Small Words – Big Meanings
These are the descendants of Noach. Noach was a righteous man. He was wholehearted among those of his generation. Noach went with Hashem. And Noach fathered three sons – Shem, Cham, and Yafet. (Sefer Beresheit 6:9-10)
- Hashem decides to bring the Deluge but to save Noach and his family
The above passages continue the narrative describing the Deluge that began at the end of Parshat Beresheit. In Parshat Beresheit, the Torah described the moral degeneration of humanity. This decay is described as an abandonment of sexual restraint. In our parasha, this aspect of the descent of humanity is again referenced and also the escalation and then profusion of violence.
Hashem decrees that He will destroy with the Deluge, humanity and much of the organic life of the world He had created. However, this will not be the end of humankind. A remnant of humanity and of animal and avian life will be saved. From this small remnant life will be reestablished and the Earth will be repopulated.
Hashem selects Noach and his family to be saved. He commands Noach to construct an ark and to bring into it his family. The ark will also be a refuge for representatives of each species of animal and avian life and it will contain adequate food to sustain its inhabitants for the duration of the Deluge.
In the passages above, the Torah describes Noach as the outstanding tzadik – righteous individual – of his generation. It also reviews the names of his three sons – Shem Cham and Yafet.
- Two translation of the first passage of Parshat Noach
The actual translation of the second word of the first passage is not clear. The translation above seems to be the one suggested by Unkelus and accepted by Rashbam, Nachmanides and others. Rabbaynu Avraham ibn Ezra notes this translation and rejects it. He suggests that the proper translation is “These are the events of the life of Noach”.
This dispute can be understood from a purely textual perspective. Unkelus’ translation presents a problem. He translates the opening of the passage “These are the descendants of Noach.” If this translation is correct, one would expect the passage to continue with a list of these descendants. It does not continue with this list. Instead, it describes Noach’s righteousness. Rashi addresses this issue. He suggests that once the Torah mentions Noach, it interrupts its presentation of his descendants in order to acknowledge his righteousness. Once it has acknowledged Noach, it resumes the narrative and lists his sons.
Ibn Ezra’s translation avoids this difficulty. The Torah is providing a biographical account of Noach’s life. It is recounting crucial events in his lifetime. It is appropriate in the context of this sketch to describe Noach’s remarkable ethical and spiritual achievements.
In short, it is possible to explain each position based on textual considerations. However, let us consider another question. Does the choice of translation impact our overall understanding of the narrative? In other words, is this dispute’s significance limited to the translation of a single word or do the alternative translations impact our understanding of the unfolding narrative?
- Parshat Noach: Noach’s story or the story of his descendants?
The first step in answering this question is to identify the objective of the passage. This passage introduces the parasha. In other words, it is the introduction to the events that will be subsequently described – the Deluge and its aftermath. The next step is to consider the message of this introduction according to each translation. According to Ibn Ezra, the introduction tells us that we are about to hear of the events of the life of Noach. Noach is identified as the key actor and the events that will unfold are intimately related to him.
The commentators who translate the passage as a listing of the children of Noach, have a different understanding of this introduction. The ensuing account is the story of Noach’s descendants.
In summary, these two translations suggest two interpretations of the narrative of the Deluge. It is the story of Naoch, according to Ibn Ezra. According to the other group of scholars, it is the account of Noach’s descendants. But let us consider whether these two interpretations have a deeper significance.
In the beginning the L-rd created the heavens and the land. And the land was empty and desolate.
Darkness covered the face of the depths. And the spirit of the L-rd fluttered over the surface of the water. (Sefer Beresheit 1:2)
- Two translations of the first passages of the Torah
No passages of the Torah are better known than its first. The above translation is the most commonly provided. It is accepted by Unkelus and many others. Ibn Ezra elaborates on the meaning of the passages according to this translation. He explains that the passages assert that there is a beginning of all material existence. There is a first moment at which the infant material universe began to emerge. In other words, the universe is not eternal. It has a beginning and it has a Creator.
Rashi, Ibn Ezra and others reject this translation. They translate the passages as follows:
In the beginning of the L-rd’s creation of the heavens and the land, the land was empty and desolate.
Darkness covered the face of the depths. And the spirit of the L-rd fluttered over the surface of the water. (Sefer Beresheit 1:2)
They suggest that the passages are not focused on asserting that the universe was created by Hashem. Instead, they describe the primeval state of the material universe. It was empty and desolate.
The dispute between these scholars focuses upon grammatical consideration and Hebrew etymology. However, again, let us ask whether these different translations suggest alternative interpretations of the message of the creation narrative.
- Two translations and two messages
In this instance, the difference between the messages suggested by the respective translations is more easily identified. Ibn Ezra tells us the message of the narrative according to the first translation. The Torah is outlining one of Judaism’s fundamental tenets. The material universe is not eternal. It was created at the beginning of time. There is a Creator.
However, the translation accepted by Rashi and Ibn Ezra, communicates another message. The primeval universe was empty and desolate. But the spirit of Hashem hovered over that emptiness. That influence introduced organization into chaos and life into desolation. The message of the creation narrative is that Hashem brings order and meaning into chaos and void.
- The theme of Sefer Beresheit
These alternative interpretations of the creation narrative have implications for the entire Sefer Beresheit. The sefer begins with the creation narrative but eventually describes the lives of our patriarchs – Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. Let us assume that the sefer is an organic whole and its parts are synthesized. Then, the creation narrative introduces the account of the lives of our patriarchs and their lives are a continuation of the creation narrative.
The first interpretation of the creation narrative suggests that it outlines Judaism’s tenet that the universe was created and has a Creator. The narrative of our patriarchs explains how that tenet was communicated to the Jewish people and humanity. Avraham rediscovered this truth – that the universe was created and has a Creator. He taught this tenet to his followers and established it as a legacy for his descendants.
However, if the creation narrative focuses on Hashem’s fashioning of order from chaos and life from the void, then the theme of the sefer is very different. It describes the ongoing influence of this Divine will. Hashem’s will is expressed in the emergence of organic life. It is also expressed in humanity’s advancement from the chaos of primitive superstition to systematic, thoughtful contemplation and the resultant discovery of a Creator. Both of these are expressions of His will that order replace chaos.
- Two interpretations of the narrative of the Deluge
Now let us return to the opening passages of Parshat Noach. We identified two alternative messages expressed by the passages. According to one set of scholars, these passages describe the ensuing narrative as the story of the descendants of Noach. According to the other set, the narrative is the biography of Noach.
If the narrative of Parshat Noach is the story of Noach descendants, then it is continuing the account of our origin. It is explaining the origins of the family of nations and accounting for our similarities and our diversity. It reinforces the creation narrative and its message – our universe has a Creator.
However, Ibn Ezra and others assert that Parshat Noach is the biography of Noach. It is the story of a single man’s battle to be true to Hashem and to his own values while living in a society that completely rejects these values. It is the story of how Hashem saved this person and through him the rest of humanity. In other words, it describes how Hashem prevented His world from retreating back into moral and spiritual chaos and how He sustained humanity’s quest for truth and understanding.
- Our mission
The scholars discussed above differ on the message of Sefer Bereseheit. However, one of the reasons that they can dispute such an issue is that both messages are true. Because both are true, each is a plausible theme for Sefer Bereseheit. We are the recipients of Avraham’s legacy – the recognition of Hashem as Creator. Also, humanity is charged with the responsibility of continuing the process described in the opening chapters of the sefer. We must continue the process of creation – to replace chaos and desolation with order, life, and meaning.
Perhaps, the overarching message of Sefer Beresheit is that the universe is not meaningless and arbitrary. Neither is our place within it. We choose whether we will live our lives in a manner that is consistent with this meaning and whether our lives will be expressions of this meaning. When we choose to recognize Hashem and continue – in our individual ways – His act of creation, then we embody the message of the creation narrative and we will bring meaning into our lives.