Cursing Canaan/2/en

Noach's Vineyard

Exegetical Approaches

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Canaan Sinned

Noach punished Canaan because he was the one who had wronged him the most.

Sources:opinion in Bavli SanhedrinSanhedrin 70aAbout the Bavli, R. Nehemiah in Bereshit Rabbah,36:7About Bereshit Rabbah R. Yosef Kara, RashbamReconstructed Bereshit 9:18About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraBereshit 9:18-27Additional Commentary Bereshit 9:18-27About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 9:18-27About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, Ralbag, SefornoBereshit 9:18-27About R. Ovadyah Seforno

"בְּנוֹ הַקָּטָן"

• Canaan – Most of these sources maintain that this refers to Canaan, the youngest son of Cham.  As evidence, they point to the order of sons mentioned in the genealogy list in 10:6, "וּבְנֵי חָם כּוּשׁ וּמִצְרַיִם וּפוּט וּכְנָעַן."   According to Seforno Canaan is called Noach's son, despite his being his grandson,  because  'בְּנֵי בָּנִי הֲרֵי הֵם כְּבָנִים', (a person's grandsons are like his sons).  R. Yosef Kara and Ibn Ezra assert, in contrast, that the "וי"ו" of "בְּנוֹ" refers back to Cham.¹

Canaan Born from Cham's Sin

Canaan was cursed as an illegitimate child, born of the illicit union between Cham and Noach's wife.

Sources:Hoil MosheBereshit 9:28About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi, I. Elizur

Canaan Cursed for Cham's Sin

JosephusAntiquities of the Jews 1:6:1About Josephus, opinion in Bavli SanhedrinSanhedrin 70aAbout the Bavli, Bereshit Rabbah36:7About Bereshit Rabbah, Targum Pseudo-JonathanBereshit 9:20-27About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, RambanBereshit 9:18, 20, 26About R. Moshe b. Nachman, ShadalBereshit 9:18-27About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto

Sources:Despite the fact that it was Cham who acted wrongly, for technical reasons Canaan was cursed instead.

Canaan not Cursed

Canaan was never cursed; only Cham was.

Sources:R. Saadia GaonTafsir Bereshit 9About R. Saadia Gaon

¹ In other words, the verse reads "And Noach realized what the youngest son [of Cham] had done to him.