Weekly Torah Portion

Noah (Genesis 6:9—11:32)

Hertz: p. 26; Etz Hayim: p. 41; Stone: p. 30

Summary

1. G-d decides to destroy the wicked world in a flood.

2a. G-d chooses Noah and his family to be saved. He commands Noah to build an ark and collect pairs of animals to be saved.

2b. G-d tells Noah to collect pairs of unclean animals and seven pairs of clean animals.

3. Noah, his family, and all the animals and feed he has collected enter the ark and are saved; the world is flooded by rain for 40 days and 40 nights.

4. The Earth dries, and G-d promises, with a rainbow, never again to destroy the Earth by flood. In a new covenant, man is allowed to eat meat, but not blood.

5. Noah’s drunkenness. Ham sees Noah’s nakedness but does nothing; Shem and Japhet cover him. Canaan, a son of Ham, is cursed.

6. Genealogy of the 70 nations of the Earth.

7. The Tower of Babel, foiled by G-d by confusion of their language.

8. Ten generations from Noah to Abram, Lot, and Sarai.

Hertz: p. 26; Etz Hayim: p. 41; Stone: p. 30

Maftir: (11:29—32)

Terah, father of Abram, takes his family from Ur to Canaan; Terah diesin Haran.

Hertz: p. 40; Etz Hayim: p. 62; Stone: p. 50

Haftarah (Isaiah 54:1—55:5)

Summary and connection to the parashah

Isaiah speaks to the Israelites in exile in Babylon, reminding them that G-d’s kindness will never depart from them. The return to Zion should also be a return to G-d. In verse 9, Isaiah refers to the waters of Noah and G-d’s covenant with Noah, paralleling G-d’s Covenant of Peace into which Israel now enters.

Hertz: Page 41; Etz Hayim: Page 65; Stone: Page 1131