Noach

In this parsha

As the world's corruption reaches its peak, God brings a flood to wipe out life, sparing only Noah, righteous in his generation, along with his family and the animals he gathers into the ark. After the waters recede, Noah offers sacrifices, and God seals a covenant never again to destroy the earth, setting the rainbow as its sign. Noah plants a vineyard and becomes drunk. Later, humanity unites to build a tower reaching the heavens; God confounds their single language and scatters them, and the line from Shem leads onward toward Abraham.

Themes

• The ark as Shabbos refuge
• Mitzvos, the tzaddik's offspring
• The tzaddik sustaining creation
• Noach's fear, Avraham's love
• Unity for the sake of Heaven
• Holy speech and the bris

Must-read teachings

1. 1Noach's Rest in His RootIn the Zohar, Noach is the aspect of Shabbat. The Sefat Emet opens by linking Noach to the spiritual quality of rest embodied in Shabbat. As it is written: “And He rested on the seventh day.” The verse affirms that Shabbat represents divine…תרל"א
2. 2Shabbos as Noach's ArkIn the Zohar it is stated: Noah is Shabbat, and he produces offspring. Shabbat, like Noah, is the source from which renewal and spiritual outcomes emerge. Although it seems that creation occurred on the weekdays and Shabbat is rest, in trut…תרל"ג
3. 3Mitzvos as the offspring of tzaddikimIn the Midrash and Rashi: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life" (Mishlei 11:30) — for the offspring of tzaddikim are mitzvos and good deeds. The Sefas Emes opens with the teaching that the true "children" a tzaddik produces are his…תרמ"ד
4. 4Noach's fear versus Avraham's loveIn Rashi: Noach needed support to uphold him, whereas Avraham strengthened himself in his righteousness on his own. Rashi contrasts Noach, who required external help to remain righteous, with Avraham, who sustained his own tzidkus from with…תרמ"ט
5. 5Avraham drew others close, unlike NoachIn the Midrash: "These are the offspring of Noach" (Bereishis 6:9) — wherever it says "eleh" (these), it disqualifies what preceded it. The word "eleh" excludes; here it indicates that something prior is being set aside or rejected. And wha…תרנ"ה
6. 6Unity for the sake of Heaven enduresRegarding the Dor HaPlagah (Generation of Dispersion), of which it is written, "Remember the days of old," etc. (Devarim 32:7) — and I have written elsewhere in the name of my grandfather, of blessed memory, that "behold, they are one peopl…תרמ"ח
7. 7Guarding the tzelem Elokim and the brisIt is written: "And Noach found favor (chein) in the eyes of Hashem" (Bereishis 6:8) — this is the aspect of "Noach, a righteous man (ish tzaddik)." The chein that Noach found in Hashem's eyes flows from his being a tzaddik; his righteousne…תרנ"ו
8. 8From many utterances back to the OneIt is taught in the Midrash: regarding Noach it is written "Noach walked with G-d" — a parable to a friend of the king who was sunk in thick mud; the king said to him… [give me your hand]. Noach needed the king's hand to pull him out of the…תרנ"ד