Noach
אלה תולדת נח נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו את האלקים התהלך נח. ויולד נח שלשה בנים את שם את חם ואת יפת (ו, ט-י)
These are the offspring of Noach – Noach was a righteous man; he was wholesome in his generations; with G-d did Noach walk – Noach bore three sons: Shem, Cham, and Yafes.
The Midrash* explains the redundant mention of Noach’s name as alluding to that which he provided נייחא, serenity, to both the עליונים ותחתונים, the upper and lower worlds. What does this mean?
Let us also treat again the contradiction dealt with in last week’s sidra: as to whether one strapped for cash ought to borrow in order to provide for his Shabbos needs (לוו עלי ואני פורע) or make due with little so as not to come onto others (עשה שבתך חול ואל תצטרך לבריות).**
It seems to me that this refers to the notion that Hashem’s disposition towards us mirrors ours towards Him. If we turn towards Him seeking to cleave with Him – לוו עלי, using the meaning of escort – then He will be פורע, provide His blessing in turn. But if we turn away from Him, He will respond in kind with a meager flow of sustenance. Hence, עשה שבתך חול.
In this sense, Noach, through his righteousness, prompted somewhat of a rapprochement in Heaven. Consequently, it prompted a flow of bounty into the lower spheres as well. Hence, נייחא לעליונים נייחא לתחתונים.
Here is another approach: The Zohar*** interprets the verse וכל שיח השדה, and all of the trees of the field****, as referring to the Tzaddik. What do the two have in common?
Aside from intimacy in the literal sense, there is also something known as “intimacy of the tongue,” the profound spiritual engagement that speech is capable of. (As the Arizal***** noted, an allusion to this can be seen in the Talmud’s****** use of the term “to speak” for sexual engagement.) It is for this reason, we are taught, that the care that one has in his chastity and in his speech are interconnected. Hence, when warning of avoiding nocturnal emissions, the Torah******* uses the language ונשמרת מכל דבר רע, and you shall be wary of any bad matter, which can be read as מכל דיבור רע, from any bad speech.
Thus, אלה תולדות נח נח, through Noach’s holiness in oral matters he allowed for greater holiness in matters of sexuality, which was a boon for the world. Who were these תולדות? שם חם ויפת, whose initial letters spell out שי"ח, which brings together the chastity of the Tzaddik and his pure speech (שיח can mean speech). I subsequently found that the Likkutei Torah makes this basic connection, deriving that one should be particularly wary of his or her speech on Shabbos, as it is a day to celebrate the ברית, covenant.
Noach’s three sons are associated with Shabbos in another manner as well – representing its three repasts. That of Friday night relates to Malchus, which, in turn, is related to the Divine Name, the שם. (As such, the statement goes ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד.) Another relates to Shabbos morning, at which there are active the Names of אהי' and הוי"ה. Taken together, their numerical value is 47, almost the value of חם. An a third relates to Shalosh Seudos, home of Tiferes, whose name sounds like Yefes. In keeping with Yefes’ spirit of inclusivity (יפת אלקים ליפת, May G-d broaden Yefes’ border********), it is at this meal that all three dimensions are unified – thus it is called not סעודה שלישית, the third meal, but שלש סעודות, Three Meals.
It may follow then that if the goal of the Shabbos meal is to serve as the means for connection to Hashem – particularly at Shalosh Seudos, when a crowd gets together – then the indigent hosts are instructed לוו עלי, since the goal is to “escort and cling” to Me, ואני פורע, and I will provide a vast bounty of spirituality for the participants. But if one has his repast in solitude, the connection with Hashem will be weak: עשה שבתך, in the singular, חול, with a minimum of spirituality.
Along these lines the verse continues: את האלקים התהלך נח, on Shabbos, which is known as Noach, one should make extra efforts to “walk with Hashem.” For the average man this would express itself in his activities; for the scholar, even in his speech; and for the tzaddik, even in his thoughts*********.
וילד נח שלשה בנים – the rest of Shabbos applies to the three parts of the soul. One is the Nefesh, the part that corresponds to the physical world. As such, one prepares for Shabbos with it all week long through the performance of mitzvos. Indeed, the name שם is associated with activity – cf. ויעש דוד שם, and Dovid made a reputation;********** לעשות לו שם עולם, to make for himself an eternal reputation***********. Additionally, our objective during the weekdays is to extricate the “288 sparks embedded in the world.” When that number is added to 52, the value associated with the lowest world of physical action, the sum is 340, the equivalent of שם, underscoring that word’s representation of the sphere of activity.
The second is the Ruach. It is connected with speech. The way in which one prepares this faculty for Shabbos is by infusing his spiritual speech with חם, warmth, i.e., vigor and freshness. As we find in the Talmud************, the righteous are considered “alive” even after their passing; the wicked are considered “dead” even in their lifetimes – due to the slothfulness which characterizes their Torah study and prayer. Hence the name חם has its role to play in Shabbos.
The third is the Neshamah, which is associated with thought. It can be connected with the name יפת, which is an acronym for יפ"ת תוא"ר, which in turn is representative of Yesod*************. Yesod is connected with Da’as, the seat of thought.************** This can be seen from the usage of Da’as in וידע אדם את חוה אשתו, Adam knew his wife Chavah***************, and דע את אלקי אביך, Know the G-d of your father****************, both of which involve Yesod, Man’s role in intimacy.
These three dimensions may also stand behind the three floors on Noach’s ark. They form a process: first one perfects his deeds, rectifying the Nefesh and the world of Asiah; then one perfects his speech through Torah and prayer, rectifying the Ruach and the world of Yetzirah*****************; then one’s thoughts, rectifying the Neshamah and Beriah. Within the ark stands Noach himself, the essence of it all. It follows, then, that his three sons would parallel the three levels that emerge from him.
With Noach as the essence and the ark as the outer form, it follows that ושנים שנים באו אל נח אל התיבה, they came two at a time to Noach, to the ark******************, refers to the Yetzer ha-Tov and the Yetzer ha-Ra. And that which it says צהר תעשה לתיבה, make for the ark a source of illumination*******************, also refers to the inclusion of a source of inner struggle within Man – the word צה"ר can be rearranged to הצ"ר, the foe. If Man is successful in subduing this foe, sublimating it within himself, it is converted into רצ"ה, favor. (As per the verse ברצות ה' דרכי איש גם אויביו ישלים אתו, When Hashem favors the ways of a man, even his enemies will make peace with him********************.) This is why there is a midrashic debate********************* as to whether theצהר was a חלון, window, or an אבן טובה, a precious gem. When the Yetzer ha-Ra attempts a hostile takeover a person, he does so in two stages**********************. First it is as a guest, with the pretense of a brief stay. Hence חלו"ן becomes the letters לנו"ח, to rest. But then he becomes comfortable and takes up permanent residence. Hence the letters נוח"ל, to inherit. However, if Man overcomes the Yetzer ha-Ra, it is converted from an אבן נגף, a stumbling stone, into an אבן טובה, a precious gem.
This sets the stage for the rest of the sidra, which can be interpreted along the lines that we have set up.
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* Bereishis Rabbah 30:5.** See Beitzah 15b, with Tosafos, ad loc.; Pesachim 112a.*** Bereishis, 25b; Tikkunei Zohar, 86b.**** Bereishis 2:5.***** Etz Chayim 16:4.****** Kesubos 1:8.******* Devarim 23:10.******** Bereishis 9:27.********* On this last point, of relevance is the teaching, which I heard, that it is forbidden to be distracted from the holiness of Shabbos. This can be demonstrated with a kal ve-chomer used in the Talmud (Shabbos 12a): If the Tzitz which contains a single Divine Name does not broker distraction, all the more so tefillin which contain many such Names. We can add: If tefillin demand constant focus, certainly does Shabbos, whose superior holiness precludes the use of tefillin.********** Shmuel II 8:13.*********** Yeshayah 63:12.************ Berachos 18b.************* As per Me’orei Ohr, under its entry.************** See Etz Chayim 9:3.*************** Bereishis 4:25.**************** Divrei ha-Yamim I 28:9.***************** This order cannot be inverted. As the Sages (Kesuvos 17a) say, מבטלין תלמוד תורה להוצאת המת, which can be rendered as teaching that Torah study must be suspended to focus on extirpating one’s negative traits.****************** Bereishis 7:9.******************* Ibid., 6:16.******************** Mishlei 16:7.********************* Bereishis Rabbah 31:11.********************** See Sukkah 52b.