בס”ד
PARSHAT NOACH – 5784
וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹקים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃
The earth became corrupt before G-d; the earth was filled with lawlessness.
וַיַּ֧רְא אֱלֹקים אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְהִנֵּ֣ה נִשְׁחָ֑תָה כִּֽי־הִשְׁחִ֧ית כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר אֶת־דַּרְכּ֖וֹ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {ס}
When G-d saw how corrupt the earth was, for all flesh had corrupted its ways on earth,
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהקים לְנֹ֗חַ קֵ֤ץ כׇּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
G-d said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with lawlessness because of them: I am about to destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:11-13)
Two words are repeated. A repeat of a form of the verb שחת, which is translated as corruption and destruction, and the word חמס, which is interpreted as lawlessness, in this context.
It should come as no surprise that a verb can have several meanings. Because the Hebrew verbs “to corrupt” and “to destroy” share the same root letters, they must have a meaning that is related to one another. Because Dutch is my first language, finding a connection in Dutch was easier than in English. The terms “bederven – to spoil” and ” kapot maken – to destroy” came to mind.
Food can “bederven – spoil” and no longer be used for anything. The phrase “kapot gaan – it broke” means the same thing.
This leads me to the following:
The earth was spoiled-broken, and when G-d realized that it was spoiled -broken, he said to Noah, “I am going to break the earth totally.” Just as I dump my food in the garbage can, where it rots until there is nothing left. The fact that man trashed the planet meant that G-d had to destroy it further at some point.
The second word that stood out, albeit it was not repeated, was the Hebrew word קֵ֤ץ – kets – what means “end.” It implies that there was no longer any chance that humanity could change its ways on its own. What compelled G-d to draw this finish line, which straw broke the proverbial camel’s back? The answer to this question is the second word repeated in this passage, the word חָמָ֖ס – chamas -, translated over here as “lawlessness”.
What exactly was this “lawlessness”? The sages say that one might interpret chamas as stealing and connect it to the Hebrew word “gezel,” which also means “stealing.” The distinction between the two is one of quantity and unscrupulousness. You steal so little, or such a modest object, that you can excuse it in your mind. Noah’s generation was so depraved that they could rationalize any sort of thievery. There are sages that states that “chamas” is synonymous with murder, idolatry, and forbidden sexual relationships. Chamas is then linked to the three major sins that are related with the death penalty. Of course, both versions are correct, and the question is whether there is a link between “stealing” and the “three capital sins.”
Rabbi Yehuda son of Tamai says:
“Be light as an eagle”. This alludes to the requirement to be swift to close your eyes to prevent the seeing of evil because the sight of evil constitutes the beginning of sin. The eye sees and the heart desires and the organs capable of action culminate the sin.[1]
Every sin starts with a look. Consider the first sin: looking at the fruit of the tree. Then the heart enters the picture. It recognizes that what it is looking at is something desirable. According to Genesis, Eve realized that the fruit was good not just to look at, but also to use and possess (the heart/emotions). This eventually leads to taking the fruit – stealing the fruit – because G-d hadn’t given this specific tree.
Every sin begins with the act of looking, and every sin culminates in the act of stealing, or taking something that does not belong to you. This could be something minor, but it could also be serious enough to constitute a capital offense. Idolatry steals, diminishing G-d’s (visible) Glory on earth, murder steals someone’s life, illegal sexual relations steal someone’s dignity.
Noah’s generation committed every conceivable transgression imaginable, but the “straw” was that people no longer felt sorrow, and worse, they accepted their bad behavior as normal. So, what do you think:
- why shouldn’t I worship my idol that provides me obvious victory?
- why shouldn’t I kill my fellow man if he gets in my way?
- why shouldn’t I take my neighbor’s married woman if she is beautiful and desirable to look at?
The end of the generation began when famous men took/stole the women they desired and finished with the flood that G-d sent upon the earth. According to Sanhedrin 108a, the following relationship exists between this sin and the flood:
Rabbi Yosei says: The generation of the flood became haughty due only to the covetousness of the eyeball, which is similar to water, as it is stated: “And the sons of the prominent men saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took for themselves wives from anyone they chose” (Genesis 6:2). Consequently, G-d punished them with water, which is similar to an eyeball [legalgal ha’ayin], as it is stated: “All the fountains [mayenot] of the great deep were breached, and the flues of heaven were opened” (Genesis 7:11). Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The members of the generation of the flood sinned with “great” and were punished with “great.” They sinned with “great,” as it is stated: “And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great” (Genesis 6:5). And they were punished with great, as it is stated: “All the fountains of the great deep were breached” (Genesis 7:11).[2]
G-d always punishes in proportion to the crime. With water in Noah’s generation, and fire in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Noah’s generation had no boundaries; they stole anything their hearts demanded. The people of Sodom and Gomora were also quite evil, but their guilt primarily consisted in establishing strict limits. Unmercifulness and harshness had become the standard of daily life, with little room for hospitality or chesed.
The following sprang to mind:
In Sodom it was decreed: “Whoever hands a piece of bread to a pauper or stranger shall be burned at the stake.”
Plotit, a daughter of Lot, was married to one of the leading citizens of Sodom. One day she saw a pauper starving in the street, and her soul was saddened over him. What did she do? Every day, when she went to draw water from the well, she would take some of the food from her home in her pitcher and feed the pauper. But the people of Sodom wondered, “This pauper, how is he surviving?” Eventually the matter became known and she was taken out to be burned, and her cries rose to the divine throne.[3]
Noah’s generation was corrupt, as were the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. One set without boundaries, while the other set overkill. What they both lacked, or rather did not have, was a fear of G-d. And when there is no longer any fear of G-d, man does whatever he wants, as Abraham told Abimelech:
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֗רְתִּי רַ֚ק אֵין־יִרְאַ֣ת אֱלֹקים בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַהֲרָג֖וּנִי עַל־דְּבַ֥ר אִשְׁתִּֽי׃
And Abraham answered: “Although I have not seen any faults among the people of the country, nevertheless I thought surely the fear of the Almighty is lacking in this place, and they would slay me on account of my wife.[4]
What days are we living in now that are similar to Noah’s generation or the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah?
Everyone must answer this question for himself. But let our days, our own lives, be filled with fear and awe of God; let us know ourselves safe in Noah’s Ark or Abraham’s tent – the Sukkah.
By Angelique Sijbolts
Sources:
[1] Kitzur Shulchan Aruch – Chapter 1: Laws Upon Awakening in the Morning – 3
[2] Sanhedrin 108a:10
[3] Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, ch. 25
[4] Genesis 20:11
נתיבות שלום
With thanks to B. Yaniger for the inspiration
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