Noah’s flood destroys early mankind. It is the first and universal example of purification through water, washing the slate clean (on which all later symbolic new starts, as represented by the Mikva, are derived from). It was the violence that early humans did to each other that finally led to the cataclysm. When it is over, God says He will…
Parsha Noah
The Seven Noachide Commandments
“The Seven Commandments given to Noah” are described in the Talmud as deriving from Chapter 9. They are: not to blaspheme (deny the existence of God), not to worship idols, not to murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, to set up courts of law and not to be cruel to animals. According to the Talmud and Jewish Law…
The Origin of Evil
Noah, for all that he “walked with God” did not have any impact on the people around him beyond his immediate family. They were the only humans he managed to persuade to join him. After the flood, the Torah gives some rules (later known as the Seven Noah commands for humanity in general) to help regenerated humanity try to succeed…
Noah Gets Drunk
After the flood, Noah plants a vineyard (Genesis Chapter 9.20). He makes wine, gets drunk and ends up naked on the floor of his tent. His grandson Canaan sees him and runs to tell his father and uncles. They do not want to see their father naked and so they take a sheet between two and walk backwards until they…
The Tower of Babel
Whenever I read the story of the Tower of Babel I think about how thousands of years ago a scheme to build a huge building came to nothing because the people were inhuman. They were indeed united but unity in pursuit of evil is what the Nazis had. Sometimes division is healthier because it encourages human variety. And then I…
The Curse of Canaan
Those of you who have seen Hollywood’s version of Noah starring Russel Crowe will know how much fanciful material was added to the Biblical story. Some of it actually has a source in Midrash most of which was written down a thousand years after the Torah. And in a way we keep on adding to Midrash whenever we try to…