Noah (Gen. 6:9-11:32)
OVERVIEW
Creation is not off to such a good start: the earth is filled with violence and corruption, and so God decides to flood the earth and start over, choosing Noach to build an Ark to save himself and his family and at least one pair of every kind of animal. After the flood, God establishes the Rainbow covenant with every living creature. Humans decide to challenge God by building the Tower of Babel, so they become dispersed. The genealogy at the end introduces us to the major figures of the next section.
IN FOCUS
"And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." (Genesis 9:12-16)
PSHAT
After the earth is purged of its violence, and the floodwaters have receded, God makes a new covenant with Noach, his family, and all the creatures of the earth, promising them that they will never again suffer God's anger in such a manner. It introduces the idea of the interrelationship between humans and the Earth into the Biblical framework, while also demonstrating God's attributes of patience and sustenance.
DRASH
To the ancient world, a rainbow could only be a symbol from God. To contemporary North Americans, it is another kind of symbol, a symbol of political coalitions and social activism. When the Rev. Jesse Jackson wanted to build a broad, inclusive social movement, he called it the Rainbow Coalition. Gay and lesbian activists use the rainbow for similar reasons, as a symbol demonstrating their commitment to include all kinds of people in an accepting society.
At least one Torah commentator understood the rainbow covenant from Genesis in the same vein:
"I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. . . " How does the rainbow symbolize peace, unity and the sustenance of the world? Just a rainbow is made of different colors and shades, which are joined into a unified wholeness, so too [must be] the differences between people, societies, groups or nations. Life is based on understanding and measured tolerance, upon harmony and peace- these are the basis for the continued existence of the world, "a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth." (Z. Hillel, quoted in Itturei Torah)
In this time of change and uncertainty, when violence rages in the Middle East and in parts of Africa; when both Canadian and American citizens are preparing to elect national leaders; when ethnic tensions are rising in Europe and Asia; and when religious difference threaten the peace of nations across the world, the promise of the rainbow covenant becomes more poignant than ever. Just as humans brought about disaster with their violence and conflict before the Flood, so to we can bring about disaster now, with a destruction of our own making. God may have put the rainbow in the clouds, but it's up to us to unify the colors and stripes here on earth. This covenant has been our challenge since ancient days, to make peace on earth as the peace of the heavens.
