Noah

The story of Noah and his Ark is one that children find fascinating and that we as adults tend to put aside as we grow older and a bit more cynical.  But the tale has built inside of it some powerful moralistic lessons.


As you will remember from last week's Torah portion the middle of the story has Cain murdering his brother in a moment of anguish and losing all self-control. God does not punish the murderer in the way that we would punish a murderer in our time or in virtually any time in history but rather sends Cain out away from society where he could do no further damage. In other words, God is merciful.


In this week’s portion we find that yet again God despairs of ever having created humankind for he sees people as doing “nothing but evil from his youth.” Yet God saving Noah and his family inside of their craft tempers the story. And then He gives them a covenant, which is a span that stretches across the heavens, as a promise that never again will the world be deluged and destroyed.

 

One additional element to the story should not be overlooked. God gives a series of seven commandments to act as guide rails for humanity so that we can keep ourselves in check from doing harm to one another and to the other creatures of the world. The story ends much in the same way the previous story concluded; again God shows mercy.

 

Perhaps what we are to learn moralistically, theologically is that God wants what is best for us and he’s not vindictive or punishing but rather simply wants our return to Him and follow His example of being merciful.

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