[Par-reg] Parshat Noach - Toladot & the theme of Breishit
Menachem Leibtag
tsc at bezeqint.net
Thu Nov 3 09:02:28 EST 2005
*************************************************************
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag
Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag
*************************************************************
PARSHAT NOACH
The TOLADOT & the theme of Sefer Breishit
The Mabul (the Flood) and Migdal Bavel (the Tower of
Babel) are undoubtedly the two primary stories in this week's
Parsha. However, each of these two stories is preceded by a
list of genealogies that appear to be rather irrelevant.
Furthermore, at the conclusion of Parshat Noach (see
11:10-25) we find yet another set of genealogies (that
introduces the story of Avraham Avinu).
In this week's shiur, we explain how these 'sifrei
toladot' (lists of genealogies) create a 'framework' for Sefer
Breishit and can help us better understand how these stories
(i.e the Flood and Migdal Bavel) contribute to its overall
theme.
INTRODUCTION
In our introductory shiur on Sefer Breishit, we
discussed the methodology that we employ to uncover the
primary theme of each sefer. We begin our shiur with a quick
review of those basic steps:
1) To identify the primary topic of each 'parshia'
2) To group the titles of these 'parshiot' into units
that share a more common topic. [Each of these units could be
considered as 'chapters' of the book .]
3) To group these 'chapter' divisions into larger units
that share a common topic or theme [similar to 'sections' of a
book].
4) To suggest an overall theme of the book, by analyzing
the progression of theme from one section to the next.
In our shiur, we will show how the various sets of
"toladot" in Sefer Breishit can help us apply this
methodology, and can point us in a direction that may help us
uncover its underlying theme.
FROM A LIST TO AN OUTLINE
In the following table, we list all of the 'parshiot'
in the first seventeen chapters of Sefer Breishit, joining
together only the most obvious groups of parshiot by noting
their specific and then more general topics.
Study this list carefully, noting how the specific
topics can easily group into more general topics:
PSUKIM
SPECFIC TOPIC
GENERAL TOPIC
1:1-2:3
7 days of Creation
Creation of nature
2:4-3:15
The Gan Eden story
Gan Eden
3:16
Chava's punishment
Gan Eden
3:17-21
Man's punishment
Gan Eden
3:22-24
Expulsion from Gan Eden
Gan Eden
4:1-26
Cain's sin and punishment
Outside Gan Eden
5:1-31
[Toladot:] Adam->Noach
Dor Ha-mabul
5:32-6:4
Man's downfall
[pre-Mabul]
6:5-8
reason for Mabul / Hashem
[pre- Mabul]
6:9-12
reason for Mabul / Elokim
[pre-Mabul]
6:13-8:14
Punishment - the Flood
The Mabul
8:15-9:7
Leaving the Ark
[post-Mabul]
9:8-17
'Brit ha-keshet'
[post-Mabul]
9:18-29
Cham cursed/Shem blessed
[post-Mabul]
10:1-32
[Toladot:] sons of Noach
The 70 Nations
11:1-9
Builders of the Tower
Migdal Bavel
11:10-32
[Toladot:] Shem->Terach
Avraham Avinu
12:1-9
Avraham's aliya
Avraham Avinu
12:10-13:18
Lot leaves Avraham
Avraham Avinu
14:1-24
War of 4 & 5 kings
Avraham Avinu
15:1-21
Covenant/brit bein ha'btarim
Avraham Avinu
Chapter 16
Yishmael's birth
Avraham Avinu
Chapter 17
Brit mila - another covenant
Avraham Avinu
etc.
[To verify this, I recommend that you review this table (and
its conclusions) using a Tanach Koren.]
As you review this chart, note how the first set of
major topics all relate in one form or other to God's
'Hashgacha' [providence], i.e. His intervention in the history
of mankind as He punishes man (or mankind) for wayward
behavior.
In fact, just about all of the stories in Chumash
(prior to God's choice of Avraham Avinu) relate in some manner
to the general topic of 'sin & punishment' ['sachar
ve-onesh']. For example, after Creation we find the following
stories:
* Adam & Eve sin & hence are expelled from Gan Eden
* Cain is punished for the murder of Hevel
* Dor ha-mabul is punished for its corruption
* 'Dor ha-plaga' is 'punished' for building the Tower
Afterward, the focus of Sefer Breishit shifts from stories
of 'sin & punishment' to God's choice of Avraham Avinu - and
the story of which members of his offspring are chosen.
ENTER - 'TOLADOT'
However, within this progression of topics, we find a
very interesting phenomenon. Return to the table (above) and
note how each of these general topics are first introduced by
a set of toladot [genealogies]. For example:
* The toladot from Adam to Noach (chapter 5) introduce
the story of the Mabul (chapters 6->9).
* The toladot or Noach's children (chapter 10)
introduces the story of Migdal Bavel (11:1-9 / the Tower of
Babel).
* The toladot from Shem to Terach (chapter 11) introduce
the story of Avraham Avinu (chapters 12-...)
In fact, as surprising as it may sound, even the story
of Gan Eden (chapters 2-3) is first introduced by toladot!
"These are the "toladot" of the heavens & earth..."
[See 2:4! / note the various English translations.]
Furthermore, later on in Sefer Breishit, we continue
to find toladot. Note how we later find: toladot of Yishmael
(see 25:12); toladot of Yitzchak (see 25:19); toladot of Esav
(see 36:1); & toladot of Yaakov (see 37:2).
The following table summarizes this pattern, and
illustrates how [some sort of] "toladot" introduces each of
the main topics in Sefer Breishit. As you review this table
note how the first several topics all relate to 'chet
ve-onesh', i.e. God's punishment of man (or mankind) for his
sins, while the remaining topics relate to the story of our
forefathers - the Avot!
CHAPTERS
TOPIC
========
======
2
Toldot shamayim va-aretz
2->4
-> Man in (and out of) Gan Eden
5
Toldot Adam to Noach
6->9
-> ha-mabul - The story of the Flood
10
Toldot Bnei Noach - Shem, Cham & Yefet
11:1-9
-> Migdal Bavel - The Tower of Babel
11
Toldot Shem until Terach
12->25
-> God's choice of Avraham Avinu
25 -35
Toldot Yitzchak - story of Yaakov & Esav
36
Toldot Esav - story Esav's children
37- 50
Toldot Yaakov - story of Yosef & his brothers
Although this pattern is rarely noticed, these sifrei
toladot actually create a framework for the entire book of
Breishit!
In this manner, the toladot introduce each and every
story in Sefer Breishit. To explain why, we must first take a
minute to explain what the word toladot means:
WHAT IS A TOLADA?
The word toladot stems from the Hebrew word 'vlad', a
child or offspring. Therefore, 'eileh toldot' should be
translated 'these are the children of...'.
For example: 'eileh toldot Adam' (5:1) means - 'these
are the children of Adam' - and thus introduces the story of
Adam's children, i.e. Shet, Enosh, Keinan, etc. Similarly,
'eileh toldot Noach' introduces the story of Noach's children
- Shem, Cham, and Yefet. [See Rashbam on Breishit 37:2 for a
more complete explanation.]
Some of these toldot in Sefer Breishit are very short;
as they simply state that the person lived, married, had
children and died (e.g. the generations from Adam to Noach).
Other toldot are very detailed, e.g. those of Noach, Terach,
Yitzchak, and Yaakov. Nonetheless, every story in Sefer
Breishit could be understood as a detail in the progression of
these "toladot".
This explanation raises a question concerning the
first instance where we find toldot - i.e. toldot shamayim
va-aretz (see 2:4). How do the heavens and earth have
'children'?!
[Note how various English translations attempt to solve this
problem when they translate this pasuk!]
The answer to this question may be quite meaningful.
Recall that the first chapter of Breishit explains how God
created shamayim va-aretz (heavens and earth) from 'nothing'
(ex nihilo). Then, immediately afterward in the next chapter,
we encounter the first use of toldot:
"Eileh toldot ha-shamayim ve-ha'aretz be-hibar'am..."
(2:4).
So what does Chumash refer to as the toladot of
shamayim va-aretz, i.e what are the children of heaven and
earth?
If we follow the progressive pattern of Sefer Breishit (as
illustrated by the above table) then 'toldot shamayim
va-aretz' must refer to man himself [i.e. Adam ha-rishon], for
it is the story of his creation that immediately follows this
introductory pasuk!
In other words, Adam ha'Rishon is considered the
'offspring' of shamayim va-aretz. This interpretation could
help explain the significance of the pasuk that describes how
God created man in perek bet (the first topic of this unit):
"And Hashem Elokim formed man from the dust of the earth and
blew into his nostrils nishmat chayim - the breath of life"
(see 2:7). This second ingredient may reflect the aspect of
man which comes from (or at least returns to) heaven.
In contrast to the story of Creation in perek aleph,
which features a clear division between shamayim [note the
purpose of the 'rakiya' in 1:6], the special manner of God's
creation of man in perek bet may reflect his unique ability to
connect between heaven and earth.
[See Rashi on 2:5, where he explains that God created man so
that he could pray for rain - in order for vegetation to grow.
See also last week's shiur on Parshat Breishit.]
Similarly, the next set of toladot - from Adam to
Noach (see chapter 5) lead immediately into the story of the
Flood. Note how 9:28-29 - the psukim that conclude the Noach
story, are clearly part of the same literary unit that began
with the toladot in chapter 5 (i.e. they follow the same
'template').
This pattern of "toladot" that introduce stories continues
all the way until the very end of Sefer Breishit. Therefore,
we conclude that these sifrei toladot do more than 'keep the
sefer together'; they also help develop the theme of Sefer
Breishit.
We will now show how these toladot create not only a
framework for Sefer Breishit; they can also help us identify
its two distinct sections that create its primary theme.
Let's explain:
THE TWO SECTIONS OF SEFER BREISHIT
Despite this successive nature of the toladot in Sefer
Breishit, they clearly divide into two distinct sections.
1) God's creation of mankind (chapters 1-11)
w/ stories relating to 'sachar ve-onesh'
2) The story of the avot (chapters 12->50)
God's choice of Avraham's offspring to become His
nation.
Even though the majority of Sefer Breishit focuses on
the family of Avraham Avinu (Section Two), in the first eleven
chapters (Section One), the Torah's focus is on mankind as a
whole.
For example. even when Section One includes special
details about Noach, it is not because he is designated to
become a special nation - rather, it is because through Noach
that mankind will be preserved. After the flood, the Torah
tells us how Noach's offspring evolve into nations, and their
dispersing (see chapter 10). Even though we find that Noach
blesses Shem and Yefet (see 9:25-27), the concept of a special
nation with a special covenant does not begin until the story
of Avraham Avinu.
In contrast, Section Two (chapters 11 50) focuses on
the story of Am Yisrael - God's special nation. In this
section, Sefer Breishit is no longer universalistic, rather it
becomes particularistic.
Therefore, this section begins with toldot Shem till
Terach (see 11:10-24) that introduce the story of Avraham
Avinu, whom God chooses in chapter 12 to become the forefather
of His special nation. The remainder of Sefer Breishit
explains which of Avraham's offspring are chosen [=
'bechira'], e.g Yitzchak and Yaakov], and which are rejected
[= 'dechiya'], e.g Yishmael and Esav].
This explains why Sefer Breishit concludes precisely
when this complicated bechira process reaches its completion -
i.e. when all twelve sons of Yaakov have been chosen, and none
of his offspring will ever again be rejected.
[This may also explain the significance of Yaakov's name
change to Yisrael [see TSC shiur on Parshat Vayishlach.]
Our final table summarizes how the toladot help define
these two sections of Sefer Breishit:
I. UNIVERSALISTIC (chapters 1 >11) - Creation of mankind
PEREK TOLDOT the STORY OF...
===== ====== ===========
1-4 'shamayim va-aretz' Man in (and out of)
Gan Eden
5-9 from Adam to Noach 'dor ha-mabul' -
the Flood
10-11 bnei Noach to 70 nations 'dor ha-plaga' - Migdal
Bavel
II. PARTICULARISTIC (11 >50) - God's choice of Am Yisrael
PEREK TOLDOT the STORY OF...
===== ====== ===========
11 Shem to Terach leads up to Avraham Avinu
11-25 Terach God's choice of Avraham &
Yitzchak
25 Yishmael *his 'rejection' (dechiya)
25 35 Yitzchak Yaakov and Esav (their
rivalry)
36 Esav * his 'rejection'
37 50 Yaakov the 12 tribes/ Yosef and his
brothers
70 'nefesh' go
down to Egypt
However, if our original assumption that each sefer in
Chumash carries a unique prophetic theme is correct, then
there should be a thematic reason for the progression of
events from Section One to Section Two. Therefore, to
identify the overall theme of Sefer Breishit, one must take
into consideration how these two sections relate to one
another.
To help uncover that theme, we must take a closer look at
the structure created by these toladot.
SHEM & SHEM HASHEM
Note once again from the above table how each general
topic in the first section of Sefer Breishit was first
introduced by a set of toladot. In a similar manner, each of
these units concludes with an event which in some way relates
to the concept of 'shem Hashem' - God's Name, i.e. His
reputation. Let's explain how.
Our first unit, the story of Adam ha-rishon, concludes
at the end of chapter four with a very intriguing pasuk:
"And also Shet gave birth to a son and called him Enosh, then
he 'began' to call out in the Name of God ['az huchal likro
be-shem Hashem'] (see 4:26).
[Most commentators explain that 'huchal' implies that man
began to 'defile' God's Name (shoresh 'chillul'), i.e. they
didn't call in His Name properly - see also Rambam Hilchot
Avoda Zara I:1]
No matter how we explain the word "huchal" in this
pasuk, all the commentators agree that God's intention was for
man to 'call out in His Name'. Note, however, how this pasuk
concludes the section that began in 2:4 with the story of Gan
Eden. Even though man was banished from Gan Eden and Cain was
punished for murder, God still has expectations from mankind -
man is expected to search for God, to 'call out in His Name'.
Despite this high expectation, the next unit of
toladot, which leads into the story of the Mabul, shows that
man's behavior fell far short of God's hopes. God became so
enraged that He decides to destroy His creation and start over
again with Noach. This unit which begins in 5:1 concludes in
chapter 9 with a special set of mitzvot for Bnei Noach
(9:1-7), a covenant ('brit ha-keshet' (9:8-17), and ends with
the story of Noach becoming drunk (9:18-29). However, even in
this final story (of this unit) we find once again a reference
to "shem Hashem":
After cursing Canaan for his actions, Noach then
blesses his son Shem:
"Blessed be God, the Lord of Shem..." (see 9:26-27).
Now it is not by chance that Noach named his son -
Shem. Most likely, Noach's decision to name his son Shem was
rooted in his hope that his son would fulfill God's
expectation that man would learn to call out "be-shem Hashem",
as explained in 4:26!
[It is not by chance that Chazal consider Shem the founder of
the first Yeshiva, the house of learning where Avraham,
Yitzchak, and Yaakov studied, i.e. 'Yeshivat Shem ve-Ever'.]
Noach blesses Shem in the hope that he and his
descendants will indeed fulfill this goal. However, once
again, we find that the next generation fails. In chapter 10,
again we find a unit that begins with toladot - this time the
development of the seventy nations from the children of Shem,
Cham, and Yefet - and again, just like the two units that
preceded it, this unit also concludes with a story where the
word "shem" emerges as thematically significant, i.e. the
story of Migdal Bavel. As we will now explain, in this
story, once again mankind is not looking for God; rather they
are interested solely in making a 'name ['shem'] for
themselves!
MIGDAL BAVEL
When reading the first four psukim of the story of
Migdal Bavel, it is hard to pinpoint one specific sin: [Note,
however, the significant usage of the first person plural.]
"Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words.
And as they traveled from the east, they came upon a valley in
the land of Shin'ar and settled there. They said to one
another: Come, let us make bricks and burn them hard... And
they said, Come let us build us a city and a tower with its
top in the sky, and we will make a name for ourselves -
v'naaseh lanu shem - lest we shall be scattered all over the
world. Then God came down to see...." (see 11:1 7).
From a cursory reading, it is not clear exactly what
was so terrible about the deeds of this generation. After
all, is not achieving 'achdut' [unity] a positive goal?
Likewise, the use of human ingenuity to initiate an industrial
revolution, developing man-made building materials, i.e bricks
from clay etc., seems to be a positive advancement of society.
Furthermore, there appears to be nothing wrong with simply
building a city and a tower. Why was God so angered that He
decided to stop this construction and disperse mankind?
Chazal focus their criticism of this generation on
their antagonistic attitude towards God (see Rashi 11:1). One
key phrase in the Torah's explanation of the purpose for the
tower reflects the egocentric nature of this generation:
"ve-na'aseh lanu shem" [we shall make a name for ourselves]
(11:4) [see Sanhedrin 109a].
Instead of devoting themselves to the name of God,
this generation devotes all of their efforts for the sake of
an unholy end. Their society and culture focused solely on
man's dominion and strength, while totally neglecting any
divine purpose for their existence. [See Ramban on 11:4!]
Although this generation's moral behavior was probably
much better than that of the generation of the Flood, God
remained disappointed, for they established an anthropocentric
society (i.e. man in the center) instead of a Theo-centric one
(i.e. God in the center). Their primary aim was to make a
'name for themselves', but not for God.
As God's hope that this new generation would 'koreh
be-shem Hashem' - to call out in His Name - never materialized
- He instigates their dispersion. God must take action to
assure that this misdirected unity will not achieve its stated
goal (see 11:5-7). Therefore, God causes the 'mixing of
languages' - so that each nation will follow its own
direction, unable to unify - until they will find a common
goal worthy of that unity.
AVRAHAM IS CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE
Our analysis thus far can help us identify the
thematic significance of the story of Migdal Bavel within the
progression of events in Sefer Breishit - for the very next
story is God's choice of Avraham Avinu to become His special
nation!
In a manner similar to the earlier stories in Chumash, the
story of God choosing Avraham Avinu is first introduced, and
not by chance, by tracing his genealogy back ten generations -
so that it will begin with Shem - the son of Noach! The
thematic connection to "shem" becomes obvious.
From this perspective, the story of Migdal Bavel
should not be viewed as just another event that took place -
so that we know how and when the development of language
began. Rather, this story 'sets the stage' for God's choice
of Avraham Avinu, for it will become the destiny of Avraham,
the primary descendent of toldot Shem, to bring God's Name
back into the history of civilization; to 'fix' the error of
civilization at Migdal Bavel!
Therefore, it should come as no surprise to us that
upon his arrival in Eretz Canaan, the Torah informs us of how
Avraham Avinu ascends to Bet-El and builds a mizbeiach where
he 'calls out in God's Name':
"And Avraham came to the Land, to Shechem... and God spoke to
him saying: 'To your offspring I have given this Land'... and
Avraham traveled from there towards the mountain range to the
east of Bet-el... and he built there an altar - and CALLED OUT
IN THE NAME OF GOD"
[See 12:8 (and Ramban), compare 4:26).
Similarly, it should not surprise us that when the
prophet Isaiah describes the 'messianic age' (see Isaiah
2:1-5) - he speaks of unity of mankind:
- when all nations will gather together once again, but this
time to climb the mountain of God (not a valley)
- arriving at the city of Jerusalem - to its special tower -
i.e. the Bet ha-Mikdash - 'the place that God has chosen for
His Name to dwell there' [see Devarim 12:5-12]
- thus rectifying the events that took place at Migdal
Bavel.
And when the prophet Tzefania describes ultimate
redemption, we find once again an allusion to Migdal Bavel:
'ki az ehpoch el amim safa brura, likro chulam be-shem Hashem
le-ovdo shchem echad'. (see 3:9)
In our shiur on Parshat Lech Lecha we will continue
this discussion, as we will discuss in greater detail the
purpose for God's choice of Avraham Avinu. Till then,
shabbat shalom
menachem
=============================
FOR FURTHER IYUN
A. In light of our discussion, we can better appreciate a
puzzling statement made by Ben Azai:
"Zeh sefer toldot ha-adam...
It is taught - R. Akiva says, 've-ahavta le-rei'acha
kamocha' - love your neighbor as yourself - klal gadol
ba-Torah - This is a great principle of the Torah.
Ben Azai says, 'zeh sefer toldot ha-adam' (5:1) - klal
gadol mi-zeh - is an even greater principle.
(Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:4).
How could one suggest that the very technical list of
the genealogies from Adam to Noach found in Breishit 5:1 32
constitutes even a principle, let alone one more important
than the famous dictum that one should love his neighbor as
himself!? One could suggest that Ben Azai's statement is
not referring specifically to the genealogies, but rather to
the overall structure of Sefer Breishit as formed by the
toladot, and thus its theme. Although it is very important to
'love thy neighbor', the theme of Sefer Breishit - that Am
Yisrael must lead all mankind to a theocentric existence - is
an even greater tenet of our faith.
B. What other parallels (or contrasting parallels) can you
find between Yeshayahu 2:1-6 and the story of Migdal Bavel?
[Be sure to relate to 'bik'a' and 'har' as well!]
C. See Tzfania 3:8-9 and its context, especially 'ki az
ehpoch el amim safa brura, likro chulam be-shem Hashem le-ovdo
shchem echad'. How does this relate to our explanation of
Migdal Bavel!?
Now, see Seforno in his introduction to Sefer
Breishit. Note how he explains the progression of events from
the Mabul until God's choice of Avraham Avinu! Does it become
clear how the Seforno understood this pasuk in Tzfania!!
[Be sure to find where he 'quotes' it.]
D. Am Yisrael is later commanded in Sefer Dvarim to establish
the mikdash 'ba-makom asher yivchar Hashem leshachein shmo
sham'! (Dvarim 12:5,11). Relate this to the above.
See also Shmuel II 7:22 27 and Melachim I 8:42-44).
E. The suggested thematic connection between Migdal Bavel and
the bechira of Avraham Avinu is supported by the Midrash that
states that Avraham was 48 years old when he recognized God
for the first time. Avraham Avinu reached age 48 on the same
year that Peleg died (see Rashi on 10:25), which according to
Chazal corresponds to the precise year of Migdal Bavel - 1996
to briyat ha-olam. Recall that Avraham was born in year 1948!
F. In case you 'can't wait' until next week, some preparation
for next week's shiur on Avraham Avinu & shem Hashem.
Note that when Avraham Avinu first arrives in Eretz
Yisrael, he builds a mizbeiach at Bet El and calls out be-shem
Hashem (12:8). After his sojourn in Egypt due to the famine,
Avraham returns to this mizbeiach at Bet El and once again
calls out be-shem Hashem! (13:4 / see also 21:33).
After reading this entire section (12:1-13:4)
carefully, try to explain why Bet-El is the focal point of
Avraham's aliya.
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