AND THE SONS OF NOAH THAT WENT FORTH FROM THE ARK WERE SHEM, AND HAM, AND JAPHETH. R. Eleazar asked why the Scripture inserts the words “who went forth from the ark”. Did, then, Noah have other sons who did not go forth from the ark?
R. Simeon said: ‘Had I been alive when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave mankind the book of Enoch and the book of Adam, I would have endeavoured to prevent their dissemination, because not all wise men read them with proper attention, and thus extract from them perverted ideas, such as lead men astray from the Most High to the worship of strange powers. Now, however, the wise who understand these things keep them secret, and thereby fortify themselves in the service of their Master.’
Of the three sons of Noah that went forth from the ark, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Shem is symbolic of the right side, Ham of the left side, whilst Japheth represents the “purple”, which is a mixture of the two.
AND HAM WAS THE FATHER OF CANAAN. Ham represents the refuse and dross of the gold, the stirring and rousing of the unclean spirit of the ancient serpent. It is for that reason that he is designated the “father of Canaan”, namely, of Canaan who brought curses on the world, of Canaan who was cursed, of Canaan who darkened the faces of mankind.
For this reason, too, Ham is given a special mention in the words, “Ham, the father of Canaan”, that is, the notorious world-darkener, whereas we are not told that Shem was the father of such-a-one, or that Japheth was the father of such-a-one. No sooner is Ham mentioned, than he is pointed to as the father of Canaan.
Hence when Abraham came on the scene, it is written, “And Abraham passed through the land” (Gen. 12, 6), for this was before the establishment of the patriarchs and before the seed of Israel existed in the world, so that the land could not yet be designated by this honoured and holy name. Observe that when Israel were virtuous the land was called by their name, the Land of Israel; but when they were not worthy it was called by another name, to wit, the Land of Canaan.
Hence it is written: AND HE SAID, CURSED BE CANAAN, A SERVANT OF SERVANTS SHALL HE BE UNTO HIS BRETHREN, for the reason that he brought curses on the world, in the same way as the serpent, against whom was pronounced the doom, “Cursed art thou among all cattle” (Gen. 3, 14).
וַיִּהְיוּ בְּנִי נֹחַ הַיּוֹצְאִים מִן הַתֵּבָה. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיב וַיִּהְיוּ בְּנֵי נֹחַ. אַמַּאי אָמַר הַיּוֹצְאִים מִן הַתֵּבָה. וְכִי בְּנִין אָחֳרָנִין הֲווּ לֵיהּ דְּלָא נָפְקֵי מִן תֵּיבוּתָא.
AND THE SONS OF NOAH THAT WENT FORTH FROM THE ARK WERE SHEM, AND HAM, AND JAPHETH. R. Eleazar asked why the Scripture inserts the words “who went forth from the ark”. Did, then, Noah have other sons who did not go forth from the ark?
אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי אַבָּא אִין. דְּהָא לְבָתַר אוֹלִידוּ בְּנוֹי בְּנִין. דִּכְתִיב וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת שֵׁם וְגו'. וְאִנוּן לָא נָפְקֵי מִגּוֹ תֵּיבוּתָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב הַיּוֹצְאִים מִן הַתֵּיבָה שֵׁם חָם וָיָפֶת.
R. Abba said: “Yes: the children whom his sons bore afterwards; and the Scripture points out that these did not go forth from the ark.’
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר אִילּוּ הֲוֵינָא שְׁכִיחַ בְּעָלְמָא כַּד יָהִיב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סִפְרָא דְחֲנוֹךְ בְּעָלְמָא וְסִפְרָא דְאָדָם, אַתְקִיפְנָא דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן בֵּינֵי אֱנָשָׁא, בְּגִין דְּלָא חַיְישׁוּ כָּל חֲכָמָאן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהוּ וְטָעָן בְּמִלִּין אָחֳרָנִין לְאֲפָקָא מֵרְשׁוּ עִלָּאָה לִרְשׁוּ אָחֳרָא. וְהַשְׁתָּא הָא חַכִּימֵי עָלְמָא יָדְעִין מִלִּין וְסָתְמִין לוֹן וּמִתְתַּקְפֵי בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן.
R. Simeon said: ‘Had I been alive when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave mankind the book of Enoch and the book of Adam, I would have endeavoured to prevent their dissemination, because not all wise men read them with proper attention, and thus extract from them perverted ideas, such as lead men astray from the Most High to the worship of strange powers. Now, however, the wise who understand these things keep them secret, and thereby fortify themselves in the service of their Master.’
וְהַאי קְרָא אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּרָזָא דְרָזִין. (תוספתא) דְּכַד אִתְעַר חֶדְוָה דְּכָל חֶדְוָון טְמִירָא סְתִימָא סַבְתָּא דְסַבְתִּין אַנְהִיר מִנֵּיהּ נְהִירוּ דַּקִּיק. חֶדְוָה דְּכָל חֶדְוָון נָהִיר לְיָמִינָא בִּמְשַׁח רְבוּת עִלָּאָה. וְנָהִיר לִשְׂמָאלָא בְּחֶדְוָוה דְּחַמְרָא טַב, נָהִיר לְאֶמְצָעִיתָא בְּחֶדְוָוה (ד"א דארגוונא) דִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין. רוּחַ אִתְעַר וְרוּחַ סָלְקָא וְאִתְיְיהִיב בְּרוּחָא.
דָּבְקָן דָּא בְּדָא. תְּלַת עָאלִין בִּתְלַת. מִגּוֹ תְּלַת נָפְקָא חַד בְּרִית דְדָבְקָא בִּבְרִית. אִתְעֲבָרַת רוּחַ דְּסָלְקָא, מִתְעֲבָרַת מִנֵּיהּ. כַּד אִתְיְיהִיבַת בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין אִתְדַּבְּקוּ רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא וּמִתְעַבְּרָן מִתְּלַת בְּנִין. וְנֹחַ וְתֵיבָה נָפְקוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ תְּלָתָא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּתְלָתָא (דלתתא) עִלָּאִין, וְאִלֵּין אִנוּן דְּנָפְקוּ מִגּוֹ תֵּיבוּתָא שֵׁם וְחָם וְיָפֶת. שֵׁם דְּבִסְטַר יָמִינָא, חָם דְּבִסְטַר שְׂמָאלָא. יֶפֶת אַרְגְּוָונָא דְּכָלִיל לוֹן.
Of the three sons of Noah that went forth from the ark, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Shem is symbolic of the right side, Ham of the left side, whilst Japheth represents the “purple”, which is a mixture of the two.
וְחָם הוּא אֲבִי כְנָעַן. זוּהֲמָא דְדַהֲבָא תְּחוֹת קַסְטִיפִין. אִתְעֲרוּתָא דְּרוּחָא מְסָאֲבָא דְּנָחָשׁ קַדְמָאָה. וּבְגִין כָּךְ רְשִׁים וְאָמַר, וְחָם הוּא אֲבִי כְנָעַן. דְּאַיְיתֵי לְוָוטִין עַל עָלְמָא. הַהוּא כְנָעַן דְּאִתְלַטְּיָא. הַהוּא כְנָעַן דְּאַחְשִׁיךְ אַנְפֵּי בְּרִיָּין.
AND HAM WAS THE FATHER OF CANAAN. Ham represents the refuse and dross of the gold, the stirring and rousing of the unclean spirit of the ancient serpent. It is for that reason that he is designated the “father of Canaan”, namely, of Canaan who brought curses on the world, of Canaan who was cursed, of Canaan who darkened the faces of mankind.
וּבְגִין כָּךְ (כלהו) לָא נָפִיק מִגּוֹ כְּלָלָא דְּכֻלְהוּ אֶלָּא דָא דִּכְתִיב וְחָם הוּא אֲבִי כְנָעַן. הַהוּא דְּאַחְשִׁיךְ עָלְמָא, וְלָא כְּתִיב בִּכְלָלָא דָא וְשֵׁם הוּא אֲבִי כָךְ אוֹ יֶפֶת הוּא אֲבִי כָךְ, אֶלָּא מִיָּד קָפַץ וְאָמַר וְחָם הוּא אֲבִי כְנָעַן. וַדַּאי.
For this reason, too, Ham is given a special mention in the words, “Ham, the father of Canaan”, that is, the notorious world-darkener, whereas we are not told that Shem was the father of such-a-one, or that Japheth was the father of such-a-one. No sooner is Ham mentioned, than he is pointed to as the father of Canaan.
וְעַל דָּא כַּד אֲתָא אַבְרָהָם מַה כְּתִיב (בראשית י״ב:ו׳) וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ. דְּעַד לָא הֲוָה קִיּוּמָא דְּאֲבָהָן וְלָא אָתוּ זַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָלְמָא, דְּיִפּוּק שְׁמָא דָא וְיֵיעוּל שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא. כַּד הֲווּ זַכָּאִין יִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרֵי אַרְעָא עַל שְׁמָא דָא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. כַּד לָא זָכוּ אִקְרֵי אַרְעָא עַל שְׁמָא אָחֳרָא, אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן.
Hence when Abraham came on the scene, it is written, “And Abraham passed through the land” (Gen. 12, 6), for this was before the establishment of the patriarchs and before the seed of Israel existed in the world, so that the land could not yet be designated by this honoured and holy name. Observe that when Israel were virtuous the land was called by their name, the Land of Israel; but when they were not worthy it was called by another name, to wit, the Land of Canaan.
וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (בראשית ט׳:כ״ה) וַיֹּאמֶר אָרוּר כְּנַעַן עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים יִהְיֶה לְאֶחָיו. דְּאִיהוּ אַיְיתֵי לְוָוטִין עַל עָלְמָא. וּבְנָחָשׁ מַה כְּתִיב, (בראשית ג׳:י״ד) אָרוּר אַתָּה מִכָּל הַבְּהֵמָה. הַיְינוּ דִכְתִיב עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב שֵׁם חָם וְיָפֶת. תְּלַת אִלֵין בְּנֵי נֹחַ הַיּוֹצְאִים מִן הַתֵּיבָה כִּדְקָאַמְרִינָן:
Hence it is written: AND HE SAID, CURSED BE CANAAN, A SERVANT OF SERVANTS SHALL HE BE UNTO HIS BRETHREN, for the reason that he brought curses on the world, in the same way as the serpent, against whom was pronounced the doom, “Cursed art thou among all cattle” (Gen. 3, 14).