Parashat Nowaḥ (Genesis 6:9-11:32) נֹחַ
SYNOPSIS:
Parashat Nowaḥ contains five sidrot [order, part]. The first deals with the building of the ark and the flood; the second, the subsidence of the flood waters; the third, the disembarking from the ark and the covenant; the fourth, the nations descended from the sons of Noah; and the fifth, the story of the city and tower of Babel and the lineage of Seth up to Abram.
First Sidra (Gen. 6:9-7:24)
The first verse of the parasha declares, "Noah, a righteous man, he was perfect in his generation; Noah walked with God" (Gen. 6:9). Noah [נֹחַ - rest] - the father of Shem [שֵׁם - name], Ham [חָם - hot], Japhet [יָפֶת - wide, expanse] - is the hero of the parasha that bears his name. The sidra informs us that, "the earth was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence" (Gen. 6:11). Noah, the only individual in his generation who is worth saving, is informed by God that He is going to wipe out mankind along with the earth. This is because God can no longer abide the corrupt and violent society that man has made for himself. However, Noah is commanded to build an ark whose dimensions are to be 300 cubits long x 50 cubits wide x 30 cubits high approximately 443 ft x 74 ft x 44 ft. The ark will become a life boat for Noah, his wife, his sons and his sons' families, along with a male and female of every impure creature and seven males and seven females of every pure creature. Once the ark has been built, the supplies have been loaded, and all who should be aboard are aboard, God sends the rains. "In the sixth hundred year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month" (Gen. 7:11) the flood began. It rained for forty days and forty nights until the earth was covered and all flesh had perished, "only Noah remained and those with him in the ark" (Gen. 7:23).
Second Sidra (Gen. 8:1-14)
In the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month - one hundred and fifty days after the waters first swelled up on the earth - they subside: five months after the flood began. The ark comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Several months passed before Noah opened the skylight of the ark, "and sent out the raven; and it went out going and returning" (Gen. 8:7). Afterwards Noah releases a dove, but it too returns as there is still no dry land. Seven days later Noah releases the dove once again. This time the dove returns with an olive leaf in her beak; the waters have subsided. After another seven days, Noah releases the dove one more time. This time however, the dove does not return. "And in the second month, on the twenty seventh of the month; the earth was dry" (Gen. 8:14): one year and ten days after the flood began.
Third Sidra (Gen. 8:15-9:17)
This sidra commences with God telling Noah to disembark from the ark along with his family and all the creatures. Noah builds an altar and offers as an ascent-offering; one of every pure beast and bird. As a result of Noah's sacrifice, YHWH states that the curse placed on the ground due to Adam's disobedience is now lifted, adding, "I will never again strike down all living-things as I have done" (Gen. 8:21). God then blesses Noah and his sons telling them to, "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen. 9:1). YHWH then sets before mankind some basic commandments: not to eat blood and the death sentence for murder. God then makes a covenant with Noah, his sons and all living flesh, that He will never again destroy the earth by flood and that the rainbow shall serve as the symbol of the covenant.
Fourth Sidra (Gen. 9:18-10:32)
In the fourth sidra, Noah plants a vineyard. When he drinks from what he has produced he becomes drunk, lying naked in his tent. Ham sees Noah lying there naked, but rather than cover his father's nakedness he instead brazenly tells Shem and Japhet what he has seen. Shem and Japhet take a garment and discreetly cover their father. When Noah finds out what Ham had done he reveals a prophecy concerning Ham's son Canaan, "cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren" (Gen. 9:25). The rest of the sidra lists the nations descended from Noah's sons and a summary of the kingdom Nimrod built in what is now Iraq.
Fifth Sidra (Gen. 11:1-32)
The fifth and final sidra of the parasha tells the story of the city and tower of Babel [בָּבֶל - confusion] and the confusion of languages. Mankind decides to build a city with a tower whose top is to reach the sky: the reason being to make a name for themselves lest they become scattered. YHWH is not pleased with this grandiose scheme of mankind. He confuses man's language so that nobody is able to understand his fellow's speech. As a result of the confusion of languages, mankind ceases building the city and becomes scattered throughout the earth. The rest of the sidra provides the lineage of Shem all the way to Terah who has three sons; Abram, Nahor and Haran. Terah's sons marry - Abram marries Sarai, but she is barren. Haran dies during the lifetime of Terah. Terah then takes Abram, Sarai and Lot - Haran's son - and they leave Ur (in southern Iraq), setting out for Canaan. However, when they reach the city of Ḥaran (on the Turkish-Syrian border, i.e. Kurdistan) they settle there, where Terah dies.
THE AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS:
The parasha says, "Noah, a righteous man, he was perfect in his generation; Noah walked with God" (Gen. 6:9). This does not mean that Noah was perfect according to all generations, but according to his own. Perhaps if Noah had lived in another generation he might not have been regarded as being perfect when compared to the individuals of that generation. However, Noah cannot be compared to those who live in a generation other than his own, simply because it is the individuals of Noah's generation that he interacts with and not the members of a generation that is yet to be born. In other words, we as individuals are judged by YHWH according to the standards of our own generation, against the actions of our peers, and not according to some mythical generation where everyone is righteous. Another way of viewing this is that our task is to reach our own individual potential and not that of a Moses ben Amram. How can someone be judged for not reaching the potential of an Einstein when one does not even have the ability to reach that potential? The only potential that I have to reach is the one that as I am capable of reaching. YHWH will only be disappointed if we neglect the endeavour to try and reach our true potentials. And if we each reach our own potential, we too will walk with God.
Parashat Nowaḥ contains five sidrot [order, part]. The first deals with the building of the ark and the flood; the second, the subsidence of the flood waters; the third, the disembarking from the ark and the covenant; the fourth, the nations descended from the sons of Noah; and the fifth, the story of the city and tower of Babel and the lineage of Seth up to Abram.
First Sidra (Gen. 6:9-7:24)
The first verse of the parasha declares, "Noah, a righteous man, he was perfect in his generation; Noah walked with God" (Gen. 6:9). Noah [נֹחַ - rest] - the father of Shem [שֵׁם - name], Ham [חָם - hot], Japhet [יָפֶת - wide, expanse] - is the hero of the parasha that bears his name. The sidra informs us that, "the earth was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence" (Gen. 6:11). Noah, the only individual in his generation who is worth saving, is informed by God that He is going to wipe out mankind along with the earth. This is because God can no longer abide the corrupt and violent society that man has made for himself. However, Noah is commanded to build an ark whose dimensions are to be 300 cubits long x 50 cubits wide x 30 cubits high approximately 443 ft x 74 ft x 44 ft. The ark will become a life boat for Noah, his wife, his sons and his sons' families, along with a male and female of every impure creature and seven males and seven females of every pure creature. Once the ark has been built, the supplies have been loaded, and all who should be aboard are aboard, God sends the rains. "In the sixth hundred year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month" (Gen. 7:11) the flood began. It rained for forty days and forty nights until the earth was covered and all flesh had perished, "only Noah remained and those with him in the ark" (Gen. 7:23).
Second Sidra (Gen. 8:1-14)
In the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month - one hundred and fifty days after the waters first swelled up on the earth - they subside: five months after the flood began. The ark comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Several months passed before Noah opened the skylight of the ark, "and sent out the raven; and it went out going and returning" (Gen. 8:7). Afterwards Noah releases a dove, but it too returns as there is still no dry land. Seven days later Noah releases the dove once again. This time the dove returns with an olive leaf in her beak; the waters have subsided. After another seven days, Noah releases the dove one more time. This time however, the dove does not return. "And in the second month, on the twenty seventh of the month; the earth was dry" (Gen. 8:14): one year and ten days after the flood began.
Third Sidra (Gen. 8:15-9:17)
This sidra commences with God telling Noah to disembark from the ark along with his family and all the creatures. Noah builds an altar and offers as an ascent-offering; one of every pure beast and bird. As a result of Noah's sacrifice, YHWH states that the curse placed on the ground due to Adam's disobedience is now lifted, adding, "I will never again strike down all living-things as I have done" (Gen. 8:21). God then blesses Noah and his sons telling them to, "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen. 9:1). YHWH then sets before mankind some basic commandments: not to eat blood and the death sentence for murder. God then makes a covenant with Noah, his sons and all living flesh, that He will never again destroy the earth by flood and that the rainbow shall serve as the symbol of the covenant.
Fourth Sidra (Gen. 9:18-10:32)
In the fourth sidra, Noah plants a vineyard. When he drinks from what he has produced he becomes drunk, lying naked in his tent. Ham sees Noah lying there naked, but rather than cover his father's nakedness he instead brazenly tells Shem and Japhet what he has seen. Shem and Japhet take a garment and discreetly cover their father. When Noah finds out what Ham had done he reveals a prophecy concerning Ham's son Canaan, "cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brethren" (Gen. 9:25). The rest of the sidra lists the nations descended from Noah's sons and a summary of the kingdom Nimrod built in what is now Iraq.
Fifth Sidra (Gen. 11:1-32)
The fifth and final sidra of the parasha tells the story of the city and tower of Babel [בָּבֶל - confusion] and the confusion of languages. Mankind decides to build a city with a tower whose top is to reach the sky: the reason being to make a name for themselves lest they become scattered. YHWH is not pleased with this grandiose scheme of mankind. He confuses man's language so that nobody is able to understand his fellow's speech. As a result of the confusion of languages, mankind ceases building the city and becomes scattered throughout the earth. The rest of the sidra provides the lineage of Shem all the way to Terah who has three sons; Abram, Nahor and Haran. Terah's sons marry - Abram marries Sarai, but she is barren. Haran dies during the lifetime of Terah. Terah then takes Abram, Sarai and Lot - Haran's son - and they leave Ur (in southern Iraq), setting out for Canaan. However, when they reach the city of Ḥaran (on the Turkish-Syrian border, i.e. Kurdistan) they settle there, where Terah dies.
THE AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS:
The parasha says, "Noah, a righteous man, he was perfect in his generation; Noah walked with God" (Gen. 6:9). This does not mean that Noah was perfect according to all generations, but according to his own. Perhaps if Noah had lived in another generation he might not have been regarded as being perfect when compared to the individuals of that generation. However, Noah cannot be compared to those who live in a generation other than his own, simply because it is the individuals of Noah's generation that he interacts with and not the members of a generation that is yet to be born. In other words, we as individuals are judged by YHWH according to the standards of our own generation, against the actions of our peers, and not according to some mythical generation where everyone is righteous. Another way of viewing this is that our task is to reach our own individual potential and not that of a Moses ben Amram. How can someone be judged for not reaching the potential of an Einstein when one does not even have the ability to reach that potential? The only potential that I have to reach is the one that as I am capable of reaching. YHWH will only be disappointed if we neglect the endeavour to try and reach our true potentials. And if we each reach our own potential, we too will walk with God.
