Sons and Wine

Torah Study 7/4 with Rabbi Marder

- Rainbow Additions –
Native American tradition regarding the rainbow – The rainbow is a reminder to keep the earth safe.

Jewish Contemporary perspective - Jeremy Benstein – The Way into Judaism and the Environment - the interpretation of Heschel – the view from the perspective of a child of the promise – the other view it is the symbol to remind one of the carnage of destruction and the rebuilding.

Ecocide – Interdependence of humans and the earth.

- - - - Genesis 9:18-27

• Noah’s sons
• Vineyard
• Drink
• Nakedness
• Covered
• Slaves to each other…

A fragmented story of powerful events. Much debated.

Etymology of the Names:

Shem – means “name”– Semites descend from Shem
Renown, respect, high stature, a link to God

Ham – means “to be hot” to enflame.
Connected to Egypt. Ham’s descendents connected to Egypt and Canaan
Links throughout the Tanach – Psalms 78:51, 105 and 106
Biblical Parallelism – connect to Mitzrayim and Tents of Ham “Land of Ham”

Japheth – open and expansive, beautiful – associated with Greeks.

Alcohol and Sex
Political reading vs Psychological reading of the text

Leon Kass –
Paternal authority and filial piety
Relations between sons and parents
Father and sons ambitions
Tensions between glory in the world vs attention to family
Education of fathers as moral educators for their children.
Troublesome aspect of relation between fathers and sons.
A paternal figure of authority was essential. A balance between fear, awe, shame.
Relations between sons and fathers have always been difficult.
A father has a power over their sons.

Parallel to Death of A Salesman – exposure to the shame of the father transmits a devastating effect.

Freud – father is a figure of dignity and how this effects the son.

Comparisons
Noah - Ish Ha Adama - Man of God to Man of the earth
Contrast to
Moses Ish Elokim – Man of Egypt to Man of God


Review of the sequence of events.

There is a large time lapse within the fragments of the story. As if it was a well known story and this is just a ‘summary’ version.

Ham is mentioned twice.
V19 – all people branch from the sons
V20 – a vineyard is planted
Debate over “he began” could be read differently.
Possible – forbidden fruit in Eden was the grape.
Should this have been Noah’s first act or not?
Was his first thought to taste the earth’s pleasure.

Eli Munk & Rashi – criticize Noah for planting the vineyard

Most commentators are relatively neutral about the vineyard. There is the debate between the ‘evils of drunkenness’ vs ‘wine is essential to traditions of our faith’

V21 Drunkenness and ‘Uncovered’ – they are linked to each other – Alcohol & Sex

Habakkuk

“Woe unto him that maketh his companion drink, and also maketh him drunken, in order to look upon their nakednesses” (Habakkuk 2:15).

On shame…

Samson Raphael Hirsch – Noah didn’t intend to get drunk. When he discovered he was drunk he withdrew to the ‘inner’ tent in an effort to maintain dignity.

Eli Munk – quotes Talmud story that Satan came and offered to help Noah

Satan was a bit more successful with Noah. According to the Midrash (Midrash Tanchuma Genesis: Noah 13), Satan was a partner of Noah in the planting of the first post-Flood vineyard. Satan’s contribution was the addition of the blood of a sheep, a lion, a pig, and a monkey. This is the Talmudic way of explaining the effect alcohol has on people. The drinker, initially as innocent as a sheep, after a few drinks becomes as bold as a lion. Eventually, as the drinks flow, the person becomes as filthy as a pig and acts like a monkey. Indeed, the Bible relates how Noah debased himself when he became intoxicated (Genesis 9:20-28).

Etimology
Vav – repeated 13 times in this portion. – the 13 steps downward.
Stumbling on a downhill path.

Savri Maranan said in kiddush before the blessing on the wine:
Before the Kiddish is said – ‘ attention, with your permission…’
We say LeChiam – as an answer to the unspoken question:
“is this the wine of life or the wine of death?”