Noach נֹחַ - Rest
Torah Portion: Genesis 6:9-11:32
Genesis 9:18–10:32
9:18 The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
20 Noah began to be a farmer and planted a vineyard. 21 He drank the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness. 24 Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25 He said,
“Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”
26 He said, “Blessed be Hashem, the Elohim of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. 27 May Elohim enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.”
28 Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. 29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.
10 Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer were: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.
6 The sons of Ham were: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were: Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before Hashem. Therefore, it is said, “like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before Hashem”. 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 Out of that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah. 13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14 Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.
15 Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth, 16 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, 18 the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward, the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad. 19 The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon—as you go toward Gerar—to Gaza—as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim—to Lasha. 20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.
21 Children were also born to Shem (the elder brother of Japheth), the father of all the children of Eber. 22 The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram were: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph,
Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30 Their dwelling extended from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem, by their families, according to their languages, lands, and nations.
32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, by their generations, according to their nations. The nations divided from these in the earth after the flood.
Today’s Meditation:
The start of a new world. Hashem literally erases the face of the earth except for this small family. Eight adults survive a catastrophic event. And eight are left to repopulate the world. Because Noah was righteous, one would assume his sons were also. And maybe they were. But what about their three wives?
I had the thought that maybe the wives were not descendants of Adam, but instead of the “sons of man,” or of the generations of people first created in Genesis Chapter 1. I realize there isn’t much support for the idea that this could be true —that a generation of people existed before Adam and Eve were created. But to me, it makes sense that Hashem could have created man and woman, only for them to be disobedient. So, He created special people—Adam and Eve—and the Garden of Eden.
Whatever happened, could it be that the wives of the sons of Noah were not righteous? If they were not, that might explain how the earth became corrupt again so quickly. Perhaps Hashem believed they would change in the presence and teachings of Noah. It's so sad that we are given a new start and still fail. Once again. Praise Hashem, He is forgiving and full of grace.
Today’s Challenge:
Has Hashem ever given you a new start in life? A new job, or a new city to start over in? Only when you get a new start do you find yourself falling back into your old self, with its not-so-good habits? I challenge you to think of every day as a new start. When you wake up in the morning, greet Hashem. Tell Him you are thankful for today, that you love Him, and that you will try your best today to follow Him. Soon, you can make this a habit.
