Oh Noah You Didn't!

Noach

4 Cheshvan 5773 / October 19-20, 2012

In this week’s portion, Noach, we find the well-known story of Noah’s Ark (“Noach” is the Hebrew pronunciation of the name “Noah”).  We learn that “Noah was a righteous man; blameless in his age.”  At God’s command, Noah built an ark, brought in male and female of every species on earth, and also stored enough food on the ark to last for an extended period of time.  After 40 days and 40 nights of rain, as well as an extended period of time for the waters to subside, Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark eventually are able to walk the earth (and procreate in order to populate it) again, and God makes a covenant (symbolized by a rainbow) with humankind, that never again will the world be flooded in a such a manner.

As a fun fact, it is at this point in the Torah that we find humankind being given permission to eat animals:  “Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat.” [Genesis 9:3]  Notice the reference in the verse above is to every creature – kosher laws didn’t come until much later!

We learn in this week’s portion that after the flood, Noah planted a vineyard.  After making wine (I hear 2300 B.C.E. was an excellent vintage!), Noah got so drunk that he passed out naked in his tent.  One of his three sons approached him while he was naked without shielding his eyes (and was subsequently punished to serve his brothers), while his other two sons shielded their eyes and covered their father’s nakedness. 

Judaism and alcohol have a complicated relationship.

In the Bible, wine is described as bringing joy both to God and man. [Judges 9:13]

As Jews, we regularly use alcohol in our celebrations.  Wine is part of our wedding ceremony, our circumcision ritual, and our Shabbat / Havdallah rituals.  In fact, there are even times when we’re meant to drink a little bit to excess – for example, it is customary to drink 4 cups of wine on Passover (granted, those cups are spaced out over a long Passover Seder), and for some it is a tradition on Purim to have a couple of drinks.  Wine in particular was so ingrained into Jewish culture that the Talmud actually assumes that wine was drunk with dinner! [see Bab Talmud Shabbat 10a]

However, the Torah and Midrash also contain many examples of wine being a negative influence.  When Noah passed out drunk, his son ended up punished.  When Lot drank too much, his daughters seduced him.  When Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aaron the High Priest, made an alien fire offering before God while drunk, they were struck down on the spot.

While Jews are traditionally required to pray three times per day, we learn in the Talmud that one cannot pray while drunk:

“Rabbah bar Rav Hunah taught: One who is drunk may not say prayers; and if he does pray, this prayer amounts to an abomination.” [Eruvin 64a]

Thus it appears that while there is a strong tradition of drinking with joy, we also find that we are meant to limit our consumption so that we don’t hit a state of drunkenness.

Rarely does drunkenness impact only the person drinking.  In this week’s portion, we find that when Noah passed out drunk, it resulted in one of his sons being cursed.  In a more contemporary situation, many people drink and drive without being cognizant of the fact that it’s not only their own lives they are putting at risk, but the lives of everyone else on (or near) the road as well.

As it relates to alcohol (and much of life in general), Judaism effectively preaches moderation.  Be joyful, but not so joyful that it results in pain and shame, for you or to others.

May the Shabbat ahead be one filled with joy, where we bask in the beauty of rainbows reflecting God’s covenant with humankind to never again flood the world (it has been raining here in Detroit!), where we savor our day of rest, and where we maybe partake of a l’chayim or two as well.Noach

4 Cheshvan 5773 / October 19-20, 2012

In this week’s portion, Noach, we find the well-known story of Noah’s Ark (“Noach” is the Hebrew pronunciation of the name “Noah”).  We learn that “Noah was a righteous man; blameless in his age.”  At God’s command, Noah built an ark, brought in male and female of every species on earth, and also stored enough food on the ark to last for an extended period of time.  After 40 days and 40 nights of rain, as well as an extended period of time for the waters to subside, Noah, his family, and the animals in the ark eventually are able to walk the earth (and procreate in order to populate it) again, and God makes a covenant (symbolized by a rainbow) with humankind, that never again will the world be flooded in a such a manner.

As a fun fact, it is at this point in the Torah that we find humankind being given permission to eat animals:  “Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat.” [Genesis 9:3]  Notice the reference in the verse above is to every creature – kosher laws didn’t come until much later!

We learn in this week’s portion that after the flood, Noah planted a vineyard.  After making wine (I hear 2300 B.C.E. was an excellent vintage!), Noah got so drunk that he passed out naked in his tent.  One of his three sons approached him while he was naked without shielding his eyes (and was subsequently punished to serve his brothers), while his other two sons shielded their eyes and covered their father’s nakedness. 

Judaism and alcohol have a complicated relationship.

In the Bible, wine is described as bringing joy both to God and man. [Judges 9:13]

As Jews, we regularly use alcohol in our celebrations.  Wine is part of our wedding ceremony, our circumcision ritual, and our Shabbat / Havdallah rituals.  In fact, there are even times when we’re meant to drink a little bit to excess – for example, it is customary to drink 4 cups of wine on Passover (granted, those cups are spaced out over a long Passover Seder), and for some it is a tradition on Purim to have a couple of drinks.  Wine in particular was so ingrained into Jewish culture that the Talmud actually assumes that wine was drunk with dinner! [see Bab Talmud Shabbat 10a]

However, the Torah and Midrash also contain many examples of wine being a negative influence.  When Noah passed out drunk, his son ended up punished.  When Lot drank too much, his daughters seduced him.  When Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aaron the High Priest, made an alien fire offering before God while drunk, they were struck down on the spot.

While Jews are traditionally required to pray three times per day, we learn in the Talmud that one cannot pray while drunk:

“Rabbah bar Rav Hunah taught: One who is drunk may not say prayers; and if he does pray, this prayer amounts to an abomination.” [Eruvin 64a]

Thus it appears that while there is a strong tradition of drinking with joy, we also find that we are meant to limit our consumption so that we don’t hit a state of drunkenness.

Rarely does drunkenness impact only the person drinking.  In this week’s portion, we find that when Noah passed out drunk, it resulted in one of his sons being cursed.  In a more contemporary situation, many people drink and drive without being cognizant of the fact that it’s not only their own lives they are putting at risk, but the lives of everyone else on (or near) the road as well.

As it relates to alcohol (and much of life in general), Judaism effectively preaches moderation.  Be joyful, but not so joyful that it results in pain and shame, for you or to others.

May the Shabbat ahead be one filled with joy, where we bask in the beauty of rainbows reflecting God’s covenant with humankind to never again flood the world (it has been raining here in Detroit!), where we savor our day of rest, and where we maybe partake of a l’chayim or two as well.