Ha Rav

Parshat Noach

Torah – Annual: Genesis 6:9 – 11:32 (pages 26–40)
Torah Reading: Genesis 6:9 – 7:24 (pages 26-29)
(1) 6:9-16 (2) 6:17-19 (3) 6:20-22 (4) 7:1-5
(5) 7:6-12 (6) 7:13-16 (7)7:17-24
Maftir: Numbers 28:9-15 (page 695)
Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24 (pages 944-947)
Rabbi Sandberg (his Bar Mitzvah Haftarah)

This week we read the story of Noah. It is well known that the Flood story
was told in many cultures of the ancient world. Perhaps there were periods
of great floods (something we know all too well!) whose stories were retold
from generation to generation. [Take a look at the Hertz Humash, pages
197-198 for a reference to the Babylonian version of the flood story.]
The most important elements in understanding the Torah’s account of the
Flood are the reason that Noah was selected (his righteousness) and the lack
of any steering mechanism for the Ark (it was a big box). What moral lessons
are to be drawn from these details?

The Rabbis expand on the Noah story. Noah tries to convince others to join
him on the Ark and to be saved. Only his family listened. Why?
Take a look at the structure of the Genesis stories. How many generations
were there from Adam to Noah? How many generations are there from Noah to
Abraham? What are we being told by this?

Look at the ages of the people from these generations. One scholar explains
that these numbers are to be taken seriously, but not literally. What does
that mean?