This has not been an easy one to write about. I wonder about the episode of Noach's drunkeness after the flood is over. He curses his youngest son who sees him naked, and blesses his other two sons for covering him up. What am I to learn from this? Don't seek my father's nudity? Don't see my father drunk? Don't see any figure of authority drunk and naked?? If I do, don't spread it around but, instead, cover it up? What is this nakedness? Was Noach really naked, or was Ham just seeing his dad as he truly was? Are we not supposed to know our authority figures in any personal way? Always hold them high, place them on a pedestal? If a person exposes a fault, do we ignore it?
Those are all really good questions. I know that I tend to place people whom I admire and look up to on a pedestal; people of authority. I don't really want to see them as just another person. I know intellectually that they are, but I'd rather see them fully dressed, rather than putting one shoe on at a time like the rest of us dogfaces.
And what about that "exposes a fault" line up there? This actually made me think of my job.
Part of my compensation is tips from clients. We have a set idea of what is an acceptable tip. If a person falls short of that expectation, we hurl a curse behind their back. But I don't know their whole story. What if their tip is really all they can afford? What if they're giving me a HUGE tip, relatively speaking? Am I right to call them a cheap bastard if I don't get what I'm expecting?
This really opens up my mind. I need to be more careful about that. With words the world was created. They're very powerful. This person...no person needs me hurling expletives/ curses at them.
But I guess what really bothers me about the drunken Noach story is that you just get the feeling that there's something missing! Ham saw his father naked...aaaaannnd?? There are midrashim (later rabbinic writings that try to fill in the storylines) that make it sound like there may have been more going on, but those are just midrash. Midrash are often interesting, but they're not part of the story. They're just projections. I could say, "Ham jumped into the tent, grabbed Noach's penis and went 'HONK HONK!! Then laughed" and say that's why Noach cursed him, but there's nowhere in the Torah that says that, so it's just me, a guy 5000 years later saying it. No basis for it, but I had to justify Noach's curse.
WHY did Noach curse Ham? The best I can figure is that it comes down to respect. What I see here is that Noach was in his own tent; the entire world was just destroyed and he is one of only eight people who survived. He was chosen by God Himself to remain alive and repopulate the world. I imagine a person would feel pretty mixed up about that, if one was a righteous person, as Noach was. A man who had no ill will towards his fellow man. But he was chosen to live, while thousands, possibly millions died. I would feel great that God chose me out of everyone; but I think I would have some pretty heavy surivor's guilt, too. So, my grapes have finally ripened, and in my own tent, behind closed doors, I have some wine...I have quite a bit of wine and I get pretty drunk. So maybe I flop down on my bed to sleep and my junk pops out. Why, then, is my youngest son poking his head into my tent and ogling my package...and then running off to tell his brothers about what he saw? I think that was the sin. Ham was disrespectful. Torah goes on about respecting your elders, so that makes sense to me. Be respectful of others; don't go telling tales and don't stare when you see their faults exposed. You've got your own to deal with.
This portion also gives us the story about The Tower Of Babel. 340 years after the flood, people decide to build a city and a tower "with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves." The ego of this, the lack of God recognition, causes God to put a stop to the construction by "confusing their tongue" so no one can communicate. This one leapt out at me in a way it never previously did. This one made me see a great explanation for the Jewish tradition of giving anonymous tzedakeh (charity, basically). This tells us not to seek glory for our works, but rather let others enjoyment of the work be our reward. I like that one a lot.
Also in this portion: God says we can eat meat.
Shalom!
Lev
No comments:
Post a Comment