of piece v. black raven that eats carcasses as a symbol of the darkness and cruelty.

C. Significance of Noah being a righteous man in his generation and above reproach – Noah is righteousness relative to evil then prevalent among people (presumed rationale for God’s decision to destroy everything). God saving Noah is turning point of entire flood narrative and suggestive of triumph of God’s mercy over God’s judgment. Also first example of God changing mind based on behavior of human … prerequisite to later negotiations with God.

D. Noahide Laws (9:2-16) – Based on rabbinic interpretations (not set out explicitly in Torah) and applicable to all people, i.e. including non-Jews. Named for Noah since all law must be rooted in a covenant with God and God made first covenant with Noah. Laws are: 1. No worship of idols, 2. No blasphemy of God, 3. Establish courts of justice (limits of self-defense), 4. Don’t kill (no suicide, no abortion), 5. Don’t commit adultery, 6. Don’t rob and 7. Don’t eat flesh cut from living animal (dietary, slaughtering regulations).

E. Rainbow – Represented a weapon used by ancient gods in battle. Torah makes rainbow a sign of God’s rule over natural order and a permanent signature of God’s covenant.

F. Noah’s sons and Noah’s drunken nakedness - Many biblical scholars say that the story of Noah cursing Canaan as punishment for Canaan’s father (Ham) seeing Noah naked is included in our scripture as a means to justify why the Canaanites are so despised in Jewish tradition. Why is Canaan punished for sin of his father? Further, some argue that Shem and Japheth were wrong not to look at Noah, i.e. suggesting that when we see something is amiss, we must not turn away. Noah seems to have a drinking problem. Ham sees this and tells his brothers. They, however, prefer to deny this reality.

G. Why God punished builders of Babel - 1. Arrogance - Tendency of people to reach too high and therefore attempt to replace God. 2. Rebellion - People’s refusal to follow command to “populate the earth” (9:7) ... also a possible reason for Flood. 3. Citification - Tower was embodiment of urban city and suggestive of empire building, corruption, arrogance, desire for fame, etc. which violated the anti-urban biblical tradition of agriculture and tending flocks as occupations.

H. Languages and Babel - By confounding their common language, God punished greed and hubris of people. God's actions can also be seen in a more benign light … view plurality of language and culture not as a punishment but as a blessing, an affirmation of diversity and a rejoinder to destructive imperialist ambitions. Explains varieties of languages and dispersion of people through the world. Also, language is a key factor in shaping healthy diversity of thought within a culture, i.e. avoids the risk of uniformity of thought that could result from uniformity of language.

I. Significance of Noah’s life events – Is Noah under-rated or simply at right place at right time?

Event: Recognized by God to be righteous and above reproach in his generation.
Significance: Chosen by God. Was Noah unique or simply representative of righteous people of the times?

Event: God deciding to destroy all life except Noah and ark occupants. Significance: Beneficiary of (reason for?) God's mercy tempering God’s punishment of all living things.

Event: Builds ark.
Significance: Big construction project mandated by God and built by only one man. Compare to construction of Tabernacle by lots of skilled people.

Event: Gathers living creatures.
Significance: Temporary steward of all life.

Event: Sends out raven and dove.
Significance: Shows himself to be pragmatic and self-reliant.

Event: Builds an altar and offers a sacrifice to God
Significance: Leads to God’s blessing. Basis for God deciding to never again destroy all living things. God changing mind based on human behavior for first time = prerequisite to God later negotiating positions.

Event: Receives God’s blessing
Significance: God’s first covenant. Compare to God’s covenant with Abraham. Basis of Noahide laws (broader application than Torah, i.e. Noahide Laws apply to Jews and non-Jews).

Event: Plants vineyard.
Significance: Re-starts agriculture.

Event: Gets drunk and exposes himself.
Significance: How wrong? Confirms continuing human fallibility.

Event: “seen” by son Ham.
Significance: Victimized? Commentary on Ham? on Shem and Japheth (who are told of Noah’s actions by Ham but do nothing)?

Event: Curses Ham’s son Canaan.
Significance: Why not Ham? Noah’s anger (?) overcomes fatherly.

Event: Sons repopulate world (Abraham descends from Shem).
Significance: Noah’s ultimate legacy is to be vehicle for continuation of all life on earth.

Event: Dies at age of 950
Significance: Relatively old for times (Methuselah died at 969)

(Revised 10/23/09)