Image: Noah’s ark. He and his sons are loading the animals. (Gellinger/Pixabay)
This week’s Torah portion is Noach. You know – the guy with the Ark? There’s another famous story in there as well, the story of the Tower of Babel. You know the kiddy versions of these stories, but remember those are sanitized! This week’s portion includes some truly strange stories.
The great thing about Torah stories is that even though the words do not change, every year when we come back around to them, we are in a different place in our lives. When I was little, I was fascinated by the thought of all those animals: it seemed wonderful! When I was a young mother, I thought about Mrs. Noah: poor woman, all those animals and children to care for! This year, I think about the Flood itself: after a month of weird sunny hurricane winds, monster fires and displacement, and the Darkness visited upon some of us in California by our own electric utility, natural disaster seems almost, well, natural.
So take a look at these famous stories: read the parashah for yourself! Here are some writers with different points of view on the stories in Parashat Noah:
Is A Rainbow a Good Thing? – Blog: Six Degrees of Kosher Bacon
We have to stop taking the world for granted – Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild
Another Brick in the Wall – Rabbi Dan Moskovitz
“A Tzaddik Knows the Soul of His Beast” – Rabbi Ruth Adar
Noah, the raven, and the dove – Rabbi Kari Hofmeister Tuling, PhD
The Open Invitation – Rabbi Rachel Barenblat
Righteous In His Time – Rabbi Jordan Parr
The Scary Side of Noah’s Ark – Rabbi Ruth Adar
