The Bow in the Cloud

Congregation Beth Am Torah Study 6/27/2009 –R.Janet Marder

Genesis 9:16 – 21

The traditional and contemporary views about the 'Rainbow as a Sign'.

God sees the ‘bow in the cloud’ whether man sees it or not.
Rabbi Abraham Iben (Ibn) Ezra – “God makes the rainbow appear in the sky even though it is not really there....” It is created by man’s eye – how we perceive the light through moisture. But Ben Ezra says the rainbow is always there. Always visible to God.

In Warsaw Ghetto on the walls – “ I believe in the sun even when it is not shining…”

Contemporary
Leon Kass – Rainbow is a symbol of reassurance to humans. Asks why is this reassurance needed while they are rebuilding a life? People require hope and posterity to be a reason to rebuild. There would be no reason to follow the laws if there was no hope for a better future. Needs hope for a motivation to build the world and have an obligation for justice. A purpose to life. The sign is required forever when despair threatens us.

Prometheus – gave ‘blind hope’ in Greek mythology.

Ephemeral Nature of the Rainbow – Hope is also ephemeral. Natural hope fades. Cosmic order is finally not inhospitable of human dreams & aspirations (the foundation of Mordichai Kaplan’s theology.)

Remember the covenant for the future is the motivation for rebuilding. The cosmos is benevolent to humans.

Reminded of the work of Ann Frank –

"I can’t build hope on foundation of confusion misery and death. . . . Look to heavens and think it will all come right this cruelty too will end. Peace and tranquility will return.” (1944)

Derive a sense of order from looking at the cosmos.

Not apply to other forms of natural destruction.

Rabbi Marder quote: “It is a human story. You need to look for the ethical and spiritual teaching of what the word is trying to convey. They are teaching that our efforts have meaning now. It is less about the future”

Words are about nature. God will not destroy the world again. Not about humans. We need reminders that things will get better when there is despair.

Like a parent who has the potential for anger but learns to control the anger. Sometimes they need a reminder of that.

Contemporary interpretation of the rainbow:

1. Gilgamesh epoch flood Narative different: Ishtar necklace in the sky becomes the rainbow as a reminder. In this story it is not related in any way to a covenant or any moral dimension.


2. Kabalistic interpretation – Eli Munk – continuous spectrum of colors reflect devine attributes. Ezikiel vision of God – like the bow of God. 7 fold goodness radiating from God’s presence.

Sim Shalom prayer in morning liturgy. Light of Peace – 7 gifts to come to us through the light of God’s face:

Life
Kindness
Righteousness
Blessing
Mercy
Peace
Love

7 colors represent the projection of attributes of God’s – symbols in 7 colors of rainbow.


Today symbol of diversity and inclusiveness – R. Brad Artson – Am Jewish Univ. LA
Multicolored symbol of peace. Reminder of our need to build coalitions with others. Our of flood is a new commitment to life and to peace. Now a symbol to us multicolored spectrum of human understanding. Symbol of all people unifying.


Rainbow Flag – designed in San Francisco – Freedom Flag – red always on top :

Red – Life
Orange – Healing
Yellow – Sunlight
Green – Nature
Blue – Harmony
Violet - Spirit

Link about rainbow from Science to Literature to art

Poetry & Song:
Rainbow Connection – Muppet Movie - by Kenny Loggins

Someday we will find it
the Rainbow connection
the Lovers Dreamers and me.

Wordsworth Poem – 1802 – My Heart Leaps Up

My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

Intimations of Immortality - Children closer to nature and to God than adults.

“the child is father of the man…”
“Splendor in the grass”
– the whole poem.

Whitman poem:

I heard the learn'd astronomer;
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and
measure them;
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much
applause in the lecture-room,
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick;
Till rising and gliding out, I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.

v. 18 New Narrative – a time lapse - list of the sons of Noah
Plant a vineyard – make wine – grandchildren… at least 2 years after the flood.

The order that the sons are listed not by age but possibly by level of wisdom!
Shem, the youngest, - ancestor of Shemites / Semites – Know the order from Genesis 11:10 Shem was 100 years old – in Ch 7 Noah was 500 when he had children and 600 when flood came.
Political significance.

Samson R Hirsch – what do we learn: all 3 sons of Noah are survivors – represent different types of people but worthy of saving have equal responsibility to become good humans.

Mention of sons by name after the flood – now revert to pre-flood behavior. Eldest learned nothing although older.

Ham – only one to cohabit on the Ark & fathered a son. (men and women separate on ark) Effected the listing of the names in the story.

Ham will have a more prominent place in the story later.

(some commentaries change it to Ham being the youngest son)

V.19 “Branch out over the world”

Hirsch – from this they spread out –
3 sons of righteous man, Noah – 3 different in character sons can come from the same father
Word ‘branch out’ from same word ‘hammer’ that shatter things. This is the origin for all human cultures and behaviors.

“It is an obscure story”
This is the “cliff notes” version of the story – not the WHOLE story!