Row, Row, Row Your Boat: Genesis 6:9-18

9. This is the legacy of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, he was pure in his generation; Noah walked with God.		ט. אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ:
10. And Noah had three sons: Shem, Cham, and Japhet.		י. וַיּוֹלֶד נֹחַ שְׁלשָׁה בָנִים אֶת שֵׁם אֶת חָם וְאֶת יָפֶת:
11. Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth became full of violence.		יא. וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַתִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ חָמָס:
12. God saw the earth, and behold it had become corrupted, for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth.		יב. וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְהִנֵּה נִשְׁחָתָה כִּי הִשְׁחִית כָּל בָּשָׂר אֶת דַּרְכּוֹ עַל הָאָרֶץ:
13. And God said to Noah, "The end of all things that live on the land has come before Me, for the earth has become full of robbery because of them, and behold I am destroying them from the earth.		יג. וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְנֹחַ קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר בָּא לְפָנַי כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ חָמָס מִפְּנֵיהֶם וְהִנְנִי מַשְׁחִיתָם אֶת הָאָרֶץ:
14. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and you shall seal it both inside and outside with pitch.		יד. עֲשֵׂה לְךָ תֵּבַת עֲצֵי גֹפֶר קִנִּים תַּעֲשֶׂה אֶת הַתֵּבָה וְכָפַרְתָּ אֹתָהּ מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ בַּכֹּפֶר:
15. And this [is the size] you shall make it: three hundred cubits the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height.		טו. וְזֶה אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה אֹתָהּ שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת אַמָּה אֹרֶךְ הַתֵּבָה חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה רָחְבָּהּ וּשְׁלשִׁים אַמָּה קוֹמָתָהּ:
16. You shall make a light for the ark, and to a cubit you shall finish it to the top, and the entrance of the ark you shall place in its side; you shall make it with bottom [compartments], second story [compartments], and third story [compartments].		טז. צֹהַר | תַּעֲשֶׂה לַתֵּבָה וְאֶל אַמָּה תְּכַלֶּנָּה מִלְמַעְלָה וּפֶתַח הַתֵּבָה בְּצִדָּהּ תָּשִׂים תַּחְתִּיִּם שְׁנִיִּם וּשְׁלִשִׁים תַּעֲשֶׂהָ:
17. And I, I am bringing the flood, water upon the earth, to destroy all living things on the land in which there is the spirit of life, from beneath the heavens; all that is upon the earth will perish.		יז. וַאֲנִי הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶת הַמַּבּוּל מַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ לְשַׁחֵת כָּל בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ רוּחַ חַיִּים מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ יִגְוָע:
18. And I will set up My covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you and your sons, and your wife and your sons' wives with you.		יח. וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתָּךְ וּבָאתָ אֶל הַתֵּבָה אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ וְאִשְׁתְּךָ וּנְשֵׁי בָנֶיךָ אִתָּךְ:

Guide Questions:

1. According to Rashi/the Stone Chumash/the Torah Revealed, what are the two ways that we can understand that Noah was pure "in his generation"?

2. According to Rashi on the words "Make yourself an ark," why did God give Noah the burden of building an ark, which took a long time?

3. According to Rashi, what kind of light (verse 16) was Noah to make in the ark, and what might it symbolize?

4. According to Nahum Sarna in Etz Hayim (41-42), how many times is the Hebrew root for "corrupt" appear in this story? Also, how many times does the root for "make" appear? What might this mean?

5. What are different meanings of the words tzadik and tamim? (Check different translations.) How might they describe Noah?

6. A cubit is about 18 inches, which would make the ark 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Draw a model of what the ark would have looked like. What kind of ship was it?

7. In verse 18, what Hebrew word is used for the first time in the Torah? Why is this important?

8. According to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (131-132), "Make yourself an ark," what does the Hebrew word for "ark" also mean? How does he understand this story as a metaphor? Also, who else does Rabbi Nachman point out is rescued in an "ark"? What is the significance of this?

9. According to Rabbi Aaron Bisno in Text Messages, what is the message for us today that Noah was a tzadik?

10. According to The Women's Commentary, what might have been the name of Noah's wife? (bottom 53-54). What does the name mean? Why isn't she given a name in the text of the actual Torah?

Brotherly Love: B'reisheet 4:1-12

1. Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a man with Adonai."		א. וְהָאָדָם יָדַע אֶת חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד אֶת קַיִן וַתֹּאמֶר קָנִיתִי אִישׁ אֶת יְהֹוָה:
2. And she continued to give birth to his brother Abel, and Abel was a shepherd of flocks, and Cain was a farmer of the soil.		ב. וַתֹּסֶף לָלֶדֶת אֶת אָחִיו אֶת הָבֶל וַיְהִי הֶבֶל רֹעֵה צֹאן וְקַיִן הָיָה עֹבֵד אֲדָמָה:
3. Now it came to pass after some days, that Cain brought from the fruit of the soil a gift to Adonai.		ג. וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ יָמִים וַיָּבֵא קַיִן מִפְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה מִנְחָה לַיהֹוָה:
4. And Abel he also brought of the first of his flocks and of their best, and Adonai favored Abel and his offering.		ד. וְהֶבֶל הֵבִיא גַם הוּא מִבְּכֹרוֹת צֹאנוֹ וּמֵחֶלְבֵהֶן וַיִּשַׁע יְהֹוָה אֶל הֶבֶל וְאֶל מִנְחָתוֹ:
5. But to Cain and to his offering God did not show favor, and it upset Cain a great deal, and his face fell.		ה. וְאֶל קַיִן וְאֶל מִנְחָתוֹ לֹא שָׁעָה וַיִּחַר לְקַיִן מְאֹד וַיִּפְּלוּ פָּנָיו:
6. But Adonai said to Cain, "Why are you upset, and why has your face fallen?		ו. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל קָיִן לָמָּה חָרָה לָךְ וְלָמָּה נָפְלוּ פָנֶיךָ:
7. Isn't it true so that if you want to do better, you can raise yourself up? If you do not want to do better, however, sin crouches at the door, and you will crave it. But you can rule over it."		ז. הֲלוֹא אִם תֵּיטִיב שְׂאֵת וְאִם לֹא תֵיטִיב לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ וְאֵלֶיךָ תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ וְאַתָּה תִּמְשָׁל בּוֹ:
8. Cain spoke to Abel his brother.... Then it came to pass when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.		ח. וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיְהִי בִּהְיוֹתָם בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיָּקָם קַיִן אֶל הֶבֶל אָחִיו וַיַּהַרְגֵהוּ:
9. Adonai said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 10. And God said, "What have you done? Your brother's bloods cry out to Me from the earth. 11. And now, you are cursed even more than the ground, which opened its mouth to take your brother's blood from your hand. 12. When you till the soil, it will not continue to give its strength to you; you shall be a wanderer and an exile in the land."		ט. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל קַיִן אֵי הֶבֶל אָחִיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא יָדַעְתִּי הֲשֹׁמֵר אָחִי אָנֹכִי: י. וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה עָשִׂיתָ קוֹל דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ צֹעֲקִים אֵלַי מִן הָאֲדָמָה: יא. וְעַתָּה אָרוּר אָתָּה מִן הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר פָּצְתָה אֶת פִּיהָ לָקַחַת אֶת דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ מִיָּדֶךָ: יב. כִּי תַעֲבֹד אֶת הָאֲדָמָה לֹא תֹסֵף תֵּת כֹּחָהּ לָךְ נָע וָנָד תִּהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ:

Guide Questions:
1. According to Rashi, why did Abel become a shepherd?

2. According to Rashi, what was the difference between Cain and Abel's offerings? What in the Torah suggests this?

3. In verse 7, it says that "sin crouches at the door." At the door of what? Find at least two answers among different commentators. (For instance, contrast Rashi with Rabbi Nachman of Breslov p. 119.)

4. In verse 8, it says that Cain spoke to Abel his brother, but it does not say what he said. Find in different midrashim (such as in Etz Hayim, pp 23-24) what the Rabbis imagined Cain might have said. What do you think?

5. Imagine if the text had said, "Cain spoke to Abel his brother.... and they resolved their differences." In your own opinion, what do you think it would have taken for this to happen?

6. According to Rashi, why did God ask Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" if God obviously knew where Abel was?

7. According to the Women's Torah Commentary (p. 19), how many times is the word "brother" used in this story, and what is the message behind this symbolism?

8. According to Rabbi Sherre Z. Hirsch in Text Messages, who might be your "brother"?

9. According to the Plaut commentary (p. 44), what are the meanings of Cain and Abel's Hebrew names? How do these fit the story?

10. Why does the Hebrew say "your brother's bloods"? (This is found in many commentaries, including Etz Hayim, Plaut, and the Stone Chumash based upon Mishnah Sandhedrin 4:5.)

13 is a Lucky Number: Exodus 34:4-7

4. So he [Moses] carved two stone tablets like the first ones, and Moses got up early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai as Adonai had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand.		ד. וַיִּפְסֹל שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וַיַּשְׁכֵּם משֶׁה בַבֹּקֶר וַיַּעַל אֶל הַר סִינַי כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֹתוֹ וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים:
5. And Adonai came down in the cloud and stood with him there, and he called out in the name of Adonai.		ה. וַיֵּרֶד יְהֹוָה בֶּעָנָן וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה:
6. And God passed before him and called out: (1) Adonai, (2) Adonai, (3) El, Who is (4) compassionate and (5) gracious, (6) slow to anger and (7) abundant in loving kindness and (8) truth,		ו. וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהֹוָה | עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא יְהֹוָה | יְהֹוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת:
7. (9) making loving kindness last for thousands, (10) forgiving wrong-doing and (11) rebellion and (12) sin; and (13) clearing but not completely clearing, visiting the wrongs of parents on children and children's children, to the third and fourth generations."		ז. נצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה פֹּקֵד | עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְעַל בְּנֵי בָנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים:

GUIDING QUESTIONS

1. How do the "thirteen attributes (characteristics) of God" appear in the siddur? Check out the beginning of the Torah service on holidays. What is different about how they appear in the siddur than in the Torah? Why? 
2. According to Rashi, on what day were the second set of tablets given? What is the meaning of this? 
3. According to Rebbe Nachman's Torah, why are there two tablets and not one? 
4. Why does Rashi say that the name "Adonai" is repeated at the beginning of the list? 
5. According to the midrash, what kind of stone were the tablets carved out of? What color is this stone usually? What significance is this color in Judaism? 
6. Who calls out God's attributes? Why? 
7. How do commentators explain that children and grandchildren feel the consequences of the actions of their parents and grandparents?