Week of October 21, 2025

This Torah ‘sedrah’ is given over to the adventures of Noah. The purpose is more phenomenology. It seeks to explain some of the natural occurences in the world, as in the rainbow. Early humans didn’t know about light refraction through prisms. Hence the flood story, which is borrowed from older Semitic myths known as the Gilgamesh epic, serves as a springboard to explain the rainbow. It helps also to explain the presence of three ethnic groups in the known world. Semites come from Shem (the name), the eldest son of Noah. The Hamitic tribes, i.e. African groups, from the son, Ham; and the Indo-Europeans like Greek islanders, deriving from Yaphet (meaning “beautiful skin.”)

After emerging from the ark, Noah representing future humanity, enters into a covenant with God who enjoins upon him seven basic laws of humanity. The Rabbis commented on this chapter and said that one who follows these laws will be assured a place in the world to come. So you don’t need to be a Jew in order to gain salvation.

Join us for an inspiring Torah study this coming Shabbat.