Today’s portion kind of smacks you in the face. To recap, Noah just came out of the ark, Hashem wanted him and his sons to be fruitful and multiply. But Noah was scared, Hashem gave him the rainbow to reassure him.

So what did Noah do with all of this reassurance?

He planted a vineyard. It says “he degraded himself” by planting a vineyard. Noah liked to drink. So with his newfound freedom and reassurance, he went back to old habits. And wow did it get him into trouble!

Now, we don’t know how fast the vineyard grew that he planted. It could have been immediate (the portion days Noah was a master of the soil) and the soil helped the vineyard grow fast; or it could have taken seasons. But whatever it was, led to trouble!

Basically Noah then got drunk and got naked in his tent. His son Ham “looked at his father’s nakedness.”

Upon first glance this passage doesn’t make a lot of sense. I’ve read it a bunch of times and wasn’t sure why Noah reacted the way he did. But the Talmud (I think it’s the Talmud – again I’m not an expert) says basically Ham assaulted his father in the tent while he was intoxicated. Some rabbis do believe Ham sexually assaulted Noah; which honestly would explain some things.

Regardless of the type of assault, maybe this is why Ham isn’t kosher? Badum tish.

Sorry. Let me go back to being serious;

Ham’s brothers treat this very differently than Ham. They are extra careful not to look at their father’s nakedness.

Noah wakes up and “realized what his youngest son had done to him.” Again, if it was just that Ham looked at him, I’m not sure why Noah would be so angry. It makes more sense that Ham did “something.”

In response, Noah curses Ham’s son Canaan (who is one of four sons). He basically said Canaan will be a slave among slaves to his brethren.

Why Canaan? What about Cush, Mizraim or Put?

The rabbinical thought is Canaan told his dad about Noah’s nakedness; which led to the assault.

My thought is that Canaan should have responded the way Shem and Japtheth did- act compassionately and cover up Noah’s nakedness. But instead he acted selfishly.

But WOW! What a messed up response to the rainbow!

We don’t read about any other children of Noah, even after Hashem asked him to be fruitful and multiply. You could imagine the trauma of Noah and how the assault may have impacted his willingness to be fruitful and multiply even with the rainbow. That’s some trauma.

As I chew on this passage I’m humbled by my own responses to Hashem’s blessings in my Life. Like Noah, Hashem could do something really great (like protecting our family during difficult times), and immediately after I go back to thinking only of myself and “planting a vineyard.”

As an example, we were in the ER last night because my daughter Natana had an allergic reaction to a flu shot. It was a localized infection. But Hashem protected us; Kari’s dad (who is a nurse) just happened to be in town and looked at it and encouraged to get her help. She’s fine. Hashem protected her.

Yet this morning is a new day; and the appreciation and gratitude for Hashem tends to want to go away. I’m reminded of how instinctually I want to go to a place of selfishness. Instead of living in the gratitude of being taken care of.

I’m working on that. Trying to refocus. Bring my eyes and heart to a perspective that allows me to grateful and live out that gratitude.

Instead of planting a vineyard (what are my vineyards I like to plant? What are yours?). I need to rest and trust that what I’m being asked to do is good. The rainbow is enough of a sign for me to not need to get “drunk” in the “vineyard I planted” to do what I’m asked.

What are we being asked to do? What is our purpose? Our “be fruitful and multiply?”

And what would we rather do instead that keeps us from our purpose? What “vineyards” do we want to plant, instead of living out our purpose?”

I think these are important questions to ponder. What do you think?