TORAH SPARKS
Parashat Noah
November 4-5, 2016 4 Heshvan 5777
Annual (Genesis 6:9-11:32): Etz Hayim p. 41-63;
Hertz p. 26-40
Triennial (Genesis 6:9-8:14): Etz Hayim p.
41-48; Hertz p. 26-31
Haftarah (Isaiah 54:1-55:5): Etz Hayim p.
64-68; Hertz p. 41-44
The
Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling Rabbi Mordechai Silverstein,
CY Faculty (Talmud, Midrash, Halacha)
The Tower of Babel
story is unusual. We are not quite sure what the sin was in this episode
since it is never stated explicitly. This gave interpreters throughout
the generations a chance to weigh in with their pet concerns as to what the
sins of that wayward generation might be. I have always found one attempt at
defining the sin of that generation particularly interesting for what it says
about the modern spirit.
I first want to
present a little background. The following midrash presumes that the Flood
in Noah s generation was the monumental event in history for the people of
the generation of the Tower of Babel and that the sin of the people of Babel
was related to the Flood. What was their sin according to Rabbi Eleazar in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Zimra? They
said: Once in one thousand six hundred and fifty-six years the firmament
totters [and another flood occurs], therefore let s go and build supports [for
the firmament, one in the north, one in the south,
one in
the west, and the one here [in Babylonia] will be the eastern support. (See
Bereishit Rabbah 38:1) The author of this midrash implies that their sin was in
thinking that the Flood was an explainable natural phenomenon which was
remediable.
Rabbi Eliezer
considered this sin to be quite serious despite its not warranting the death
penalty. The punishment was the people to be scattered throughout the world and
to speak different languages so that they would be unable to complete their
project. In addition, or more importantly for Rabbi Eleazar, they serve as an
example to remind everyone of the gravity of their sin.
But what was so
grievous about what they did? It sounds ingenious and not sinful. After all, we
expect human beings to innovate solutions for the dangers that face them. What
could be sinful about that?
The author of this
midrash feared the assumption that world events and especially natural events
would be considered merely natural phenomena which could be tended to as such
and not God-determined, providential events granted as reward or punishment for
right or wrong behavior.
Was the author
concerned that such an idea would alter human behavior or was he worried that
such a mindset reflected the idea that God was not involved in the world and
that the world had its own natural order independent of God s active
participation? In either case, these are questions people still ponder to this
day.
It seems to me that
it is not a bad thing to operate with these two conflicting mindsets. We should
always have in mind that our acts are consequential in God s eyes and never
lose sight of this idea (bad pun intended). On the other hand, God placed us in
this world to use our resourcefulness to improve the created world. Neither of
these perspectives should overshadow the other.
A Vort
for Parashat Noah
Rabbi Daniel Goldfarb, CY Faculty
The
flood destroys all life and existence that had been on the earth s surface. Just
Noah was left va yisha er ach Noah – and
those with him in the ark (Gen 7:23). Noah, who had been ish
tsadik v tamim b’dorotav – a righteous man, blameless in his times
at the opening of the parashah (Gen 6:9), is now just Noah. R Pinchas
of Koritz (1726-1791, Ukraine, a close student of the Baal Shem Tov) said that
God was angry with Noah. A real tsadik must pray and solicit mercy for
his generation; he has the capacity to mitigate the judgment; God yearns for
the prayers of tsadikim. But Noah was silent, and the flood came. He is
left, just Noah, without title and without glory.
Table
Talk
Vered
Hollander-Goldfarb, CY Faculty
Last week we learnt about the creation
of the world, and now we read about the destruction of this amazing enterprise
because of the corruption of all living things. As life returns after the
flood we read about the tower of Babylon and get a first glance at Abram s
family.
1) The story of Noah
opens with a parallel between the actions of all living things and the actions
of God (6:11-13). What are all flesh doing? What do you think that means?
How does the Torah tell us, through the careful use of language, that God s
actions are a reaction to the actions of all flesh ?
2) How long did the rain
pour down on Earth? What other sources of water fed the flood (7:11-12)? For
how long did the water continue to rise (7:24)? What thoughts do you think crossed
Noah s mind during this time?
3) Following the flood
and the destruction, people came together speaking one language and working to
build a tower that could reach Heaven (11:1-4). Compare this to the behavior of
people before the flood. What has changed? Is their behavior viewed favorably
by God (11:5-9)? What might be the reason?
4) Who is Abram s father
(11:26-32)? Who are his brothers? One of his brothers died, leaving behind 3
children. Who are they? What happens to each one of them? What does this
teach you about the values in this family? One of them is not mentioned again
in the story. What do you think happened to her?
5) Rashi (medieval
commentator that frequently uses rabbinic sources) says on v. 29 Iscah – This is Sarah and
proceeds to make linguistic links between the two names. What in the story
pointed Rashi to the possibility that Abram married a relative?