Difference between revisions of "Cursing Canaan/1/en"
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<div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | <div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | ||
<h2>A Misdirected Curse</h2> | <h2>A Misdirected Curse</h2> | ||
| − | After recounting the details of the flood, Sefer Bereshit shares one final story regarding Noach.  After planting a vineyard, Noach becomes drunk from its fruit and reveals himself in his tent.  His son Cham sees him in his nakedness, while Shem and Yefet cover him up.  The latter are blessed, but surprisingly, it is not Cham who is cursed, but rather his son, Canaan.  Bereshit Rabbah asks the obvious question, "חָם חָטָא וּכְנַעַן נִתְקַלֵּל, אֶתְמָהָא" | + | After recounting the details of the flood, Sefer Bereshit shares one final story regarding Noach.  After planting a vineyard, Noach becomes drunk from its fruit and reveals himself in his tent.  His son Cham sees him in his nakedness, while Shem and Yefet cover him up.  The latter are blessed, but surprisingly, it is not Cham who is cursed, but rather his son, Canaan.  Bereshit Rabbah asks the obvious question, "חָם חָטָא וּכְנַעַן נִתְקַלֵּל, אֶתְמָהָא"?  If Cham sinned, why is it Canaan who is punished?! |
| − | <h2></h2> | + | <h2>Who is the "Youngest Son"?</h2> |
| − | Two | + | <p>Two other phrases in the story raise further questions about the connection between Cham and Canaan.  The story opens by stating that Cham is "אֲבִי כְנָעַן", and when Cham acts against his father, the point is repeated.  Why does the narrator find it necessary to share this fact?  Second, after Noach awakens from his stupor, the text shares:</p> |
| + | <multilang style="overflow: auto"> | ||
| + | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl"> (כד) וַיִּיקֶץ נֹחַ מִיֵּינוֹ וַיֵּדַע אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לוֹ בְּנוֹ הַקָּטָן. </q> | ||
| + | <q xml:lang="en">(24) And Noach awakened form his wine and he knew what his youngest son had done to him. </q> | ||
| + | </multilang> | ||
| + | <p>On first read, it is natural to assume that the text refers to Cham, the antagonist previously mentioned.  However, based on the order given whenever Noach's sons are listed together,<fn>See <a href="Bereshit5-32" data-aht="source">Bereshit 5:32</a>, <a href="Bereshit6-9-10" data-aht="source">6:10</a>, <a href="Bereshit9-18-27" data-aht="source">9:18</a> and <a href="Bereshit10-1-26-721-22" data-aht="source">10:1</a>.</fn> Cham would appear not to be the youngest son, but rather the middle child.  Who, then, is referred to by the phrase "בְּנוֹ הַקָּטָן"?  Interestingly, Canaan is listed last among Cham's son, suggesting that he was the youngest of his own family.  It is possible that somehow the text refers to him?</p> | ||
| + | |||
| + | <h2>What was the sin?</h2> | ||
| + | <p>Verse 22 speak of what was done to Noach, but it is not clear why the action deserved such a harsh curse: </p> | ||
| + | <multilang style="overflow: auto"> | ||
| + | <q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl" style="margin-bottom:.3em;">(כב) וַיַּרְא חָם אֲבִי כְנַעַן אֵת עֶרְוַת אָבִיו וַיַּגֵּד לִשְׁנֵי אֶחָיו בַּחוּץ. </q><q xml:lang="he" dir="rtl"> </q> | ||
| + | <q xml:lang="en"></q> | ||
| + | </multilang> | ||
| + | <p>The literal translation of "וַיַּרְא...  אֵת עֶרְוַת אָבִיו" is "and he saw... his father's nakedness", an improper act, surely, but not particularly evil. However, throughout Tanakh, the similar phrase "גילוי עריות" has sexual connotations.  Did Cham merely look at his father, or were his deeds much more sinister?</p> | ||
</page> | </page> | ||
</aht-xml> | </aht-xml> | ||
Version as of 22:00, 14 October 2015
Cursing Canaan
Introduction
A Misdirected Curse
After recounting the details of the flood, Sefer Bereshit shares one final story regarding Noach. After planting a vineyard, Noach becomes drunk from its fruit and reveals himself in his tent. His son Cham sees him in his nakedness, while Shem and Yefet cover him up. The latter are blessed, but surprisingly, it is not Cham who is cursed, but rather his son, Canaan. Bereshit Rabbah asks the obvious question, "חָם חָטָא וּכְנַעַן נִתְקַלֵּל, אֶתְמָהָא"? If Cham sinned, why is it Canaan who is punished?!
Who is the "Youngest Son"?
Two other phrases in the story raise further questions about the connection between Cham and Canaan. The story opens by stating that Cham is "אֲבִי כְנָעַן", and when Cham acts against his father, the point is repeated. Why does the narrator find it necessary to share this fact? Second, after Noach awakens from his stupor, the text shares:
(כד) וַיִּיקֶץ נֹחַ מִיֵּינוֹ וַיֵּדַע אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לוֹ בְּנוֹ הַקָּטָן.
(24) And Noach awakened form his wine and he knew what his youngest son had done to him.
On first read, it is natural to assume that the text refers to Cham, the antagonist previously mentioned. However, based on the order given whenever Noach's sons are listed together,1 Cham would appear not to be the youngest son, but rather the middle child. Who, then, is referred to by the phrase "בְּנוֹ הַקָּטָן"? Interestingly, Canaan is listed last among Cham's son, suggesting that he was the youngest of his own family. It is possible that somehow the text refers to him?
What was the sin?
Verse 22 speak of what was done to Noach, but it is not clear why the action deserved such a harsh curse:
(כב) וַיַּרְא חָם אֲבִי כְנַעַן אֵת עֶרְוַת אָבִיו וַיַּגֵּד לִשְׁנֵי אֶחָיו בַּחוּץ.
The literal translation of "וַיַּרְא... אֵת עֶרְוַת אָבִיו" is "and he saw... his father's nakedness", an improper act, surely, but not particularly evil. However, throughout Tanakh, the similar phrase "גילוי עריות" has sexual connotations. Did Cham merely look at his father, or were his deeds much more sinister?
