NOAH
Genesis 6.5 to 9.1
=Interpretation.= The story of Noah is so simple as scarcely to need
interpretation. The world had become corrupt, and, as God cannot
abide moral corruption, it seemed better to destroy what he had
created. Out of the universal destruction, however, God's providence
singled out Noah, because of his moral superiority, to be saved
and to start human life on a higher plane. He therefore bids Noah
take with him into the ark his family and enough of the animals to
assure the preservation of the different species, taking more of the
clean animals which are fit for food, and, when Noah finally leaves
the ark, He makes a covenant with him, the terms of which are that
Noah, is to observe certain moral laws, including the prohibition
of murder, and that God would never again destroy all life with a
deluge and would guarantee the orderly succession of the seasons as
necessary to man's existence. As a token of this covenant God shows
Noah the rainbow.
=Aim.= The aim in teaching this lesson to the child should be to
give him the idea of God's control over all the forces of nature and
of His special providence exercised over each individual, rewarding
the good and punishing the evil. As it is our purpose, wherever
possible, to find some distinctively Jewish way in which the child
can give expression to the ideals taught this lesson should be made
the occasion for teaching the child the _berakah_ (blessing) on
seeing a rainbow which is associated with the Noah story.
=Suggestions to the teacher.= To connect this story with the child's
own life begin with a reference to the rainbow. Let children tell
what colors they have seen in the rainbow, call their attention to
the fact that it appears always after a storm, and then tell them
that you are going to relate a story which will explain to them why
God makes a rainbow in the heavens after it rains. And when you have
finished the story, again connect the moral of it with the rainbow
somewhat as follows:
"And so, children, whenever we see a rainbow it should remind us of this
story of how God saved Noah from the flood because of his goodness, and
how God promised never to destroy the whole world again by a terrible
flood. And whenever we see a rainbow we should all of us say this little
prayer or <i>berakah</i> which I will teach you, מֶלֶךְ אֱלֹהֵינו יְהֹוָה אַתָּה בָּרוּךְ
בְּמַאֲמָרוֹ וְקַיָם בִּבְרִיתוֹ וֱנֶאֶמָן הַבְּרִית זוֹכֵר הָעוֹלָם, which means, "Blessed be
thou, O Lord our God, King of the world, who remembers His covenant and
is faithful to His covenant and keeps his promise".
The term covenant must be explained to the child in this chapter as
an exchange of promises.
The story of Noah contains many appeals to the child's interest
which the skillful teacher will know how to make the most of. A
Noah's ark with all manner of queer little wooden animals that could
be put in and taken out again has been a favorite toy with many
a child now grown to manhood. A child is naturally interested in
animals and, when you tell of how the animals came into the ark,
ask the children to tell you the names of animals they have seen in
the zoo or circus.
To emphasize the moral of the story use the _haggadic_ elaboration
of it according to which the period that the ark was in process of
construction gave the sinners an opportunity to repent, of which
however they did not avail themselves but instead merely mocked
Noah for trusting in God and obeying him. This _haggada_ is in full
accord with the spirit of the Biblical narrative and gives content
to the statement: "Noah was in his generation a righteous and
whole-hearted man; Noah walked with God."[1]
[1] whenever a _haggadah_ is useful as explaining a biblical
passage, it may be taught as part of the biblical lesson. but the
teacher should avoid teaching such legends as may misrepresent the
biblical meaning and even such as are merely extraneous to the
subject, as, for example, the legend of abraham's persecution by
nimrod, for we must be careful that these legends do not usurp the
unique place which the bible as torah must hold in jewish life and
thought. the _haggadah_ is not authoritative; the bible is.
The episode narrated in Genesis 9.21 to 29 had better be omitted as
not adapted for children.