Questions tagged [parashat-noach]
The weekly Torah portion of Noah (Genesis 6:9-11:32)
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Why did Hashem confuse the tongues of the tower-builders, rather than set them at enmity with each other?
Shalom.
I have tonight been grappling with a challenge to emunah posed by historical linguistics - i.e. the fact that new languages develop naturally, through the separation, or the divisions between, ...
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Did people run to Noah’s ark when they saw the flood began?
I’m curious if there is any indication in tanakh, whether or not people had tried to get on the ark once they saw the flood?
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What were the 10 instances when the Torah reports that God descended?
What were the 10 instances when the Torah reports that God descended?
This question is inspired from reading this statement from the Wikepedia entry on parashat Noach:
Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai taught ...
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Sefer Matei Efraim on Noach
I was told once by an older Rabbi about 10 years ago, how he read a sefer 30 years ago that taught that the Dor Ha-Mabul (the generation of the flood) had what seemed to be technology that let them ...
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What do the Nephilim represent? [duplicate]
There are some underlying beliefs around Nephilim that migtht make people feel uncomfortable, but I think are applicable and a pattern of human behavior, in particular human sexual behavior, of which ...
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Why did animals deserve to perish in the mabul? [duplicate]
Because animals have such a limited intellectual capacity, how can they be held culpable for anything that warrants a punishment as severe as the mabul?
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What does it mean to be a complete Tzaddik or an incomplete Tzaddik?
I was reading of Noach and there some disagreement on whether he was a complete Tzaddik or an incomplete Tzaddik. What does this mean? How is it determined?
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Avraham was one of the builders of the Tower of Bavel?
Ibn Ezra to Gen. 11:1 says that "Avraham was amongst the builders of the Tower." "Hu haya Avraham mibonei hamigdal." Does Ibn Ezra mean that Avraham Avinu was actually one of the ...
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When did Noah enter the ark?
Did Noah enter the ark 7 days before the flood or on the day of that the flood began?
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ לְנֹ֔חַ בֹּֽא־אַתָּ֥ה וְכׇל־בֵּיתְךָ֖
אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֑ה כִּֽי־אֹתְךָ֥ רָאִ֛יתִי צַדִּ֥יק לְפָנַ֖י ...
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How to understand the Ruzhiner's understanding on Noach's righteousness
So a family member sent me a very nice idea on Parshas Noach from the Ruzhiner Rebbe. The text reads as follows:
Noach was a righteous man, he was perfect in his generation (Bereishis 6:9) - there ...
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Why was Chanoch/Enoch taken but Noach/Noah was not?
In Beresheith/Genesis 5:24 it states:
וַיִּתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ חֲנ֖וֹךְ אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְאֵינֶ֕נּוּ כִּֽי־לָקַ֥ח
אֹת֖וֹ אֱלֹהִֽים׃
Enoch walked with G-d; then he was no more, for G-d took him
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Why does Rabbi Akiva in Avos 3:14 quote Genesis 9:6 and not Genesis 1:27?
Rabbi Akiva says in Avos 3:14 to prove that man was created with "Tzelem Elokim":
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, חָבִיב אָדָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם. חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לוֹ שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם, ...
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Why did Noah bring grapevine twigs and shoots of fig trees into the ark?
Rashi in Bereishis (9:20) quotes a Midrash saying
ויטע כרם. כְּשֶׁנִּכְנַס לַתֵּבָה הִכְנִיס עִמּוֹ זְמוֹרוֹת וְיִחוּרֵי
תְאֵנִים (ב"ר): ויטע כרם AND HE PLANTED A VINEYARD — When he went into
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Genesis 9 : 5 Meaning
Genesis 9 : 5
And surely the blood of your lives I will demand. At the hand of every
animal I will demand it, and at the hand of man. I will demand the
life of man at the hand of every man's brother.
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Genesis Chapter 9 : 3 Meaning
Genesis 9 : 3
Every creeping thing which is alive shall be food for you. I have
given you all things, even as the green plant.
I am a Torah keeper but this verse seems to be contradicting. Can ...
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Alternative version of Tower of Babel story
When I was a kid I was told a different version of the Tower of Babel story from the one in Genesis. I haven't found a source for it and I was wondering where it might have come from.
In this version, ...
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Error in Old "Ktav" Edition of "Tikkun LaKor'im"
I have an old copy of the old Ktav edition of "Tikkun LaKor'im, which was published in 1946.
It was printed using an copy of a hand-written Torah, of unknown provenance.
The problem with it, is ...
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Do any commentaries suggest that the Tower of Babel was the Great Pyramid of Giza?
According to the Torah (Genesis 11) the tower of Babel was located in Shinar, which scholars place in southern Mesopotamia, and was built at around ~ 1765 BC (here).
The Great Pyramid of Giza was ...
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שכבת זרע and the purification of the world
In Sanhedrin 108b:3, it says:
אמר רב חסדא ברותחין קלקלו בעבירה וברותחין נידונו
Rav Ḥisda says: With hot semen they sinned, and with hot semen they were punished.
In Torah Ohr 8c-d, the Alter Rebbe ...
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What is the importance of bricks in building the Tower of Babylon?
"וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֗הוּ הָ֚בָה נִלְבְּנָ֣ה לְבֵנִ֔ים וְנִשְׂרְפָ֖ה לִשְׂרֵפָ֑ה וַתְּהִ֨י לָהֶ֤ם הַלְּבֵנָה֙ לְאָ֔בֶן וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ר הָיָ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם לַחֹֽמֶר׃"
They said to one another, ...
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Are there brick structures mentioned in the Tanach?
Besides the Tower of Babylon, are there other brick structures mentioned in the Tanach?
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What did God fear of the tower of Babylon by saying "nothing will be out of their reach"? [duplicate]
To continue what-was-the-sin-of-the-builders-of-the-tower-of-bavel:
When God came down to see the tower He said:
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה הֵ֣ן עַ֤ם אֶחָד֙ וְשָׂפָ֤ה אַחַת֙ לְכֻלָּ֔ם וְזֶ֖ה הַחִלָּ֣ם ...
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Did Noah say Shirah on seeing the drowning of the wicked?
The Israelites said Shirah on seeing the wicked Egyptians drowning.
Did Noah act in a similar way, praising God for saving him and his immediate family and seeing millions of wicked humans drowning in ...
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Why Is What God Thinks Different from What God Says to Noah?
In Genesis 8:21 God thinks to himself:
וַיָּ֣רַח יְהוָה֮ אֶת־רֵ֣יחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ לֹֽא־אֹ֠סִף לְקַלֵּ֨ל ע֤וֹד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּעֲב֣וּר הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֠י יֵ֣צֶר לֵ֧ב ...
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Should one read the story of the cursing of Canaan in a different way?
The verses of Genesis 9: 24-27 are generally believed to be part of a larger context, including the verses 9: 20-23. In other words, that these verses together tell one (a complete) story. But what if ...
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Destruction of the World: Parshas Noach vs. the Rambam
In Parshas Noach, it is written:
וַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִ֤י אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתְּכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר
ע֖וֹד מִמֵּ֣י הַמַּבּ֑וּל וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה ע֛וֹד מַבּ֖וּל לְשַׁחֵ֥ת
הָאָֽרֶץ:
And I will ...
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Significance of Parshas Noach, Chayei Sarah, Yisro, Korach, Balak, and Pinchas
This question was asked regarding Parshas Balak (Parasha named after Balak?), however, I'd like to see a source or reason that explains why the Torah chose these 6 individuals to name the Parsha/Sedra ...
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Why were Mabul rains for 40 days?
What is the reason that G-d brought rain during 40 days in the mabul; could G-d not do it a second?! Of course He could. So what's the explanation for this duration of 40 days?
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Why would Mesushelach not have been included in the Teivah had been alive according to Rashi?
The Gemara in Sanhedrin 108a at the bottom of the page says, the generation of the flood asked Noach, if the mabul is imminent, why hadnt it occured already, ie what was holding it back? Noach ...
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How should Rashi's comment about Noah's belief be parsed?
Rashi in his commentary to Genesis 7:7 writes:
אף נח מקטני אמנה היה מאמין ואינו מאמין שיבא המבול ולא נכנס לתיבה עד שדחקוהו המים
I see (at least) two ways to read this:
Noah believed in general (in ...
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What was G-d's problem with building the Babel Tower? [duplicate]
In the story of the Babel Tower (Gen 11) people are trying to build a tower to the skies. I assume they followed the assumption that the firmament is real (firm) and it divides between the Heavens and ...
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What did G-d mean by "nothing will be out of their reach"?
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' הֵן עַם אֶחָד וְשָׂפָה אַחַת לְכֻלָּם וְזֶה הַחִלָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת
וְעַתָּה לֹא־יִבָּצֵר מֵהֶם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יָזְמוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת׃
and the LORD said, “If, as one people with one language ...
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Why did animals need to eat/be fed for a year in the Ark?
Why did animals need to eat/be fed for a year in the Ark?
"Oh, because they need to eat", you'd say, but really the Mabul was one big miracle, overriding all laws of nature - physics, geology, ...
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Why doesn't Dor Hamabul deserve the World to Come?
The Mishna (Sanhedrin 10) states that Dor Hamabul do not have a part in the world to come:
דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל אֵין לָהֶם חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא וְאֵין עוֹמְדִין בַּדִּין
The generation of the flood ...
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What made G-d change His opinion about Humans and how is it possible?
וַיָּ֣רַח ה' אֶת־רֵ֣יחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה' אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ
לֹֽא־אֹ֠סִף לְקַלֵּ֨ל ע֤וֹד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּעֲב֣וּר הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֠י יֵ֣צֶר לֵ֧ב הָאָדָ֛ם רַ֖ע מִנְּעֻרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־אֹסִ֥ף ע֛וֹד ...
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What percentage of the humanity must sin to cause G-d to wipe them all?
In the story of the Mabul, the Torah's description of the overall disorder is very vague - "The Earth was corrupted and filled with Hamas".
THe outcome is clear - the whole of humanity was judged. ...
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Why is meat eating sanctioned by G-d if it's potentially bad for us? [duplicate]
In parsha Noach, G-d ALLOWS man to eat meat but there is no literal commandment to do so. Later, when the Mishkan and then ultimately the Beis Hamikdash are built, there are commandments for the ...
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Were G-d's expectations for Dor Hamabul realistic?
Undoubtfully the all-loving G-d was a bit harsh on punishing the whole generation of Noah (probably millions?) by drowning them (and all the animals - what did they do?) in boiling water (He could ...
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Were asexual animals gathered into the ark?
Breishit 6:19 says (quoting Sefaria):
וּמִכָּל־הָ֠חַי מִֽכָּל־בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל תָּבִ֥יא
אֶל־הַתֵּבָ֖ה לְהַחֲיֹ֣ת אִתָּ֑ךְ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה יִֽהְיֽוּ׃
And of all that lives, of all ...
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Why was Noach the person to save the animals?
While reading this week's portion, I was wondering why did Noach have in particular the merit to save the animals of the created world? They could have been saved in other ways, for example the Land ...
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Post-Flood Atmospheric Changes
Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld quotes his grandfather who brings a Midrash saying that the world before the Flood didn't feature decay, therefore Noah didn't realize his grape juice was going to turn into ...
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Theological importance of the Noah's flood story in the Torah [closed]
I"m trying to contemplate the place of the flood story in the Torah.
The story of the flood spans roughly three chapters of the Torah, seemingly implying its importance, yet:
it has no Halachic ...
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What does Genesis 8:21 promise and why?
JPS Bereshith/Genesis 8:21 And the Lord smelled the pleasant aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, "I will no longer curse the earth because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his ...
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Contesting the line between Torah and secular knowledge [closed]
Isn't it the case that the Rambam, for one, thought that astronomy, medicine, mathematics, for examples, were a part of Torah knowledge? At least the line for him is not simple and clear cut (eg see ...
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Why were the Egyptians judged for twelve lunar months, rather than solar ones?
Eduyos 2:10 lists several judgements which lasted for exactly twelve months:
חֲמִשָּׁה דְבָרִים שֶׁל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. מִשְׁפַּט דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל, שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. מִשְׁפַּט אִיּוֹב, ...
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What was the shape of Noach's Teivah? Box or Houseboat?
I always recall learning that Noach's Teivah was a box-like shape. The secular world have always depicted it as a houseboat.
The secular site of the Teivah's resting place which is the most ...
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What happened to Noah's slaves?
According to such commentators or midrashim as say that Noah had slaves that joined him on the ark[1], what happened to them? That is: We hear a lot in the immediately succeeding chapters of Genesis (...
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Nimrod - Righteous?
The Torah tells us the following about Nimrod (Bereishis 10:8-9, alhatorah translation):
ה֣וּא הֵחֵ֔ל לִֽהְי֥וֹת גִּבֹּ֖ר בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
הֽוּא־הָיָ֥ה גִבֹּֽר־צַ֖יִד לִפְנֵ֣י י״י֑ עַל־כֵּן֙ יֵֽאָמַ֔ר ...
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Reconciling Seder Olam’s account of Ever’s death with the Pesukim
Seder Olam Rabbah 2 says that Ever died when Yaakov left his Yeshiva for Charan.
In the previous portions of this paragraph, the Midrash said that Yaakov was 63 when he got the Berachos, and he ...
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Different methods of naming the 70 nations
When listing the descendants of Noah in Gen 10,1 and on the Torah uses different naming methods:
Names in the singular: "וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת בְּנֵי־נֹחַ שֵׁם חָם וָיָפֶת וַיִּוָּלְדוּ לָהֶם בָּנִים ...
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