Understanding a Curse - or not...
Torah Study 7/18 - R. Janet Marder
Genesis 9:24-27
Noah wakes up! And ‘understands’.
And
The Curse of Canaan
This portion has been used and misused a lot.
Noah “wakes up to smell the coffee” he becomes very aware of what has happened.
There is much speculation as to how exactly he knows – whether he really is lucid or if he was told. However, Noah’s reaction is swift and harsh.
The curse is not to Ham, his son, but to his grandson, Canaan. This leaves many questions: Why pick on the grandson – was he involved? What exactly is the curse – a one time thing or one that goes forward in history? How is this understood?
It is possible that there is missing information that would clarify these details more. And as in much midrash, the scholars try to fill in the blanks. Could it be a type of retaliation? What could Ham have done to deserve this? There is even some theories that Ham castrated Noah so he could not have more children.
The curse: Cursed be Canaan, let him be a slave of slaves to his brethren
Cursed be Canaan-ןענכ רורא. A slave of Slaves-םידבע דבע
Grammatical construction emphasize the “extremes”
Nothing is actually said about the descendants of Canaan – this is all interpretation and midrash. It is used to justify the Israelites taking over the land of the Canaanites and the submission of Canaanites to the Israelites.
Rambam speaks of Rashi commentary – he questions why the Torah even starts with Genesis – what is the purpose of this? God created the whole world – not just the world of the Israelites. To answer the question “who is the owner of the world?” Rambam continues to interpret that this is all about Divine justice. The Israelites are warned and that “possession of the land is dependent upon their moral behavior”.
Misinterpretations have been dangerous
Louis Farrakhan “On the Jewish myth:
NO COLOR IS MENTIONED IN TORAH
The Egyptian word for ‘black’ sounds a little like Ham – more like ‘hem’
In Egyptian verb-stem of this word is Bohem/Bahm, which means to be/make obscure or dark/black/mysterious/mystical
The use of this connection to interpret the ‘curse’ as on black people came from the church. It was also used in the 19th century politically to ‘sanction slavery’.
The curse on slaves in the American history was blamed on Jews.
Book: Jews and the American Slave Trade by Saul Friedman
The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews
by Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam. Charges that Jews controlled the slave trade.
Rabbi Morris Raphall – During Lincoln’s term the first rabbi to open a session of the United States – said the Civil War split Jews also because there were Jews on both sides.
The Torah specifically says that owning slaves is not a sin – 4th commandment.
Why Jews were not typically among the Abolitionists? They wanted to blend in to their communities, they followed their neighbors. Many of the Abolitionists were evangelical Christians who blamed the Jews for many things and that was unpopular among Jews.
There is a lot of ‘legislation’ regarding slavery in the Torah. Exodus 22 – punishment for the thief. Rules of slavery during war. A crime to kidnap someone to enslave them. A master who kills their slave is responsible for the death and can be punished same as for anyone else. Lev 25 – labor laws that relate to slavery. Deuteronomy – terms for freeing slaves.
Book: All Other Nights by Dara Horn
Speaks of class differences during the Civil War period
Book: Republic by Plato
Class differences even in the ‘Utopian’ state.
There is also the question of “Moses marries a Cushite woman”
Outrageous interpretations and miss-interpretations have led to political troubles.
How to combat this? The best strategy is to publicize the facts and keep it in the open.
Eben Ezra, a Spanish commentator in the twelfth century
“be a slave to our brothers…” reminds us that it was not an ancestral curse: that the first King of Edom was "Nibroth [Nimrod] son of Chus [Cush], who was son of Chem [Ham]”
Thus, he rejects the reading that it reflects a justification for perpetual slavery.
Genesis 9:24-27
Noah wakes up! And ‘understands’.
And
The Curse of Canaan
This portion has been used and misused a lot.
Noah “wakes up to smell the coffee” he becomes very aware of what has happened.
There is much speculation as to how exactly he knows – whether he really is lucid or if he was told. However, Noah’s reaction is swift and harsh.
The curse is not to Ham, his son, but to his grandson, Canaan. This leaves many questions: Why pick on the grandson – was he involved? What exactly is the curse – a one time thing or one that goes forward in history? How is this understood?
It is possible that there is missing information that would clarify these details more. And as in much midrash, the scholars try to fill in the blanks. Could it be a type of retaliation? What could Ham have done to deserve this? There is even some theories that Ham castrated Noah so he could not have more children.
The curse: Cursed be Canaan, let him be a slave of slaves to his brethren
Cursed be Canaan-ןענכ רורא. A slave of Slaves-םידבע דבע
Grammatical construction emphasize the “extremes”
Like “God of gods” = Supreme God
So “Slave of slaves” = Lowest slave.
Nothing is actually said about the descendants of Canaan – this is all interpretation and midrash. It is used to justify the Israelites taking over the land of the Canaanites and the submission of Canaanites to the Israelites.
Rambam speaks of Rashi commentary – he questions why the Torah even starts with Genesis – what is the purpose of this? God created the whole world – not just the world of the Israelites. To answer the question “who is the owner of the world?” Rambam continues to interpret that this is all about Divine justice. The Israelites are warned and that “possession of the land is dependent upon their moral behavior”.
Misinterpretations have been dangerous
Louis Farrakhan “On the Jewish myth:
Until Jews apologize for their hand in that ugly slave trade; and until the Jewish rabbis and the Talmudic scholars that made up the Hamitic myth -- that we were the children of Ham, doomed and cursed to be hewers of wood and drawers of water -- apologize, then I have nothing to apologize for.”
-Interview in Swing magazine, October 1996
NO COLOR IS MENTIONED IN TORAH
The Egyptian word for ‘black’ sounds a little like Ham – more like ‘hem’
In Egyptian verb-stem of this word is Bohem/Bahm, which means to be/make obscure or dark/black/mysterious/mystical
The use of this connection to interpret the ‘curse’ as on black people came from the church. It was also used in the 19th century politically to ‘sanction slavery’.
The curse on slaves in the American history was blamed on Jews.
Book: Jews and the American Slave Trade by Saul Friedman
The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews
by Historical Research Department of the Nation of Islam. Charges that Jews controlled the slave trade.
Rabbi Morris Raphall – During Lincoln’s term the first rabbi to open a session of the United States – said the Civil War split Jews also because there were Jews on both sides.
The Torah specifically says that owning slaves is not a sin – 4th commandment.
Why Jews were not typically among the Abolitionists? They wanted to blend in to their communities, they followed their neighbors. Many of the Abolitionists were evangelical Christians who blamed the Jews for many things and that was unpopular among Jews.
There is a lot of ‘legislation’ regarding slavery in the Torah. Exodus 22 – punishment for the thief. Rules of slavery during war. A crime to kidnap someone to enslave them. A master who kills their slave is responsible for the death and can be punished same as for anyone else. Lev 25 – labor laws that relate to slavery. Deuteronomy – terms for freeing slaves.
Book: All Other Nights by Dara Horn
Speaks of class differences during the Civil War period
Book: Republic by Plato
Class differences even in the ‘Utopian’ state.
There is also the question of “Moses marries a Cushite woman”
Cush – African land – later Nubia
Association of ‘dark skin’ and beauty.
Outrageous interpretations and miss-interpretations have led to political troubles.
How to combat this? The best strategy is to publicize the facts and keep it in the open.
Reform Jews: Progressive Revelation – As time goes forward we learn what God really wants of us.
An “Ethical Evolution” reflects the cultural changes in our world.
Eben Ezra, a Spanish commentator in the twelfth century
“be a slave to our brothers…” reminds us that it was not an ancestral curse: that the first King of Edom was "Nibroth [Nimrod] son of Chus [Cush], who was son of Chem [Ham]”
Thus, he rejects the reading that it reflects a justification for perpetual slavery.
posted by Chavarah @ 9:18 PM
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