Parshat Noach Regret into Comfort

1
Noach
The Secret of “Nun Chet”:
Transforming Regret into Comfort
‫ פרשת בראשית‬-'‫בראשית ה‬-1
‫(כח) ַֽוְיִחי־ֶ֕ל ֶמְך ְׁשַּ֧ת ִים ּוְׁשֹמִ֛נ ים ָׁשָ֖נ ה ּוְמ ַ֣א ת ָׁשָ֑נ ה ּ֖יַוֹוֶלד ֵּֽבן׃‬
‫(כט) ַוִּיְקָ֧ר א ֶאת־ְׁש֛מ ֹו ֹ֖נ ַח ֵלאֹ֑מ ר ֶ֠֞ז ה ְיַנֲחֵ֤מ נּוִֽמַּמֲעֵׂ֙שנּ֙ו ּוֵמִעְּצ֣ב ֹון ָיֵ֔ד ינּוִמן־ָ֣ה ֲאָד ָ֔מ ה‬
‫ֲא ֶׁ֥ש ר ֵֽאְרָ֖ר ּה ְיֹהָֽוה׃‬
-1Bereshit 5
(28) Lemech lived one hundred and eighty-two years and he
fathered a son.
(29) He named him Noach, saying, "This one will comfort us
from our work and the labor of our hands, from the ground which
Hashem has cursed."
‫כ"ט‬:'‫רש"י בראשית ה‬-2
,‫ עד שלא בא נח לא היו להם כלי מחרישה‬.‫זה ינחמנו – יניח ממנו את עצבון ידינו‬
‫ והיתה ארץ מוציאה קוצין ודרדרין כשזורעין חיטין מקללתו של‬,‫והוא הכין להם‬
.‫ זה ינחמנו – ָיַנח מנו‬.‫ ובימי נח נחה‬,‫אדם הראשון‬
:‫ ואתה צריך לקרות שמו‬,‫ אין טעם השם נופל על השם‬,‫ואם לא כך תפרשהו‬
.‫מנחם‬
-2Rashi 5:29
‫ זה ינחמנו‬THIS WILL COMFORT US – He will ease from off us ( ‫יניח‬
‫ )ממנו=ינחמנו‬the toil of our hands. For until Noah came people had
no agricultural instruments and he prepared such for them. The
earth had brought forth thorns and thistles when they sowed
wheat in consequence of the curse imposed upon Adam
HaRishon: in the days of Noah, however, this ceased (Tanchuma
1:1:11). This is what is meant by the word ‫( ינחמנו‬viz., ‫)ינח מנו‬.
If, however, you do not explain it in this manner, but from the root
‫" נחם‬to comfort", then the meaning you give to this expression
2
(connecting it with the idea of "comfort") will have no application

to the name ‫נח‬, and you would have to call him ‫" מנחם‬Comforter".
‫כ"ט‬:'‫אבן עזרא פירוש ראשון בראשית ה‬-3
‫ כי על יד זה הנולד‬,‫ כי נביא היה‬,‫וטעם זה ינחמנו – שידעו על יד אדם הראשון‬
‫ גם‬.‫ כי על ידו נתקיים העולם‬,‫ וכן היה‬.‫ ראו זה בדרך חכמה‬:‫ או‬.‫תחיה האדמה‬
– ‫ שנקרא שמו נח‬:‫ גם יתכן‬.)'‫כ‬:'‫ כי כן כתוב (בראשית ט‬,‫הוא היה איש אדמה‬
.‫ ונח הפך העצבון‬.‫ אחר שעבד האדמה והצליחה‬,)‫ל"ב‬:'‫ ירובעל (שופטים ו‬:‫כמו‬
‫ כי‬,‫ מנוחה היא מעצבון הלב‬,‫ גם הנחמה‬.‫והטעם זה ינחמנו – וננוח מעצבון ידינו‬
…‫העבריי הטעמים ישמרו ולא המלות‬
-3Ibn Ezra- Bereshit 5:29

Lamech was informed by Adam, ].THIS SAME SHALL COMFORT US[
who was a prophet, that through his newborn child the land would
live. Or perhaps they learned through astrology. And so it was, for
it was through Noah that the world was preserved. Furthermore,
Noah was, as the Bible explicitly states, an expert in agriculture
(Gen. 9:20). It is also possible that he got this name after his
agricultural successes. We find the same with Jerubbaal. Noah
.(rest) is the opposite of toil (etzavon)
The meaning of our verse is, this one will comfort us and we will
rest (nanu'ach) from the toil of our hands. Moreover, comfort is a
relaxation of the heart's pain. The Hebrews are more concerned
.with the idea expressed by a word than with its etymology
'‫כ‬:'‫שמואל א א‬-4
‫(כ) ַֽוְיִה֙י ִלְתֻק ֣פ ֹות ַהָּיִ֔מ ים ַוַּ֥ת ַהר ַחָּ֖נ ה ַוֵּ֣ת ֶלד ֵּ֑ב ן ַוִּתְק ָ֤ר א ֶאת־ְׁשמֹ֙ו ְׁשמּוֵ֔א ל ִּ֥כ י ֵמְיֹהָ֖ו ה‬
‫ְׁשִא ְלִּֽתיו׃‬
‫(כז) ֶאל־ַהַּ֥נ ַער ַהֶּ֖ז ה ִהְתַּפָּ֑ל ְלִּתי ַוִּיֵּ֨ת ן ְיֹהָ֥ו ה ִל֙י ֶאת־ְׁשֵ֣א ָלִ֔ת י ֲא ֶׁ֥ש ר ָׁשַ֖א ְלִּתי ֵֽמִעּֽמֹו׃‬
‫(כח) ְוַ֣ג ם ָאֹנִ֗כ י ִהְׁשִאְלִּ֙ת הּ֙ו ַֽליֹהָ֔ו ה ׇּכל־ַהָּיִמי֙ם ֲא ֶׁ֣ש ר ָהָ֔י ה ֥ה ּוא ָׁש֖א ּול ַליֹהָ֑ו ה ַוִּיְׁשַּ֥ת חּוָׁ֖ש ם‬
‫ַֽליֹהָֽוה׃‬
-4Shemuel I 1:20
3
(20) And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that
Hannah conceived and bore a son; and she called his name
Samuel, "because I have asked him of Hashem."
(27) For this child I prayed; and Hashem has granted me my
petition which I asked of Him.
(28) Therefore I also have lent him to Hashem; as long as he lives
he is lent to Hashem." And he worshipped Hashem there.
‫כ"ט‬:'‫שד"ל בראשית ה‬-5
‫ ואין צורך‬,‫זה ינחמנו וגו' – התנחם בהולד לו בן מעצבון ידיו בעבודת האדמה‬
‫ אלא כאדם האומר הדבר הטוב הזה יהיה נחמתי‬,‫שיהיה המאמר דרך נבואה‬
‫ כי ייגע לטובת‬,‫ ובאמת מי שיש לו זרע הוא מתנחם בעמלו ויגיעו‬.‫מדבר אחר רע‬
‫ ולמי אני‬,‫ ומי שאין לו בנים על הרוב מתעצל בעבודתו ואומר‬,‫זרעו אשר אהב‬
,‫ אלא קרא הקורא‬,‫עמל ומחסר את נפשי מטובה? ואולי ויקרא אינו חוזר ללמך‬
‫ אז‬,‫ וזה אחר שהמציא את היין‬,‫ונקרא שמו נח לא בהולדו אלא אחר שנים הרבה‬
‫אמרו בני דורו זה ינחמנו ממעשינו על היין המשמח לבב אנוש ומנחם הפועלים‬
.‫מיגיעם ומעמלם‬
‫ אך נראה כי מתחלה היה שרש נח מורה שני‬,‫ לא נח‬,‫ינחמנו – שרשו נחם‬
.‫ כידוע בשרשים הרבה‬,‫ ואח"כ הוסיפו בו המ"ם להבדיל ביניהם‬,‫הענינים‬
-5Shadal Bereshit 5:29

"This one will be of comfort, etc." -He was comforted, at the birth
of his son, over the travail of his hands and the work of the
ground. This statement was not necessarily by way of prophecy,
but merely in the manner of one who says, “This goodness will be
my comfort in the midst of this evil.” Indeed, one who has
offspring is comforted for his troubles, for he toils for the benefit
of this beloved offspring; whereas one who has no children is
usually slack in his work, saying, “For whom do I toil and deprive
myself of good?”
Perhaps “he named him” does not refer to Lamech, however, but
to whoever named Noah, and Noah was so named not at his birth
4
but many years later, after he had invented wine. Then his
contemporaries might have said, “This one will comfort us in the
midst of our labor” in reference to wine, which gladdens the heart
of man and comforts workers in their toils.
"will be of comfort to us (yenaḥamenu)." -The root of the Hebrew
is naḥam, not naḥ [as in “Noah”], but apparently the root naḥ
originally implied both meanings [i.e. “comfort” and “rest”], and
later the mem was added to distinguish between them, as is
known to have occurred with many other roots.
‫ פרח‬,‫ פקח‬,‫ פצח‬,‫ פתח‬-‫ פח‬1[
‫ קצע‬,‫ קצר‬,‫ קצץ‬,‫ קצב‬-‫ קצ‬2[
‫ גזר‬,‫ גזע‬,‫ גזם‬,‫ גזז‬-‫ [גז‬3
'‫בראשית ו‬-7
‫(ה) ַּ֣יַוְרא ְיֹהָ֔ו ה ִּ֥כ י ַרָּ֛ב ה ָרַ֥ע ת ָהָא ָ֖ד ם ָּבָ֑א ֶרץ ְוׇכל־ֵ֙י ֶצ֙ר ַמְחְׁשֹ֣ב ת ִלּ֔ב ֹו ַ֥ר ק ַ֖ר ע ׇּכל־ַהּֽיֹום׃‬
‫(ו) ַוִּיָּ֣נ ֶחם ְיֹהָ֔ו ה ִּֽכי־ָעָׂ֥ש ה ֶאת־ָֽהָא ָ֖ד ם ָּבָ֑א ֶרץ ַוִּיְתַעֵּ֖צ ב ֶאל־ִלּֽבֹו׃‬
‫(ז) ֹּ֣יַואֶמר ְיֹהָ֗ו ה ֶאְמ ֶ֨ח ה ֶאת־ָהָא ָ֤ד ם ֲאֶׁשר־ָּבָ֙ר אִת֙י ֵמַע֙ל ְּפֵ֣נ י ָֽהֲאָד ָ֔מ ה ֵֽמָאָד ֙ם ַעד־ְּבֵהָ֔מ ה‬
‫ַעד־ֶ֖ר ֶמׂש ְוַעד־֣ע ֹוף ַהָּׁשָ֑מ ִים ִּ֥כ י ִנַ֖ח ְמִּתי ִּ֥כ י ֲעִׂשיִֽתם׃‬
‫(ח) ְוֹ֕נ ַח ָ֥מ ָצא ֵ֖ח ן ְּבֵעיֵ֥נ י ְיֹהָֽוה׃‬
-7Bereshit 6
(5) Hashem saw that the evil of man was great on the earth, and
that every design of his heart's thoughts was only evil, all day
long.
(6) Hashem regretted that He had made man on earth, and He
was pained to His heart.
(7) Hashem said, "I will wipe out the man whom I have created
from the face of the earth, from man to animal to creeping things
to the birds of the heavens, because I regret that I have made
them."
(8) But Noach found favor in Hashem's eyes.
5
‫ו‬:‫רש"י בראשית ו‬-8

‫ ֶׁשִאּלּוָהָיה ִמן ָהֶעְליֹוִנים‬,‫ ֶנָחָמה ָהְיָתה ְלָפָניו ֶׁשְּבָראֹו ַבַּתְחּתֹוִנים‬.‫וינחם ה' כי עשה‬
:)‫ָהָיה ַמְמִריָדן (בבראשית רבה‬
-8Rashi Bereishit 6:6
‫ וינחם ה' כי עשה‬-“Hashem regretted that He had made” —It was a
comfort to Him that He had created man on earth, for had he
been one of the heavenly beings he would have incited them also
to rebel against God (Genesis Rabbah 27:4).
-9What it Means to be a Grateful Alcoholic - The Magdalen House
When I first heard someone refer to themselves as a “grateful
alcoholic” I was shocked and perplexed. At the time, being an
alcoholic was the worst thing that had ever happened to me – a
curse. How could something so terrifying, baffling, embarrassing
and heartbreaking be seen with gratitude? Little did I know that
as soon as I got to the “other side” of my alcoholism my entire
world was going to be turned upside down – in the best way
possible.
What I once considered a moral failure had proven to be an
illness; a hopeless condition of mind and body. The beautiful thing
about the illness I was suffering from was that there was a
solution – a solution found in God by way of application and
practice of 12-Step principles. The reason I can today say that I
am a grateful alcoholic goes far beyond the fact that I am sober –
I have a new purpose in life, one that I would have never had if I
weren’t an alcoholic. My life’s purpose is to bring hope to the next
suffering alcoholic and to demonstrate spiritual principles in my
everyday life. Sounds simple, but it is a tall order – a very
rewarding one.
I get to witness miracles on almost a daily basis – tears turned to
smiles, fear turned to faith, families restored, inner confidence
renewed and much more. I get to hear “thank you for helping me”
a lot too. I get to participate so much more in life because I am an
6
alcoholic – I get to be alive again. I’m Lauren, and I am a grateful

alcoholic.

Parshat Noach Regret into Comfort

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Parshat Noach Regret into Comfort

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Parshat Noach Regret into Comfort

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1

(connecting it with the idea of "comfort") will have no application

-3Ibn Ezra- Bereshit 5:29

-5Shadal Bereshit 5:29

‫ו‬:‫רש"י בראשית ו‬-8

alcoholic – I get to be alive again. I’m Lauren, and I am a grateful

You might also like