Parashat
Noah
This
week’s section starts with an introduction of Noah and then the following
verse: (Genesis 6:10) “And Noah
begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
We all know the story of the flood, the ark, and
the dove with the olive branch.
After the flood was over, we find the following
verse: (Genesis 9:18) “ And the sons of Noah who went
out of the ark were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth…”
It may seem that these words do not add a lot of
information. Maybe the Torah is telling us that Noah didn’t have more kids in
the ark. Or maybe the Torah is trying to tell us: The names are the same names
but the people are different people.
They experienced “something” that changed their
lives. Even though we know their names, they are different people. In fact, the
verse ends telling us: “And Ham is the father of Canaan”.
It is not just about them themselves now, it’s
about continuity and taking advantage of the experiences that change lives.
In
memory of my beloved mother and teacher Miriam Rachel bat Israel Itzchak
Z"L
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